Flight: Qatar Airways QR180

Departure airport: Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)

Arrival airport: Doha Qatar (DOH)

Aircraft: B787-8 Dreamliner

Date: 24th November 2016

ETD: 0915hr

What can I say, Qatar Airways is one of my favourite airlines in the world at the moment. Not only I can earn Avios and Tier Points for my British Airways, Qatar Airways has the best Business Class Lounge in its hub in Doha. I bought the ticket last year with Qatar Airways Big Sale for about £800 return from Oslo to Bangkok with a transit in Doha.

Check In: I stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel Oslo Airport which was just a walking distance from the airport and I arrived 3 hours before departure. The Business Class check in queue  was empty, maybe because it was too early in the morning. The agent  checked in all my luggage straight through to BKK and I was given an express pass to use at the security to get into the departure hall.

Boarding: Boarding was on time and I was greeted by the stewardess at the door of the aircraft. I made my way to seat 3K and was offered a welcome drink, a hot towel and the menu.

The seat: According to Qatar Airways website, the seats are designed for comfort. I couldn’t agree more. The business class cabin is designed to make yourself feel comfortable and a feeling of spaciousness. The 1-2-1 configuration of the reversed herringbone seats by Zodiac give direct aisle access to all of the Business Class passengers. The seats are actually my favourite, the same seats as Cathay Pacific, American Airlines etc. to name a few. Each seat has a pitch of 50 inches with a width of 22 inches. There are just 22 line-flat seats in Business Class with the first 20 seats towards  the front of the aircraft and the last 2 seats (row 6) in between the lavatories and the front section of the economy class. Slightly odd especially when the last seats (row 6) are quite close to the lavatories and this can be a nuisance to some (seat map).

They were plenty of storage spaces to myself especially the drawer to put my shoes in.  The 17-inch Panasonic eX2 entertainment system (Oryx One) is fixed to the front passenger’s seat, above my tray table. The wired remote control for the IFE  has a small touch screen on it for easy access of the system.

The flight: The flight left on time at 0915hr and the take off was smooth. Soon after we reached cruising altitude, I was offered a bowl of warm nuts and another glass of bubbly.

Menu: The stewardess took my menu orders straight after. I chose Classic Arabic Mezze, Chicken Biryani and a fruit platter.

Arrival: The flight to Doha was just over 6 hours and I arrived at Hamad International Airport in Doha at about 1745hrs (local time). I made my way straight to the Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge for some snacks and coffee whilst waiting for my next flight to Bangkok.

Verdict: I would definitely fly with Qatar Airways again. Since Qatar Airways is part of oneworld, I could easily earn 560 British Airways Tier Points from Oslo to Bangkok. The overall experience was excellent, the food was delicious and the service was in keeping with its 5-star airline rating (Skytrax).