Will you be flying long-haul from North America or Europe to the Middle East, Africa, Asia or India?
Qatar Airways offers very competitive ticket prices – often considerably less than other airlines such as KLM and Cathay Pacific.
You may know Qatar’s Business Class service is renowned. (Those Qsuites with double beds and privacy doors look pretty sweet!)
But what about the airline’s Economy Class service?
What’s it like to fly Qatar Airways Economy Class?
Fasten your seatbelts and fly with us, virtually that is, as we take you through our Qatar Airways Economy review!
Contents: Qatar Airways review (Economy Class)
Qatar Airways Economy Class food
Qatar Airways inflight service
Strict Qatar carry-on baggage allowance
Qatar Airways Economy review
Doha is the capital city in Qatar.
Its Hamad International Airport (DOH) is the connecting hub for all long-haul flights on Qatar Airways.
The airline flies to more than 150 destinations around the world.
From North America, Qatar has direct flights to Doha from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, Montreal and other cities.
On our trip to Sri Lanka, we flew Qatar from Los Angeles to Doha, then Doha to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital.
We chose to overnight in Doha so we could get some sleep after the almost 16-hour flight from L.A., before tackling the final 5-hour leg to Sri Lanka.
On the return from Sri Lanka, we also connected in Doha before returning to L.A. (But we flew straight through without a sleepover in Doha.)
It was our first time flying with Qatar – and we were excited to see if it lived up to all the great Qatar Airways reviews we’d read!
Qatar’s planes to and from the U.S.
Qatar’s fleet of planes includes:
- Airbus A320s, right up to Airbus A380s (34 Airbus A350-900s)
- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (30 of these planes
- Boeing 777-300 ERs (more than 50 of these planes)
On nearly all its routes to and from the U.S., Qatar uses Airbus A350s or Boeing 777s.
Currently, Qatar uses the Airbus A350-1000 for its Los Angeles to Doha and return flights. (And it will continue to use this aircraft type for its 2023 flights too.)
In general, the Airbus A350 is a comfortable plane to fly in, as the cabin retains more moisture than other types of planes, leaving passengers feeling less tired after flying.
It also uses hospital-grade HEPA filters to clean the air every few minutes.
Qatar Airways Economy seats
Okay, let’s start our review of Qatar Airways Economy Class with the airline’s legroom.
Airbus A350 seats and legroom
Seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A350-1000 are configured 3-3-3 on Qatar’s L.A. route to Doha.
They’re about 17½ inches wide, with 32 inches of legroom.
Qatar Airways seating arrangement
On our first flight from Los Angeles to Doha, Qatar used a Boeing 777-300ER plane.
Until recently, Qatar Airways 777’s were configured with just 9 seats across in Economy – 3 seats on either side of the aisles and 3 seats in the middle.
The seats were 18.2 inches wide and gave passengers 33 inches of seat pitch (leg room).
That has unfortunately changed on many routes.
Between L.A. and Doha, seats on our flight were configured 3-4-3 in Economy Class. They were 17 inches wide and offered 32 inches of leg room.
Our Qatar Airways flight from L.A. was not full, however (about 3/4 full).
We lucked out with an empty middle seat between us, sharing 3 seats on one side of the airplane. That made the almost 16-hour flight to Doha fairly comfortable (as comfortable as you can get when flying Economy these days).
From Doha to Colombo (a flight of just under 5 hours), Qatar uses the A340-600.
The seats are configured 2-4-2. They were narrower, with less legroom, than seats on the Boeing 777-300ER planes between L.A. and Doha.
The flight from Doha to Colombo was also full, so it wasn’t as comfortable either.
Beware the Boeing 777-200LR on Qatar!
On the long return from Doha to L.A., Qatar used a Boeing 777-200LR.
This was just about the worst flight we’ve ever taken in terms of seat comfort.
As with other planes, the problem is that Qatar has stuffed 10 seats across in a row (there used to be 9 seats). But this plane is smaller than the Boeing 777-300ER and so there’s much less legroom. The seats are narrower too (visibly narrower than any other plane we’ve flown it).
The seating configuration on this plane simply isn’t suited for a flight time of almost 16 hours. Everyone grumbled; even the flight attendants we spoke with said they questioned why Qatar chose to use this plane for such a long flight.
Our Qatar Airways Economy Class review probably would be much more favorable if we’d flown back to L.A. on the Airbus A350-1000 that’s currently in use.
Qatar Airways seat selection
After booking our Qatar Economy tickets, we were able to select seats online without paying a fee – no waiting until 24 hours before the flight departure (as is customary for North American airlines).
Exit row seats can’t be booked in advance though.
Obviously, the further out you book, the better the seat selection will be.
Qatar Airways amenity kit and comforts
Upon making our way to our seats, we found each seat had a thick gray fleece blanket and pillow.
