Back in 2017 we cover Katar Airways has unveiled its new QSuite business class seats. But 2017 was a long time ago. How has Qatar’s flagship products performed since then? The short answer is: It does a great job. Qsuite remains a favorite among common flyers and has helped Qatar rise to many global airline rankings.
But it’s almost eight years since Qsuite landed in the sky, and it’s eternal in the super competitive world of premium cabin air travel. How to keep it today? We have to do QSuite on a long-haul flight from New York to Doha for QSuite.
Is Qatar’s business class sticking to hype? Our full story has our answers, as well as a lot of usual photos, videos and views of window seats for you to enjoy. Don’t miss it – continue reading!
Fore Fly @ jfk
Qatar Airways in New York – JFK, is operated by its headquarters base of Oneworld Alliance partner American Airlines. Qatar currently runs three flights in New York every day, all day intervals.
Katar Airways doesn’t have its own lounge on Kennedy (JFK), but that’s good because the US and the UK run three of them together at Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Passengers fly the premium cabin with any American Oneworld partner and have access to the Greenwich lounge, which we spent our pre-flight time.
It’s a fresh space with plenty of seating. One of its focal points is the large champagne and wine bar in the center. Then there are two unique lounge corners: a bar with beer and bar bites, called the tasting room, and a bridge bar that focuses more on cocktails.
These spaces were not open in the morning so we couldn’t access them this time. We didn’t mind because the beauty on the ramp made us very sure.
We found the 777-300er that is about to board.
Get on board
The decor of the Qsuite cottage is as stylish as ever, even eight years after its initial launch.
Not all 777 people in Qatar have QSuites on board, so make sure to check the seat map when booking.
This is a very well-designed seat with plenty of space for intuitive placement and smooth finish.
The biggest advantage of the seat is the built-in: this is a suite with doors.
There are great differences between the different seats in the layout, so it is important to choose carefully.
If you are solo, the seat A/K is probably your best choice. They are the closest window seats to windows, with two or three windows per seat.
Please note that these seats face the rear of the plane. But at least they are more comfortable than some *ahem* High-quality The rear seats we saw in the early days:
The front QSuite window seats (B/J) are closer to the aisle and may only have one window per seat. Even though everything thinks they are still good.
If you’re traveling for two people, the E/F seats are great as they can be a dual-pack. If you are tired of travel companions, you can always raise a divider between seats.
One of the most unique design features of QSuite is the “The Quad”, which allows each cluster of each four seats in the central section to become a connected unit with the help of some sliding partitions.
Each seat has a huge entertainment screen.
The seats themselves aren’t that wide, but there’s plenty of shoulder space throughout the suite.
The deep storage bin next to each seat provides space for a small bag or laptop.
The console in front of each seat offers multiple forms of power/USB sockets and some extra storage space.
During boarding, each seat has a towel and a Type 2 amenities kit.
A flight attendant came to introduce himself and let us settle down.
Soon we rolled. Kennedy International Airport always has amazing taxiways.
When we took off from the 31-liter runway, the window seats were beautiful and we had a gradual cycle on Long Island as we climbed:
On-board service begins
QSuite’s dining service is entirely on demand, meaning you are not subject to preset meal times. Before taking off, our flight attendant asked us about our first meal and when we wanted something. Even though meals on demand offer a lot of flexibility, most people actually have a main meal after takeoff.
Once we got on Cruise, we tried out the excellent wine lineup from Qatar.
This is a view of the flight menu.
As a bonus feature, you can keep a meal option before flying.
Here is a drink list.
Then there is the flying wine list. Your wine lover can click to expand the image in the gallery for details:
Lunch started with some bread and a little entertainment.
Mezze starter looks great, but tastes OK. Maybe it’s better on flights leaving the Doha hub in Qatar.
As with every part of the meal, the main course looked beautiful, although unfortunately this poor lobster was very cooked.
Overall, it was still an impressive meal. We ended it with some desserts.
Qatar’s demand system is labor-intensive, and sometimes our flight attendants are immediately pulled in ten directions. He handled these moments as much as possible, but when the hasty of the first meal service settled down, I was glad he represented him.
Between the meals, the staff kept some snacks near the kitchen.
The expectation seems to be that most passengers will order a main meal, then possibly a lighter bite, before having breakfast. We were hungry and our flight attendant was happy to bring us eight hours, although he mentioned that the extra entree was dependent on the supply after everyone initially chose.
We appreciated it because the meal was even more delicious than the first one.
Settled for a long time
Qatar has a wide range of entertainment content libraries.
A small Avgeek criticized: We would love to see some view of the external camera, and the moving map feels too old. Hopefully, Qatar’s final 777X team does better in both.
At least the noise-cancelling headphones are good.
WiFi is expensive: full flights are $10, if you buy them in advance. The coverage is wide, but Qatar is launching a Starlink-based system that should provide higher reliability soon.
The LAV remained in good condition throughout the flight.
Qatar chose to include a single air nozzle on its 777s.
One of the areas where Qatar is serious about is bedding. Each passenger has two substantial pillows and a blanket. Qatar also offers pajamas for senior passengers on long-haul flights.
The flight attendant offers a reversing service with mattresses.
All of these ingredients come together for a perfect sleep experience.
Packing stuff
After some quality shut-up, we only had an hour left to wake up.
Qatar staff distributed Läderach chocolate before the end of the flight.
In Doha, it’s a hazy one-daily desert day. The view is still cool, though, especially on the glide of Hamad International’s busy ramp action.
We will save adventures around Hamad Hub in Qatar for another story.
judgment
After a twelve hour flight to Qatar Airways business class, we found a lot to like:
- The design of Qsuite is totally emitting hype. This is a well-designed seat with all the features you want, an ergonomic layout, rich storage space and flavor finish. The couple’s pairing center seats and the larger group of quads are all icing on the cake.
- Excellent cabin design can be dragged to the earth by bad maintenance. But Qatar makes its Qsuite cabin look fresh.
- The system required is perfect for passengers. Overall, the food quality was great.
- Between spacious bedding, discount service, Diptyque convenience kit and pajamas, Qatar may only have a top-notch sleep experience.
There are some potential drawbacks:
- Flight attendants in Qatar are usually great, but even the best ones can get stuck or miss the requests due to the powerful workload required by the huge amount of work.
- Avgeek in me missed the view of the external camera (note: Qatar’s A350 has them on hand). The moving map is also very lame.
Then, there is a more philosophical debate about suite-style seating in general. Suites are considered the pinnacle of Biz Class seating design, but that’s not to say they are universally popular. The privacy provided by the door comes at a cost, namely less contact with the stewardess and a spaciousness of the cabin.
By contrast, Qatar’s non-Qsuite A350 cabin A separate story Have a completely opposite feeling.
Qatar Airways recently regained its highest position Skytrax’s Best Airlines List of 2024. No single ranking is 100% sure, but after our time at QSuite, we can understand why Qatar is such a strong contender. And with Next Generation QSuite The airlines are coming out of the pipeline, obviously aiming to keep their A-games.
Now it’s time for us to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Note: This trip was booked in miles. If you are able to book a year in advance when the reward calendar opens, Qatar usually offers good rewards, although they are increasing some redemption rates recently.
