Welcome to my Qatar Airways trip report of 2025!
This is Qatar Airways A350-900 registered A7-AMJ.
Photo: Kevin Boydston
Introduction
The decision to fly to London was a pretty last minute affair as I wanted to accompany my mum for her trip back to Singapore so the decision was made and I had to pay over the odds on this economy class return flight from Singapore to London with Qatar Airways and the return flight would be with British Airways together with my mum. This would also be a good time to check out on Qatar Airways and Doha Airport, so much hype about the airline and the airline is voted one of the top airlines in the world for 2025. Is it what it is seem? Do read on to find out.
I had flown with this airline in 2009 and you can check out my business class experience with this airline over here.
For my flight choices, I wanted to fly to London Gatwick for a change but after a bit of thinking, I decided to fly the airline's A380 from Doha to London Heathrow. Besides I wasn't so excited about flying the Boeing 787-8 to LGW airport and it's a good thing I went with the A380 option because in my end of year trip, I would be flying on the airline's 787-8 to Frankfurt so stay tuned for that.
So without further ado, let's begin this trip report.
This is my July 2025 trip (SIN-DOH-LHR with Qatar) and (LHR-SIN with British Airways)
Booking
I did the booking on British Airways website and it was simple but nothing fantastic about the website. The mobile app on the other hand gave me a few headacbhe but eventually I managed to get my issue sorted out. The price I paid when compared with Qatar's airfare on the same route (same flights) was more expensive and this was my mistake. So next time if you like to fly with BA and do not mind a stopover, you can check out Qatar's website as you may find the airfare on this website cheaper.
The last time I flew with British Airways, the airline was very close with Qantas and I often see codeshare flights with each other but not anymore. How times have changed and the situation between Qantas and Qatar is even more bizzare since both are in the same alliance but yet Qatar has a minority stake in Virgin Australia, a close rivals of Qantas and Qantas is a partner of Emirates, a close rival of Qatar Airways.
For my flights, although I paid a lot of my ticket, I still had to pay for the seat selection. I refused to do so and would rather take the risk and select my seat during the online check-in process.
During the web check-in, I was able to select my seat without making any payment.
In the end, I selected these seats for both SIN-DOH and DOH-LHR flights.
Qatar Airways' website and mobile app is easy to use, I was able to navigate the interface, getting whatever I need done without difficulty. The app also allows you to to log in with otp number send to your email which I feel is a good security feature. I will give this app a rating of 4/5.
Qatar Airways is the national carrier of Qatar based in Doha and the airline operates a hub-and-spoke network similar to Emirates and Etihad. With a massive network of over 170 destinations across all the continents, the airline operates a fleet of more than 200 aircraft and is currently a member of the oneworld alliance. Founded in November 1993, Qatar Airways started operation about a year later and has grown massively in size, operating a large fleet of both Airbus and Boeing aircraft and the fleet looks like it would be dominated by Boeing aircraft in the near future as the airline recently placed a large Boeing order of around 200 aircraft comprising of Boeing 787-9, 787-10, Boeing 777-8, 777-8F and Boeing 777-9. There is a also suggestions that these new order will or might replace the A350 fleet and if that happens, the airline may be opt to operate only Boeing aircraft for its wide-body and Airbus A321neo for the narrow-body aircraft.
On the day of departure
I did a check on which aircraft I was flying on, thanks to Flightradar24 and it was A7-AMJ, one of the newest A350-900 in the fleet.
Thanks to Flighty for keeping me updated on my flight's status.
After 7 hours and 39 minutes in the air, the aircraft touched down at Changi about 18 minutes ahead of schedule.
Did you know: Qatar Airways's flights departed at Terminal 3 and shifted to Terminal 1 (Changi Airport) since 28th October 2018.
If you take the MRT train train to the airport, you have to take the skytrain either at Terminal 2 or 3 to get to terminal 1.
Welcome to Terminal 1!
A little flowery decoration at the entrance to Terminal 1 (Skytrain station).
I did a check on my flight status and it was operating as normal.
This is Qatar Airways check-in row.
I was able to to the check in at the check-in kiosk.
After that, I checked in my luggage at the self check-in luggage kiosk.
The middle seat was vacant at this point of time, did it stay vacant during the flight? Read on to find out.
I received the boarding passes for both flights.
A little look at the Terminal 1's airside.
On the second level is where the viewing mall is for those interested in plane spotting. This is the only terminal that has a proper viewing gallery for plane spotting and photography activities.
There is skytrain service at the airside connecting passengers within Terminal 1, 2 and 3 and to connect to terminal 4 from other terminals and vice versa, shuttle bus service is available.
Travellators are available connecting the concourse to the airport gates.
This is where my flight was departing from.
I decided to give Luckin coffee a try.
While waiting for the departure, I went around to burn some energy (making it easier to fall asleep onboard).
I was fortunate to be able to spot this Pokemon aircraft, 9V-OJJ.
SG Hawker offers decent local food, and it is worth experiencing last minute local food joy before you leave.
