First Class Lounges
If you book Qatar reward flights from London Heathrow Airport you’ll get access to the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in T4. Available for First and Business Class customers exclusively, Qatar aims for a boutique hotel/private members club atmosphere. Here you won’t find your typical reception desk, instead, you’ll be able to walk straight into the Palm Court, where you’ll be greeted by a member of the Qatar team. The lounge decor features a thoroughly Arabian twist, with soothing water fountains and intricate mosaics.
Qatar’s five-star philosophy extends to all elements of its lounge hospitality. They boast an open-theatre style kitchen and deli counter, where travellers can grab a quick bite or slow down with a gourmet dining experience. The business centre has PCs, printers and wifi if you’re travelling for work. Customers can refresh with a shower if they like, in their own private bathroom with heated floors and mirrors, and complimentary hotel-quality towels.
Rob Malcolm says that the lounge is “a classy space with high-quality food”. The Luxury Traveller was even more complimentary, telling us that “the lounge is beautiful, every single aspect was thoughtful and cohesive. The copper accents were a recurring theme throughout and honestly the entire look was more akin to what you’d expect at a popular lunch spot in Mayfair or Soho, rather than an airport lounge”.
If Doha is your Qatar Airways Avios destination, you’ll be able to utilise the Al Safwa First Class Lounge, where Qatar really rolls out the red carpet. Every inch of the area is designed to offer travellers the most luxurious experience possible. Designed using sandstone and marble detailing, the lounge takes its inspiration from the Museum Of Islamic Art.
The restaurant offers a delicately curated menu of international and Arabic-infused recipes to 250 diners, and there are luxury spa facilities and treatments available if you have the time and inclination at the QSpa. If you’re a lounge visitor with a layover of four hours or more you can use one of the 15 Sleep Suites to catch forty winks. They’re like sweet mini-hotel suites, complete with bed, flatscreen TV, desk and closet.
Kyle Potter says that “if you want a pristine place to unwind, get a meal, and take a nap while feeling completely removed from the hustle of the airport, there is no place like Al Safwa. I could have a hard time believing that any other lounge in the world could beat it”.
Cabin and in-flight experience
Suites
Qatar First Class consists of an exclusive cabin containing just 8 suites (6 suites on the loaned 777’s). The suites have a huge amount of space to relax and lay out fully flat to sleep. Many suites have a sweet, little ottoman to elevate your legs if you’re sitting up enjoying the entertainment system, and it also doubles as a buddy seat, so that you can dine with your travel companion.
Your suite has an electronic privacy screen, and a closet, which is big enough to store your carry-on, for those travellers who like to keep their space organised mid-flight. There’s no overhead storage, so the cabin feels uber spacious and airy.
Greg Stone is a big fan of Qatar First Class, writing that “the cabin is beautifully decorated, from the tactile waffle pattern on feature walls to intricate lighting and mirrored splashbacks. The pink lighting is calming”. In fact, Qatar Airways First Class is regularly quoted as having the best interior design of any airline.
Alongside your 26-inch entertainment system, you’ll find AC and USB charging for your devices. The Oryx One entertainment portal not only offers a wide selection of films, TV series and music to listen to (4,000 options to be exact), but you can also access wifi.
Ben Schlappig says that “First Class seats are absolutely massive, and you could easily seat two people next to one another in them. They’re incredibly spacious and comfortable, one of my favourite First Class products in the world”.
Amenities
You’ll find a range of amenities in the shared facilities of the cabin, including dental kits, mouthwash, and a number of products from the luxury French brand Diptyque that have had aviation lovers gushing. These include sweet almond hand wash and lotion, and heart of rose essential face cream, which retails at an average of £55 an item.
One Mile At A Time is a huge fan of this First Class strategy, writing that “it amazes me the ways in which the airline consistently ups the bar, even when no other airline is trying to compete”.
