Turning left for less Turning left for less
  • Home
  • Beginners guide
  • Reviews
    • Hotel reviews
    • Flight reviews
    • Airline Lounge Reviews
    • Travel companies, luggage, travel tech & apps
    • Destination Dining
  • Destinations
    • Barbados
    • Las Vegas
    • Alicante
    • Marbella
    • All other destinations
  • About us
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact us
    • Privacy & Disclosure
      • Join our email list & data protection
    • Youtube and Podcast
  • BOOKING ENQUIRY
Categories
  • Air France
  • Airlines
  • Airport hotels
  • American Airlines
  • Avios
  • Black Friday 23
  • Black Friday 24
  • British Airways
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Business class
  • Cashback
  • competition
  • Credit cards
  • cruises
  • Destinations
  • Emirates
  • Etihad
  • Finnair
  • First class
  • General
  • Guide
  • Heathrow and Gatwick
  • Hilton
  • hotels
  • IHG
  • London hotels
  • Lounges
  • Marriott
  • Michelin star dining
  • News
  • Offers
  • Oneworld
  • parking
  • Qatar
  • reader questions
  • Reader review
  • Reviews
  • Skyteam
  • Star Alliance
  • Starwood
  • This Week in Travel
  • Trains
  • UK country hotels
  • UK hotels
  • USA
  • Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Turning left for less Turning left for less
Turning left for less Turning left for less
  • Home
  • Beginners guide
  • Reviews
    • Hotel reviews
    • Flight reviews
    • Airline Lounge Reviews
    • Travel companies, luggage, travel tech & apps
    • Destination Dining
  • Destinations
    • Barbados
    • Las Vegas
    • Alicante
    • Marbella
    • All other destinations
  • About us
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact us
    • Privacy & Disclosure
      • Join our email list & data protection
    • Youtube and Podcast
  • BOOKING ENQUIRY
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
  • Qatar
  • Reviews

Qatar Airways A330 business class review

  • 28/01/2018
  • Michele

When I booked my flights to Ho Chi Minh City I was annoyed to see that Qatar had an A330 on the route from Doha which had pretty mixed reviews of the seats. One of the things to be wary with when booking Qatar is the variety of aircraft types and seats they use. Fortunately, they are all fully flat but not all have direct aisle access.

I flew from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City and back on the A330 and I will review both parts of the journey since we did not bother which much food or drink on the outbound flights as it was the middle of the night.

In this post:

  • Doha to Ho Chi Minh City
  • Lounge
  • Boarding
  • The seat
  • Amenities
  • Food and drink
  • Ho Chi Minh City to Doha
  • Check-in and Lounge
  • Boarding
  • Seat
  • Food and drink
  • Entertainment
  • Conclusion

Doha to Ho Chi Minh City

Lounge

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Al Mourjan lounge water feature

I will cover the Qatar Al Mourjan lounge in more detail in a separate post. We only had about 15 minutes in lounge by the time we had cleared security. It was still looking fantastic but I felt the shine had come off it slightly since my previous visits. The main reason for this is that previously the lounge was shared with First class which meant a higher standard of food and drink (especially Krug Champagne). I had also been lucky previously to be there at quieter times. This time the lounge was very busy. We ventured upstairs but couldn’t see anywhere to sit except separate seats at the bar so we gave up and went back downstairs.

Downstairs there was more room but the soft drinks were very depleted, lukewarm and no staff to be seen anywhere if you wanted to order a drink.

Boarding

This was pretty orderly and we were welcomed on board by the cabin crew member that would serve us and offered a drink and a hot or cold towel. The towels on Qatar are thick and soft, unlike some airlines where they are more akin to a dishcloth! I chose the Rose champagne which is the better of the two Lanson champagnes on board for me. I have to say that I am not a big fan of either but I forced it down in the name of research! You could also have water or their signature lemon mint drink which is very refreshing (and would be even better with a shot of rum or vodka!!)

The seat

Qatar Airways A330 business class review

We had chosen middle seats in row 2, E and F so that we would both have aisle access. We would have liked row 1 as there is a bigger footwell but they were not available to reserve or at on line check in. As we discovered though there were spare seats so on the way back we asked at airport check in. The seats were quite narrow and lacked much room for stowing anything for take off apart from your water bottle and headphones. Once airborne you could have things around you more as there was a little shelf space behind you as well as a large central armrest.

The seat is the B/E Diamond seat which is also used on some of Qatar’s A319. All the seats except the front row have a narrow foot well which I personally didn’t find a major issue but I would have preferred more room.

