Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 Economy Class Review [WAW to DOH]

Keri Stooksbury's image
Keri Stooksbury
Keri Stooksbury's image

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

49 Published Articles 3431 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 50U.S. States Visited: 28

With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
Edited by: Jessica Merritt
Jessica Merritt's image

Jessica Merritt

Senior Editor & Content Contributor

116 Published Articles 576 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 4U.S. States Visited: 23

A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little ca...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Airline: Qatar Airways (QR)
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Flight #: QR260
Route: Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) to Hamad International Airport (DOH)
Date: December 31, 2023
Duration: 5 hours, 25 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Economy class, 3-3-3
Seat: 25H
Cost: 20,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles + $23.45 in fees

My family spent our 2-week winter break trip chasing cold weather, castles, and Christmas markets across Denmark and Poland. I strategically routed our itinerary to end in Warsaw so we could catch a nonstop flight home to Doha, Qatar.

Join me as I detail my family’s experience on Qatar Airways’ 787-9 from Warsaw to Doha, with a specific look at the children’s meal, snacks, and activity pack.

Booking Qatar Airways

Given my available rewards balances, I reserved 4 one-way tickets via American Airlines AAdvantage for 20,000 miles each, plus $23.45 in fees. I purchased the remaining ticket via Qatar Airways Privilege Club for 24,500 Avios and 240.43 Polish złoty ($58.60) in fees. The same award was 22.5% more expensive in Avios with Qatar Airways, and the taxes were 2.5x greater, so it pays to check your redemption options.

The way I booked the awards was to put 1 adult and 3 kids on 1 reservation and 1 adult on another. I felt confident that I could arrange our seats together at check-in, but we were comfortable with the adults being separate if worse came to worse.

Cash prices for this route are around $550, and I felt I got a good overall redemption value of around 2.5 cents per mile/Avios.

I charged the taxes and fees to my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardInformation collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One., earning 2x Capital One miles for the travel purchase. This is one of my favorite cards for flight purchases due to its travel insurance benefits for trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, and lost luggage coverage.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardTerms Apply / Rates & Fees
Star rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating icon
U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
75,000 miles
$1,350
$395
19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Excellent (740-840)

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros
  • 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
  • 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
  • 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
Cons
  • $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
  • Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
  • Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
  • Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
  • Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
  • Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
  • Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

The flight was initially scheduled as an Airbus A330-300 but was later changed to a Boeing 787-9.

Warsaw Chopin Airport

Check-In

My family arrived at Warsaw Chopin Airport via a Bolt taxi, around 50 zł (~$12) from the Old Town area. The ride was about 25 minutes, and we arrived at 1:10 p.m. for our 3:40 p.m. flight.

Qatar Airways offers 48-hour advance online check-in for flights not originating or arriving in the U.S. I had set an alarm and easily secured a group of 2 and 3 seats together in 1 row.

When we arrived at the check-in desk area, the Web Check-in Bag Drop line was significantly longer than the regular Economy Class line. After not moving much and watching the Economy Class line move fairly quickly, we swapped lines, checked 1 bag, and were on our way.

Qatar Airways Warsaw Airport bag drop
The line for bag drop was long.

The agent advised us to give ourselves enough time for security and passport control. We had been looking forward to trying one of WAW’s Priority Pass lounges, but we heeded the agent’s warning and focused on getting to our gate.

It took just over an hour to make it from check-in to the gate, and we had about 20 minutes to spare before boarding was scheduled to begin.

Boarding

The flight boarded from gate 21N and was delayed by 10 minutes. We were in boarding zone 3 after business class and elites.

Qatar Airways Warsaw Airport 21N 22N
Boarding commenced from gate 21N.

It’s worth mentioning that we saw transit passengers removed from the boarding line due to excessive carry-on luggage. This has happened to me before; Qatar Airways’ hand luggage policy is fairly strict, and staff may count and weigh your carry-on bags at check-in or the gate.

Hot Tip:

Qatar Airways allows for 1 carry-on bag weighing up to 15 pounds (7 kilograms). Any small personal items (no backpacks!) must also fit within this allowance if you have a standard trolley bag.

Qatar Airways Warsaw Airport aircraft
Beautiful skies over Warsaw.

On Board Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787-9

Boarding a Dreamliner is a pretty comfortable experience; the economy cabin is spacious, and you never have to worry about having a place to put your bag.

The 787-9 has 30 seats in business (which is not a Qsuite cabin) in a 1-2-1 configuration and 281 seats in a split economy cabin in a 3-3-3 configuration.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 cabin
The economy cabin is in a 3-3-3 configuration.

Economy Class Cabin

We were seated in row 25 in seats D, E, and F in the center and H and J on the starboard side. I prefer the center seats when traveling with my kids, as the double-aisle seats make for easy bathroom access. We were seated in the forward economy cabin just a few rows ahead of the lavatories.

