Qatar Airways Economy Class Review: What a 30 Hour Flight Route Feels Like

What’s it like to fly long-haul with award-winning Qatar Airways? In this Qatar Airways economy class review, I’ll share my experience across two 30-hour journeys, giving you the inside scoop on what to expect and how to make the most of long-haul flights with Qatar Airways.

Qatar has received multiple awards including Airline of the Year in 2024 and Best Airline in the Middle East 2024.  Does it live up to that promise when you are stuck in economy? Here’s how my flights went.

Kerry Heaney ready to depart Brisbane International Airport for a Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience.

Route for this long-haul flight with Qatar Airways 

Qatar Airways Economy Class Review

After four Qatar flights and two on their partner airline, Vueling, I can confidently say I’ve spent enough time in the skies to practically qualify as in-flight furniture. My journey from Brisbane to Doha, then Doha to Barcelona, and finally Barcelona to Palermo (and back the same way) clocked in at a whopping 30 hours each way. Yes, that’s right—I’ve had ample time to study every angle of Qatar’s economy class, from seat comfort to meal timing to the delicate art of keeping sane somewhere over the Middle East.

I travelled at the end of summer into the shoulder of early to late September, which I hopefully thought might mean fewer fellow passengers for this Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience.  I was wrong.

The plane is almost ready to depart Brisbane airport – Qatar Airways economy class review

Checking in at Brisbane International Airport

Qatar’s check-in process at Brisbane International Airport wasn’t quite the smooth experience I had expected when thinking about this Qatar Airways economy class flight. We’d done the full online check-in beforehand and had our boarding passes ready on our phones, so we went straight to the line, assuming we’d be all set. But after waiting a while, a staff member came over and informed the entire line that we needed to head to the automated kiosks to print our own bag tags first.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much guidance at the kiosks—no friendly faces to help with questions, and the machine’s instructions for passport placement were outdated, prompting us to place it on the wrong side. After finally sorting out the bag tags, we rejoined the line to drop off our bags, only to find it was another self-service system.

Now that I know the drill, I’m sure I could breeze through it next time. But for a first point of contact with an international airline, it felt more like navigating a budget domestic check-in than the seamless start I expected to kick off a Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience.

Seat layout – Qatar Airways economy class review

Take your seat – Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience

First Flight – Brisbane International Airport to Doha

This flight took off at 10 p.m., soaring us into an overnight journey to Doha. Knowing my stomach’s opinion on late-night surprises, I cleverly selected the Bland Menu from Qatar’s wide-ranging dietary options. Nothing says restful night like a meal that promises zero culinary excitement but maximum digestive peace!

The chicken lasagne was surprisingly decent, with the usual sidekick ensemble of sides. It wasn’t until my next meal that I realised Qatar has a one-size-fits-all approach to accompaniments—apparently, once they find a winning combo, they stick with it. And it gets a little boring.

It arrived on time at 6 am the following day.

Dinner is served – Qatar Airways economy class review

Breakfast on my Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience

Arriving at Hamad International Airport, Doha

After surviving a long-haul flight with Qatar Airways, stepping off the plane at Doha’s Hamad International Airport feels like entering a different world. You can finally stretch your legs, or if you’re feeling a bit lazier, catch a motorail to the main hub. The airport’s transit area is a sight to behold, with its massive rainforest atrium at the centre. It’s a tropical oasis smack in the middle of an airport!

For weary travellers, it’s a dream come true. There are trees, a soothing waterfall, and even artificial grass where people actually lie down to nap. If you’re ready to flex your credit card, the mall has every high-end store you could imagine, plus food options galore. You can grab a quick bite at a regular café or splurge on a fancy coffee at the FENDI café—just be prepared for those luxury-level prices.

Hamad International Airport

Second Flight – Doha Hamad International Airport to Barcelona

It was just a short two-and-a-half-hour stopover in Doha and our connecting flight left just before 9 am and arrived at 2.40 pm at Barcelona.

Arriving at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Barcelona

The arrival hall at Barcelona Airport was, hands down, my least favourite part of the entire 30-hour adventure of long-haul flights with Qatar Airways. Picture a bustling crowd, confusing signage, and staff who, when you finally found them, had all the warmth of a rainy Monday.

