Qatar Airways has earned a stellar repute for its distinctive enterprise class choices, and just lately launched a brand new technology of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners geared up with a brand-new “Enterprise Suite”. This new enterprise class product took to the skies again in June 2021, marking a brand new chapter in Qatar Airways’s already spectacular enterprise class lineup.
The Enterprise Suite is engineered to ship the identical stage of consolation and class because the award-winning Qsuites; nevertheless, some modifications have been made to suit the 787-9 aircraft’s narrower body.
With many prior journeys with Qatar Airways below my belt and a eager curiosity within the newest improvements in air journey, I used to be curious to see how the Qatar Airways Enterprise Suite stacked as much as the airline’s different merchandise.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Reserving
Qatar Airways presently operates 11 wide-body 787-9 planes in its fleet, which have the capability to fly to a variety of long-haul locations; nevertheless, the airline has largely chosen to deploy these planes on medium-haul routes in the interim. In consequence, the Enterprise Suites accessible on these planes can most frequently be discovered on flights between Doha and varied European cities.
For award bookings, Qatar Airways Privilege Membership presents extremely aggressive charges with minimal surcharges. On this case, I booked a one-way flight from Barcelona to Doha for 45,000 Qatar Airways Avios plus €90 ($130 CAD) in taxes and fees.
Whereas redeeming Avios could incur increased prices in comparison with AAdvantage miles, it’s essential to notice that particularly for Canadian travellers, incomes Avios is usually extra accessible and handy than accumulating AAdvantage miles. Due to this fact, it might be worthwhile to preserve your AAdvantage miles and as a substitute choose to redeem Avios.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Floor Expertise
Qatar Airways’s enterprise class passengers departing from Barcelona usually obtain entry to the Joan Miro Lounge within the non-Schengen departures space.
This third-party lounge presents a fairly strong pre-flight expertise with smooth and trendy décor and a spread of facilities, together with a buffet unfold, various seating, workstations, and showers.
For these departing from Doha, you’ll have entry to the flagship Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge, which represents a way more spectacular choice that’s according to the lofty requirements of Qatar Airways’s enterprise class merchandise.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Cabin
There are a complete of 30 enterprise class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, with every suite offering direct aisle entry.
Upon getting into the Qatar Airways 787-9 enterprise class cabin, I instantly famous its gorgeous visible attraction, as one would anticipate from Qatar Airways. Moreover, the cabin incorporates a distinctive mixture of reverse herringbone and herringbone seating that isn’t generally seen.
All through the cabin, the airline’s signature maroon branding tastefully accents the area, and an entryway on the rear of the cabin incorporates a textured wall adorned with the Qatar Airways brand. Moreover, the cabin boasts a show of roses that provides an additional contact of sophistication to the area.
Regardless of my flight happening in January, nicely after the 2022 FIFA World Cup had handed, I used to be shocked to search out some themed facilities nonetheless current on board.
The cabin boasts a slick vaulted ceiling that runs the size of the area together with recessed overhead bins, giving it a spacious really feel, albeit smaller and shorter than the Qsuites cabin. Furthermore, the enterprise class cabin has a neat little “walkway” that results in the far aisle with out having to undergo the galley.
Be aware that the center seats within the enterprise class cabin are angled in direction of the aisle and away from one another, which is an attention-grabbing function in comparison with the standard setup with them angled in direction of one another.
In consequence, {couples} could want to keep away from the center seats; nevertheless, the center divider could be lowered electronically by urgent the “down” buttons on each side of the partition concurrently.
General, I extremely suggest selecting window seats for the perfect expertise, which additionally comes with a sliding door that gives a superb quantity of privateness.
The primary seven rows of the cabin are aligned with one another, whereas row eight is offset from the remainder of the cabin, offering further privateness for solo passengers.
It’s additionally price noting that the suites in Row 5 would not have home windows.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Seat
As I made my manner by the enterprise class cabin, I arrived at Seat 7K. The seat design instantly echoed that of the Qsuites, with fake marble consoles, rose-gold touches, and Qatar Airways’s signature burgundy accents, which occurs to even be my favourite color.
After settling in, I took a second to begin exploring the brand new seat. Positioned on the again of the seat in entrance of me was a big, high-resolution 18-inch high-definition leisure display screen.
On the again of the seat in entrance of me, there was a big literature pocket, which was flush into the vertical floor.
Beneath the leisure display screen, there was a notably small footwell, with no under-seat storage accessible. A scarcity of storage appears to be a minor gripe that some passengers have with these new enterprise class seats.
The tray desk was sturdy, and easily slides out from beneath the leisure display screen. It was additionally designed to swivel as much as 90 levels, permitting for simpler entry and motion even when the desk was in use.
Situated to the best of the seat, the adjustable armrest could possibly be lifted to the specified peak or lowered to extend the seat’s width when within the upright or lie-flat positions.
Located to the left of the plush seat was a compact two-tiered console desk, with sufficient area for a number of drinks or a small laptop computer.
A panel located above the console desk was residence to the in-flight leisure controller, a common energy outlet, a USB port, and the headphone jack.
Alongside the sting of the console, I discovered the seat controls inside simple attain, which included three preset positions, separate buttons for adjusting the leg relaxation, and a “Do Not Disturb” button.
Above the console, there was a storage compartment geared up with a mirror on the within and a shallow storage compartment that got here with a set of headphones.
A bigger gentle fixture full with three totally different brightness settings could possibly be discovered up high by your shoulders, in addition to a secondary pop-up studying gentle.
Lastly, probably the most notable function of the Enterprise Suites is, after all, the sliding door. The suite’s door offers a pleasing layer of added privateness, cocooning you in your personal personal area.
