Review: Virgin Australia 777 business class to Doha

Virgin Australia is now flying the best business class in Australian skies, where private suites are paired with restaurant-grade meals and wines plus a side serve of free super-fast Wi-Fi.

But we’re not talking about the airline’s workhorse Boeing 737s which dominate domestic and short-hop overseas routes.

Instead, these are big thundering Boeing 777s with business class Qsuites from new partner and cornerstone investor Qatar Airways, which also provides the pilots, crew, catering, inflight movies and, well, everything else.

Virgin Australia's Doha flights all feature the private business class Qsuites.

Those 777s are winging their way to Qatar Airways’ hub at Doha, with seamless onward connections to over a hundred destinations across the UK, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Putting their best foot forward: Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways.

So yes, this is a Virgin Australia flight in pretty much name only – but it puts Virgin Australia back in the game, and holding what looks like a winning hand.

And that’s certainly a win for travellers: more competition, more choice, more ways to earn and especially to use Velocity Points on bookings and upgrades.

Executive Traveller joined the first of these unique flights – VA1, from Sydney to Doha – to bring you this honest review of what to expect, along with some practical tips to make the most of your journey.

Ready to fly on Virgin Australia's VA1 from Sydney to Doha.

Get ready for check-in queues

Unlike most airlines, Virgin Australia doesn’t offer online check-in for international flights, which you’ll discover when you try to check in on the Virgin Australia website.

Get to the airport early for your Virgin Australia flight to Doha.

We hope this changes, and soon, because on arrival at Sydney Airport at the obligatory three hours before departure there was already a massive queue at Virgin Australia’s check-in counters.

Fortunately, dedicated business class check-in lanes got things off to a speedy start.

But it’d have been even better for those like me, travelling with only carry-on luggage, to check in online, get their boarding pass on the app or as a PDF to print out, and on arrival at the airport head straight through immigration and to the lounge.

Lounging around

On its Doha flights departing from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, Virgin Australia directs business class passengers – and Velocity Platinum and Gold frequent flyers booked in economy – to the Air New Zealand lounge.

Air New Zealand's lounges are the go-to for most of the Virgin Australia flights to Doha.

(Flyers from Melbourne to Doha will be consigned to the sub-par Marhaba Lounge.)

And before you ask: no, you can’t pay a cheeky visit to any Qantas lounge on these flights – despite being operated by Qatar Airways, which like Qantas is a member of the Oneworld alliance, they’re officially Virgin Australia flights.

Air New Zealand’s lounges are the go-to for most Star Alliance airlines, along with several other carriers (in Sydney that list includes Etihad Airways).

The AirNZ lounges put on a good buffet spread, but business class passengers should save their appetite for the flight...

However, the lounge was pleasingly uncrowded ahead of the mid-afternoon departure of VA1.

There’s a good spread of food, from warming mains like slow-cooked lamb to healthy options, sweet treats and light bites, but I suggest saving your appetite for Qatar Airways’ excellent inflight meals (at least if you’re in business class).

The AirNZ lounges put on a good buffet spread, but business class passengers should save their appetite for the flight...

That said, the AirNZ team pour great coffee and make a first-rate espresso martini… 

The Qsuite life

If you’ve already flown in Qatar Airways’ Qsuite business class, you’ll know what to expect when you set foot on one of these Virgin Australia flights.

Despite what this PR photo may suggest, there are no Virgin Australia crew on these Virgin x Qatar flights.

And if your upcoming VA 777 flight will be your first Qsuite experience, you’ll soon discover why it’s widely regarded as among the world’s best business class – and certainly the best in Australia right now. 

There's plenty to love about Qatar Airways' Qsuite business class.

Framed by shoulder-height walls with premium trim, and a wide seat dressed in comfortable fabric, the well-appointed Qsuite becomes a luxurious cocoon once you close the sliding privacy door.

High walls and sliding doors lend privacy to the Qsuite experience.

There’s plenty of personal space, including a wide shelf next to the 21.5” video screen, and a handy shelf below this...

One of the Qsuite's thoughtfully-conceived storage areas.

... plus a small padded corner next to the seat, the base of which opens to reveal discrete places to stow your amenity kit, reading glasses and other personal items.

This area is ideal for your phone, reading glasses and amenity kit.