As it was a night flight I tried to get some sleep but I have to say I didn’t find the seat very comfortable due to the narrowness. You could put down the armrest on the aisle side which helped a bit but if you like to sleep on your side it feels narrow around the leg and knee area. The seat was well padded though and also comfortable for sitting in. I think it would be fine on a day flight.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Narrow foot rest area

Amenities

As this was a night flight we were given pyjamas. They were not the new White Company ones but still a good quality material and a treat in business class. Note that they are only given out on night flights.

The amenity kit was the new BRIC’S ones which I much preferred to the old ones as they had products I would actually use rather than just perfume. The kits come in several different colours and they seemed to try to give the blue ones to the men and I got more neutral ones. The kits contained earplugs, eyemask, socks in a colour to match the bag, hydrating face spray, anti-ageing moisturiser and lip balm. The facial products had a lovely fragrance and were good quality as well as a decent size. I particularly liked the facial mist which was very refreshing.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Qatar BRICS amenity kit

There was also a bottle of water at the seat as well as noise cancelling headphones which I tried briefly and found comfortable before reverting to my own Bose QC 35. On the seat were a large comfortable pillow as well as a soft quilted blanket.

Food and drink

As this was the middle of the night I didn’t bother to eat. I had a lovely saffron Chai tea instead and headed off to sleep. If you are a chai fan I would urge you to try both the saffron and cardamom chai teas on Qatar. Both are delicious although the saffron one just edges it for me.  My husband had the snack vegetable sandwich which was fine if not very exciting. As usual, we were given a box of 2 Godiva chocolates each. Here is the menu:

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Night flight menu
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Night flight breakfast menu

I was intrigued by the cabin crew’s obsession with the paper coasters as it has obviously been trained into them that everything must be on a coaster. At some point during the night, they must have leaned over my husband to put a coaster under the box of Godiva chocolates as it hadn’t had one the night before!

The wine list and drinks were the same as the previous A380 flight from London:

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Qatar wine list
Qatar Airways A330 business class review wine list
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Dessert wine
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Spirits list
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Salmon starter
Fruit selection

For breakfast, I had ordered the pancakes as my main course but unfortunately they took my husband’s order the next morning so had run out of them by then for him. I dutifully gave them to him as I wasn’t really that hungry. I did try a bite of them but although the flavour was there they were a bit dry and heavy. I had the salmon and potato starter which was rather odd as a breakfast starter but quite large and tasty. My husband had the fruit which looked very colourful and fresh. I also tried the bircher muesli which was a bit sour for my taste although nicely presented.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Pancakes

Ho Chi Minh City to Doha

Check-in and Lounge

Check in was very good. There was one person ahead of us so we were directed to the next desk. The agent was very helpful with changing our seats to row 1 and confirmed which seats in the row we wanted. She spoke good English and explained we needed vouchers to enter the lounge as well as the rather odd luggage screening process. This involved trying to spot your luggage going through the screening room to make sure it hadn’t been taken to one side to be opened.

Qatar use the Apricot lounge at HCMC. This was actually quite pleasant with plenty of hot and cold food options and a small selection of alcoholic drinks including wine. The lounge got very busy towards departure time so I would advise getting there early if you plan to use it. There are showers available which looked clean and modern. They even had a couple of massage chairs which would have delighted Roving Reporter had he been there.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Apricot lounge

Boarding

Boarding was again fairly orderly through the Premium lane. We did have to wait quite a while to get our welcome drinks for some reason but the cabin crew member serving us apologised. When he did arrive he gave us a thorough explanation of the seat and the service which I thought was excellent. Again I opted for the Rose champagne and a hot towel.

Seat

This time we had seats 1A and B. The A330-300 has 5 rows of business class in a 2-2-2 configuaration. The front row is definietly the best option although you are then close to the toilet and galley. Qatar operates several configurations of the A330s so it is always best to check the seat map carefully before deciding on your seat. The foot rest area was much bigger in row 1 which was better when trying to sleep but I still found it quite narrow. I did manage to get a couple of hours sleep though. I wouldn’t chose the window seat again on a flight where you plan to sleep as it was impossible to get out of my seat when the other seat was in bed mode. If you were over 6ft you may manage to hurdle over though!