When shut, there’s a slight discernible hole between the door and wall panel, and it’s barely decrease than the door in Qsuites.
The flight crew secures the door within the open place throughout taxi, takeoff, and touchdown, however it may be closed as soon as the aircraft reached cruising altitude.
General, the seat is remarkably snug and offers an honest quantity of privateness. The one draw back was the dearth of space for storing, however then again, the seat had loads of shoulder room.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Facilities
As we progressed in direction of take-off, the flight crew kindly supplied me a alternative of welcome drink, and I opted to begin with the Charles Heidsieck Rosé Reserve, as I usually affiliate Qatar Airways with rosé. The airline is likely one of the few to supply a choice of brut and rosé, and the airline’s branding additionally jogs my memory of the colors generally present in rosé wines.
In the course of the flight, I additionally had an opportunity to look at the Diptyque amenity equipment that was left at my seat. Whereas the model is well-respected, I couldn’t assist however really feel that the paper field it got here in appeared a bit low cost.
However, as I’ve already collected a number of of them, I made a decision to carry onto the equipment to offer it away to my family and friends later throughout my journey.
Contained in the equipment, there was lip balm, physique lotion, face cream, and Diptyque eau de toilette fragrance.
The flight attendants additionally introduced me with the enterprise class menus: one for meals and one for drinks.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Meal Service
As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the in-flight service started in earnest. The flight attendants had already taken my order previous to take off, after I’d had an opportunity to peruse by the menus.
The meals and non-alcoholic beverage menu for my flight learn as follows:
And the alcoholic beverage menu for my flight learn as follows:
I started with a glass of mango juice earlier than the meal and later switched to the Laurent-Perrier Champagne throughout meal service. At this level, Qatar Airways’s signature vibrant purple temper lighting was turned on simply in time for meal service.
To start out, a shrimp amuse bouche was adopted by a smoked pink pepper soup appetizer. This was a fairly tasty begin to the flight, however the smoked pink pepper soup lacked the spicy kick I hoped for.
Subsequent up was an Arabic mezze appetizer of muhammara, tabbouleh, and hummus served with recent pita bread. The dishes supplied a spread of flavors and textures to savour, and have been as scrumptious as all the time.
For my most important course, I opted for the saloona big prawns with saffron-infused rice, which was undoubtedly a spotlight.
The prawns have been of a beneficiant dimension and cooked to perfection, and got here slathered in a zesty sauce that added an exquisite burst of taste to the dish.
For dessert, I opted for the fruit salad, which was glorious. I used to be particularly impressed by the beneficiant chunks of mango in it.
In between meals, there was additionally a snack and fruit basket arrange within the walkway behind the enterprise class cabin, which was handy for many who needed to seize a fast chunk.
It’s price noting that service onboard this flight was considerably hit and miss. There have been occasions when my water or drink wasn’t topped up, and my tray wasn’t withdrawn for some time after I used to be completed.
Whereas the general stage of service on Qatar Airways is often excellent, I’ve discovered over the course of many flights that it will not be flawless, as exemplified on this specific journey the place it was considerably beneath the standard requirements.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Mattress
Earlier than placing the seat into lie-flat mode, I made a decision to take a look at the restrooms. There are two positioned on the very again of the enterprise class cabin.
Contained in the restroom, you’ll discover a generously sized area that boasts some spectacular options, corresponding to touchless sinks and home windows. A baby-changing station could be lowered on high of the bathroom seat, and the restroom is thoughtfully stocked with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and splendid Diptyque facilities.
Heading again to my seat, the enterprise class seat simply converts right into a lie-flat mattress with simply the contact of a button. It measures a snug 77 inches lengthy, which is barely shorter than the mattress present in Qsuites.
It’s essential to remember the fact that in lie-flat mode, the 787-9 enterprise class seat is narrower than Qsuites and has a extra restricted footwell. For shorter flights inside Europe and South East Asia, this shouldn’t pose an excessive amount of of a problem; nevertheless, for longer journeys, I’d suggest choosing Qsuites for probably the most snug sleeping expertise.
For these travelling as a pair, it’s additionally price noting that these enterprise class seats don’t type a whole double mattress like those present in Qsuites. As an alternative, solely the heads of each passengers are positioned subsequent to one another, whereas the our bodies face away.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Enterprise Class – Leisure
Every enterprise class seat is supplied with a beneficiant 18-inch high-definition leisure display screen, with entry to Qatar Airways’s customized in-flight leisure system, Oryx One.
Oryx One presents a big selection of leisure choices, together with over 1,000 films and widespread TV exhibits. The system’s intuitive interface is straightforward to navigate.
Along with its spectacular choice of leisure choices, Qatar Airways’s 787-9 Dreamliner additionally options two out of doors cameras, one dealing with ahead and one dealing with downward.
The forward-facing digital camera captures breathtaking views of the aircraft’s flight path, whereas the downward-facing digital camera offers a chicken’s-eye view of the panorama beneath.
Conclusion
The Enterprise Suite on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Qatar Airways is actually according to the airline’s award-winning enterprise class choices, and serves as a worthy various to Qsuites.
Though it doesn’t present fairly the identical stage of spaciousness or a whole double mattress within the sky as present in Qsuites, the Enterprise Suite nonetheless manages to ship on consolation and privateness, and stays extremely aggressive towards many different airways because of its well-thought-out seat design and sliding door.
Regardless of some minor drawbacks on this specific flight, such because the occasional lapses in service, I used to be fairly impressed with my expertise in Qatar Airways’s 787-9 Enterprise Suite – though I’ll undoubtedly proceed to hunt out Qsuites every time doable sooner or later for an extra stage of consolation.
