30 Hours in the World's Best Economy Airline Seat
Kara and I have flown a lot since launching our YouTube channel — like, hundreds of flights. We've slept on airport floors, flown in more economy seats than we can count, and yes, we've even been lucky enough to sip champagne in business and first class at 35,000 feet. I would be lying if I didn't say that flying business or first class is the best thing ever, but sometimes, we'll still opt for an economy seat if it's a better deal.
And if you're going to fly in economy, you might as well fly in the best one. Curious? I'm talking about the award-winning Qatar Airways.
For all you miles and points fans out there, our team at Daily Drop took on the challenge of finding out if Qatar Airways economy is really as good as the hype suggests. To do that, they spent 30 hours straight flying in economy and documented the whole experience on YouTube so you don't have to.
Thirty hours? You read that right.
Our brave content creator, Brendan, and his wife recently completed a whopping 30-hour journey from Washington D.C. to Bali with Qatar Airways — all in economy. And they filmed the whole thing.
Not only did they test out the full Qatar experience over two long-haul flights, but they also pulled it off for just a few hundred bucks instead of the usual $2,500 price tag.
The journey began at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), where they kicked things off in style at the Capital One Lounge. Just because you're flying economy doesn't mean you can't enjoy a little pre-flight luxury, right?
They got in thanks to their Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. If you're looking for free breakfast, coffee, and a few snacks to save for later, then consider applying for a premium card like this that comes with airport lounge access.
Once onboard the Qatar Airways A350, Brendan immediately noticed that this wasn't your typical cramped economy seat.
No, it's not business class, but the seat was comfy and came with a modest pillow, a decent blanket, and a pair of headphones that, while functional, could certainly be improved.
The entertainment system, however, was a different story. It was loaded with movies and TV shows, making the 12-hour flight much more bearable.
The only minor setback was the lack of a standard headphone jack. This meant he couldn't use his AirPods and had to rely on the old-school headphones provided by the airline — I've been there before, and it's not fun.
The in-flight dining? Surprisingly great. Qatar offered a choice of vegetarian pasta or chicken with vegetables. While not Michelin-star material, the food was much better than expected for economy and beat the mystery meat you sometimes get on planes.
They even threw in some Biscoff cookies — a personal favorite of ours. It's the little things.
Now, let's talk about how Brendan and his wife managed to secure those $2,500 tickets for only a couple hundred dollars.
Qatar Airways is part of the oneworld alliance which allows for several options when booking flights using miles and points. The key here is knowing which miles program will give you the best deal. Qatar Airways uses Avios (the same frequent flyer miles used by British Airways), which made booking the tickets much easier.
Brendan transferred 100,000 American Express Membership Rewards from The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card to Qatar Airways. They paid just $270 in taxes and fees total, so this redemption gave them a pretty solid value of about 2.27 cents per point.
After a quick layover in Doha, it was time for round two — a 9-hour flight to Bali on an older Boeing 787.
If there's one thing to note about flying economy on Qatar Airways, though, it's that the airline excels at providing a consistent experience across different aircraft. While the A350 was a bit newer and flashier, the Boeing 787 still offered a comfortable economy seat with decent amenities.
So, does Qatar Airways offer the best economy seat in the world?
While it's definitely up there, Brendan is not entirely convinced it deserves the title of 'best in the world.' The seats were comfortable, the food was decent, and the overall experience felt more premium than your typical economy flight. It wasn't life-changing, but it was absolutely one of the better economy experiences he's had.
So, would Brendan fly Qatar Airways economy again? Absolutely!
If you want to learn more about how you can use miles and points to fly for (nearly) free, check out Daily Drop. We send out a daily newsletter and create other helpful resources that teach you how to maximize credit card rewards get access to fancy lounges, and book bucket-list experiences.
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But while the ban allows spouses, children or parents to travel to America, other family members aren't included. Many Afghans know their extended families are starving or suffering, and suddenly a path to help is closed, Ray said. 'We'll have to wait and see how the travel ban and the specifics of it actually play out,' Ray said. 'This kind of thing that they're experiencing where family cannot be reunited is actually where it hurts the most.' Taliban criticizes the travel ban The Taliban itself criticized Trump for the ban, with leader Hibatullah Akhundzada saying the U.S. was now the oppressor of the world. 'Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their land — and Afghans are not allowed either,' he said on a recording shared on social media. 'Why? Because they claim the Afghan government has no control over its people and that people are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you call friendship with humanity?' Error! 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