Photos: Inside Hidden Qatar Airways Crew Rest Area on Boeing 777

2025-08-09T10:15:01Z

I toured a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 at June’s Paris Air Show.
That included a look inside the hidden crew rest area, where staff can sleep mid-flight.
It felt a bit claustrophobic, but handy for breaks during long flights on the world’s best airline.

Like its Middle Eastern rivals, Qatar Airways offers one of the most attractive jobs for cabin crew.

A spokesperson previously told Business Insider that less than 8% of the tens of thousands of applicants are accepted.

At last month’s Paris Air Show, Qatar was named the world’s best airline for a record-breaking ninth time.

During the event, I also had the chance to tour one of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777s.

While I loved checking out the QSuite business class and walking through the enormous plane, I also got to look at some areas usually hidden from the public.

By the rear galley, a camouflaged door opens to a narrow staircase that leads to the crew rest area.

It was pretty claustrophobic, but the eight beds are a necessity to give flight attendants time for a break on long-haul flights.

Here’s what it was like inside.

Qatar Airways displayed a unique Boeing 777-300ER at the Paris Air Show.

Just a few days earlier, this same plane had transported the Paris Saint-Germain soccer team to Los Angeles for the FIFA Club World Cup — an 11.5-hour flight. They ultimately lost in the final earlier this month.

While the interior is the same as Qatar Airways’ other Boeing 777-300ERs, I found it was a unique twist that made the tour a bit more special.

The 777 is an enormous jet that can fly for over 14 hours.

Qatar Airways’ longest route, operated by the 777-300ER, goes between Doha and Brisbane, Australia, which are approximately 7,700 miles apart.

The plane is over 240 feet long — the biggest twin-engine airliner on the market — and has room for 354 passengers.

I knew the crew rest area would be at the back of the plane, but it was still quite hidden.

I politely asked the airline staffer standing here if I could see inside, and he gave me a few minutes to look around.

The door opens to reveal a steep and narrow staircase.

There were plenty of handrails — a necessity for the slightly awkward staircase.

It was slightly eerie looking down the dim and lengthy corridor.

There are eight beds up here, allowing flight attendants to take breaks on long flights.

A small closet at the back of the room can be used for storing uniforms.

I’m 5’9″ but still had to hunch over to make my way down the corridor.

Qatar Airways flight attendants don’t have a minimum height requirement, but they do need to have an arm reach of nearly seven feet. Either way, I expect it would feel claustrophobic for anyone.

However, the beds themselves didn’t look too uncomfortable.

In some ways, it reminded me of the beds for yacht crews. I would definitely still rather sleep here than in an economy seat.

Each bed had pockets for storage, a coat hook, and a mirror.

There are also more storage areas at the front of the room near the staircase.

Plus, they had light and air flow controls, similar to a seat in the cabin.

The bed at the front, usually used by the purser or chief flight attendant, also has a telephone to communicate with the pilots and other cabin crew.

Working for Qatar Airways is still one of the most enviable jobs for cabin crew.

During the Paris Air Show, Skytrax named Qatar Airways the world’s best airline for the ninth time. It was also awarded the best business class for the fifth year in a row.

Similar to its rival, Dubai-based Emirates, Qatar Airways recruits cabin crew from across the world and gives them accommodation in Doha.

Serving more than 170 destinations across the world, it’s also ideal for making use of travel discounts.

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