Out of the thousands of airlines in the world, only seven have been given five star ratings by SkyTrax, an airline rating firm. Qatar Airways was the only one in the Middle East. So, when I booked my trip to Thailand, I was quite excited to fly "The World's Five Star Airline." I wasn't disappointed.
While I flew economy class from New York to Asia, I decided to treat myself to an early birthday present (I'd be flying for 20 hours on my birthday - May 31) and upgraded my return flight to Business/First on Qatar's Boeing 777.
What an experience! First, they grant you access to what is probably the best airline VIP lounge I've ever been in. Within the huge two floor complex are a serve yourself buffet restaurant and a sit-down restaurant for those with more time in Doha Airport. I was there at 5 am so they only had a breakfast menu (although the bar was open so wine was definitely in order with my omelet!) Al Mourjan Lounge even had its own spa area with private showers (with Armani products of course) and massages, and a huge bar with its own wine list! You are escorted into the lounge for a private check in as well, then given a private seat with your own tablet so you can monitor your flight, check the weather, read news, etc.
Finally, they announced my flight and i settled into seat 3F. In Business/First class, they have 1 flight attendant for every 2 seats and, since the seat next to me was empty, I had my own designated flight attendant the entire flight. After being brought the compulsory champagne, I was given a set of silk pajamas to change into so I was comfortable for the 14.5 hour journey. The seat turned into a full bed and my flight attendant told me to just buzz her when I wanted to sleep so she could put down the bed sheets and bring out the blanket and pillow.
Just after takeoff, I was given a leather bound a-la-carte menu. Unlike other first class cabins, rather than bringing meals at designated times, Qatar lets Business/First guests choose when and what they want to eat anytime they want. So if I wanted a lamb loin right after takeoff, then salmon rillettes 30 minutes later, then so be it! Best of all, we had an on-flight chef to prepare the meals fresh and a wine list that compared to a Michelin-rated restaurant.
The entertainment system was impressive as well, with 2,000+ movies and TV shows to choose from. The seat/full bed also had a built-in massage machine, which helped make the time go by quicker when I was watching the screen or sleeping in my silk pajamas, haha! The dessert (a dacqoise cake) was so good, I had two. And, of course, they had a bartender who knew how to prepare excellent mojitos (I had one, or five) and Brazilian caipirinhas. I asked for a Pisco Sour, but they didn't have pisco on board. Oh well. They still are a five-star airline in my book!
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