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Home » Trip Reports » Review: Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Colombo to Doha
Qatar AirwaysTrip Reports

Review: Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Colombo to Doha

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 1, 2017November 14, 2023 2 Comments

I figured this would be one of two “luxury” flights on the trip. I had yet (and still have yet) to have a bad experience on Qatar Airways. With Qatar sandwiched around China Eastern, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia, and Pakistan Airlines, I was looking forward to a drama-free flight.

And indeed it was.

We arrived at the airport around 9am for our 10:50a flight, which gave us plenty of time to clear security. At Colombo, you clear security as you enter the airport, again before the check-in counters, and once more at the gate for your specific flight.

Qatar uses the Araliya Lounge in CMB, which I will review in a future post. I also checked out the (far better) SriLankan lounge, which I had access to as a business class passenger because both Qatar and SriLankan are part of the oneworld alliance. We received one lounge pass to share even though we booked separate reservations.

people in an airport with luggage

people standing at a desk

Boarding commenced 45 minutes late, but we ended up arriving into Doha only about 10 minutes behind schedule. Boarding took only 20 minutes — impressive for an aircraft with nearly 400 seats!

a group of people sitting in chairs

a large airplane on the tarmac

a plane with a boarding gate

Qatar Airways 665
Colombo (CMB) – Doha (DOH)
Friday, July 29
Depart: 10:50AM
Arrive: 1:05PM
Duration: 4hr 45min
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600
Seat: 2K (Business Class)

Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Seat

Qatar’s A340-600 have been retrofitted with 24 business class seats and 348 economy class seats. First class has been removed and the high-density aircraft is now used on lower-yield routes.

While not reverse herringbone seats we see on Qatar’s A350s or 787s, the B/E Aerospace Diamond seats are quite comfortable. You’ll also see these seats on United’s ex-Continental and 787 fleet plus American Airlines’ A321 premium transcon planes in business class.

These seats are slightly staggered and while the window seats do not have direct-aisle access, they are fairly private if traveling alone.

a plane with seats and a person standing in the background

a seat with pillows and a side table

a tv screens on a plane

a seat in a plane

a screen on a plane

a seat with pillows on it

a black seat in a white wall

I love the color scheme: the burgundy, gray, and white combo with woodgrain accents is really classy. The seat also contained individual air nozzles, a universal power outlet, USB-slot, and am impractical shelf behind the seat that contained a literature rack, reading light, and water bottle.

a ceiling with lights and speakers

a close up of a button

a usb port on a wood panel

a close up of a power outlet

a close up of a seat

a white and grey pillow on a black surface

a screen on a car

Prior to pushback FAs offered pre-dearpture beverages. As always on Qatar (and Etihad and Turkish) I chose a refreshing mint lime juice. We were also offered either a cold or hot towel, something I’ve seen elsewhere only in Garuda Indonesia first class.

two glasses of orange liquid and towels on a tray

Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Dining

Prior to takeoff we also received a separate menu and wine/beverage list. After a personal greeting from the cabin service director and a friendly PA announcement from the captain, we took off.

a close up of a menu

an airplane on the tarmac

a runway with a tower and trees in the background

a field with buildings and trees

a group of buildings and trees

a landscape with trees and a body of water

a city next to a body of water

Though on-demand, meal orders were taken shortly after takeoff. It was time for a feast!

Qatar can be counted on for delicious onboard food and this flight was no exception.

Here’s the menu:

a menu of a restaurant

Service began with mixed nuts (refills were offered). Having chosen lamb for my main course, I ordered a glass of French Bordeaux. It was exceptional.

a bowl of nuts on a napkin

The table was beautifully laid out for lunch, including a bread basket (well, dish) and a choice of sparkling or still water to accompany the wine. Every item was carefully laid.

a table with food and a glass of wine

a bowl of bread and butter

First up was an amazing bowl of tomato soup. Very delicious.

a bowl of soup and a glass of wine

a bowl of soup on a plate

Next up came an exceptional chicken and bell pepper kebab that could easily have been a main course. The flavors and spices were excellent.

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food on a table

Ben ordered Arabic mezze and approved.

a plate with bowls of food and a flatbread

Unfortunately, the main course was a letdown. My slow cooked lamb leg with herb lamb jus was still well above average for an airline meal, but overcooked and on the dry side. The herb sauce was strongly dill-influenced, one of my favorite herbs.

a plate of food and wine glasses on a table

a plate of food on a table

Ben raved about his Sri Lankan style chicken stew and it admittedly appeared to be excellent.

a plate of food on a table

Dessert was sensational: red velvet cake with nougat and a superb cappuccino to go with it.

a cup of coffee and a dessert in a bowl

a red and white cake in a bowl

As if that wasn’t already more than enough, we were offered a beautiful cheese course with dark chocolate.

a plate of cheese and crackers

This was a 4hr15min flight–hardly a longhaul–and yet we ate as well as we would have on any ultra-longhaul flight.

Qatar Airways A340 Business Class IFE

Sate from a huge meal, I reclined my seat a bit and checked out the IFE. The flight had no wi-fi and Ben insisted that I watch Disney’s Zootopia (oddly called Zootroplis on this flight). He even handed me his Bose noise-cancelling headphones to ensure that any sounds were not compromised. Confession: I loved the movie. I also loved seeing that Ben already had the lines memorized!

a screen on a plane

a pair of headphones on a table

There were other elections as well — an extensive film library, TV shows, games, and music.

Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Lavatory

The lavatory was cleaned, contained cloth towels, featured a window, and had amenities including toothbrush/toothpaste and a shaving kit.

a bathroom with a sink and toilet

a group of bottles on a shelf

a soap dispenser and other items on a counter

Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Service

While service was friendly and gracious during boarding and the meal service, FAs disappeared after the initial meal service. I’m sure FAs would have quickly appeared with a smile on their face had we rang the bell, but service was not proactive. I’m not arguing that is necessarily a bad thing, just pointing it out.

CONCLUSION

We enjoyed some great, albeit smoggy, views of Doha during our final descent into Hamad International Airport. This has been a wonderful flight. The whole Middle East subsidy issue aside, I really cannot think of a carrier I would rather fly in business class than Qatar. That’s saying a lot.

For another perspective, read Ben’s take on this flight here.

an aerial view of a city and water

a city with many boats in the water

a city in the water

airplanes at an airport

a screens on a plane

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Previous Article Review: Hilton Colombo
Next Article Review: Korean Air KAL Business Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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2 Comments

  1. dotti Reply
    August 2, 2017 at 12:09 pm

    looks like a fun flight esp the wine list!!

  2. Deo Reply
    August 2, 2017 at 1:49 pm

    Excellent review, can’t believe I haven’t flown QR J yet !

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