Qatar Airways A350: SIN-DOH in Economy, Inaugural A350 Service DOH-DXB

[yflyer]

Overall cabin ambience...



As mentioned, fairly similar dimensions to the 777 cabin, but I think the 777 cabin still felt marginally more open. Of course that is assuming a 9-abreast 777. Once you go 10-abreast the 777 is a nightmare.

[yflyer]

IFE is a very advanced system, with full Audio and Video on demand, operated through a touchscreen interface.

Quite easy to use (Easier than SQ's on the 77WN), although occasionally the UI was quite sensitive, and I was prone to hitting the wrong program selection by accident.





Audio and video quality was very good...





Touchscreen controller...



You can even browse duty free...



Interactive map view, with multi-touch, so you could rotate and zoom the map with two fingers, like on an iPad.

[yflyer]

In between the drink service and lunch, I also checked out the inflight wifi service.

There are different charging plans available, and different plans are offered if you are logging on from a smartphone or a tablet, versus a notebook computer.

There were plans based on data usage, and also time. Overall I think time-based plans are preferable, as there is no telling how many megabytes will be downloaded by applications.

I did not think the data-based plans were worthwhile, so signed up for a time-based plan.





The OnAir userid and registration (based on email address) seem to be persistent, in that if you have signed up for OnAir previously, even if it was for another airline (e.g. Emirates), that userid was still valid. Of course the data plan itself is only valid for that flight (It is only the userid/password that the system remembers, not the internet access). Only one device can be connected at a time, but if you buy a plan for unlimited usage on your notebook PC. If you disconnect from that, and turn on your smartphone wifi, that same plan can be applied if you login with the same userid.

[yflyer]

Before lunch service, I took a quick peek into the galley in the rear of the plane...

[yflyer]

Meal service began shortly afterwards, with a full lunch served.



Today's menu...



Three choices of main: Western, Asian, Vegetarian...

[yflyer]

Regulars on SQTalk will know that I usually choose the beef option, if available, out of morbid curiosity to see how badly the airline botched it. There are so many ways reheated beef can go wrong. If beef cannot be done well in Y, which airline does it least badly?

On the rare occasions where an airline gets it right, it is a happy occasion, and thankfully it seems airlines are getting a better handle on how to prepare beef dishes for inflight service, whether in Y or J.

So it was beef today as well...



This was a very attractively presented tray.



Cutlery was plastic. SQ's metal cutlery is far more upmarket (and usable). The breadroll was small, about half the size of SQ's.

The starter was fairly plain...not a lot going on there, but at least it was crunchy and refreshing.



The main course was quite good. Tasty chunks of beef, with delicious potatoes, and carrots which had good texture as well.



Dessert, a raspberry mousse cake, tasted good as well.

Overall, a decent Y meal, if not quite up to SQ's Y catering, which still looks to be the best that I have tried.

I had a post-lunch coffee, which was served in a paper cup.

[yflyer]

At this point, I should mention that the A350 is a very quiet aircraft, with an exceptionally smooth ride.



I was seated in the rear of the aircraft, and on some aircraft, such as the 777, it can be noisy in the back (especially on take-off), and the plane also tends to move or sway a little inflight.

But on the A350, it was fairly quiet throughout, and most impressively, for most of the flight, the cabin felt perfectly stable and rock solid, with almost no swaying or movement in the cabin. It was very easy to read or use my computer, as the ride was so smooth and stable, even in the rear of the plane.

[yflyer]

Internet use is not permitted over India (Regulatory restrictions?)...



...so even though I had a valid plan, any attempt to access internet while flying over India was met with that message. Internet connectivity resumed not long after leaving Indian airspace.

[yflyer]

The bathrooms on this A350 were stylish.





There were moist toilet seat sanitizers available. I've not seen this on other aircraft. A nice feature.

[yflyer]

By then, most pax had settled in for the long flight.

Cabin ambience was quite good...





The flight map view had good terrain detail.



The part of the map around Doha had higher resolution that the rest of the world map.

[yflyer]

An hour or so prior to landing, a hot snack was served.

This included a hot savoury item, and a sweet item (Cake etc).



