Sample Qatar Airways inflight menu in coach class (photo by Sheila Scarborough)
I flew Qatar Airways for the first time last year to speak at a Malaysian tourism blogging conference in Kuala Lumpur. The Gulf States in the Middle East are becoming a significant hub location connecting huge numbers of flights across the globe, and the airline competition there is fierce.
It was really nice to experience a coach class flight that included an attentive staff, decent seats and lots of seatback entertainment options. Even a plane change in the middle of the night in Doha, Qatar was fine, since the airport duty-free is open 24 hours and includes fab souvenirs like giant jars of Nutella.
Mostly, though, I enjoyed the Qatar Airways food. Yeah, I wrote it – airline food that inspired a positive blog post.
I still have the in-flight menus, notable for the range of choices….
How about breakfasts like apple pancakes with berry compote, or spinach ricotta crepe or what I presume is their version of a full English breakfast – cheddar cheese omelette, hash brown potato, cherry tomato, grilled chicken sausage and baked beans. Hey, to each passenger her own, but that whole “tomato at breakfast” thing doesn’t work for me.
Main meal options included honey glazed chicken with papaya or stir-fried beef with szechuan sauce, or the vegetarian meal of something like vegetable biryani with dhal. Complimentary beverages included wine, spirits, beer and a slew of juices and sodas. Yes, please!
Sandwiches, cookies and ice cream were available throughout the flight at no additional cost. I could have put on 10 pounds before arrival.
But did it taste good? Yes. Some dishes were bigger winners than others, and keeping the hot things hot and cool things cool is an ongoing challenge when you’re distributing hundreds of meals over hours and hours of flying time. Still, I looked forward to mealtimes as more than simply a break in the long-haul flight routine.
The next time I fly Qatar Airways, I hope to time the plane change for midday and maybe get some time to explore Doha in the daylight. Ironically, some of my ideas for things to do there will come from an article in the United Airlines in-flight magazine Hemispheres, Three Perfect Days in Doha.
Hope the food is good out in town. If it isn’t, I’ll just get back on the plane, open the menu and get busy.
(Disclosure: my flight was paid for by the blogging conference organizers, since I was a speaker. I did some research on my own beforehand, though, and found the prices to be very reasonable. I’d happily buy my own ticket on Qatar for personal travel.)
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Have been to Doha four times via Qatar Airways, and agree with your assessment. Really a great airline, and great & comfortable experience.
Thanks, Bob.
It pays to check out airlines beyond “the usual” ones; for example, I swear I read somewhere that Aeroflot isn’t a disaster to fly anymore, and there are many smaller budget airlines that are just fine but not well known.
Apart from a few losers like Aeroflot, you can pretty much be assured that any foreign full-service airline you take is going to blow the U.S. ones out of the water. I recently flew on AA to South America and LAN Airlines back and it was like going from a hostel to a 4-star hotel. Food, good wine, flight attendants who care… Same thing this summer when my family had a mix of legs on United and Thai Airways. And they’re in the middle of the pack. If you go on Singapore Air, you get spoiled for life.
Clearly my passport needs more of an aerial workout!
I agree with you. They serve some great dishes in qatar airways. I still remember my last flight and delicious meal that I had. It was like a mini feast because I was so hungry with all the travelling. Had a wonderful time reading you blog. Thank you 🙂
@Sheila, it is very rare to find tasty and healthy food on the airlines. I am surprised and happy to hea that the Qatar Airways serves such nice food. I am sure the journey must have been truly comfortable with attending crew and cosy seats. Thanks for the share. It was truly helpful.
I agree. I have never flown Qatar but I have Emirates and other Airlines. Emirates, Turkish, ANA or European Airlines are all well above US Airlines. Economy class is like business class on United or American. No way, I have dumped my mileage plus program… not Worth the poor service.
To fly to Japan, Turkish or Emirates are great. To Australia, Emirates is a very good choice too. As for the USA, I fly mostly EU Airlines, Air France, swiss….but forget American legacy Airlines… they suck!
My expectations for U.S. carriers are pitifully low, Peter, it’s absolutely true.
Loved your blog. I’m going to Dubai in a few month and im really thinking about traveling on Qatar airways. Quick question are the sandwiches, cookies and ice cream provided to everyone at a set time or do you have to ask the flight attendant? And are they for everyone even economy passengers
I can’t remember; I think they were offered but if you were asleep or missed it, you could ask. They were for everyone. Enjoy your trip!
Does Qatar Airways have free drinks in economy class?
As it says in the article, yes. But here you go for more info:
https://lmgtfy.com/?q=alcohol+economy+class+quatar+air
Qatar airways such a great airline that keeps your journey amazing with high precise facilities.
So we pay for every meal??
No, it is included in the ticket.