The economy seats were comfortable, with a 16.9- to 17.4-inch width.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 row 25 center
Row 25 is 3 rows ahead of the lavatories.

Due to the strict hand baggage policy, I can’t think of a time I’ve had an issue storing a bag overhead on a Qatar Airways flight. The bins are deep and typically hold larger trolley bags. The storage over the sides is bigger than the center storage, accommodating 111 pounds vs. 56 pounds.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 overhead storage
Overhead bins had plenty of storage.

I like the Qatar Airways foldable tray table a lot — at half size, it’s great for storing a drink and snack, and if you don’t want the entire tray table right up against your torso, you can still place an entire meal tray on it.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 tray table folded
The tray table has a compact mode.

The tray table does fully open, however, if you prefer more space for dining or working.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 tray table extended
The tray table can be fully opened.

A feature I don’t recall seeing on previous flights was this drop-down device holder for phones and tablets. It had a rubbery surface to stabilize devices and was a perfect resting area for charging my phone.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 device holder
The device holder folded down from the seat back.

The armrest had a standard recline button, and the seat could recline 6 degrees.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 recline button
The recline button was standard.

Another feature I appreciate on Qatar Airways flights is the adjustable headrest, which has a great range of motion for passengers of all heights.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 headrest
The headrest was adjustable.

The economy seats have a pitch of 31 to 32 inches. While the photo may look like I was a bit tight, my knees were not touching the seat back, so I could fully extend my legs comfortably.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 legroom
There was not a ton of legroom.

Overhead were vents and lights for each seat. Departing from a chilly destination, we did not use the vents.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 vent light
Seats had access to vents and lighting.

The flight departed at 3:52 p.m., and with a scheduled arrival of 11:05 p.m. Qatar time. The lights were dimmed during non-meal times to help with the timezone adjustment.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 dim lighting
A comfortably dim cabin.

Food and Beverage

I enjoy browsing the flight menu, and Qatar Airways generally provides the menu weeks in advance when you manage your booking on its website.

This one looked like a winner, with an appetizer of grilled zucchini, tomato, and bulgur salad; an entrée of Thai beef green curry, roast turkey breast with cranberry jus, or rigatoni al funghi; and dessert of chestnut mousse with orange and chocolate crumble.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 menu
A menu to look forward to!

Drinks were served about 30 minutes after takeoff, and trash was removed about 30 minutes later.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 pretzel snack
The first snack was pretzels and drink service.

The children’s meals were served at 5:09 p.m. Poland time. My kids have a love/hate relationship with these meals, so I try to review the adult menu with them ahead of time so they get to decide from those options or have a gamble at the kids’ meal.

This kids’ meal had a breaded piece of chicken over potatoes and vegetables, which looked simple and tasty enough, but all my co-pilot here ate was the 1 piece of watermelon shaped like an airplane. These meals tend to have at least 1 component that was not kid-tested, and that item here was a saucy pasta salad with lettuce, a hard-boiled egg wedge, carrots, and tomatoes.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 childs meal
Only the airplane-shaped watermelon received flying marks.

General meal service followed at 5:30 p.m., but alas, no turkey was available on my side of the aircraft.

The Thai beef green curry wasn’t much to look at, but it was absolutely delicious. The rice was a touch buttery, the sauce was rich, and the vegetables were well-cooked. The bulgur had fresh herbs, and the dessert, which is pretty typical of Qatar Airways’ “desserts in a cup,” was fantastic.

This meal was a 10/10 for me.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 Thai beef curry
Thai beef green curry with green beans, carrots, and rice.

My least favorite part of a long-haul flight is the service delay from meal delivery to clean-up, which was nearly an hour here. Inevitably, I have a child next to me who needs to use the bathroom, requiring all the trash and trays to be removed for them to exit the row. Qatar Airways softens this blow during trash service with a Biscoff cookie and drink, but this replaces lots of trash with a little bit of trash.

The kids then received a snack box around 6:54 p.m. (this was the Movie Treats service). In my experience, these boxes usually arrive before the hot meal, but they did not on this flight. Since my daughter had already had the bread from dinner removed, I wasn’t sure what was expected of this butter packet.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 kids snack
Strange kids’ snack box with candy, juice, and butter.

On previous long-haul flights, we’ve received a larger snack box in a plastic lunch box-style container that we never would take off of the plane. It would be full of candy, granola bars, and other less-healthy items, and by the time the hot meal arrived, the kids were so full of junk food that they never touched the healthier food.

I like that the airline attempted to serve the main first on this flight, but this snack box seemed unnecessary and packaged wastefully. My kids would have been just as happy with the bag of potato chips I was served around 7:40 p.m.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 chips
A bag of chips post-dinner.

