TRAVEL | Qatar Airways operates two flights a day between Melbourne and Doha. The Boeing 777-300ER (“777”) is currently used on the route, and travellers can choose between Economy, Business, and First class. The average flight time on this route is 14 hours and 30 minutes.
Check In
You can check in online, or using Qatar’s app. I used the latter, which allows you to enter in all relevant passport and visa information before your flight, and receive an online boarding pass. If you’re using the app, there’s up-to-date notifications about gate changes, flight delays, and the like, and you can use the boarding pass on the app at the gate.
Note that if you do use the app, you’ll still need a physical boarding pass for some reason, despite having the boarding pass on your app. You can get this printed at the gate. It may have been an issue at the airport on that day, as my next flight, from Qatar to Belgrade, had no issues with the app boarding pass.
If you have luggage to check in, there are several bag drop off counters with a few Qatar staff walking around the area to assist if needed. There’s also the option of traditional staffed check in counters if you wish.
Loyalty
Qatar’s loyalty program is Privilege Club, which is free to join. Qatar are also part of the One World Alliance, and partner with Virgin Australia’s Velocity programme. Both offer the option of points transfers and certain reciprocal privileges.
As a Virgin Velocity Gold member, I had access to both the Qatar Airways Gold Lounge South, and Gold Lounge North. They’re located at opposite ends of Hamad International Airport and are both similar.
Luggage
Checked luggage is included with all Qatar Airlines economy tickets when flying international long haul. There’s no limit to the number of bags that you can check in, but weight is dependant on the ticket class, as follows:
- Economy Lite 20kg (44lb)
- Economy Classic 25kg (55lb)
- Economy Convenience 30kg (66lb)
- Economy Comfort 35kg (77lb)
A single piece of checked baggage should weigh no more than 32kg (70lb)
For carry on, you’re allowed one carry on bag weighing no more than 7kg (15lb). Note that while there is a weight limit for carry on luggage, it tends to not be weighed. My carry on bag weighed 9kg and I had no issues. You can also carry on personal items such as a handbag or laptop bag.
If you do check in bag, you can handily track it online.
Service
Service is friendly, efficient, and professional. Water and is offered at various times throughout the flight, and you can easily call for an attendant if need be.
Cabin
The Qatar Economy cabin on the 777 that flies from Melbourne to Doha features 312 seats, in a 3-4-3 layout. There are enough flight attendants around so getting the attention of someone should you need assistance isn’t an issue. Colour wise it’s burgundy and varying shades of grey, keeping in line with Qatar’s branding. It’s a relatively new plane, and everything is clean.
Seat
The fabric seat has dimensions of about 78.4cm x 43.8cm (31in x 17in), about the same as you’ll find on most full service airlines flying this sort of distance. Like any economy seat, it doesn’t recline that far back, but it does recline a bit more than most. In this case, the recline is 12.7cm (5in). There’s an adjustable cushioned headrest which is handy when you want to get some sleep.
There are small armrests, a full sized fabric pouch, and two smaller fabric pouches. There’s not much space to get work done with the tray down if you’ve got a laptop, but for a tablet sized device it’s possible to get some productive stuff done.
Each seat comes with a 110-240v power outlet under the seat, capable of taking a few different kinds of international plugs. There’s also a USB port for charging devices underneath the entertainment screen, but do be aware that it’s a slower, USB-A type port.
Entertainment
Each economy seat features Qatar’s ‘Oryx One’ seatback entertainment system. On it you’ll find real-time flight information, and a selection of new release and classic Western and Middle Eastern TV shows, music, and games. Basic headphones are provided. It’s an older-style entertainment system. The flight map doesn’t give as much information as newer flight maps, and the touch screen is slow to respond.
There is no in-flight magazine to read.
Food
The food offering is a good one. There’s only so much that one expects from Economy class food, but compared to other long haul economy cabins that I’ve flown in recent years, Qatar’s offering is up there. You get two main meals on this flight, in this case dinner and breakfast. There’s a menu which shows you the three options for each that are available.
All meals on board are halal, and there are about 20 different kinds of special dietary meals that you can request up to 24 hours before your flight if you wish.
It’s thinks like bread rolls, seasonal salads and infused focaccia, with mains like green chicken curry, braised beef and onion, and ravioli with passata. I opted for the ravioli, which was served with tomato passata, and fresh basil. Salad was quinoa and pulses, and dessert was a raspberry and vanilla crumble. To drink, it’s a small selection of beer, wine, and the usual soft drinks and juices.
Midway through the flight, there’s the offer of a spinach and ricotta sausage roll, that’s fine. There’s also snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available on request. For breakfast, there’s two main options to choose from, served with yoghurt, fresh cut fruit, a croissant, and strawberry jam. I went for the Cantonese-style Hokkien noodles with chicken, which was decent enough. I appreciated the use of proper fresh chillies in the dish. To drink it’s tea, coffee, and juice.
Amenities
A thin but surprisingly plush neck pillow and cloth blanket are provided for all passengers. Qatar also include one of the best amenity kits that I’ve seen in an economy class cabin. It contains a toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, socks, and an eye mask
Wi-Fi is available for $USD8.00 per flight for the duration of the flight. By late 2026, Qatar plans to have its entire fleet connected to Starlink, which should significantly increase speed and reliability.
Verdict
This is the first time that I’d flown Qatar Airways, transiting in Doha en-route to Belgrade. It was a comfortable flight, and I was able to get in a few hours of sleep here and there in an attempt to fend off jetlag. Service was efficient, and the food was better than I expect from an Economy class cabin on a full-service airline. Ditto for the lounge at Hamad International Airport, which had some quite decent food and drink options.
I would have liked it if the entertainment system was more modern, but it didn’t bother me too much as I use my iPad for entertainment when flying long-haul. It also would have been great if the boarding pass on my phone had been enough without me needing to get a printed one at the gate.
Overall, I enjoyed my flight with Qatar, and would happily fly them again.