Review of Qatar Airways flight from Neom to Cochin in Economy

In January 2024, I decided to travel to India for a weeklong vacation to attend my cousin’s wedding and explore parts of Karnataka.

At the time, I was working in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, which meant I had two airport options: NEOM Airport, or Tabuk Airport, located about 120 km away. Luckily, around that period Qatar Airways began operating flights to NEOM. This was perfect for me since NEOM Airport was only a 20-minute drive from my office. I quickly booked a one-way economy ticket to Kochi, Kerala, for USD 300. The flight was scheduled to depart at 11:00, arrive in Doha at 14:00, and my connecting flight to Kochi was at 19:00, arriving at 02:00 AM local time.

NEOM Airport is a small regional airport with limited daily destinations—mainly Jeddah and Riyadh, plus weekly flights to London, Doha, and Dubai operated by Saudia, Flynas, Flydubai, and Qatar Airways. I reached the airport by 10:00 AM. Check-in was smooth and quick, though the self-check-in kiosks were reserved only for domestic flights. Security was fast since ours was the only flight preparing for departure. The airport itself is quite minimal, with one café and a small dedicated section for business-class passengers.

When boarding was announced, things became chaotic as passengers rushed to the counter. The staff didn’t properly guide people on group boarding, but fortunately they managed the situation quickly, and boarding resumed in groups. There is no jet bridge at NEOM Airport—just a short walk to the aircraft.

Flight to Doha – Qatar Airways QR1205

The flight was operated by an Airbus A320, configured in a 3-3 economy layout with a capacity of about 132 passengers. The seats were comfortable enough for the roughly 6-hour journey, with an IFE available and a clean cabin overall. Boarding finished quickly, and we departed without any delay. Once we reached cruising altitude, the cabin crew served a light meal—a cold sandwich, juice, and a dessert. The sandwich was bland and barely edible, making me wonder why they even bothered to serve it.

I took a few landscape photos, then closed the window shade and slept for most of the flight since I was exhausted.

We landed in Doha shortly after and deplaned smoothly.

Transit Experience in Doha

Here, I made a silly mistake—I forgot to pick up my watch after the security scan. I remembered only when I reached the washroom. Thankfully, the security staff had kept it safely, and I was able to retrieve it immediately.

Doha Airport is huge, with passengers constantly rushing to their gates. It was quite chaotic, so I decided to relax at the Maha Lounge (South Node) using my Lounge Key access. There was around a 15-minute wait to enter due to the crowd. Inside, the lounge was fairly busy. The food selection was decent, with both hot and cold options, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I don’t recall exactly what I ate, but it was enough to refresh me before heading to my gate.

When I reached the gate, I found a long queue waiting to board the aircraft—a Qatar Airways A330-300 (QR 514), configured in a 3-4-3 economy layout. The flight was full, and unfortunately, I was assigned a middle seat, second from the left. It was cramped, but I couldn’t complain—I should have booked a window seat earlier instead of hoping to get one during check-in.

We departed on time and reached cruising altitude quickly. Meal service began shortly afterward, followed by drinks. Since I couldn’t take photos from a middle seat, I decided to get some sleep. We landed in Kochi at 02:00 AM local time.

Thank you for reading this long report, and again, apologies for the limited photos. As a bonus, I’ll upload the travel pictures I took during my trip to Karnataka.