If that wasn’t enough, customers also receive their own Qatar Airways’ X Diptyque amenity kits, as part of a unique worldwide collaboration between the brands. Your kit contains socks, earplugs, eyeshades, lip balm, body lotion, face cream, and even a fragrance. More comfort comes in the form of 2 fluffy pillows and a plush duvet to snuggle up in and sleep during your flight. If like us, you love the complimentary pyjamas and slippers offered during First Class journeys you’ll be a big fan of the White Company sets that Qatar Airways provide.
Drinks and snacks
One of the nicest elements of First Class service comes in the form of pre-departure drinks and snacks, including olives and a glass of fizz. What a fabulous way to begin your flight! Qatar Airways prides itself on its dine-on-demand concept. You’ll find menus in your suite when you board the plane, offering dishes such as caviar, pan-fried scallops, Chateaubriand, cheese boards and rhubarb cheesecake.
If you like to treat yourself to a couple of glasses of the fizzy stuff during your flight, you’ll find a great selection of drinks options on board, including pineapple punch, whiskey sours, champagne cocktails, as well as soft drinks and coffees, chais and herbal teas. Of course, you’ll also be offered complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the flight. Qatar really lays on a spread, and you’ll feel like a VIP surrounded by candles and flowers, fine porcelain and glass dishes and plates, with modern, textured drinks glasses.
Staffing
The First Class cabin is typically manned by two attendants throughout your journey, which means that travellers get a highly personalised, efficient service which includes turndown, so you don’t even need to make up your own bed when you decide to sleep.
Ben Schlappig reckons Qatar Airways attendants are “textbook perfect”, and we’d agree. No request is too big or small. Point Hacks reckons that “crew members went out of their way to say hi, chat and check on us”.
Bar
If you like to get up and move around during your flight, which we’d always recommend, you can head to the bar, which is typically located next to the Business Class cabin. According to Bucket List Traveller “The bar area is by far the best, largest, and most beautiful I have seen on an A380. The design and colour scheme was perfect and I loved the lighting fixtures”. At the bar, you’ll find a great selection of snacks, such as canapes and cheese platters, as well as both alcoholic and soft drinks.
Arrivals lounge
If you fly on Qatar reward flights into the Doha hub, you’ll benefit from a dedicated Qatar Airways arrivals lounge if you’re flying First or Business Class. Here you’ll find dedicated immigration facilities, soft drinks and hot beverages. It’s a nice touch when you’re battling to get organised for the next step of your journey.
Qatar First Class Vs QSuites
Qatar Airways makes for a welcome partner to British Airways and Avios. The ability to redeem Avios on some unique routes and onward flights connecting to the BA network makes them an attractive travel option for travellers with a decent Avios balance.
Qatar Airways customers consistently advocate for the gold star service provided by the airline. One Mile At A Time writes that Qatar First Class offers “an incredible flight. Everything about the Qatar experience is perfection”, whilst Greg Stone says that “everywhere you look the attention to detail is incredible”. Bucket List Traveller, who used their points to book an Avios reward seat in First Class writes that, if you have the points balance to experience Qatar Airways First Class, you should - “ its open spacious cabin, large entertainment screen, and a good selection of alcohol make any flight a breeze”. Whilst Keith Mason says that “I would definitely redeem my points with them again if it made sense for my travel plans”.
If you’re an aviation lover or looking to experience the most exclusive way to fly the skies then booking Qatar reward flights in First Class is right up your street. However, when it comes to spending your hard-earned Avios, some collectors believe that Qatar Airways QSuites in Business Class offer just as good service (you even get the same check-in, lounge and aeroplane bar access), for fewer point spend, so they prefer to book those instead. Upgraded Points is of the opinion that “the best part of my experience was hanging out in the onboard bar to chat with fellow passengers and crew, but this is available to both Business and First customers, so I’ll save my points and opt for QSuites next time”.
If you want to find Qatar Airways Avios reward seats, you can do so easily using the British Airways website. However, if you’re in the market for a BA reward flight don't forget to search on Reward Flight Finder (RFF), the original British Airways reward seat Alert tool.
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Douglas
