- My husband and I spent about 26 hours in Qatar Airways' business-class seats on our honeymoon.
- I liked the privacy of the newer plane, but felt the older one had comfier lie-flat seats.
- All in all, I liked the food, service, and seats. It'll be tough to return to coach after this.
I'm not someone who travels in business class regularly, but for our honeymoon, my husband and I wanted to treat ourselves.
Since we chose the more affordable destination of Vietnam and went for 10 nights rather than two weeks, we had more budget to splurge on traveling in style.
So, we booked business-class flights from London to Ho Chi Minh City via Doha with Qatar Airways. Sure, the flights cost more than our actual honeymoon — they would've been around $10,000 before credit-card points — but we don't regret it.
I now completely understand why the World Airline Awards have highlighted Qatar Airways as having the best business class in the world for multiple years in a row.
Our trip began at Gatwick Airport, where we had access to a more general lounge.
We flew from London Gatwick Airport rather than Heathrow because the flights were about $1,000 cheaper.
Arriving at Gatwick, it was a luxury to have a dedicated check-in counter with barely any queue and then fast-track through security too.
After that, though, I wasn't super blown away.
Qatar Airways doesn't have a dedicated lounge at Gatwick, so its business-class travelers can use the Plaza Premium Lounge, which anyone can pay to use. I found it to be quite busy and a bit underwhelming, with a rather uninspiring view.
However, it has a separate area for Qatar Airways customers where we could order from a small à la carte menu. I got a burger, and my husband had a goat-cheese sandwich — it was nice to have complimentary food.
We were also given "premium" drinks vouchers for certain beverages, such as prosecco, though Champagne would've cost extra.
Once on board, any disappointment at the start of the journey was forgotten.
Though we didn't have Q Suites, the business-class configuration on our first flight was still suite-style, in a 1-2-1 layout.
The suites felt modern and well-maintained. Later on in the flight, an attendant pulled a door across the side opening, which made it feel really private.
A few treats were waiting for us when we sat down.
Each business-class seat came with a cushion, a pillow, a plush blanket, a refreshing towelette, and a Diptyque toiletry bag.
The bag contained socks, an eye mask, earplugs, body lotion, face cream, perfume, and lip balm. There were also complimentary toothbrushes, shaving kits, and face sprays available to use in the restrooms.
Not long after sitting down, we were greeted by the friendly staff and offered a drink. I opted for Champagne and was also brought a candy cane, which was a nice seasonal touch as we flew at the end of December.
Our flight got off to a calming start.
Each suite had a decent amount of storage and space — I'm 5'9" and had ample legroom. The buttons by the sides of the seats made it easy to recline and adjust the leg rest.
I also had a wireless charging phone holder; a cupboard containing a mirror, headphones, and a water bottle; and a stylish lamp.
As I browsed the movies, perused the food menu, and sipped my Champagne, I felt relaxed and excited. This was nothing like traveling in coach.
I didn't have a chance to get hungry or thirsty throughout the six-hour flight.
During the six-hour flight, we were served one main meal that we could request whenever we wanted. (We could request a second meal, I later learned, though I didn't need it.)
As business-class travelers, we also had access to a basket of snacks, including popcorn and cereal bars, that we could help ourselves to at any time.
Plus, we could order a range of wines, spirits, cocktails, and soft drinks whenever we wanted.
The dining experience felt gourmet.
Before my meal began, I enjoyed more Champagne, served with crisps and nuts.
All the crockery and glassware felt elegant and sturdy — a far cry from foil containers and plastic cups.
A white tablecloth and faux candle elevated the flying experience even more.
When it was time for the main meal, the staff pulled out my table, laid down a white tablecloth, then placed a (fake) candle and cutlery on top of it.
First, I was brought a bread basket with butter, olive oil, and mini salt and pepper shakers. The butter was the perfect temperature for spreading, and the three types of bread were warm.
I was then given a tasty mozzarella amuse-bouche.
All in all, the food was delicious.
For my starter, I had the Qatari mezze — pesto hummus, labneh tahini, and avocado muhammara — with pita bread. It was delicious and a sizable portion.
For the main course, I chose the grilled beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and parsley sauce. It was really good.
I skipped the cheese course and opted for the fruit plate for dessert. We were offered chocolates, too.
After dinner, I had a cup of tea and reclined to watch a film.
Lie-flat beds were the real luxury.
This first flight was in the daytime, so I didn't take as much advantage of having lie-flat seats.
The second was overnight, which is when I really appreciated my ability to lie down. The suite set-up felt nice and private, too.
My only qualm was that the space for my feet felt quite narrow and a bit constrictive. It wasn't a huge issue, though, and I still got some sleep.
During a brief stopover, we were able to access impressive lounges at the Doha airport.
We had a brief stopover in Doha on both our journeys, and I was impressed by how modern, clean, and slick the airport felt.
With our tickets, we had access to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge and its lounge overlooking the airport garden. We tried one on the way there and the other on the way back.
The lounges were beautiful, and we got complimentary delicious food and Champagne. I actually wish we'd had longer layovers to take advantage of the lounge's gym, spa, showers, and sleep rooms.
For our next flight, we were in an older-style business class.
For the second leg of our journey to Vietnam, we were on an older plane. The business-class seats weren't suites; they were in a 2-2-2 layout.
We still had lots of legroom, but this flight didn't feel as chic — it had fewer modern touches, and I missed the wireless phone charger I enjoyed on the first one.
We had less privacy on this flight.
With this configuration, you really don't have much privacy from the person next to you. Fortunately, I didn't mind since I was travelling with my husband next to me.
This time, we were in the back half of the business-class section, so the rest of the passengers walked past us to reach their seats. This made us feel a bit like goldfish on display at a pet store instead of relaxed passengers.
Once again, we had great food.
Fortunately, the amenities and service on this flight were just as wonderful as those on the first one.
The food was still great, too — we had both dinner and breakfast on this flight, which lasted about seven hours.
I was surprised that I preferred sleeping on this older plane.
Since this was a nighttime flight, Qatar Airways provided business-class passengers with pajamas and slippers to keep. I really enjoyed this extra touch.
The staff also arranged my seat into a bed with a mattress topper and pillow, which was lovely. I normally never sleep on planes, but I got a couple of hours on each flight.
I actually preferred the older business-class seat for sleeping since my feet weren't as restricted at the end.
All in all, we don't regret splurging.
These two round-trip flights for two people should've cost about $10,000, which is undoubtedly a lot of money.
We'd been saving our credit-card points for a long time, so we were able to take a lot of money off that price, but this was still a splurge.
Even though these tickets cost a lot, they felt worth it. Flying business class made the journeys really special — something to look forward to and enjoy, not just a way of getting from A to B.
Sure, this experience might make going back to economy a bit painful, but I'm so glad to have done it. I would definitely fly business class again for a special occasion or if I had a lot of points.
