I flew Qatar Airways from Manchester - Doha - Hong Kong - Doha - London Gatwick. The major attraction was the price, closely followed by the reputation. Here i'll report back on whether the tag of 'the world's five star airline' is justified (in my own humble experience).

In short, the answer is not exactly. And here's why:

ONLINE BOOKING / PHONE-LINE
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Their website is simple and easy to use. It's good for combining legs and destinations, and for letting you see the least expensive dates to fly. Their phone line (in the UK) is less than helpful. I had a number of queries prior to flying and each time I phoned up I was told something different. Not only that, but several staff members were particularly rude, patronising and trying to make it out like I was being stupid, even though it turned out I was correct in questioning them.

CHECK IN
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Usually quick and efficient. They seem to have a lot of staff waiting in attendance. Unlike other airlines, they are also ok with moving you into a business/first class queue if no one else is around. Hand baggage allowance is a little small though at 7kg. Compare this with Easyjet, which is 10kg!

ON BOARD: CABIN CREW/SERVICE
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Attentive and friendly. Smartly dressed, and always with a smile. In this respect, they are on a similar level to Singapore Airlines. Whether it's warm towels, sweets, menu's or flight kits, they are always offering you something to make the experience better.

IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT (A330)
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The control device was easy to use, and the choice of films, tv programmes, games and other devices was excellent.

FOOD
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Even in economy, the food is generally quite tasty and varied. My only critisism would be that they are trying a bit hard to be upmarket, and so it's often hard to know what you are eating.

TRANSIT THROUGH DOHA
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Not great. Flying time is also increased by going through Doha. A normal UK-Hong Kong flight takes 12-13 hours. Through Doha it is 15-16, not including transit time. This is annoying, but if like me you enjoy travelling, bareable. The airport isn't so great though. See my review on Doha Airport for more.

OVERALL
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Not quite a 5 star airline, but not far off. Definitely superior to most European carriers, but the inevitable transit in Doha evens it out - not that it's their fault where they geographically originate from.