You may have seen from my Instagram that I’ve been on my travels again… I’ve mentioned many times before that I love to travel, and I always try to visit at least one new place each year, so this trip to Doha with Qatar Airways was particularly special because it was a new destination for me.
Rewind to about a week ago when I received a message asking if I’d like to fly to Doha with Qatar Airways to celebrate their 20th Anniversary of flying from London Heathrow. The answer was a resolute YES! I’d heard incredible things about the airline as a real player at the forefront of airline innovation and the chance to visit the city that serves as their hub was too exciting an opportunity to turn down. I rearranged my schedule, packed my bags and woke up early to head to the airport…
I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively over the years and even luckier still to travel in style, but Qatar Airways really sets the bar to a new level. We were whisked though check in at London Heathrow and passed through a separate fast track security before heading to the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge. We settled in and headed to one of two restaurant areas for a quick breakfast at sunrise before boarding. Shortly after, we were collected from the lounge and escorted through to the plane by a lovely lady who gave us some great tips on where to go in Doha.
Often travelling is the chore that is a means to an end of getting to your destination, but with Qatar Airways Business Class it really becomes an enjoyable part of the trip. We were shown to our seats by our air stewardess Olga, who was an absolute delight throughout the entire 6 hour journey – offering us cupcakes to celebrate Qatar Airways 20th Anniversary as well as telling us about the airline, her favourite routes and what to see in Doha. As I mentioned on Instagram, watching the world go by is my favourite inflight entertainment (I saw Windsor Castle shortly after take off, and a vast snowy mountain range before we reached the desert) but I was spoilt for choice with the onboard movies, and they’re all shown on a huge individual screen – no squinting at a tiny seat-back monitor here! I finally managed to watch La La Land and an amazing documentary about Usain Bolt which I’d highly recommend (check it out here)!
I rarely eat plane food but the Qatar Airways menu has been specially designed to include light dishes that won’t leave you feeling sluggish after a long plane journey. We started the flight with an Arabic mezze and ended with a cheese selection and bresaola, which were all delicious. After a quick spritz of facial mist and lip balm, which all come in a gorgeous Bric’s case, it was time for a quick lie down before landing in Doha.
There’ll be lots more about my time in Doha later in the week but I couldn’t not tell you about the airport experience at Hamad International Airport… because it’s just incredible! So after an amazing couple of days in Doha, we were dropped off at the airport at Qatar Airways Premium Terminal where check in is as smooth and relaxed as can be. There’s no queuing amongst screaming kids whilst another luggage trolley hits your ankles here… Our Al Maha Services hostess then took us through security, which was completely empty(!), and lead us through to the stunning Business Class Lounge. The lounge is vast, with secluded seating areas, business facilities, a sleeping area, as well as two restaurants. We were escorted up to a private dining room and two wonderful chefs prepared a stunning lunch for us. They came out to greet us once we had finished and melted our hearts with their kind words and requests for photos. All too soon it was time to leave the lounge and we were collected by a buggy that took us straight to the gate for another incredible flight with Qatar Airways…
I want to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped arrange our trip – Qatar Airways, Natalie and Sam at Bell Pottinger, Four Seasons Doha, InterContinental Doha The City, Nobu Doha and our lovely city tour guide. We spent the last night of our trip reminiscing and talking through how incredible lucky and grateful we are to be able to experience such wonderful adventures and opportunities, and I really hope you enjoy the content it produces.
Qatar Airways provided complimentary return flights to Doha. All words and opinions are my own.
