Qatar Airways is known for its Qsuites business class. This is one of the world’s best business class experiences, between an excellent soft and hard product. Roughly seven years after the product was introduced, it’s available on most long haul aircraft, but not all.
Even though this continues to be one of the world’s most incredible business class experiences, that’s not stopping the airline from innovating. Qatar Airways has just unveiled its newest business class product, and it looks incredible.
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Qatar Airways unveils new business class product
Qatar Airways has today revealed its new business class, named Qsuite Next Gen. This product is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, which isn’t surprising, when you consider how good Qatar Airways’ product already is. However, the improvements are more innovative than I was expecting, and this will easily be the world’s overall best business class experience.
The Qsuite Next Gen business class product has the same general layout as the current product, which is to say that it’s in a staggered configuration, alternating between being forward and rear facing. However, there are some significant improvements, which will be especially great for those traveling together.
Here are some of the highlights of what’s changing:
- A new movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova inflight entertainment screen, which can be repositioned to the side to create the largest social and productivity in the sky, for up to four passengers in the Quad Suite, and up to two passengers in the Companion Suite
- New customization options, including ambient lighting, privacy controls, and a touchscreen passenger control unit
- A larger lie flat seat, as well as a large double bed
- Added privacy, with taller, digitally controlled dividers
- New storage, including enclosed drawers where you can store your phone, watch, jewelry, etc.
- Significantly improved tech, including new wireless charging
Below you can see a video and some pictures highlighting some of the features of the new Qsuite Next Gen experience.
Qsuite Next Gen will debut on the Boeing 777X
So, when should we expect Qatar Airways’ new Qsuite Next Gen product? Well, it’s expected to be introduced on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-9s. Qatar Airways currently has at least 60 of these jets on order, and they’re expected to be delivered starting in late 2025 or early 2026, though that timeline could slip, given that this plane is still going through the certification process.
On top of that, we can expect Qatar Airways to debut a new first class product on the 777-9, which I’m looking forward to seeing as well. Hopefully it’s as revolutionary as the carrier’s new business class.
Unfortunately there are no formal plans yet for the Qsuite Next Gen product to be installed on any existing aircraft, or on the remaining Airbus A350-1000s that the airline has on order.
One major point of frustration for many Qatar Airways passengers is the current fleet inconsistency. Of course it’s great when you get the current Qsuites product, but Qatar Airways has so many different products nowadays, including in part because the airline has picked up quite a few secondhand aircraft, without reconfiguring them.
Qsuite Next Gen looks spectacularly good
Qsuite Next Gen is more or less what I was expecting. Qatar Airways already has the world’s best business class, and I expected some incremental improvements that build on what the airline has already created. That’s exactly what the airline did, and I’m impressed.
Of course the improved tech and design updates are awesome. But the area where Qatar Airways really excels is when it comes to being able to enjoy the flight with travel companions. The ability to turn a set of four seats into a “suite” of sorts was always awesome, and now that’s being made even better.
For those of us traveling as pairs who still like window seats, I adore the idea of being able to create a double suite by the windows, with two seats behind one another.
This is such an awesome area to innovate, because so many new business class products don’t seem to consider the varying needs of passengers. We shouldn’t just view seating quality individually, but should consider that some people are traveling as pairs, or even as groups. That’s something that Qatar Airways considers more than any other airline.
Now, purely in terms of space, I think ANA’s “The Room” business class still sets the standard for business class seats. However, the product lacks so many of the things that Qatar Airways does well, and which the airline is improving even more with this new product. Furthermore, when it comes to business class in the Gulf region, Qatar Airways certainly puts Emirates to shame.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways has just unveiled its new business class product, named Qsuite Next Gen. This is an evolution of the existing product, rather than a revolution. However, there are some really positive updates, including improved tech, and the ability to better enjoy your flight with your travel companion, family, etc.
The only bad news here is that we’ll have to wait for the Boeing 777X to get this new product, as that plane will enter service in either late 2025 or early 2026, best case scenario.
What do you make of Qatar Airways’ Qsuite Next Gen business class?
The locking drawers are such a practical idea. Other airlines should adopt this feature.
Qatar really needs to retrofit Qsuites to all of its aircraft though.
Well new Qsuite when so much plane are not Qsuite and will never be.
I'ts again a good marketing coup, but not really great for the customer who fly business often with QR.
