Tripreport: BRU-DOH-MCT-DOH-BRU with Qatar Airways

[SabenaForever]

Introduction

In this flightreport i will share my flightexperience to Muscat with Qatar Airways. At the end of April me and my girlfriend decided to have a sunny trip to the Sultanate of Oman. Before i booked i did some search on the internet to find me the best prices ou of BRU. I quickly made a decision and booked 2 tickets with QR to MCT. Pricewise QR and EK where amost the same; QR 456 euro, EK 470 euro and EY was 690 euro. The hours and transittime where also better with QR. And as aviation nerds we are planewise was offcourse also important. QR 787/77L, EK 77W/332 and EY 332/319(Air Serbia) ooooooh nooooo, i am not flying to the gulf to end up in a A319 of Air Serbia.

Flight 1: BRU-DOH

Airline: Qatar Airways
Aircraft: Boeing 787
Registration: A7-BCK
loadfactor: 100%
ETD: 10.00 am
ETA: 5.55 pm
Seat: 21B

We arrived in Zaventem at 8.00 am so time enough to drop off or bags at the baggage droff off point of QR. After security(1 day after the strike ended) we went for a little breakfeast at Panos.
I think it was some 7 years ago that i am going to use Pier B again, since i did my last non-schengen flights via AMS or CDG. Well nothing has changed i think. Just a plain Terminal with no fancy shops or cosy bars, i hope they are going to take this terminal in hands now.

A7-BCK to DOH

I was a little bit excited because this would be my first flight with a Boeing 787. At 10.00 am boarding was started, 20 min later than normal. They said the plane was late, but my FR24 app tells me something else..
My first impression of the plane was good... Very Modern, i loved those big windows... After i was seated i was a little bit dissapointed about the width of the seats and the seatpitch... Well you can't expect more with a 9 abreast configuration.

Seatpitch

The Oryx flightentertainment was really nice, a lot of the latest movies, flightmaps etc.. Nothing to say about the crew. They where very friendly and profesional.. They had there work with the 80% chinese people who didn't spoke a word of english... After a 6 hours flight we made a smooth landing at the new Doha Airport.

Flight 2: DOH-MCT

Airline: Qatar Airways
Aircraft: Boeing 777LR
Registration: A7-BBA
loadfactor: 25%
ETD: 08.00 pm
ETA: 10.25 pm
Seat: 32A

Before we had to take or next flight to MCT we had some 2 hours to explore the new airport of Doha. I read some bad reviews about it so i was not expecting to much... I never visited the old airport but i can say that this a big modern airport. But it looked a bitt if it was not finished yet... Less signs to find your way, almost no bars or restaurants or i must be blind. iIt took me 10 minutes to find me a proper bar.. And the thing i noticed the most, the airport is so dark, everything is black!

Inside Doha Airport

At 7 pm local time boarding was started, and what a beauty for a 1hour flight.... The 777LR! The first thing i noticed about QR's 777 is the space. It is so comfotable, the width of the seats and the seatpitch is perfect! I would really love to make a 12 hour journey in this plane. I think QR is one of the latest to have a 9 abreast in there 777's.

Since this was a short flight. Just a snack and some water was served by the again friendly crew.
The inflight entertainment was almost the same as the 787, but i think it was bitt slower!

look at those huge GE!

After 1 hour we arrived at MCT airport an we where bussed to the terminal! They are making a new center terminal between the 2 runways, it will be finished in 2016.



Flight 3: MCT-DOH

Airline: Qatar Airways
Aircraft: Boeing 777LR
Registration: A7-BBC
loadfactor: 35%
ETD: 11.30 pm
ETA: 11.55 pm (local time)
Seat: 32A


After a nice an sunny week it was time to go home again. Oman is a beautifall country, worth a visit! We arrived at Muscat Airport at 9.15 pm. Time enough to explore this old airport, well Explore? Nothing to see here, a old and out of date Airport.

