DOHA-LONDON
Airbus A340-600

Good morning, from my desk to yours. I am just back from another outstanding trip to Southeast Asia. In my excitement to share everything that makes up air travel, I have gotten a ahead of myself and have to take a few steps back. First off, you may have noticed Planereality has moved to BoardingArea.com. BoardingArea provides a central location that allows readers access to some of the best travel blogs on the web. I am excited to be here and I hope you too discover some great travel writers you were not aware of.
Secondly, I have not shared some of the details from my last trip which included the below flight on Qatar Airways from Doha, Qatar to London’s Heathrow Airport. Unlike my flight to Doha, this flight (#1) was operated with an Airbus A340-600 which has 3 classes.  The business class seats were nearly identical to those on the 777, but do not quite lie entirely flat.  Like my other flight on Qatar, the service and food was fantastic.  Unfortunately I slept through the 2nd meal service, but woke to find a fresh bottle of Evian water and a small box of Godiva chocolates at my seat. Along with an immigration cards, flight attendants distributed passes for the expedited customs line at Heathrow.
Here are the pics:

climbing out of Doha

Doha’s new international airport

route map

cabin

seats

seat control

place setting

prawn & salmon appetizer

linguini with walnut & gorgonzola sauce

lounge

lounge

The next few posts: SkyTeam Lounge Heathrow & Delta’s “New” Lie Flat Seats. Thanks for coming by!

I am little more than half-way through my posts pertaining to my most recent set of flights.  Below, I tried to capture my experience at Qatar Airways Premium Terminal in Doha.  I would ask you to think about the best airline lounge you have ever visited. Now, picture that lounge making up an entire terminal. That, in essence, is the Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport, although there are 2 separate actual lounge areas; one for First Class passengers and one for Business Class passengers.
A bus brought Business Class passengers from the plane to the terminal where we were greeted by two Qatar attendants and escorted to a security check-point with no line.   

premium terminal from the tarmac

The lower level of the terminal contains a few shops as well as the departure gates.  The actual First Class and Business Class Lounges can be found on the upper level.   

first lounge on the left; business on the right

I could not resist posting a picture of the bathroom.  Very clean and modern.  Good thing the bathrooms were staffed with attendants because I couldn’t figure out how to use the soap dispenser or make the water turn on.  

Satellite snack and beverage counters could be found throughout the lounge:   

In addition to the snack and beverage stations, there was a restaurant.  While the food was self-service, waiters were on hand to clear plates and serve beverages.  The restaurant has hummus, salads and breads available throughout the day and various hot foods are served at meal time.  All food from the restaurant is required to be consumed within the restaurant’s dining area.  I included a picture of my lunch at the restaurant.   

lunch: chicken thigh, potatoes, bread, baba ganoush (?)

Beyond the spectacular setting and wonderful food, what makes the Premium Terminal so great is, like any successful operation, the people.  Qatar staff were focused solely on the well being and comfort of the passengers.  When I inquired about catching an earlier flight to London, the service desk attendant insisted I return to the lounge and relax while she checked out the availability.  I obliged and after about ten minutes the agent appeared in the lounge to let me know I would be able to take the earlier flight.  She then insisted that she wheel my bag while she escorted me to the departure gate.  After a few leisurely hours enjoying all that the Premium Terminal has to offer, I was on my way to London.