A red-eye from Doha to Delhi is exactly the flight where many airlines phone it in: breakfast service, lights out, forget about it. A recent review of Qatar Airways' Boeing 787-8 business class on that route shows why the Gulf carrier tends not to — and why its pre-Qsuite seat is still worth seeking out.
The flight in question was QR570, departing Doha at 2:25 AM and landing in Delhi at 8:45 AM after roughly five hours in the air. The reviewer had connected from a Qsuite-equipped A350-1000 from Los Angeles, booked the whole LA–Delhi business class trip for 96,000 Avios plus $271.50 in taxes and fees, and spent the layover in the Al Mourjan Garden Lounge.
The 787-8 in question carries 22 Collins Super Diamond reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 layout — every passenger gets direct aisle access. Beds lie flat at 80 inches long, seats are 22 inches wide with 48 inches of pitch upright, and there's a universal AC outlet plus USB-A at each seat. No doors here, unlike Qsuite, but the cabin feels airy thanks to a lack of overhead bins in the centre. Solo travellers should grab a window seat; the paired centre seats angle toward each other, with 6E and 6F sitting oddly close to the lavatories (of which there are only two, both at the rear — none up front).
The real standout was dinner. Rather than defaulting to breakfast on an overnight departure, Qatar served a full evening meal: a mezze platter with minted garlic labneh, beetroot hummus and moutabel with warm pita, then pan-seared sea bass in mustard sauce with spinach, potato galette and asparagus, and a carrot crémeux with burfi to finish. The reviewer called it a meal worth staying awake for, noting rivals like Emirates, Etihad and Turkish typically offer breakfast on similar timings. Service matched the food — the cabin manager personally greeted every passenger.
Two more modern touches: no amenity kits on this short flight (though toothbrushes and razors were in the lavatories), but the plane had free, fast Starlink Wi-Fi and Qatar's Oryx One entertainment system with hundreds of films, live TV and a strong classical music library. The flight landed on time into a hot Delhi morning.
Why does this matter to travellers? If you're booking Qatar Airways business class on a regional hop, the aircraft assignment changes the experience significantly — this older 787-8 lacks Qsuite privacy but remains one of the more comfortable lie-flat seats around, and the catering and crew standards clearly carry over from the flagship flights. For award redeemers, the Avios pricing makes it a smart way to sample a five-star business product without Qsuite-level demand. It's a good pick for anyone flying Qatar onward to India or Southeast Asia who wants sleep-quality seating and genuinely good food at 3:30 AM.
Review via Live and Let's Fly
