Business Class "Protocol" and Tips

[Geniusloci]

Hi all,

My wife and I are travelling to Europe in January, and we have decided this will be our first international business class trip.
We are flying from Brisbane to Milan on QATAR. We have not flown internationally in Business Class ... So I was wondering what the "protocols" are for sleeping in a flat bed (I'm looking forward to that....). I'd be interested in how others manage sleeping and not waking up looking like a crumpled mess who just got out of bed!
Any tips about making the most of our travels with QATAR (navigating Doha Hamad International, lounge tips, etc) will be welcome.
Thanks in advance to those who can share their experience.

Ron

 

[RooFlyer]

If you have Qsuites on your QR flight then you can wake up as bedraggled or baggy eyed has may be and no one will see you until you open the doors.

Honestly, I don’t care what I look like ( and it’s not pretty) as long as it’s vaguely within the realms of decency. Get changed in the loos, they will make up your bed for you. Rearrange your stuff to close the doors and the night is yours.

They will give you nice moist towels in a sealed container so if you like you can hang onto that and refresh your face when you wake up and then face the world, or at least the rest of the plane.

One thing about QR Cabin crew is that they are infinitely obliging. You can also eat whenever you want. You just tell them when beforehand and they’ll need about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare before the time you say.

The airport can be a bit challenging when it’s crowded. On the plane you can look up a plan of the airport on the entertainment system, which marks all the various features. I suggest you take a photo of that on your phone to consult when you arrive. You will also know your arrival gate so can plan from there. Unfortunately, they do sometimes use bus gates in which case where you enter the terminal in the lap of the gods. But you will have your map on the phone so can pick up a path.

You’ll go through transit security on arrival. Business have their own area and I’ve never seen it anything but completely open and easy to get through.

Two Al Mourjan business lounges - the original one in the southern part of the terminal nearer check-in and ‘the garden’ which is near the large vegetation area in the north of the terminal. It’s huge. Both can get crowded at peak times ( although I haven’t experienced that) so I suggest as you arrive head to the showers and book a spot. À la carte and buffet dining.