Welcome aboard Qatar Airways Airbus a380 which will be travelling from Sydney to Doha. I’ll be seated in Economy Class,  Business Class and First Class…. no I’m not flying anywhere, I’m just having a good old look around the airlines flagship aircraft.

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It’s such a spacious feeling when boarding the double decker Airbus a380 on the main deck with the centrepiece being the stairwell to the upper deck. The aircraft features 517 seats in three classes over two decks.

Economy Class

Of a total of 461 Economy Class seats, 405 are located on the main deck over four zones in a 3-4-3 configuration. Having a 32″ pitch and a very decent 18.5″ width, each seat comes with a 10.6 touch screen and remote controlled TV with two pin audio jack and USB port.

Being spread over those 4 zones, makes it feel less crowded. There are a couple of excellent Economy Class seat spots as well, the bulkhead row over the window doesn’t have the life raft jutting our from the door, giving more leg room than usual for a bulkhead seat. Another favourite is seat 68D which has no seat in front of it. Why? There is an emergency floor opening where the crew can come up from below where their bunks are – pretty nifty hey!

There is a fifth Economy Class cabin located at the rear of the upper deck. This smaller intimate cabin features 56 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration and as much I would like to experience this cabin, there is the First and Business Class bar  – called The Lounge – located right in front. While I am all for in flight bars, I would find this bothersome if seated in this Economy cabin, not only for the noise, but the fact that I couldn’t go in , I’d have some serious Lounge envy!

The Lounge

The Lounge, located on the upper deck in front of Economy and behind Business Class, is a spacious area for the Premium Class passengers to enjoy a few cocktails and snacks.

The sofa style seating, snaking around both sides of the cabin, comes with seat belt in case of turbulence. The hard product is quite well finished and quite different from the other Middle Eastern carriers a380 inflight bar.

Too see how it compares, have a look at my reviews of Inspecting an Etihad Aircraft and Flying Business Class on Emirates.

Business Class

Taking up 2/3 of the upper deck between First Class and The Lounge, the 48 Business Class seats are in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration giving every passenger direct aisle access and have a width of 22.2″.

The fully flat 180 degree seat has 14 pre-programmed positions from a console within easy reach from the seat which also serves as a small side table. When fully flat the bed measures 80″. The AVOD screen is a decent 17″ and and controlled by remote or touch screen.

First Class

Moving forward to the front of the upper deck are the 8 First Class seats, configured in a 1-2-1 layout, they are reminiscent of a big comfortable lounge room arm chair. The seat reclines to a fully flat position of 81″ and has a width of 23″.

Electric window shades are controlled from the seat as is the privacy screen. The touchscreen is a sizeable 26″ and a small lamp adds a lovely finishing touch. The First Class bathroom is huge, taking up the side area between the stairs. There are 2 for the 8 First Class passengers to share.

I was highly impressed with each cabin on the Qatar Airbus a380, the hard product being sophisticated. Coupled with the delightful First and Business Class menu I had just tried, this is definitely an airline I would like to travel with.

FreakyFlier was a guest of Qatar Airways but all opinions remain his own.

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