And then came the real kicker: our first taste of “airport pricing.” A simple lunch at Pret a Manger—two baguettes and two medium-sized bottles of water—set us back a jaw-dropping €50. I mean, who knew baguettes could have such elevated ambitions?

As I wandered around, slightly dazed from both the jetlag and the price tag, I found myself drawn to the displays of jamón hanging like edible trophies. Right then, I made a mental note: next time, I’d skip the baguettes and treat myself to a proper plate of jamón with a glass of Spanish wine. If you’re going to splurge, at least make it tasty!

Another exciting Qatar Airways breakfast

Last Flight Leg – Barcelona to Palermo

Veuling is a budget airline so I didn’t expect much here but they do give priority to Qatar passengers which puts you at the head of the queue (if they remember). The flight left late and was tight and crowded.

Arrival at Palermo’s International Airport was fairly quick and painless.  I had booked a taxi transfer for the 40-minute journey to our hotel.  Thankfully, the driver waited for the flight to arrive.  He only wanted cash but there was an ATM at the hotel.  After a 30 hour flight we were in no condition to argue and 70 euros later we were heading up to a bed for a much needed sleep.

Boarding Qatar Airways for the long-haul flight home.

Qatar Airways 30-hour flight Experience Return Journey – Palermo, Barcelona, Doha, Brisbane

The Qatar Airways economy class review continues on the return journey which took longer with a six-hour stopover in Barcelona and a 14-hour layover in Doha.  Next time I would try to break the journey with a longer stay over in Doha to avoid the lingering jet lag we experienced on return to Australia.

Here’s how my  long-haul flights with Qatar Airways went.

Checking in at Falcone Borsellino Airport, (Palermo Airport), Sicily to Barcelona – Qatar Airways Economy Class Review

Named for Falcone Borsellino, one of two leading judges killed by the Mafia in 1992, Falcone Borsellino Airport is a bustling, medium-sized maze of people, but it does come with some charming distractions. Case in point: a grand piano right in the middle of the terminal that anyone can play. We enjoyed a surprisingly decent impromptu concert—an unexpected perk to start off our Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience home.

The Vueling flight was packed to the brim, but since it’s only an hour long, I told myself, “I can survive just about anything for an hour.”

Arriving at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Barcelona

This leg of my long-haul flight with Qatar Airways started looking up when we hit Barcelona Airport’s shiny new section. Instead of overpriced baguettes, I treated myself to a proper Spanish welcome: a plate of freshly sliced jamón, a crisp baguette, and a glass of wine. In that moment, I thought, “This is what airport dining should be!” It was pure heaven—just me, my jamón, and a brief escape from airplane meals.

For a fleeting moment, I forgot all about cramped seats and flight delays. Who knew a little ham and wine could make all those hours in the sky worth it?

Barcelona to Doha -Qatar Airways economy class review

Second Flight – Barcelona to Doha Flight Experience – Qatar Airways Economy Class Review

The Qatar flight left at 11 pm and arrived at 5.30 am. They dimmed the lights when we got on to plane for take-off and they didn’t come on for another hour. Suddenly they started serving dinner at midnight. After food was served and cleared the lights went off again. It’s a quick five-and-a-half-hour flight from Barcelona to Doha.

Arriving at Hamad International Airport and a Doha Stopover

On arrival at Hamad International Airport in Doha we didn’t linger but went straight through immigration and baggage collection to the visit Qatar desk, leaving our bags at the airport.

I had booked a premium hotel day stay with transfers and a tour with Discover Qatar. Annoyingly, no one was standing at the desk with our names, and a driver did not arrive until 45 minutes later. Then he nearly drove off without my luggage. Yep, not a great start.

Check-in at Al Najada Hotel by Tivoli took longer than normal as they couldn’t find my booking. Luckily, I had a the Discover Qatar booking confirmation with me.

We got to the room, and although I had booked a day stay which gave me an early check in, because of the confusion with the booking when we reached our room, there were no towels for the much-needed shower that we want to have before our 8:30 a.m. Discover Doha tour. It’s amazing how you can try yourself with a hand towel.

The Discover Doha tour was an interesting look at the city, and I would like to return to explore of Qatar in their winter when the temperature is not 39 degrees Celsius but more like 25 degrees Celsius.