As soon as our flights took off, cabin crew handed out refreshing towel wipes – a nice touch.
Shortly after on our long-haul flights, each passenger was given a small flight amenity kit – a pretty tear-open plastic bag (decorated with a colorful London scene).
It contained grey disposable socks, a teeny tube of lip balm, toothbrush and toothpaste, yellow earplugs and an eye mask for sleeping.
By the way, those yellow earplugs aren’t very good. See our review of the best earplugs for sleeping when traveling.
Qatar Airways meals
Flight attendants handed out menus for all our flights.
Three meals were offered on the extra-long flights. And we found the Qatar Airways Economy Class food quite good.
For the long-haul flight from L.A. to Doha, the following was on offer:
Lunch
We left L.A. at 3:05 pm, so “lunch” was the first and main meal.
There was a choice of:
- Chicken Pomodore with broccoli and creamy polenta
- Dawood Basha with tomato sauce (a Middle-Eastern dish of meatballs in a tomato-herb sauce with rice)
- Paneer Tava Masala with Dal Tadka (Indian cheese with spiced lentils), potato and pea rice – the vegetarian option
Flight attendants suggested the chicken Pomodore for us.
Presumably they suggest the food option based on your nationality, so they don’t run out of the food preferred by different cultures.
There was also a rice-and-bean salad, bun (with butter), slice of cheese, chocolate dessert and a Toblerone chocolate.
Refreshment
Mid-way through the flight, a tuna sandwich and fruit salad was offered.
We asked for the mocha Haagen Dazs ice cream that was also on the menu.
We were told it had unfortunately melted.
But a kindly attendant managed to find a cup that was semi-frozen, which we enjoyed (to the envious stares of a fellow passenger across the aisle).
Brunch
Two hours before arrival in Doha, “brunch” was served.
It consisted of fresh fruit and yogurt and a choice of the following:
- Pulled BBQ chicken with vegetables and fried rice
- Scrambled eggs with potato hash, baked beans and sautéed mushrooms
- Corn Tikki (corn cutlets) with tomato chutney
The scrambled eggs were runny and unappetizing.
But the strong cups of Ceylon tea were fair compensation!
Doha to Colombo flight
On our tray the next morning?
On the morning flight from Doha to Colombo, the fresh sliced apple and warm croissant with jam and butter was decent. But the strawberry yogurt was too sweet for our tastes.
For breakfast, we had a choice of:
- Scrambled eggs with sausage and potato cubes
- Paratha (unleavened Indian flat bread) with spinach
Qatar Airways alcohol
What about alcohol?
Our Qatar Economy Class review has to touch on this, right?
As well as complimentary red and white wine – which you’d expect on international flights – the meal service included the following alcohol:
- Beefeater Gin
- Johnnie Walker Red Label Whiskey
- Smirnoff Red Vodka
- Camus VSOP Elegance Cognac
- Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
This liquor was also free on all our Qatar flights (including our morning flight from Doha to Colombo).
The cognac and Bailey’s, in particular, was a pleasant surprise!
Unfortunately, the white wine wasn’t chilled and served at room temperature on our long flight to Doha, so we quickly switched to red wine instead.
As expected, Qatar Airways’ drinks menu also includes complimentary soft drinks, coffee and tea.
Qatar Airways inflight service
We found the inflight service excellent on all our flights.
The Economy Class cabin crew worked hard.
As well as serving meals, they walked through the plane often with plastic cups of water and orange juice.
They also kept the bathrooms clean and refreshed, replenishing toilet paper and tissue (something which North American cabin crew don’t do).
Qatar Airways entertainment
According to the airline’s website, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system – Oryx One – offers up to 4,000 entertainment options, from music, games, TV shows and, of course, movies.
Certainly, we found lots of choice for newly-released movies, more than enough to keep us happily entertained.
The screens on the long-haul flights were high-resolution, bright and large (almost as wide as the seatback).
We give Qatar high marks for its good quality entertainment system!
Qatar carry-on baggage allowance
Our Qatar Airways review wouldn’t be complete without pointing out the airline’s carry-on baggage limits – which you’ll definitely want to note.
Their carry-on baggage allowance is smaller than most other reputable airlines. And Qatar is very strict about enforcing what you’re allowed to take onboard with you.
Hand-luggage limit on Qatar (Economy class)
You’re allowed to take one carry-on bag or rollaboard suitcase.
It can’t be heavier than 15 lbs (7 kg) in weight.
This carry-on bag also can’t be larger than 20 x 15 x 10 inches (50 x 37 x 25 cm) in size.
As well, you can carry one very small personal item – like a purse, a coat, duty-free items bought on the day of your flight or an umbrella.
For more information on this, see the airline’s cabin baggage rules.
Electronics (such as a laptop, camera and computer cords) are excluded from the 15 lb weight restriction.