Dear Qatar Airways,
Please stop with the needy attention seeking of launching new product after new product for me to book it and then end up having my QSuite aircraft changed the day before to some ancient 777 with a 2x2x2 set up for an 11hr flight.
May I kindly request you instead focus on having a more standardised hard product instead of the absolute lottery you currently offer and which you swap around at...
Dear Qatar Airways,
Please stop with the needy attention seeking of launching new product after new product for me to book it and then end up having my QSuite aircraft changed the day before to some ancient 777 with a 2x2x2 set up for an 11hr flight.
May I kindly request you instead focus on having a more standardised hard product instead of the absolute lottery you currently offer and which you swap around at will. Whilst some variations are not uncommon with airlines a QSuite to a 2x2x2 relic is taking the p*ss.
Regards,
Duck Ling
They usually refurb the oldest configured aircraft first…..so this would actually be good for those people with your bad luck!
totally no sens, all the older QR plane has not been refurbished. Inform yourself.
I don't need to 'inform myself' you fool, I flew on a Qatar Airways 777 with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration three and a half weeks ago.
OMMAT actually published this late FEB of this year (google 'which qatar airways planes and routes have qsuites'.
"Qatar Airways has seven Boeing 777-200LRs, and five of those feature Qsuites (the others feature business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration). (777-300 fleet) 38 feature Qsuites (~67%), 10...
I don't need to 'inform myself' you fool, I flew on a Qatar Airways 777 with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration three and a half weeks ago.
OMMAT actually published this late FEB of this year (google 'which qatar airways planes and routes have qsuites'.
"Qatar Airways has seven Boeing 777-200LRs, and five of those feature Qsuites (the others feature business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration). (777-300 fleet) 38 feature Qsuites (~67%), 10 feature Qatar Airways’ old 2-2-2 business class"
So unless they have refitted 12 777's in the space of four months there will be some flying about.
Inform yourself hun ;-)
As usual a clown who know nothing, you just forget something... all the planes rented to Cathay Pacific, Virgin, Oman Air that you get with a QR flight number and not a QR cabin... enough to don't get Qsuite ?
What about the 74% of A350-900 (24 planes !) who don't have QSuite ?
What about the A380 without Qsuite ?
What about the 789 with a Suite with Door who are not...
As usual a clown who know nothing, you just forget something... all the planes rented to Cathay Pacific, Virgin, Oman Air that you get with a QR flight number and not a QR cabin... enough to don't get Qsuite ?
What about the 74% of A350-900 (24 planes !) who don't have QSuite ?
What about the A380 without Qsuite ?
What about the 789 with a Suite with Door who are not Qsuite ?
or and of course you don't know that QR removed some route from Doha to Stockholm (instead you fly Finnair) Madrid (instead you fly Iberia), Jakarta (instead you fly Garuda), Tokyo (Instead you fly JAL) and I probably forget some. Hardly a great experience.
Btw im Gold with QR for 8 years... I think I know this airline enough.
BTW I was answering to Sosongblue, so I don't know why you target me.
Chris it is not about targeting you. It is about your claims, which frankly are plain wrong and the way you put these forward 'inform yourself' or 'another clown'.
I will re-paste your reply to my initial comment about flying on one of these very aircraft just a few weeks ago:
'totally no sens, all the older QR plane has not been refurbished. Inform yourself.'
You have not provided one single data point or reference...
Chris it is not about targeting you. It is about your claims, which frankly are plain wrong and the way you put these forward 'inform yourself' or 'another clown'.
I will re-paste your reply to my initial comment about flying on one of these very aircraft just a few weeks ago:
'totally no sens, all the older QR plane has not been refurbished. Inform yourself.'
You have not provided one single data point or reference to back up your claim that Qatar is no longer flying around the 777 with 2x2x2 config for example.
So you can not expect to be challenged when you are flat out wrong, sorry.
So here is an ACTUAL DATA POINT:
Go onto qatarairways.com. Do a dummy biz booking for DOH-MNL departing tomorrow 07/25/24. Click on QR932. Click through to seat selection. And come back and tell us all what you see. I can tell you now it will be four rows of 2x2x2 seating. Or use expertflyer instead.
I would just suggest in the future that next time when you think someone is wrong and you are right, maybe check your facts first and come back armed with the evidence.
Will you cover the new Qantas J and F products?
Other than the window suites - I don't see anything to be excited about. For tall passengers the seat will continue to be tight.