Given that the Qsuite was launched in 2017, it lacks some modern touches of newest suites – there’s no USB-C or wireless charging, nor Bluetooth audio from the inflight entertainment system – but those (and more) are coming in the QSuite Next Gen, aka Qsuite 2.0, expected to debut in 2027 on the Boeing 777-9.

The Qsuite also becomes one of the more comfortable business class beds in the sky.

There's plenty of time to sleep on the 14+ hour flights between Australia and Doha.

Pop into the lav to slip into the supplied cotton PJs from The White Company while the crew dress the lie-flat bed with a thick mattress topper, large pillow and a plush duvet; then close the sliding Qsuite door and hit the ‘Do Not Disturb’ button.

Business class pyjamas by The White Company, skincare amenities by Diptyque.

The Qsuite’s layout accommodates both side- and back-sleepers, and there’s no tight fit in the ‘foot cubby’ beneath the TV screen (just be careful not to hit your knees on the tray table, which extends partway from under the monitor).

Choosing your Qsuite

Something else which sets the Qsuite apart from the crowd is that some seats face forward, others face backwards, and some can be joined to become a ‘double suite’ with a twin bed or opened up to a ‘quad’ of four seats.

Qatar Airways' Boeing 777 Qsuite business class seat map.

Want to find the seat that’s right for you? Here’s your Qsuite cheat sheet.

Be a savvy traveller: choose the best Qsuite for your needs.

The A and K window seats face backwards: but apart from take-off and landing you won’t notice any difference.

Many travellers prefer the A and K berths because they feel more spacious, given that the seat is next to the window rather than being up against the wall and sliding door.

The rear-facing A and K seats are next to the window and provide a greater sense of space.

The B and J window seats face forwards, in a more conventional configuration, with the seat next to the wall and the aisle. If you’re working solidly away on your laptop, you may find your elbow bumping against the wall and door.

The forward-facing B and J seats are immediately next to the Qsuite's wall and the aisle.

The central E/F seats are closest together (note that these pairs face backwards), with the drawcard of becoming a shared ‘double suite’ with a twin bed.

The middle E & F seats are the best choice for couples.

These are the obvious pick for couples, and in fact the E/F pairs are mostly held back for two people on the same booking.

The middle E & F seats can convert into a double bed.

The central D/G seats are spaced apart, with each seat by the aisle and facing forward – a tall divider between them can be raised for privacy or lowered for sociability.

Each of the middle D and G seats are next to the aisle.

For families and other small groups, there are sets of four middle seats which be configured as a ‘quad’ where the wall between the E/F and D/G seats are pushed back to open up into a semi-private room.

Families can book two pairs of middle seats and open them up into a 'quad' suite.

‘Dine on demand’ business class menu

There are some things I feel should be standard on any long-range international business class flight which wants to claim the mantle of being a truly premium experience.

One of them is free WiFi, which we’ll get to soon.

The other is a flexible approach to dining where the passenger chooses when to eat, instead of being held to the airline’s timetable.

For example, I try to take my main meal in the lounge – where the food is fresher, there’s more variety, and I have a greater chance of getting some digestion-friendly greens into my system.

A Virgin Australia logo on Qatar's menus is the sole concession to this being a Virgin flight.

So instead of facing a full three- or four-course meal shortly after the flight takes off, I’d prefer to have something closer to the middle of the flight, or even graze lightly throughout the flight and enjoy dinner at my destination.

Qatar Airways is one of the few airlines to offer that flexibility in business class, through its 'all day dining’ approach – something known on other airlines (more often in first class) as ‘dine on demand’.

In short, you can order whatever you want from the menu, whenever you want it.

Qatar Airways' signature lime & mint welcome drink.

That’s the theory: in practice, at least on these Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways flights, it’s a bit different.

Shortly after take-off, the cabin crew ask for your selections from the All Day Dining menu.

Even if you don’t intend to eat for several hours, I suggest making your choice right away so those dishes can be put aside for you.

Shortly after take-off, Qsuite passengers are offered a delicious cardamom-tinted Arabic coffee,

Otherwise you risk your selection being unavailable when you do decide to eat, if it’s proven popular with everyone else having dinner right away.

You can also ask for more than one starter to be put aside if there are any spare (the mezze platter with pita bread makes for an excellent mid-flight snack).