In terms of privacy if you were travelling on your own there was a sliding privacy screen which was reasonably effective. It was annoying being able to see your neighbour’s TV screen though as it was quite distracting.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Privacy screen

Food and drink

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Table laid for dinner with my own bread basket and a choice of olive oils for dipping
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Amuse bouche

First we had quite a large amuse bouche which was a large scallop with noodles and a dip. I was pleased to see my favourite mezze on the starters and opted for this. It was up to the usual high standard with humus, tabbouleh and some sort of aubergine dip. It came beautifully presented with 3 cute little warm arabic breads for dipping. I was also given my own bread bowl and there was a choice of several olive oils if you didn’t want butter. We both tried the Sicilian white wine to start but neither of us were keen and the fact is was not cold enough didn’t help. The cabin crew were great at keeping us topped up with large refills at regular intervals which was good.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
My favourite mezze

I was torn by the main courses between the duck with red curry and pineapple rice or the beef. As you may know I am always dubious about beef on planes as it usually resembles old shoe leather. I decided to brave it in the name of research and also because I fancied red wine.

The 2010 Medoc Chateu Haut Condissas Bordeaux wine was OK but was lacking in depth and complexity for me. I much preferred the Conundrum Red Blend with Petit Syrah and Zinfandel from California. I was impressed that a lovely little pot of Dijon  mustard was presented when I asked for some unlike some of the hideous sachets you sometimes get. The beef was cooked well done but actually it was quite tender and had a good depth of flavour to it. I wasn’t so enamoured with the very overcooked asparagus though but the rest of the dish was tasty. I loved that there was fresh thyme on top of the beef. Not only did it make it look good, it gave it a lovely flavour of fresh herbs too.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Beef
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Duck with red curry

For dessert I opted for ice cream which I lived to regret! The cabin crew apologised that it would take a while to defrost as it was very cold currently. When it eventually arrived 20 minutes later it was still very frozen and tastes a bit odd, a bit like the ice cream you discover at the back of the freezer! I accompanied this with a glass of Qatar’s excellent Tokaj dessert wine. I do wish BA would offer a dessert wine in business class instead of 3 different champagnes. My husband’s cheese and port was more successful.

Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Frozen solid
Qatar Airways A330 business class review
Cheese selection

Entertainment

The entertainment had large high definition screens that were controlled either by a handheld controller or the touchscreen. I found the controller quite slow and not particularly intuitive to use. It was easier to control with the large screen. They had some recent films, a large back catalogue of older films, music, games and TV programs. I was happy to see Young Sheldon on there which is the prequel to the Big Bang theory and not yet on in the UK. It is worth watching if you see it on a plane somewhere!

Conclusion

I have to say that I was not fan of these seats even though I have flown them on other airlines, these felt particularly narrow. I actually would have preferred the Club World seat on a B747 or A380 upper deck with aisle access to this. However, on a day flight they would be fine. The food, service and entertainment was all excellent and not far off what you would get in First on some airlines. Given that we got a good deal flying out of London rather than ex EU I was happy that I got value for money.

You can find more information on Qatar business class here.

You can read more reviews of Qatar business class here.

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Like this:

Like Loading...
Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
Reddit
WhatsApp
Pocket
Email
Flip
0 Shares
Related Topics
  • one world
  • oneworld
  • Qatar
  • qatar airways
  • reviews
Michele

Previous Article
Qatar London Heathrow T4 Premium lounge business first class review
  • Lounges
  • Qatar
  • Reviews

Qatar First and business class lounge London Heathrow T4 review

  • 27/01/2018
  • Michele
View Post
Next Article
  • General

Aer Lingus to operate these BA flights & Malaysia flash sale

  • 28/01/2018
  • Michele
View Post
2 comments
  1. Al says:
    28/01/2018 at 11:24 am

    Any decent coffee? Couldn’t go that long without coffee!

    1. Michele says:
      28/01/2018 at 11:29 am

      Yes they have a proper espresso machine so can do all the major types of coffee.

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Turning Left for Less

Subscribe

* indicates required
Choose One Subscription Type

BOOK YOUR DREAM TRIP HERE

Want to book your hotel with extra perks such as upgrades and free breakfast? Need help booking flights? Our experts at Winged Boots can help.

Visit our booking page here

Turning Left For Less on Instagram

turningleftforless

Champagne travel on a Prosecco budget. UK blog on how to travel in luxury for less. Forbes contributor. #avgeek #luxurytravel #miles #luxuryhotel

HOTEL REVIEW Fairmont Windsor Park – Our Honest HOTEL REVIEW

Fairmont Windsor Park – Our Honest Spa Stay Review

Link in bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #fairmont #fairmontwindsorpark #windsor
FLIGHT REVIEW Qatar Airways A350 Q-suite Includin FLIGHT REVIEW

Qatar Airways A350 Q-suite Including Al Mourjan lounge by Mark Hopwood

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #qatarairways #qatar #almourjanlounge #qsuite
LOUNGE REVIEW Air Canada’s refurbished London H LOUNGE REVIEW

Air Canada’s refurbished London Heathrow T2 Maple Leaf lounge

Link in bio

#businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #loungereview #aircanada #heathrow
HOTEL REVIEW Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport – best HOTEL REVIEW

Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport – best of a bad bunch?