We’ve gotten accustomed to taking one small wheeled carry-on suitcase and a small backpack or shoulder bag each as carry-on luggage (allowed by Air Canada, Delta, KLM, British Airways, etc.).
But this was not allowed when we checked in at the L.A. airport for our Qatar flight to Doha.
The first thing Qatar check-in staff did was to weigh our carry-on rollaway bags. Both of ours were over the limit.
We ended up repacking twice and checking in one of the rollaways to get our carry-on luggage down to under the allowable limit. (We were glad we had a collapsible day pack in which we stuffed the binoculars, laptop, Kindle, phones, cords and chargers.)
Carry-on tip
Most Economy Class passengers carry one backpack as their carry-on luggage (instead of a rollaway), along with a very small and light travel shoulder bag or purse.
If you plan to take a rollaway onboard, it will have to be very light, and you won’t be able to put much in it to get the rollaway to under 15 lbs.
See our post on the carry-on essentials you should take for a better flight.Emirates has a similar hand-luggage weight limit of 7 kg (15 lbs).
But we found Emirates less strict about enforcing their hand-luggage limits when we flew Emirates from Seattle through Dubai to Africa. (Maybe we just lucked out?)
Airport, customs and security
Hamad International Airport
The Hamad Airport in Doha opened in 2014. It’s bright and light, with lots of glass – very clean and new-looking.
But for such a big airport, it looks quite empty compared to Dubai or Heathrow or even Vancouver’s airport.
That could be in part because few big-name airlines (apart from Qatar, Sri Lankan Airlines and Turkish Airlines) fly to Doha.
Customs and immigration
When we arrived in Doha from L.A., we had to wait more than an hour in the long customs and immigration line before exiting the airport. (Remember, on the way to Sri Lanka, we overnighted in Doha to break up the long journey.)
Waiting in line as Economy passengers was quite frustrating, because there were so many booths. However, all but three were empty of officials for the “other travelers” section.
Qatari nationals had their own entry customs line, which we could see was very quick.
Also, if you’re flying business or first class, you get special exit privileges.
Having to wait so long to proceed through immigration was such a stark contrast to everything else in the airport, which was new, spiffy and orderly (including a speedy Disneyesque tram to take you from disembarkation to the huge entrance hall).
Security
Returning to the airport the next morning to catch our ongoing flight to Colombo, we again encountered long lines, this time to go through security.
We only had hand luggage (as our checked luggage was checked all the way through).
But for a 9:00 am flight, it was just as well we arrived at the airport before 7:00 am, as it took some 2+ hours to go through security and get to our gate.
So take it from us. Be prepared for long customs and security lines to exit and re-enter the Doha airport!
Doha airport hotels
Qatar Airways allows you to break up your long-haul flight with an overnight stay in Doha.
You have the option of checking your suitcases (except hand luggage) all the way through to your final destination.
As mentioned, we took advantage of this option to overnight in Doha.
Doha airport transit hotel
When looking into Doha airport hotels, we discovered that Doha doesn’t really have any such accommodation (as we’re familiar with them) – with free shuttles to and from the airport (like the Delta, Sheraton and Hyatt airport hotels in many large North American cities).
The one exception is the transit hotel right in the airport, the 5-star Oryx Airport Hotel.
When we previously flew on Emirates from North America to Africa, we stayed overnight at the Dubai airport transit hotel – a great stay!
But unlike the Dubai transit hotel (which was around $200 USD), the Doha airport transit hotel was coming in at over $325 USD a night.
While this would have been the most convenient option, we crossed it off our list.
Doha Airport Transit Hotel: Check rates and availability here
Hotels near Doha airport
Many 5-star hotels in Doha cost considerably less than the Doha transit hotel.
If you’re spending some time in Doha, you’ll find a selection of atmospheric luxury boutique hotels near the fascinating Souq Waqif, which is one of the best places to visit in Qatar.
For about $70 USD, we chose, however, to stay at the Zubarah Hotel. It’s a boutique 5-star hotel that’s rated highly by luxury-loving but budget-conscious travelers.
It was very comfortable and offered everything we needed for 7 hours of sleep. It’s not near the Souq, but then we weren’t going to be staying long enough in Doha to check out the Souq or have dinner there.
(Also note: The Zubarah Hotel is a “dry” hotel – no alcohol is served.)
We also paid about $60 USD for the hotel’s private car transportation service to and from the airport.
(Taxis are cheaper, and we’d read they’re safe, but as this was our first visit to Qatar, we went with the less-stress hotel transportation offer.)
The hotel plus return taxi was about $200 USD less than the Oryx (the Doha airport hotel).
Zubarah Hotel: Check rates and availability here
If you overnight in Doha: Pro tip
In retrospect, because of the hassle of the long customs and security lines to exit the airport and get back in, we wouldn’t choose an outside hotel again if flying through Doha, unless our stopover was longer than
10+ hours.
