Picture: Matt Alexander/PA
We find ourselves, for one reason or another, in Qatar’s Premium Terminal lounges at Doha several times a month. Whether we are leaving the Middle East, connecting for the Far East or we’re in it for the long haul to Melbourne, we think Qatar is the gold standard right now for Business class travel. All flights lead to Doha at some point, and the connection times are usually very user friendly.
We thought their 777 service to London was as good as modern aviation could be (such space!), but the new Dreamliner – the Boeing 787 – raises the bar further and has just been added to the route. We intend to book the 1505 flight out of London for the foreseeable future – of the five scheduled daily departures, QR076 will be the first to feature the Dreamliner.
Qatar Airways has commissioned new designs for the seats on the Boeing 787. Each plane carries 254 passengers, with a 1-2-1 configuration in Business. The seats up front are angled – the side seats point towards the window and the central seats point towards each other, but without compromising privacy. Think of it as being akin to Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class herringbone seating, but in reverse.
There’s an increased size of window (30% more than standard) and noticeable in-flight noise reduction. There’s wireless internet and an Android touch screen A/V system, with over 1000 entertainment options, now with dual screen capacity – so you can multitask by not really paying attention to that email you’re sending, while the movie you’re half watching continues to play. Seats have USB and MP3 ports and power sockets.
The most radical innovation of the Dreamliner (apart from fuel efficiency – all aircraft development acknowledges the reality of oil selling at $100+ a barrel rather than the glory days of $50), comes in relation to the cabin pressure and “smoother ride technology”. Tests have shown an eight-fold reduction in reported cases of motion sickness with the new aircraft: new technology senses turbulence and commands wing control surfaces to counter it, smoothing the ride. Similarly, there’s a lower cabin pressure at higher altitude, with cleaner and moister air. The cabin is pressurized to a new maximum level of 6,000 feet, which is 2,000 feet lower than most aircraft. Passengers absorb 8% more oxygen inflight. The result is noticeably less fatigue and jet lag.
One of our favourite details is the new window design. There are no blinds, which always contribute to a pharaoh-at-30,000-feet sense of claustrophobia. Instead, the tint of the glass can be changed at the touch of a button, from absolutely transparent to completely dim.