After hearing almost every guest rave about Qatar Airways Qsuite on Karryon’s Luxury Unpacked podcast, I was finally lucky enough to experience it for myself, flying from Melbourne to London. Here’s why it deserves every accolade.
Flying with Qatar Airways from Melbourne Airport is a breeze. The airline operates two daily flights to Doha (DOH): its own service plus a Virgin Australia codeshare, connecting onward to more than 160 destinations.
I was on my way to London Heathrow, and from the moment I boarded, there was a sense that everything had already been thought out for me. The crew’s welcome was genuinely warm, and within moments, I found myself giddily settling into what is less a business-class seat and more a private little sanctuary.
The suite seat that started the conversation
It’s easy to see why Qsuite is the one every guest brings up unprompted. Qatar built its reputation on it back in 2017, and almost a decade on, it’s still the standard against which other airlines get measured.
The suite itself is built around privacy. A sliding door closes off the space entirely, turning the seat into something closer to a small room than a recliner. Fold the divider down between adjoining seats, and two suites become one, which is why you’ll see friends and couples travelling together request them specifically. It’s a small design choice that does a lot of work.
Closing my Qsuite door of 1A (how good!) was one of those unforgettable ‘made it’ moments in life. Needless to say, I was far from cool and collected about it, and could not wipe the smirk from my face. It felt like I’d made the rest of the cabin disappear, and for the next 14 hours or so to Doha, I now had my own little world to explore.
And explore it I did! True, the Qsuites are fantastic for working, but even better for doing absolutely nothing! From staying connected via the speedy Starlink wi-fi to watching movies and taking in some live sport (hello, the World Cup!), boredom was never going to be a thing in here.
The fully flat 6.5-foot bed also deserves every compliment and award it’s ever received. Not because it’s “good for a plane”, but because I actually slept. Properly slept. So much so, I actually forgot I was travelling at 35,000 feet, which is something I’m definitely not used to.
Then there’s the food. On-demand gourmet dining whenever you feel like it, rather than when the cabin crew tells you it’s dinner time? Yes please.
It’s these little details that make the experience feel like someone has removed every inconvenience that usually comes with long-haul travel.
Transiting through Doha
For many Australians heading to Europe, Doha is simply the place you change planes. But it’s so much more than that.
Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, Hamad International Airport somehow remains a place of calm. Transfers are simple, the signage is excellent, and before you know it, you’re wandering past luxury boutiques, impressive art installations and more dining options than you’ll ever need during a layover.
Make sure you check out the Orchards, a 6,000 square metre indoor tropical garden located in the central terminal expansion area. It’s lush, airy, and makes you feel so relaxed, definitely not like you’re in the middle of an airport.
As for the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge, this retreat deserves its own special mention.
Spacious, beautifully designed, and somewhere you actually want to spend time rather than simply waiting for boarding. Stretch out, tuck into an À la carte meal, freshen up with a shower and a visit to a spa and take in your surroundings (and the world travellers around you) in pure comfort.
It’s exactly the kind of stopover I’d hoped for before my onward sector to Europe.
Luxury is often associated with expensive finishes or flashy extras, but the best luxury usually goes unnoticed. It’s when everything simply works. When someone has thought about the details for you.
For me, that’s what Qatar Airways has mastered. It’s the feeling of arriving in Europe rested, not exhausted. Of looking forward to the journey rather than just the destination.
Qsuite earns the reputation. The privacy, the flexibility of the dining, and the sheer amount of thought put into the seat design put it at the pointy end of business class internationally, and Melbourne’s double-daily Doha connection makes it genuinely accessible for Australians heading to Europe, not just a novelty booked once and talked about forever.
Dani Tuffield travelled as a guest on Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways’ daily service schedule from Melbourne Airport is as follows: Flight QR989: Departs MEL at 16:10, arrives DOH at 22:25. Flight QR905: Departs MEL at 23:40 and arrives DOH at 05:55 (+1 day). Qatar Airways also has an ongoing partnership with Virgin Australia, operating another daily nonstop flight on the same route, Flight VA7, departing MEL at 16:10.