Link in bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #crowneplaza #crowneplazahotel #crowneplazadublinairport #dublin
FLIGHT REVIEW ITA Rome to Dubai – When Business FLIGHT REVIEW

ITA Rome to Dubai – When Business Class Feels More Like First Class – ITA’s A321neo Surprises!

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #ita #itaairways
FLIGHT REVIEW Virgin Atlantic Business Class From FLIGHT REVIEW

Virgin Atlantic Business Class From London to Atlanta – “I Was Wrong”

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #virginatlantic #virgin #upperclass
HOTEL REVIEW Le Royal Meridien, Dubai – Genuine HOTEL REVIEW

Le Royal Meridien, Dubai – Genuinely a Hidden Gem (Why do we keep going back?)

Link in bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #leroyalmeridiendubai #leroyalmeridien #dubai #uae
FLIGHT REVIEW ITA Business Class – London City FLIGHT REVIEW

ITA Business Class – London City to Rome – Almost Kicked Off for Taking a Photo!

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #clubeurope #ita #itaairways #londoncity
HOTEL REVIEW Malmaison Oxford Hotel – A Prison HOTEL REVIEW

Malmaison Oxford Hotel – A Prison That You Won’t Want to Escape From

Link in bio 

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #malmaison #malmaisonoxford #malmaisonoxfordprisonhotel #oxford
HOTEL REVIEW Hotel du Vin, Birmingham Link in bi HOTEL REVIEW

Hotel du Vin, Birmingham

Link in bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #hotelduvin #hotelduvinbirmingham
FLIGHT REVIEW Gulf Air Business Class Bangkok to FLIGHT REVIEW

Gulf Air Business Class Bangkok to Manchester Via Singapore and Bahrain

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #gulfair
FLIGHT REVIEW Etihad Business Class – Abu Dhabi FLIGHT REVIEW

Etihad Business Class – Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow After a Cancelled BA Flight

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #etihad
HOTEL REVIEW Hotel Spinale, Madonna di Campiglio HOTEL REVIEW

Hotel Spinale, Madonna di Campiglio – The Ultimate Ski Retreat?

Link in our bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #hotelspinale #hotelspinalemadonnadicampiglio #madonnadicampiglio #skiresort #skichalet
Checking out the new No 1 lounge at @heathrow_airp Checking out the new No 1 lounge at @heathrow_airport T2. Very impressed with the elegant feel to the lounge. It’s definitely a step up from the older style of No1. I’d go as far to say that it looks better than quite a few airline lounges. All drinks are included apart from champagne and there was a good selection of tasty food as well. Full review coming soon. #airportlounge #heathrowairport #luxurytravel #no1lounge
Hotel Review on the blog - Intercontinental O2, Lo Hotel Review on the blog - Intercontinental O2, London & the Cable Car Experience. 

Link in our bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #london #intercontinental #intercontinentalo2 #ifscloudcablecar
THE 8 BEST EUROPEAN SKI RESORTS by Turning Left fo THE 8 BEST EUROPEAN SKI RESORTS by Turning Left for Less

Take a look at our handpicked favourites in the article in our bio.

#luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #skiing #skiresort #skiholiday
New hotel review on the blog - Sofitel Kia Ora Moo New hotel review on the blog - Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Hotel, French Polynesia

Link in bio 

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #sofitel #sofitelkiaoramoorea #frenchpolynesia
Flight review on the blog - Thai Airways from Melb Flight review on the blog - Thai Airways from Melbourne to Bangkok – ‘Old School’ but Classy 🇦🇺✈️🇹🇭

Link in bio

#flightreview #businessclass #luxurytravel #travelreview #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #instaaviation #avgeek #thaiairways #thailand
HOTEL REVIEW 🇺🇸 Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beac HOTEL REVIEW 🇺🇸

Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach – Boutique Charm Meets Art Deco

Link in bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #miamibeach #southbeach #miami #nautilussonesta #boutiquehotel
HOTEL REVIEW 🇵🇫 Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resor HOTEL REVIEW 🇵🇫 

Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, French Polynesia

Link in bio

#hotelreview #luxurytravel #luxurytravelblog #travelblog #turningleftforless #luxuryhotel #frenchpolynesia #hiltonmoorea #hilton #moorea
Follow on Instagram
Categories
Contact us

[email protected]

Unit 143857

PO Box 6945

LONDON

W1A 6US

Privacy Policy

Find out about our privacy policy and advertising disclosure here.

Turning left for less
Champagne travel on a Prosecco budget

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

%d