Qatar Airways has boasted some of the world's best business-class seats and service for the last decade. However, the airline raised the bar with the unveiling of its revolutionary Qsuite in March 2017. These were the first suite-style business-class seats, complete with closing doors and layouts that could be configured into four-person family or work areas and even double beds.
What was even more astonishing was the speed with which the airline rolled out the suites aboard its fleet. The first flight with them went into service in June 2017, just three months after the unveiling.
Since then, Qatar Airways has put the Qsuite into service on many of its flagship routes, such as those between its hub at Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha, Qatar, and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), among other destinations. Here's why you'll want to experience the Qsuite and how you can book it using miles.
Planes
Qatar Qsuite appears on versions of four different aircraft types: select Boeing 777-200LRs, 777-300ERs, Airbus A350-900s and all of Qatar Airways' A350-1000s. What might be confusing for flyers, though, is that Qatar Airways also flies 777s and A350-900s with older seat types. Luckily, we have a guide that explains how to tell if your flight has the new suites on them, and we'll get into the specific routes and flight numbers they're currently on below.
Both the 777-200LR (operating on some flights to O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dulles International Airport (IAD) and all flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and 777-300ER (operating on some flights to Chicago and Washington) have 42 Qsuites spread across two cabins. The forward cabin has six rows for a total of 24 seats, and the back cabin has five rows with a total of 18 seats.
The A350-1000 has 46 Qsuites in two cabins: the forward one has the bulk of them, with 38 in 10 rows, while the small aft cabin has just eight seats in two rows. The A350-900s with Qsuite have 36 of them in a single cabin of nine rows.
Qsuite amenities
Let's get down to what makes these suites so special. Like many of the other best business-class seats out there, they are arranged in a staggered 1–2–1 pattern.
The odd-numbered rows have rear-facing seats, while even-numbered rows have forward-facing ones. The rear-facing seats on the sides are closer to the window for more privacy, while those facing forward are closer to the aisle. In addition, those in the center sections are closer together when they're rear-facing and farther apart in the front-facing rows.
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If you're confused by the configuration, you're not alone. But check out your flight's seat map either on SeatGuru or our sister site ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures) and you can easily figure out what your seat will be like.
This is what the old 777-300ERs and 777-200LRs look like:
This is what the A350-900s with the old reverse-herringbone seats look like:
And finally, this is what the seating configuration will look like if Qsuite is aboard your flight:
Each Qsuite reclines to a fully lie-flat bed. Seat width is 21.5 inches on the A350 (either model) and 21 inches on the B777 models. Bed length is the same in all models: 80 inches.
Certain blocs of Qsuites in the center section can be combined into a few configurations. The seats that are set close together can become a double bed for couples or families traveling together.
There are also quad blocs in the center section where four seats can be opened up to create a coworking or leisure space for groups traveling together.
In addition, Qsuite has technological bells and whistles like light-up "Do Not Disturb" signs and 21.5-inch entertainment monitors with touch screen controls and over 4,000 menu options.
The media panels have universal power ports, USB ports, HDMI and contactless NFC capabilities so you can stream preselected playlists from the Qatar Airways app on your smartphone over the system.
In terms of soft amenities, Qatar Airways flights attendants hand out BRIC's amenity kits stocked with Castello Monte Vibiano skin care products and will provide The White Company sleepwear to passengers on long-haul and overnight flights.
Routes
Which routes can you currently fly in Qsuite? Many routes were suspended or altered during the pandemic, but these are the available routes with flights operating to/from Qatar:
- Adelaide International Airport (ADL): QR Flights 914 and 915.
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS): QR Flights 273 and 274.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): QR Flights 755 and 756.
- Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR): QR Flights 572 and 573.
- Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK): QR Flights 830, 831, 832, 833 and 836.
- Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY): QR Flights 420 and 421, though flight numbers can vary.
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS): QR Flights 743 and 744.
- Cairo International Airport (CAI): QR Flights 1301, 1302, 1303 and 1304.
- Cape Town International Airport (CPT): QR Flights 1369, 1370, 1371 and 1372.
- O'Hare International Airport (ORD): QR Flights 723, 724, 725 and 726.
- Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB): QR Flights 662, 663, 664 and 665.
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): QR Flights 729, 730, 731 and 732.
- Dubai International Airport (DXB): QR flight numbers vary on this route.
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA): QR Flights 69 and 70.
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): QR Flights 713 and 714.
- O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB): QR Flights 1363, 1364, 1365, 1366, 1377 and 1378.
- Jinnah International Airport (KHI): QR Flights 610 and 611.
- Kuwait International Airport (KWI): QR Flights 1075 and 1076, though flight numbers can vary.
- Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE): QR Flights 620, 621, 628 and 629.
- Heathrow Airport (LHR): QR Flights 1,2, 7, 8, 15 and 16.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): QR Flights 739, 740, 741 and 742.
- Velana International Airport (MLE): QR Flights 672, 673, 674, 675, 676 and 677.
- Manchester Airport (MAN): QR Flights 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 and 28.
- Melbourne Airport (MEL): QR Flights 904 and 905.
- Miami International Airport (MIA): QR Flights 777 and 778.
- Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL): QR Flights 763 and 764.
