First Look: Qatar Airways' business class and economy class on the new Airbus A350

The official maiden flight will be in mid-January, and the premiere route will be Doha-Frankfurt, not Doha-London, which is usually the case when Qatar Airways launches a new product. During 2015, Finnair and Vietnam Airlines will also start flying the Airbus A350, eventually joined by scandinavian airline SAS. In total, Airbus has sold 778 aircraft to 41 airlines, which is a record for Airbus. Qatar Airways has ordered 80 of the aircraft.

Qatar Airways' Airbus A350 XWB Qatar Airways' version of the Airbus A350 has only business class and economy class on board. Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al-Baker, explains that they will only retain first class on the Airbus A380, used on some of the more important and most frequent routes. For other routes, he believes business class will be more than adequate for most business travellers as their business class maintains such a high level compared to most competitors. Qatar Airways has no premium economy on board. As previously stated, Doha-Frankfurt will be the aircraft’s premiere route, followed by Doha-New York. In addition, this type of aircraft will operate secondary destinations in Europe and some destinations in the Far East, routes that are currently operated by Dreamliners. Above all, the Airbus A350 will be a direct replacement for the Airbus A330. We took a look on board and were greeted by two happy flight attendants.

Qatar Airways' Airbus A350 XWB crew

Business Class on the Airbus A350

Business class is positioned at the front of the aircraft and consists of 36 seats, nine rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats on the A350 are basically the same as on the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with some minor differences in design. The design on the Airbus A350 incorporates some dark wood in the cabin, a design which is also used on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380. The seat is definitely one of the better ones in the industry, and a configuration of 1-2-1 means that all passengers have direct access to the aisle. The seat becomes completely flat when reclined fully, producing with a bed of 80 inches (203 cm). The screen is 17 inches and has HD resolution and AVOD (Audio Video on Demand).

Qatar Airways' Business Class Airbus A350 The cabin setup in business class will feel familiar for those who have flown on one of Qatar Airways’ Dreamliners, with five rows at the front between the first and second door. On the Dreamliner, there are then two seats in the middle, while on the Airbus A350, there are four rows. This means an increase in the number of seats from 22 on the Dreamliner, to 36 on the Airbus A350. Another difference between the Dreamliner and the A350 are the window shutters. The Airbus A350 has the traditional models, while the Dreamliner features electronic controls and also includes a sun shade option that provides a dark blue shield against the sun while still allowing one to look out.

Qatar Airways' Business Class Airbus A350 The service concept is the same on the Airbus A350 as on other types of aircraft on the corresponding routes.

Lounge area in business class

Just as on the Dreamliner, there is a small lounge area for passengers in business class located near the second door. On the Airbus A350, the lounge is considerably larger and has two large buffet tables offering drinks and snacks between meals. Although the design is different, in dark wood with a unique ceiling decoration, it is not at all unlike that found in the bar area on the Airbus A380. The newspapers and magazines, unlike the Dreamliner’s, which are found in a big rack, have been moved to smaller shelves alongside the buffet tables on the Airbus A350.

Lounge area in business class

Economy Class on the Airbus A350

Economy class consists of 247 seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. The seat is 18 inches wide, which is pretty good for being economy. The Airbus A350 XWB is one of the widest aircraft in the industry (the suffix XWB stands for extra wide body) and it would certainly be possible to squeeze in ten seats across. Legroom is 32 inches, about standard for economy class, and each seat has its own 10.6 inch screen with HD resolution and AVOD (Audio Video on Demand).

Qatar Airways' Economy Class Airbus A350 The width of the seat is most noticeable when comparing to the business class seat, however, for a regular size person it is not cramped. The leg room was also acceptable without offering an abundance.

Qatar Airways' Economy Class Airbus A350

Electronic display and overhead storage

The Airbus A350 has an electronic display unlike most other types of aircraft, for example, it has a seatbelt light and a light reminding you to turn off your electronic devices. The ingenuity with this display is that each airline can design their own signs and can rotate between different warning signs.

Electronic display The overhead compartment is also different from most other types of aircraft, the compartment opens downwards and is very spacious due to a unique design which allows for more hand luggage to fit on board.

New overhead compartment