Same here. Seems like a very complicated set up. I hate seating the other way around.
The wider seats sounds great but also hoping for a larger footwell. As large as the current Qsuites are I was surprised how uncomfortable they are for sleeping on a 16 hr flight.
For me its the lack of knee room when laying down with the tv/tray right above
Yes - I'm with you both. These seats are not good for sleeping when you're 6 feet or taller. Al Baker said a while ago that the new seats would be lower to the ground to provide more knee/shin room. I hope that's the case, would love to fly QR again if so.
They need better mattress pads too. I do think the QSuite is good but the bed is a bit cramped (particularly the footwell) and the bed is so hard it is basically impossible to sleep. Aside from these problems QSuite probably is the best business class around. However, QR's claims that it is comparable to F are ridiculous. I have never encountered such an uncomfortable bed in any F cabin and QR can't personalise the...
They need better mattress pads too. I do think the QSuite is good but the bed is a bit cramped (particularly the footwell) and the bed is so hard it is basically impossible to sleep. Aside from these problems QSuite probably is the best business class around. However, QR's claims that it is comparable to F are ridiculous. I have never encountered such an uncomfortable bed in any F cabin and QR can't personalise the service in J as well simply due to the size of the cabin (although I do find the service generally very good on QR).
Touche! Totally agree. It's a cramped, claustrophobic seat.
I feel like they're solving a problem that doesn't really exist. Most people are content either watching movies or sleeping for the majority of the flight. And business travellers often want to work quietly. My concern is that opening sections of the cabin for lots of groups of four and pairs will make it noisier - encouraging people to chat which could disturb other passengers, especially on night flights. I would prefer a focus on...
I feel like they're solving a problem that doesn't really exist. Most people are content either watching movies or sleeping for the majority of the flight. And business travellers often want to work quietly. My concern is that opening sections of the cabin for lots of groups of four and pairs will make it noisier - encouraging people to chat which could disturb other passengers, especially on night flights. I would prefer a focus on privacy which is the direction of travel most airlines are going on (BA Club Suite being just one example).
Building on that I am worried when travelling solo in these seats that because the TVs/partions can be moved it will be less sturdy resulting in people more easily knocking/moving them etc.
Imagine if you're a woman traveling alone and some creepy person can just open the partition and just watch you sleep....you'd hope that there's a lock that needs to be opened both sides for it to move.
Although not so hard for it to reach over and then just blame the thing on a faulty equipment
Yeah agree very good point.
I guess it depends on who you are. Most of my travel in J is with my wife, so we'd enjoy something like this.
I wonder if the ME3 J travel is more heavily skewed to premium leisure and VFR, and less toward business, than other carriers.
Maybe but they usually have to be unlocked by flight attendants based on if you're sitting with someone you know or not. The current setup seems pretty sturdy.
Yeah, same for the quad solution, I never knew why how out of 4 people flying in business, no one want a window seat and no one want to just sleep and do some office chores?
hot damn
Hot damn.
HOT DAMN.
THIS IS AMAZING
Do you happen to have a source for saying these will specifically debut on the 777x and there are no retrofitting plans? Other news outlets are saying there's no info on the debut
@ breathesrain -- Yep, see the official press release:
https://www.qatarairways.com/press-releases/en-WW/239705-qatar-airways-unveils-highly-anticipated-qsuite-next-gen-on-the-first-day-of-the-farnborough-international-airshow-2024
Do we know what the actual proportion is in terms of QSuite equipped aircraft vs non-QSuite?
By the time these are deployed, AA will probably have gone through two devaluation cycles. Of course, for people like Lucky who can thrown down $5-10k in cash like it's nothing, it's no big deal.
Screw it—I'm choosing DELTA.
You are nauseating.
Almost impossible to get QR flights in biz on AA miles anyway these days.
You know someone is crazy whey they choose Delta over Qatar...
That's the fake Tim Dunn.
Although I would not be surprised if the real one said something similar.
I hope you didn't choose DELTA this weekend
Looks grand. Most impressed with the companion suite by the windows.
Was excited but then seeing that they're pulling a Lufthansa and debuting the seat on the 777X is abit disappointing. Had hoped that at least the A350-900 with reverse herringbone seats would get a retrofit.
looks incredible- the tricky part will be having the ‘right’ seats available to take advantage of traveling with companions.
Looks pretty nice. Excited to hopefully give it a try when it comes out.