This is the gate area of D41.
It's time to board!
Economy Class today!
Welcome on board Qatar's A350-900!
My ride: A7-AMJ (Photo: Kevin Boydston)
Airbus A350-941
Leased from BOC
Delivered to airline in May 2019
Configuration: C36 Y247 (2 Class)
Engines: 2 X Roll Royce XWB-84
237th Airbus A350 built
Age: 6 + Years Old
Built in Toulouse (TLS)
Flight Route: SIN-DOH
Miles: 3,851
This trip report will focus on the economy class cabin product, the business class (Q Suites) trip report will be out by end of this year), stay tuned.
My seat: 29A (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 3rd July 2025
Airline: Qatar Airways
Flight: QR945
Route: SIN-DOH
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Registration: A7-AMJ
Departure Terminal: 1
Seat: 29A
Gate: D41
Load: 100% in Y Class
Flight Time: 7 hours
Actual Flight Time: 6 hours 59 minutes
Schedule Departure: 0310
Boarding: 0215
Pushed Back: 0305
Take Off: 0322
Schedule Arrival: 0525
Actual Arrival: 0520
Departure Runway: 02C
Departure Weather: Partially Cloudy
Arrival Runway: 34L
Arrival Weather: Windy
My Flight Experience
Even though it was around 2 in the morning, there were some flight activities and before the gate was opened, I couldn't find any place to sit, as there are lack of seats especially if there are many flight activities going on around the same time. Anyway, once we were inside the gate area, we didn't wait long before the announcment to board was made. Boarding took place according to zone number and soon I was on my way. My first impression was the airline certainly has a good economy class product and it was the case and comparing with Singapore Airlines' economy class product, I prefer Qatar. The cabin ambiance and the seat comfort is better in my opinion.
Before departure, there was a crew who came to my seat and personally greeted me and wishing me a good flight, usually passengers with high status will get such greeting but how did I get such good treatment? I have no status with the Qatar's Avios program so this makes it puzzling.
After take off, we hit a few bumps here and there but nothing bad, I was expecting a snack meal or something but it didn't come or maybe it did during my sleeping time. Whatever it is, I was able to grab some hours of rest on this economy class seat. For the entertainment? The wifi was complimentary and I was able to use it immediately after logging on and the Inflight Entertainment system was impressive. There were a lot of good movies that I haven't watched and I could use this flight and the next flight to catch up what I had missed.
For the inflight meal, I wasn't paying attention to what the crew was saying regarding the choices but I do remember there was 2 choices for breakfast and I chose the chicken with sambal sauce and it tasted pretty good.
The cabin crew on this flight certainly gives the airline a good name with a cabin service as top notch as its competitor, Singapore Airlines. No complaints at all and in fact the 6 hours plus flight went past too quickly for my liking. Even the turbulence especially across the Bay of Bengal didn't dumpen my mood although it became intense at one stage. However, the landing at Doha was a smooth affair and the landing executed by the PIC (Pillot-in-command) was excellent.
Business Class (Q Suites)
There are 36 QSuites seats based on Collins Aerospace platform in this A350-900 cabin and they are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with forward and rear facing seats at alternate rows.
More information on this product in my next Qatar A350-900 QSuites experience, to take place later this year.
The seat map of the business class cabin
Photos of the cabin
The suite cabin does provides a bit of privacy when everyone is seated.
For the window sides, the seats are facing backwards.
A Qatar cabin crew was assisting a passenger in the business class cabin.
I will comment more of this cabin arrangement in one of my upcoming trip reports.
A couple is able to sit together and the seats can be converted into a big size bed during the flight.
If you are sitting besides a stranger, there is a privacy divider to help increase privacy between both you and the seat mate.
I am looking forward to trying out the backwards facing seat. Window seat is a definite must for me.
The last row of the first business class cabin.
Economy Class
There are 281 Recaro 3710 slimline seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. Each of these seats comes with a seat width of 18 inches, a 4-way adjustable head rest and can recline up to 5 inches. Apart from the bulkhead rows, the other seats have a regular seat pitch of 31 inches and for the passengers at these seats, they can enjoy the 10.6 inch HD touchscreen display on every seatback. For bulkhead row seats, retractable bi-folding tables are available and the HD touchscreen display is mounted on the partition wall and I prefer this set up compared to the retractable foldable IFE screen which can only be used after take off and before landing. Do note that Universal AC and USB-A sockets are available along with Contactless NFC connection for the IFE system.
Seat map of the economy class cabin
Front cabin
Welcome on board!
This is the front cabin.
Each passenger receives a small amenity kit, a blanket and a soft pillow.
I chose the last window seat of the first cabin.
Although the lavatory were close by, I was not affected by any noise as I was wearing my earpiece for most parts of the flight.
For those concern about whether the last row seats behind the lavatory can recline, the answer is yes but the recline is limited compare to the standard seats.
My 'home' for the next 7 hours.
The view of the economy class cabin during boarding.
All the seats were occupied and later on I discovered this was a full flight at least for the economy class.
