Qatar Airlines Economy Class Review Beirut, Lebanon to Doha, Qatar
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Trip Index (what we have published so far):
Cathay Pacific First Class Review - Los Angeles to Hong Kong - CX 883
Colombo, Sri Lanka - What to expect and what to do
Sigiriya - What you need to know about seeing the incredible Lion's Rock in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Business Class Review - Hong Kong to Bangkok and Colombo - UL 423
Plaza Premium Lounge Review Hong Kong Airport (Priority Pass)
Etihad Business Class (A330) Review Male, Maldives to Abu Dhabi, UAE - EY279
Novotel Abu Dhabi Gate Review (near Abu Dhabi International Airport)
Oneworld Lounge (Tom Bradley International Terminal, TBIT) Los Angeles Airport Review
Etihad Business Class Lounge Review Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal 3
Etihad Regional Business Class Abu Dhabi, UAE to Beirut, Lebanon - EY 535
Beirut, Lebanon - What to expect and what to see
What to do in Male before you head to your Maldives Resort
Doha - layover guide what to expect and what to do
Can you enjoy the Maldives on a budget of less than $100/day ?
I had booked this flight with 7,500 Avios points and $106 in fuel surcharges. Yes, fuel surcharges on these flights are sky-high, but there was no other way for my flight path.
After my scary immigration interview (I felt intimidated enough) I tried to decide which Priority Pass lounge to use. It seems that every lounge at the airport participates.
I decided to go for the MEA SkyTeam Lounge - Beirut is the MEA hub, so I expected great things :)
What was stunning to me was the sheer space this lounge occupies with an enormous skylight and how little seating options there were. Maybe MEA had seen better times and used to have more customers? In fact, the lounge was empty at 11AM.
The good news was the internet was actually running at 10Mbit - speeds I had not seen anywhere in Beirut before. There were soft drinks and some simple snacks available, as well as water.
It's a United Club clone, but given the crazy-slow internet in town, this was a great temporary office.
Boarding was on time and I learned that only 20 passengers would be on this A319, so each passenger had a row of seats. Not a bad thing at all :)
I haven't been on such an empty airplane for 15 years. It was a bit spooky with barely anyone looking up (especially since most people tried to sleep right away).
The flight attendants had no idea what to do during this 3.5 hours flight.
Food service was great though - this was easily Business Class quality, though it was served on a smaller tray. Plus the white wine was excellent as well.
We arrived almost an hour early into Doha, with enough time to spare for immigration and bag clearance.
A couple of things you'll notice - the long walking distance from the far-out gates to immigration and the enormous luggage belt.
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