I believe this was a chicken filled pastry.



As we approached Doha, I became quite engrossed in the various camera views available, including the downward view, whose resolution was clear enough to make out terrain features...



...and even the ripples in the water in the ocean below.

[yflyer]

Final approach and landing...







Underside of the speed brakes looking very clean.



Parked at the B gates at Hamad International Airport, Doha.



Final look at the large overhead bins, before deplaning...



...and entering the terminal.

[yflyer]

I had a very pleasant transit experience in DOH.

This is not a megahub like DXB, which, if you land at the wrong time (which happens often), the transit area can be crowded and chaotic.

In this case, we entered a spacious terminal...



Checked the flight display monitors for our connecting flights (Not a large number of flights compared to DXB)...



...then cleared security once again to enter the airside departure area...



This is not a massive airport, but it is beautifully designed and finished. Everything about this place exudes class and style, with top quality finishings and workmanship.





There is ample F&B and shopping (including the usual designer brands)





...places to rest, work or surf the internet for free...



...and a children's play area which is almost a work of art...

[yflyer]

I headed to the Business Class Lounge to spend some time before my DOH-DXB flight.

One thing Oneworld frequent flyers need to know: Qatar Airways only permits Business (and First, since the F Lounge is not yet open) class travellers on QR flights to use their flagship Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge at DOH.

All other frequent flyers who are traveling on QR in economy, including Oneworld Sapphire etc, will need to use this separate Business Class Lounge (pictured below).

I was directed to use this separate business class lounge, which was good by typical lounge standards, but not as impressive as the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge.





I was a little disappointed at that time at not being able to check out their flagship lounge, but as it turned out, I received an op-up on my return leg and got to see the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge after all, before my DOH-SIN flight, which I will cover in part 2.

More on these two lounges later.

After the lounge visit, it was time to head to the gate for my DOH-DXB flight, which was the inaugural Qatar Airways A350 service from Doha to Dubai.



Just a few more pictures to add to my write-up of this inaugural flight, which was already covered at the start of this TR.

The aircraft (The same one that came in from Singapore), parked at B14.



You get a really good view of ground staff on the tarmac from the onboard cameras. I wonder if they know they are on "Candid Camera"...



Walking the plane carefully out of the bay upon pushback...



For extra legroom seats, the TV is a slim, full-size foldout affair...



Descending into Dubai...



Landing in Dubai. Note the extra padded section in the seat in the first row of Y, this is directly in front of the extra legroom aisle seat in the second row.



...and the water cannon salute...



I would spend the next few days at business meetings in Dubai before catching my flight home.

[yflyer]

Overall impressions?

I am very impressed with Qatar Airways hard and soft product, especially on the A350.

Both the J and Y cabins are very well thought out and tastefully outfitted.

More on the J experience in a separate TR, but if I were flying economy to the Middle East or Europe, and if I were to go for a one-stop option rather than direct, then the Qatar Airways A350 Y would be among one of my top choices. Apart from the wonderful A350 hard product, cabin service and catering in Y were very good. The IFE was superb as well.

On the A350 itself, I thought it was very quiet aircraft, and an exceptionally stable aircraft to fly in. Noticeably smoother in flight than other types, and similar in smoothness to the A380. A definite improvement over the previous generation of aircraft like the A330 or 777.

That said, The 2-4-2 Y layout of the A330 is hard to beat, and while 3-3-3 on the A350 was comfortable, it did not set any new standards for comfort or longhaul tourist-class travel.

I think part of the appeal of the A350 at the moment is the newness of the plane. Flying a clean, new plane, regardless of type, is probably half the battle won.

In terms of cabin ambience, I thought the 777 (9-abreast), 787 (8-abreast) or A380 cabins still felt more marginally more open and spacious than the 9-abreast A350.

I do think the A350 cabin ambience in Y is to me better than a 9-abreast 787 or 10-abreast 777, and compared with these planes, I would have a definite preference for the A350.

And that wraps up this TR.

Next, in Part 2, my impressions of Qatar Airways' A350 Business Class product, and their flagship Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge in DOH.

Thanks for reading!