The overview of the economy class cabin during the flight.
The view from the cabin photographed at the back of the aircraft.
The cabin's workspace at the rear of the aircraft.
The view of the cabin during disembarkment.
A few more photos of the cabin before I disembark.
The first row of the economy class has only 2-seater.
I would certainly pick this window seat at the 2-seater if the seats are available at no charge.
More photos of the seat
The Recaro seat is comfortable and I like the dark red seat colour, matching the cabin quite well.
I am happy to have a window aligned to my seat.
The view from my seat. I won't recommend sitting at the aisle seat of this row as there are lots of folks walking by and occasionally you have crew stopping by to store their items in this closet.
The IFE screen display
The overhead panel consists of the air con vents, reading lights and seatbelt, wifi and no smoking sign display.
The view from my seat
From an avgeek point of view, what more can I ask for? A good window view and IFE system with camera view.
Do I recommend this seat? Yes, I was able to recline my seat and sleep for a few hours during the late night flight.
The bi-foldable tray (fully opened)
Partially opened
What's provided for each passenger?
Amenity kit
Headset (The quality was decent)
Blanket
Pillow
Disposal Bag
Safety Card
Inflight meal - Chicken rice with sambal sauce with egg. In addition to the main course, this meal comes with fruits, yogurt and a warm bread with strawberry jam.
I can't remember what was the other choice.
I enjoy a cup of apple juice while watching a movie.
Inflight Entertainment
You have an option to use your device to access the in-flight contents.
The Camera view option caught my attention.
With the A350 Camera view, I was able to view either from the tail or the landing gear.
This is the camera view from the aircraft's tail.
A good selection of recent and old movies are available.
The inflight map (Not fully loaded)
The inflight map
The safety video
Starring a famous actor, Kevin Hart.
My favourite part of the flight, watching the aircraft's movement before take off and after landing.
At this point, we were getting ready to depart.
Off we go!
Enjoying my movie during the flight.
At this point, we started the descent.
On final approach
It was great to able to view the touchdown and for the pilot-in-command, he/she got a grade A for it.
Here we are, we have reached our assigned gate. For this aircraft, it would rest until the later part of the day and fly back to Singapore on flight QR944.
That's me, enjoying my Qatar experience.
The lavatory is well stocked with neccesities.
The door can be opened and locked easily.
Window view photos (Take off to Landing)
This seat window offers good view of the wing.
We reached near the threshold of runway 02C.
Off we go in this rainy condition.
Although it was raining heavily, the ride was not turbulent.
Last look of the view before I settle down.
Few hours later, we have entered the Middle East.
It was good weather at this point.
At this point, we started our descent.
Beautiful view of the A350 wing.
We have entered Qatar airspace.
We were on final approach into Qatar's runway 34L.
We flew into some windy condition during our descent.
Few more seconds to touch down.
Reverse thrust and speed brake were deployed to slow the aircraft down.
Here we are, we landed slightly ahead of schedule.
My flight summary
Welcome to Hamad International Airport!
Thanks for the ride! A7-AMJ
I love these glass windows of the aerobridges. You get a good view of the aircraft during the boarding process.
Here I am for the first time at DOH Airport.
Last look of my ride, A7-AMJ.
More walking to do.
For transit passengers, we need to undergo security check.
This is The Orchard Garden, Doha Airport's indoor Tropical Garden.
This looks very smilar to the Rain Vortex of Changi Airport's Jewel.
Beautiful, isn't it?
More of Doha Airport and my part 2 of my Qatar experience in the next part of the trip report.
To be continued!
My ratings
Airline Website/Mobile App: 4/5
Airport Experience (SIN): 5/5
Inflight Service: 4/5
Seat Comfort: 4/5
Inflight Entertainment: 5/5
Cabin Ambiance: 5/5
Seat Condition: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
InFlight Meal/Beverage: 5/5
Punctuality: 5/5
Overall Rating: 47/50
Percentage: 94%
Conclusion
I find my flight experience with Qatar Airways quite impressive, hitting an impressive top score with the inflight product one of the top notch out there. The big 3 airlines in the middle east (Etihad, Emirates and Qatar) have been very competitive with airlines constantly upgrading their products to attract the foreign travellers to fly with them. The Hub & Spoke Strategy adopted by a good number of airlines have bear fruits for the top airlines and airlines like Qatar will be relying heavily on this method to further expand its network and boost the fleet to make it one of the top performing airlines in the world.
What impresses me on this flight was the comfortable seat, a good IFE system (with my favourite camera view) and the delicicous meal. For the inflight service, the crew were great and in terms of ranking, they are certainly up there with the best.
Stay tuned for my next part as I will conclude my trip reports with a summary of both flights (SIN-DOH and DOH-LHR). The next flight is significant to me as I would be flying on the airline's A380. This aircraft type was supposed to be retired but because of the current aircraft delay of the Boeing 777-9, the airline decided to restore the A380's cabin and bring the aircraft into service until a fleet of 777-9 is established.
Thanks for reading!
Charles
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