It’s nothing short of a dream come true for Qatar Airways as well as for the
Middle East. Pratap John was on the maiden flight from Seattle to Doha and
narrates his experience of flying a Dreamliner
It’s 2pm on November 13 at the Boeing airfield in Seattle. The captain of a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes the final check as clearance for takeoff has been issued. The captain instructs the cabin crew and passengers to return to their seats and get ready for takeoff.
And shortly thereafter, the big bird hits the skies, creating history as the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, owned by Qatar Airways — Qatar’s national carrier, flies to the airline’s hub in Doha and join its rapidly growing fleet.
I was fortunate enough to be among the few chosen by Qatar Airways to experience the “flying comfort” provided by the ultra-modern Dreamliner, which is currently owned by just one airline in the entire Middle East.
Onboard the inaugural flight from Boeing’s production facility in Seattle to Doha were the airline’s CEO, Akbar al-Baker, senior Boeing and airline executives and journalists from the local and international media.
Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 is believed to be 20% more fuel efficient than any aircraft and offers a smoother ride, allowing passengers to rest easier, arrive at their destinations “refreshed” and enjoy the spacious cabins and fine dining.
As I have seen, Dreamliner passengers will experience cabin environment improvements such as better lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features.
Qatar Airways’ new 787s feature a total of 254 seats in a two-class configuration of 22 in business class and 232 in economy.
With a 1–2–1 configuration in business class, the layout features two less seats than competitors on conventional wide body aircraft, more typical of a first class cabin where each passenger is assured of direct aisle access.
Apparently, the seats have been designed exclusively for Qatar Airways.
The seat offers considerable personal space — almost double than existing business cabins — allowing passengers to sit back and relax in a 22-inch wide armchair that converts at a touch of a button into different cradle positions before reaching an extremely generous 80-inch long, 30-inch wide flat bed offering exceptional legroom.
Armrests can be fully adjusted to different heights to complement different body positions while dining, reading, working or resting. Passengers will also be able to dine and work comfortably with an elegant wood trimmed large sliding table.
When dining begins, passengers can easily rest their laptops on the side table. There is ample storage space such as a drawer and side compartment for personal belongings. The seats, produced by B/E Aerospace, also feature generous 17-inch personal touchscreen TV monitors.
In economy class, configured 3–3–3, the Recaro-produced seats embody the very latest in design technology and materials assuring all passengers have a high degree comfort and personal space. Featuring one less seat per row than competitors on other wide body aircraft, the economy seats promise to offer a totally different travel experience.
With 7 inches of recline, both the seat cushion and backrest adjust to ‘cradle’ the passenger into greater comfort. The slim-line seat design set at a pitch of 32 inches, together with a 16.9-inch width, offers more personal space than ever before. The adjustable hammock-style headrest allows passengers to comfortably support their head while resting.
Each economy class seat is fitted with 10.6-inch seat back TV monitors offering passengers optimum viewing of a wide array of in-flight entertainment options.
A striking feature of every seat throughout the aircraft is the award-winning touchscreen Android technology control units, where passengers are able to navigate through a truly interactive system, offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user-friendly way, just like the latest smartphones.
The touchscreen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen.
Passengers can be fully connected through Wi-Fi and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages. Voice calls, although possible, will be disabled to minimise passenger disruption.
Personal power ports are available in every seat, equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets. USB ports enable holiday pictures from digital cameras to be viewed on the personal screens, while iPort connectors enable iPod and iPhone content to be displayed on passengers’ mini TVs ensuring they are fully connected to work and play.
With the “largest windows” in the industry and first-of-its-kind electronic touch pad controls to adjust the amount of light entering the cabin, passengers are able to look outside without glare, replacing conventional blinds.
Dynamic mood lighting throughout the aircraft help passengers adjust their body clocks according to the change in time zones as lighting is automatically altered during the flight.
A Boeing official told me at the production facility in Seattle that the design of the Dreamliner ensures that customers arrive at their destination feeling less fatigued and more refreshed as the cabin pressure is 2,000 ft closer to ground level and that the air purification system is cleaner and healthier than many other aircraft.
Stepping out of the aircraft as it touched down at the scheduled 2pm at the Doha International Airport on November 14 to a traditional welcome, I felt “less fatigued and more refreshed” despite a long haul 15-hour non-stop flight.
I have seen the 787 much quieter than other aircraft allowing passengers to indeed work, sleep or relax. Employing new technologies that actually invigorate and promote health and comfort, the Qatar Airways first Boeing Dreamliner brings luxury to the skies.
Truly a dream delivered!
l (Gulf Times Chief Business Reporter Pratap John visited Boeing Dreamliner 787 production facility in Seattle, Washington state, on the invitation of Boeing and Qatar Airways. He was also onboard the inaugural flight of Qatar Airways’ first Dreamliner from Seattle to Doha.)
* Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker explaining the features of the airline’s first Boeing Dreamliner 787 to Qatar’s ambassador to the US, Mohamed Abdul