Amenities

At-Seat Amenities

A pillow, wrapped blanket, and over-the-ear headphones were set at the seat pre-boarding. This collection also included a pandemic-era protective kit with a face mask, hand sanitizing gel, and gloves.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 seat placement
Seats had a pillow, blanket, headphones, and protective kit.

Oryx Kids Club Young Traveller Pack

The children’s activity pack generally comes in some type of bag, and on this flight, it was a neoprene-style fanny pack. I’ve noticed that there is typically a kit for younger ages and one for older ages. This particular kit was for ages 3+.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 kids kit
The Oryx Kids Club kit was in a reusable fanny pack.

Inside was a “Discover the Biomes!” game and colored pencils.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 kids kit game
The Oryx Kids Club kit had a game.
Bottom Line:

Since our family of 5 travels light and my 3 kids rarely play with these kits, I have started declining them to reduce waste.

Inflight Entertainment

The seat back boasts a 13-inch IFE touch screen (significantly better than the 777-200LR I flew from DOH-DFW in May 2023). This is hands-down my favorite IFE in the sky — the screen is huge and responsive, and Oryx One has an expansive selection of entertainment options.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 IFE Oryx One
Best economy screens in the sky!

The screens could adjust forward to improve the viewing angle if the person ahead of you reclined.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 IFE screen adjustment
The screen could be adjusted for viewing.

The bottom of the screen had inputs for headphones, USB-C, and USB-A. Combined with the device holder, this made charging my phone a breeze.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 IFE input
The IFE had inputs for headphones, USB-C, and USB-A.

Wi-Fi

Privilege Club members have access to 1 hour of free Wi-Fi. Full-flight internet was available for $10 on board. You can save 20% by prepurchasing a voucher before your trip.

On my outbound flight to Europe, I had tremendous difficulty connecting to the Wi-Fi (so much so that the fees were refunded), so I didn’t bother with Wi-Fi on this short flight.

Lavatory

The sink and toilet were hands-free, and the sink had temperature controls.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 lavatory
The lavatories are teeny tiny.

The lavatory was very, very small and cramped. A changing table was above the toilet.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 lavatory toilet
There’s just enough space to get in and out.

The sink area was clean and kept tidy throughout the flight. I also appreciated the fragrance mist to help make the space smell a little less bathroom-y.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 lavatory sink
The sink area had soap and air mist.

Service

My interactions with the staff were generally pleasant. For a 5.5-hour flight, there were 4 rounds of food service for drinks, snacks, and the meal. This generates a lot of trash, and my experience could have been improved with a swifter removal of trays and trash. With such a large economy cabin to serve, I realize this is not always possible.

On both my outbound and inbound flights, I was keenly observant of flight attendants and their supervisors greeting elites at their seats, allowing them to preselect their meals, and checking in with them after meal service and at the end of the flight. These interactions were a notable touch of elevated service in the economy cabin.

Arrival

Our descent began at 10:02 p.m. Qatar time (2 hours ahead of Poland), even though the final trash service had not commenced. We touched down at 10:45 p.m. and parked at 10:56 p.m. I grumbled a bit after realizing we would be parked remotely and bussed to the terminal vs. directly deplaning at the terminal via a jet bridge.

Qatar Airways economy WAW DOH 787 bus on arrival
I loathe the DOH bus service.

We were off the plane by 11:11 p.m. and boarded the bus to the terminal. A whopping 20 minutes later, transit passengers were dropped at gate C36, and the remaining passengers were dropped at immigration 5 minutes later. From when we deplaned to when we arrived at immigration, 25 minutes had passed.

After clearing immigration and customs, my family made it into a taxi just before midnight, jubilantly counting down to the new year with our driver.

Final Thoughts

Flying with Qatar Airways in economy is almost always a great experience, and this flight from Warsaw to Doha was no exception. My husband and I thought the Oryx One programming and meals were excellent on this flight.

The airline makes a great effort to make the flight experience enjoyable for kids, from the activity pack to early child meal service to an abundance of treats and drinks. Save eating healthy for another day. Take my advice, and don’t even bother counting the juices or Fantas your kids are consuming — the freedom to let loose a bit has made some great memories for my kids.


For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Qatar Airways fly to Poland?

Qatar Airways has twice-daily flights from Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW).

How long is the flight from Warsaw to Doha?

The flight from Warsaw (WAW) to Doha (DOH) is approximately 5 hours and 25 minutes.

What is the flight number for Doha to Warsaw?

Qatar Airways operates 2 flights daily from Warsaw (WAW) to Doha (DOH): QR264 and QR260. Flights from Doha (DOH) to Warsaw (WAW) are QR263 and QR259.

Which terminal is Qatar Airways at Warsaw Chopin?

Qatar Airways departs from Zone B of the main terminal (Terminal A) at Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW).
Keri Stooksbury's image

About Keri Stooksbury

With years of experience in corporate marketing and with a nonprofit, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and reviewing thousands of UP articles in the process.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status