Inside MCT Airport

Normally there was a 77W foreseen but at the end they changed it back to a 77L. Well there is nothing special to say about thi shorts flight. I was almost the same as the inbound fligt a week earlier.

A7-BBC to DOH

Business Class in the 77L

Special flightmap at the 77L

Flight 4: DOH-BRU

Airline: Qatar Airways
Aircraft: Boeing 787
Registration: A7-BCH
loadfactor: 100%
ETD: 01.55 am
ETA: 07.35 am
Seat: 18C

After a fast stella at bar in Doha airport.. We went to or gate at the C-Terminal (C10). Just like the first flight this was also a 787. Boarding went smootley and we departed one time. Since this was a nightflight, i was a little bit worried about the seatpitch and width of the seat. And i was right, the guy in front of me went for a sleep and aaauuuch, damn that hurts. i think my knee was punching in his back. But this flight was not so a succes after all. First i had to change seats because my flightentertainment was not working! Even if they try to reset the whole thing... The flightmap was not availble for the whole flight, and Jesus i don't know what they did about the food but it was cold and not eatable! Plus the crew on my side was not friendly, they just did there thing... What a difference with the other flights!

a nice extra for economy

and yes whose screen is freezing... :-(

Conclusion

I really loved flying Qatar Airways, i would fly them again! I think the last flight was a pitty, but it can not change my overall thaught!
The 787 was modern an so still, the seatpitch and width could be better.
The 777 was just perfect, what a space for a coach class! Really loved the 777

[sn26567]

Great report! Thanks! Sorry that you were not better served on your last leg.

Well, a 9-abreast seating is quite more comfortable on a 777 than on a 787. Some figures for QR:
77L (777-200LR) width 18.9" pitch 33"
788 (787-8) width 17.2" pitch 31"

I can already feel the difference . I would not accept anything less than 18" for the width. And for long-haul where most people recline their seats, 32" pitch should be a minimum standard.

How were the food and the drinks on the 787 (knowing that you didn't get much on the 777)?

[SabenaForever]

Great report! Thanks! Sorry that you were not better served on your last leg.

Well, a 9-abreast seating is quite more comfortable on a 777 than on a 787. Some figures for QR:
77L (777-200LR) width 18.9" pitch 33"
788 (787-8) width 17.2" pitch 31"

I can already feel the difference . I would not accept anything less than 18" for the width. And for long-haul where most people recline their seats, 32" pitch should be a minimum standard.

How were the food and the drinks on the 787 (knowing that you didn't get much on the 777)?

Thanks André... Well you have a point there about you're minimum pitch and width of the seat. It should be a minimum... that's why i loved QR's 777 so much..

Well the food on the 787 was good and bad! On the first leg i had some nice chicken pasta, appelcake as dessert and some extra fruit.. It was nice.. The Breakfeast on the last leg was not eatable. I am not a difficult person if it go's about food on a plane. But this was not good! A cold scrambled egg, with some chicken sausage and patatoes of 3 days old!

The food on the 777 was just a simple but nice snack...

Grtz

[SpottairBRU]

Thanks for the nice trip report, SabenaForever!

I love the instruments panel of the flightmap in Flight3!

[SabenaForever]

Thanks for the nice trip report, SabenaForever!

I love the instruments panel of the flightmap in Flight3!

Thx!!

I have 1 more...;-)

[TheFlyingSultan]

Hi SabenaForever,

Nice trip report and good to see you enjoyed your trip to the Middle East on QR. I always wondered how their operation from BRU was doing. It seems there's some inconsistency here and there, especially the last flight was not up to standard, too bad

ooooooh nooooo, i am not flying to the gulf to end up in a A319 of Air Serbia.

I wouldn't mind, Air Serbia is a nice airline with good onboard comfort on their A319. But of course, it ain't a widebody

i hope they are going to take this terminal in hands now.

I agree, this terminal needs some TLC/overhaul, but I guess this will be done in the near future.

They are making a new center terminal between the 2 runways, it will be finished in 2016.

They ware already working on it when I was there last year. It should make a big improvement for MCT.

TFS