Back to the hotel for a room service lunch, and a refreshing flatbed sleep.  I was just getting out of the shower when the transfer back to the hotel arrived an hour early than booked.  So, with wet hair and a hastily packed bag, we started the last leg of the journey home.

TIP:  I would recommend a tour if you have time here but triple confirm the timings and talk to staff on the Visit Qatar desk.  It was beyond annoying to lose nearly three hours of our stopover time to poor management and inefficiency.

Al Najada Hotel by Tivoli

Last dinner – Qatar Airways economy class review

The Final Leg – Hamad International Airport, Doha to Brisbane – Qatar Airways Economy Class Review

The last leg of the Qatar Airways 30-hour flight experience left at 8.30 pm and arrived in Brisbane the following day at 5.30 pm.

Apart from during meal service, the plane lights were kept off and window shades down, even when it was daylight outside.  I found this strange as we should be resetting our body clocks to the destination time with daylight but instead the passengers were mainly dozing.  I guess it makes it easier for the flight crew but not for the passengers.

Arrival in Brisbane was on time and efficiently managed.

Last breakfast – Qatar Airways economy class review

Top Tips for a Qatar Airways 30-hour Flight Experience

Seat comfort

The seats for long-haul flights with Qatar Airways are on the narrow side, but they offer decent pitch and a fair amount of recline. If you’re on the shorter side, a pro tip: push the headrest all the way up for extra headroom, though don’t expect any added padding—it’s strictly a DIY pillow situation!

Each seat comes equipped with a USB charging port and a headphone jack for the airline-issued earbuds. The tray table splits in half, making it easier to stow, and there’s a seatback pocket with two smaller front pockets for your essentials. Just don’t go looking for a leg rest; stretching out your feet here is strictly a dream in the clouds. If you like to elevate your feet, consider bringing a blow-up stool or a sling that fits around the tray table.  You’ll find plenty online.

On Board Dining

All the Qatar meals are freshly prepared with a focus on local, fresh and in season ingredients according to their website. The reality I found was the same low standard of cuisine that seems common to almost every economy flight with an appetiser, bread, main and dessert. Salads and fruit salads were reasonably fresh, bread rolls were tired and sweets lacking in any defined flavour. 

You can preorder your meals from a very wide range of dietary preferences.  My Bland Menu main meals were fairly tasteless so I would suggest mixing up your choices if you can.  Once you have preordered a diet choice, you are stuck with whatever the flight staff produce on the plane.

Hand luggage

The hand luggage allowance for Qatar Airways Economy is one 7 kg piece. But, from what I saw, no one was weighing bags, and some passengers seemed to interpret “hand luggage” rather creatively. I spotted two young women who each had two large bags and their pillows—and watching them wrestle all that into the overhead lockers was nothing short of Olympic-level packing!

If you’ve got connecting flights, it’s definitely worth double-checking the hand luggage rules for each airline. I was a bit nervous that my roll-on might not make the cut on the final leg from Barcelona to Palermo with Vueling. Luckily, as a partner airline, Vueling honoured Qatar’s hand luggage allowance, so no suitcase sacrifices were needed.

Staying Connected

For some, staying connected while flying is essential.  Qatar offer on board Wi-Fi that can be pre-purchased when you check in online.

Inflight Entertainment

It’s important to have plenty of options for a long-haul flight.  I like to pre-load my iPad with several books, movies and binge on that TV series I’ve been meaning to watch. 

There’s a wide range of options in Qatar’s inflight menu however I didn’t find any of them particularly interesting. If you want something that’s going to send you to sleep, the options are many.  All the ‘blockbuster’ films are old releases, and the movie plots are very sanitised.

There are a selection of games available.

Booking Tip

On a long-haul flight in economy, personal space becomes the ultimate luxury, so as a couple, we went for the classic strategy: book an aisle and a window, hoping no one would willingly choose the middle seat. Unfortunately, this plan crashed and burned on our early September flights because every seat was taken. By the time we flew back in late September, the middle seat was ours each time—proof that, in peak season, wishful thinking is no substitute for paying extra.

The real kicker? When you book aisle and window seats as a couple, someone eventually cracks and volunteers to surrender their spot. Trust me, taking the middle seat just to sit together is a big mistake!

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