We’d pay more to stay at the Oryx Airport Hotel.
Bottom line: Is Qatar Airways good?
Qatar Airways rating
Qatar Airways is a multiple award-winning airline.
Recently, it received the 2023 award for the “World’s Leading Airline” in the World Travel Awards.
Previously, it was rated best airline in the world by Skytrax in the 2022 World Airline Awards (described as “the Oscars of the aviation industry.” (It’s snagged that top spot for several years now.)
It also took the #2 spot in Travel + Leisure‘s 2022 “World’s Best Awards” for the top 10 international airlines.
In terms of safety, Qatar (which has been flying since 2004) has never had a single plane crash and maintains a “squeaky clean safety record.”
It’s one of the world’s safest airlines, according to AirlineRatings.com (a trusted website for airline safety and product reviews).
Would we fly Economy Class in Qatar Airways again?
Maybe… It would depend on what plane is used for the long-haul flight.
If it was the airline’s smaller Boeing 777-200LR (with 10 seats in a row for Economy Class), then no, we absolutely would not want to repeat the dreadfully uncomfortably flight we had on that plane again.
If it was the larger Boeing 777-300ER or Airbus A3500 plane, then yes, we’d probably fly with Qatar a second time.
The problem is there’s no guarantee which plane will be used on any particular route.
Perhaps the answer is to fly in one of those dreamy Qsuites? Well, it’s nice to dream…
What do you think of our review on Qatar Airways Economy Class?
You can let us know in the Comments below – and read about other Economy passengers experiences too.
Read more of our airline reviews!
EVA Air is another great airline: See what it’s like to fly Economy Class on EVA Air.
Are you interested in flying with Emirates? Check out our review of Emirates in Economy Class, and then decide.
Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one. (We especially like their flexible cancellation policy!)
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Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation and travel security.
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Photo credits: 5 to 7 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 1 to 4, 8, 9, 13, 14 Qatar Airways | 11 Oryx Airport Hotel | 12 Zubarah Hotel
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, luxury hotel reviews, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, cruise reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!
Jennifer C.
Sunday 7th of April 2024
I am traveling Qatar Airlines next year. Do they provide headphones in economy?
Jennifer C.
Monday 8th of April 2024
@Janice and George,
Thank you so much!
-Jennifer
Janice and George
Sunday 7th of April 2024
Yes, Qatar supplies headphones in Economy Class so you can watch movies, etc.
Vinod V.
Thursday 23rd of November 2023
I unfortunately flew Qatar from LAX to Doha on my way to India in September 2023. Now even the Airbus A350-1000 has 10 seats stuffed across, which created less room for a 16-hour flight.
I was miserable with not much room to move around and I am 5 ft 9 inches. I'll not fly again with them.
It seems like they are stuffing more seats into the existing planes. They used to be better with only 9 seats across before.
Stacy Brown Martin
Sunday 28th of May 2023
Excellent review!
We love Qatar for long haul flights (from LA to Tanzania with the Doha stopover).
But their shorter flights are average. We flew from Dar Es Salaam to Abu Dhabi and my kids were underwhelmed flying out. The crew seemed indifferent and the service was just ok. We were happy with the return crew… but they put us on an Oman airplane. It was nice but the entertainment wasn’t as great and the food was only local cuisine. I loved the hummus snack but my family didn’t. The breakfast was dreadful, IMO.
We swore by Qatar, but after these shorter flight experiences, we’re going to try other airlines for short flights.
RwandAir is delightful, so maybe some other airlines over there are as well!
Ann Feeser
Friday 6th of January 2023
Excellent review - thank you!
Tom Scott
Tuesday 14th of June 2022
Just finished a round trip from MCO to Cebu, Philppines.
The size of the seats, in my opinion, were smaller than other airlines.
The food very tasty (bread with no butter), but not enough and unlike other airlines they did not serve snacks at all!!! Beverage service was ok, but you had to ring for anything. And forget ice. You get served cool at best.
I arrived in the Philippines and my suitcase was missing!! They tracked it, and it was still in New York. I was told it would be rushed to but it only arrived on the 4th day. Don't know if they will reimburse me for the new clothes I bought.
Coming home, everything was fine until I arrived in JFK airport. I was supposed to fly from JFK to MCO, an easy 3-hours flight. Unfortunately Qatar booked my flight on the wrong date and Jet Blue would not accept me. I ended up flying to Miami and back to Orlando. This added 5 more hours to my flight.
Needless to say this was my worst flight experience ever.
Janice and George
Thursday 16th of June 2022
Sorry to hear about your flight woes. That's such a drag when your suitcase is lost. If you have travel insurance, you should be able to get reimbursement for some of your costs.
Thanks for sharing your experience...