- Mumbai International Airport (BOM): QR Flights 556 and 557.
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL): QR Flights 578 and 579.
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): QR Flights 701, 702, 703, 704, 705 and 706.
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): QR Flights 37, 38, 41 and 42.
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): QR Flights 727 and 728.
- phu*ket International Airport (HKT): QR Flights 840, 841, 842 and 843.
- King Khalid International Airport (RUH): QR flight numbers vary on this route.
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO): QR Flights 737 and 738.
- São Paulo/Guarulhos – Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport(GRU): QR Flights 773, 774, 779 and 780.
- Incheon International Airport (ICN): QR Flights 858 and 859.
- Singapore Changi Airport (SIN): QR Flights 942 and 947.
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD): QR Flights 908 and 909.
- Tehran International Airport (IKA): QR Flights 482, 483,490, 491, 498 and 499.
- Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT): QR Flights 806 and 807.
- Dulles International Airport (IAD): QR Flights 707, 708, 709 and 710.
A caveat for all of these: The airline swaps out aircraft from time to time. So when booking, be sure to verify the seat map for your flight carefully. Then keep checking on it before your actual travel dates to make sure your plane hasn't been swapped out for a model with different seats.
Using miles
Because of its membership in Oneworld, you have a few choices for using airline miles to book awards on Qatar Airways. Here are the four top ones with sample mileage requirements between Doha and various destinations.
American Airlines AAdvantage
Have you been stocking up on AAdvantage miles all these years? Now could be your chance to put them to use.
- Doha to Europe: 42,500 miles one-way, 85,000 miles round trip.
- Doha to the US: 70,000 miles one-way, 140,000 miles round trip.
- Doha to Asia 2 (China, Hong Kong, Thailand): 40,000 miles one-way, 80,000 miles round trip.
- Doha to Australia: 80,000 miles one-way, 160,000 round trip.
Transfer partners: Marriott Bonvoy and Bilt Rewards.
British Airways and Qatar Airways Avios
After Qatar Airways adopted Avios as its loyalty currency, British Airways matched its award pricing and lowered fuel surcharges. You will find identical award pricing and similar taxes and fees if you book with either Avios program.
- Doha to Paris: 43,000 Avios one-way, 86,000 round trip.
- Doha to US non-stop routes: 70,000 miles one-way, 140,000 miles round trip.
- Doha to Bangkok: 50,000 miles one-way, 100,000 miles round trip.
Transfer partners: American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy to British Airways Avios; Citi ThankYou to Qatar Airways Avios.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
This program devalued in June 2018, but might still be worth looking into for Qsuite awards. There isn't a published award chart for partner awards, but you can price out your tickets on Asia Miles' website.
- Doha to Europe: 61,000 miles one-way, 122,000 miles round trip.
- Doha to New York: 90,000 miles one-way, 180,000 miles round trip.
- Doha to Hong Kong: 61,000 miles one-way, 122,000 miles round trip.
One major downside to booking with Asia Miles is high taxes and fees. On a one-way flight from New York to Doha, you will pay $509 in addition to the miles you spend.
Transfer partners: American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Cash, Capital One, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.
Taking into consideration taxes and fees -- as well as transfer partners -- your best bets are likely to be American Airlines AAdvantage miles or Avios. Your taxes and fees vary by route, but expect them to be under $100 round trip to the U.S. using AAdvantage miles and $150 to $250 with Avios, depending on the route.
Searching for and booking awards
We have several posts on this topic, including How to Search and Book Qatar Airways' Qsuite With Miles. However, as a refresher, the best way to search for Oneworld award availability is through the British Airways or Qantas websites.
If you're booking with American AAdvantage, you can also search on American's website. However, it's worth double-checking your results with the British Airways or Qantas website, as American's website sometimes fails to show all available award space.
If you find a flight on British Airways' website that isn't bookable on American's website, call American's AAdvantage desk to book it. If you plan to use Asia Miles, you can search availability through Asia Miles' own award search engine instead.
Keep a few things in mind before going on a mad dash searching for awards on all these routes. From my own personal experience, Qatar Airways awards tend to show up either far in advance or close in, but generally not in the few months out when most of us like to plan our trips.
The airline also tends to release more award space on newly-announced routes or when it swaps out aircraft on a route, so keep up on the news here on TPG to help you snag a seat on the route that you want.
Finally, be persistent. If you have dates and redemptions in mind, just search every few days and see what might come up. You might be surprised to find award seats released on some of the flights you're looking for.
So as not to end on a down note, though award space can be scarce, it is still available — even on premier routes like between Doha and New York and Doha and London. Here are a few sample awards I found to whet your appetite.
Here's an October flight from Doha to London that I found really quickly…
And one in the opposite direction:
It may be more difficult to find space to the U.S., but now that all North American routes are flying Qsuites your chances improve.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways' Qsuite offers some of the best (if not the best) business-class seats in the world. Closing doors, fluid configurations and top-notch service all make a flight in them nothing short of memorable. Luckily, it's also possible to book them with a number of different types of partner airline miles. With a little tenacity and savvy, you can book your own award and enjoy this truly unique experience for yourself.
Additional reporting by Carissa Rawson.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
