Qatar Airways is well-known for being a world-class airline, regardless of the cabin you fly in. Qatar Airways is probably best known for its Qsuites business class. In this piece, I’d want to discuss how you can determine whether your plane is planned to contain Qsuites and how to increase your chances of receiving this business class cabin.
What is Qatar Airways Qsuites?
Qsuites is Qatar Airways’ business class seat, which was introduced in 2017 and is considered one of the best products in the world. There are other elements that make Qsuites exceptional, including the fact that each seat has a door and that there are double beds in the central portion for individuals traveling together. I’ve tested Qsuites multiple times, including on the Airbus A350-1000, Boeing 777-200LR, and Boeing 777-300ER.
Even six years after its introduction, Qsuites is still not available on all flights. The good news is that even if your flight does not include Qsuites, you will most likely have a positive experience because Qatar Airways’ business class soft product is superb.
It’s also worth noting that not all new wide-body aircraft include Qsuites. For example, Qatar Airways is receiving 787-9s that have new business class suites, but these are not Qsuites. The reason for the new product is that the new seats are lighter and better fitted to the 787’s fuselage.
Qatar Airways even claims to be working on a next-generation Qsuites business class offering, which will be available in the future years. However, there are currently very few details available.
Which routes have Qatar Airways Qsuites?
There are no routes that always feature Qsuites. So, first, let’s discuss how to determine whether your flight is slated to have Qsuites, and then we’ll go over which planes in the fleet have Qsuites.
Look for a business class seat map with spaced seating
The simplest way to tell if your flight will be operated by Qsuites is to look at the business class seat map:
- If your flight includes Qsuites, it will have a staggered arrangement with seats rotating between being forward and rear-facing; by staggered configuration, I mean that a seat in one row will be in a different location than a seat in the next row, as shown in the seat map diagram below.
- If your flight does not contain Qsuites, it will not have a staggered configuration, which means that seats are in the same spot in each row of business class.
Why have we seen a lot of Qsuite contradiction?
For the past few years, Qatar Airways has been inconsistent with its fleet and which flights include Qsuites. In 2021, Qatar Airways grounded much of its A350 fleet owing to a disagreement with Airbus regarding the aircraft body decaying at an accelerated rate.
Fortunately, Airbus and Qatar Airways achieved an agreement on this disagreement in early 2023, and all A350s are now in operation, with the airline also receiving additional A350s.
While the A350s were grounded, Qatar Airways found imaginative ways to add capacity, such as bringing back Airbus A380s, leasing 777s from Cathay Pacific and Virgin Australia, and leasing A330s from Oman Air. None of these aircraft have Qsuites.
Even though A350s are back in service, they remain in Qatar Airways’ fleet due to the airline’s expansion. Furthermore, it appears that the carrier’s project to retrofit 777s has slowed significantly since the A350s have been grounded.
Last-minute aircraft swaps happen
Even if you book a flight through Qsuites, keep in mind that last-minute aircraft swaps can and do occur. The kind of aircraft for a certain flight may be changed, or the same plane may be substituted with a different configuration.
We’ve seen quite a few aircraft swaps, particularly in the last year, as the airline continues to optimize its schedule and fleet. So, regardless of which trip you book, be aware that there may be an aircraft switch.
Which planes have Qatar Airways Qsuites?
Qatar Airways operates a diverse wide-body fleet, which includes A380s, A350s, A330s, 787s, and 777s. The availability of Qsuites varies greatly between aircraft types; in some situations, all planes have Qsuites, while in others, none do.
So, the availability of Qsuites by aircraft type is listed below, ranked from highest percentage of planes having Qsuites to lowest percentage of planes with Qsuites.
All Airbus A350-1000s have Qsuites
Qatar Airways presently operates 24 Airbus A350-1000s, all of which have Qsuites. This is the only aircraft type in the fleet where all planes have Qsuites. As Qatar Airways continues to take control of these jets, the fleet will grow.
Most Boeing 777-200LRs have Qsuites
Qatar Airways operates seven Boeing 777-200LRs, five of which have Qsuites (the others have business class seats in a 2-2-2 arrangement). While not guaranteed, there is a significant chance (~71%) of earning Qsuites when flying the 777-200LR. Unfortunately, there do not appear to be clear plans to alter the remaining two jets.
Most Boeing 777-300ERs have Qsuites
The Boeing 777-300ER is the backbone of Qatar Airways’ fleet, with 57 of them, including five former Cathay Pacific and three former Virgin Australia jets. There are 38 planes with Qsuites (~67%), 10 with Qatar Airways’ old 2-2-2 business class (~18%), six with Cathay Pacific’s 1-2-1 reverse helical arrangement (~11%), and three with Virgin Australia’s 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration (~5%).
Qatar Airways previously had a higher ratio of 777-300ERs with Qsuites, but some of the 777s with the old business class have been brought back into service. This was initially owing to the grounded A350s, but these planes are now required to keep up with Qatar’s extensive network.
Some Airbus A350-900s have Qsuites
Qatar Airways has 34 Airbus A350-900s. Of those, 23 feature reverse herringbone seats, while 11 feature Qsuites. So unfortunately only ~32% of A350-900s feature Qsuites, while ~68% feature reverse herringbone seats, meaning the odds are stacked against us. While it would be nice if the airline reconfigured these jets, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
No Boeing 787s have Qsuites
Qatar Airways operates 47 Boeing 787s, including 30 Boeing 787-8s and 17 Boeing 787-9s. None of these include Qsuites.
Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787-8s have fairly ordinary reverse herringbone seats (similar to the old A350 arrangement shown above), while Boeing 787-9s have a whole new business class that isn’t Qsuites.
No Airbus A380s have Qsuites
Qatar Airways had planned to retire its fleet of ten Airbus A380s, but instead brought back eight to enhance capacity. Instead of Qsuites in business class, these planes have reverse herringbone seats, similar to those used on select A350-900s and all 787-8s. On the good side, the A380 does provide an on bar.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways is well-known for its superb Qsuites business class. While the product has been on the market for more than six years, it is still not available on all of the carrier’s long-haul jets. For that matter, Qatar Airways has developed a new 787 business class product since then, therefore there are no plans to deploy Qsuites on every aircraft.
To increase your chances of getting Qsuites, fly the A350-1000 first, then the 777-200LR, then the 777-300ER, and finally the A350-900. Meanwhile, Qsuites are available on A380, A330, and 787 aircraft. Hopefully, the foregoing provides a useful overview of what to expect in terms of your chances of receiving Qsuites.