Blissful Qatar Airways Qsuite From SFO
Thu, Oct 14: San Francisco, CA
First flight leg from San Francisco (SFO) to Doha, Qatar on Qatar Airways (15 hours, 10 minutes). My longest flight ever. Thank goodness for Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuite and Netflix downloads for making time fly by. This is the the beginning of my UnchartedX Egypt Tour.
There was a shorter, faster flight via KLM Airlines through Amsterdam. But, seeing that I was going to be crammed into a tube in the sky for the greater part of the day, I opted for the Qatar Qsuite after I researched and found that it is at the top end of the best business class airline seats. Keep reading to find out why I concur!
Qatar Airways Qsuites Explained
The Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuites makes everyone’s list of top 10 business class airlines, and is often the ranked first. This is for a good reason as I would find out for myself. Not all Qatar business class flights have Qsuites, so it’s best to check your flights before booking. Also, despite proper planning, there can be unfortunate airplane swaps that foil the best laid plans.
I was fortunate enough to the Qsuites on my longest flights on the Airbus A350. And I got a Qsuite from Doha to Cairo on the Boeing 777. That’s a shorter flight so I didn’t need the lie flat seat, but I did appreciate the privacy. I found the Airbus Qsuite to be a little nicer than the Boeings. I liked the window seats, facing backwards because you sit directly next to the window so there’s a little more space between you and the aisle.
Qatar Airways Lounge SFO
There is no dedicated Qatar Lounge at the San Francisco (SFO) airport. For my flight, it was a share of the Air France Lounge. This is a small, unassuming lounge, that is hardly worth bragging about. Basically a selection of small snacks and drinks.
UPDATE: In 2024, Qatar Business Class changed to share the Golden Gate Lounge. This is the same lounge for my AeroMexico Olmec Trip. Golden Gate Lounge is similarly modest, so set your expectations accordingly.
I’ve also been to the Virgin Atlantic SFO Lounge, most recently on the Ancient England Tour. Even though it’s been scaled back tremendously from Virgin’s hey day years. It’s still the best of the three I’ve seen there.
When you head to the International Lounge area, there is a sign that directs you to the appropriate lounge for your airline.
Qatar Airways Airbus A350-1000 SFO to Doha
For Qatar Airways San Francisco to Doha, they use the Airbus A350-1000. The Business Class has the comfy Qsuite pods with sliding doors. No complaints there.
Qatar Airways Qsuite Verdict
The Qatar Airways business class Qsuite is the best flight experience I’ve had to date. The lay flat seats make for a sweet nights sleep, delicious meals are served at your request, the sliding door does wonders for your sense of privacy, and in-flight service is top notch. Would not hesitate to fly Qsuites again, especially for a long haul flight.
This was the perfect way to kick off my Egypt Tour and got me most of the way. But I still had a 12 hour layover at Doha Airport and another Qatar flight to get to Cairo. This 30+ hour journey to get to Egypt was an adventure all it’s own, and that was before the tour even began!
As part of the Qatar Airways Business Class ticket benefits I was able to get into the amazing first class lounge, Al Safwa First Lounge at Doha. That was an unexpected surprise and worth checking out.
TIP: For your flights, check out seatmaps, expertflyer (free version) or seatguru for airplane seating maps, and get the best seats available.
Before you hop onto your UnchartedX Egypt Tour flight, you’ll want to check out our Egypt Tour travel tips and tricks.
If you’re wondering how this compares to other airlines, see my Virgin Atlantic Upper Class review.
Have you flown on Qatar Airways Qsuite? How did you like it? Let us know in the comment section below.
Part of the Ben UnchartedX Egypt Tour