Arabic coffee and dates are the classic pairing of Gulf hospitality.

Lighter meals are also available during the flight: our VA1 flight offered butter chicken with naan, a steak sandwich, a ‘high tea’-inspired afternoon tea, and tossed brown rice salad.

Qatar Airways’ latest business class menu features a “contemporary Australian cuisine” selection from Chef Ross Lusted, of Sydney’s Woodcut restaurant and Melbourne’s Marmelo dining room Mr Mills basement bar.

First course of dinner: a seared cured fish plate.

I chose his trio of dishes: a seared cured fish plate as the starter, osso buco-style lamb as the main, and Basque cheesecake for dessert.

Second course of dinner: lamb 'osso buco style'.

Other mains options included seared Hunter Valley chicken with cashew nut sauce; Australian sea bass and prawns, and vegetable gyoza with ginger shallot reduction.

Third course of dinner: Basque cheesecake.

And as you’ll notice from these photos, Qatar Airways sets a superb table, right down to elegant little touches like the flickering LED ‘candle’.

The cheese platter features Australian triple-cream, cheddar and blue vein.

Leading the inflight drinks selection were two Champagnes – Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve and Palmer & Co Rosé Solera.

Oddly, the menu for VA1 also included breakfast – despite that the flight departed Sydney in the middle of the afternoon and reached Doha shortly before 11pm.

If you stay on an Australian timezone and sleep across the latter half of this 14-hour flight then yes, you’d wake up with your body clock set to breakfast, which is served three hours before landing.

Thankfully most of the breakfast options are lighter meals which serve to take the edge off your appetite.

'Breakfast' is served at 8pm Doha time...

I chose the ‘green detox juice’, Greek yoghurt, and Tasmanian smoked salmon on a toasted English muffin.

And you can look forward to a repeat of the Qsuite experience on your Virgin Australia flight back to Australia, with the bonus of a business class caviar service.

All Virgin flights from Doha back to Australia include Qatar's business class caviar service.

Free super-fast Wi-Fi

Inflight Internet is another area where Qatar Airways is miles ahead of the competition.

Forget about Wi-Fi that’s slow, unreliable, expensive – or a combination of all three.

The Qatar 777s used by Virgin Australia tap into the advanced Starlink satellite network to deliver an average 100Mbps to your laptop, phone or tablet – completely free and totally unlimited.

On my flight, speeds reliably ranged from 50Mbps to 140Mbps (uploads peaked around 30Mbps).

Broadband above the clouds: Qatar's free Starlink Wi-Fi never fails to impress.

Read our Qatar Airways Starlink Wi-Fi review for more details. 

To Doha and beyond…

If you’re connecting onto another Qatar Airways flight at Doha to reach your final destination, be forewarned – Doha’s Hamad International Airport is massive – so determine which gate your onward flight departs from, and then find the nearest best lounge.

Doha has two Al Mourjan Business Lounges to choose from.

Business class passengers can choose between two Al Mourjan lounges, while Velocity Platinums and Golds in economy are catered for with dedicated frequent flyer lounges.

Qatar Airways has several high-quality frequent flyer lounges at Doha.

On top of that, all Velocity Frequent Flyers – even entry-level Velocity Red members – on a Virgin Australia flight will receive a complimentary US$20 voucher valid at over 60 airport cafes and restaurants.

This dining credit is linked to your boarding pass, so you’ll have to ensure your Velocity membership number is included in your booking.

Splash out on high tea at the Harrods Tea Room.

Summary

Let’s park the obvious but unconstructive “Is this really a Virgin Australia flight?" quibbles and focus on the fact that there’s more competition in the skies, with this fresh Virgin/Qatar alliance taking on the long-standing Qantas/Emirates partnership.

The spectre of these flights has also seen Qatar’s Gulf rivals lift their game.

Emirates is putting more revamped A380s and Boeing 777s onto Australian routes, along with an increase in premium economy (something which Qatar Airways lacks), while Etihad is moving to all-suites business class out of Sydney and Melbourne.

For now, being able to book a Virgin Australia flight with the best that Qatar Airways has to offer is an obvious choice for the legion of Virgin loyalists.

David Flynn travelled to Doha a guest of Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways.