Qatar Airways QSUITE: Routes, Destinations, Aircrafts, Availability

Qatar Airways’ Qsuites are widely regarded as the best Business Class product currently available. They are superior in many ways to other airlines’ business class as well as Qatar Airways’ own, regular premium cabin. Unfortunately, this is the biggest problem concerning Qsuites – since they aren’t installed on the majority of QR’s long haul planes, you can never be sure if you will actually be able to enjoy them.

If you’re looking for Business Class flights on qatarairways.com, you’ll solemnly be able to tell which flights feature Qsuites and which won’t. Despite publishing a list covering routes on which Qsuites will be available, it seems to be partly incomplete and out of date.

Because of that, we’ve compiled a list including all Qsuites destinations and which aircraft serve them. Furthermore, we’ll explain how you can make sure that you’ll be enjoying the best business class there is on your next Qatar Airways flight.

Current QSuite offers

Destinations

The QSuite is currently offered for the following destinations from Doha:

Europe

Asia

Oceania

Africa

America

Middle East

According to their website, Qatar Airways also offers Qsuite services to Kuwait City, Muscat and Beyrut. However, these airports are served multiple times daily and rarely with long haul aircraft. It’s like a gamble to expect Qsuites on this particular routes.

Aircraft

Qatar Airways is set on retrofitting their older Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200LR planes with Qsuites. In addition, every newly delivered A350-900 and A350-1000 is equipped with Qsuites.

That gives you the following probabilities to enjoy the world’s finest Business Class:

• Boeing 777-300ER (B77W): 33 of 48 Planes = 69%
• Boeing 777-200LR (B77L): 7 of 9 Planes = 78%
• Airbus A350-900 (A359): 10 of 35 Planes = 29%
• Airbus A350-1000 (A35K): 14 of 14 Planes = 100%

Since Qatar Airways uses its retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER predominantly on the routes mentioned above, chances are higher than 69% on these. Therefore, chances are much lower on routes operated by 777-300ER, but unmentioned in this article.

Boeing 777-300ER

Qatar Airways first introduced the Qsuite on its Boeing 777-300ER fleet. QR operates more Boeing 777-300ER than any other type of aircraft. Therefore, there are more 777-300ER equipped with Qsuites than other plane types combined.

Following planes have been retrofitted:

1. A7-BAC
2. A7-BAE (new)
3. A7-BAF
4. A7-BAG
5. A7-BAI (new)
6. A7-BAM
7. A7-BAO
8. A7-BAT
9. A7-BAU (new)
10. A7-BAX
11. A7-BAZ
12. A7-BEA
13. A7-BEB
14. A7-BED
15. A7-BEE
16. A7-BEF
17. A7-BEG
18. A7-BEI
19. A7-BEJ
20. A7-BEK
21. A7-BEL
22. A7-BEM
23. A7-BEN
24. A7-BEO
25. A7-BEP
26. A7-BEQ
27. A7-BER
28. A7-BES
29. A7-BET
30. A7-BEU
31. A7-BEV
32. A7-BEW
33. A7-BEX

It is expected to take one up to two years before the entire Boeing 777-300ER fleet is equipped with Qsuites.

Boeing 777-200LR

Boeing developed its 777-200LR (long range) for ultra long haul flights and Qatar Airways uses it accordingly by serving Houston, Auckland and Sao Paulo nonstop from Doha. None other member of QR’s fleet could operate these flights.

Following planes are equipped with Qsuites:

1. A7-BBA
2. A7-BBB
3. A7-BBC
4. A7-BBD
5. A7-BBE
6. A7-BBG
7. A7-BBI

Boeing 787-9

Just before the beginning of 2020, Qatar Airways took dilevery of its first two Boeing 787-9. However, these planes are right now back in America to get to get their cabin interior installed. Because of the 787’s narrow fuselage, the dreamliners receive a slimmed down version of the Qsuite.

1. A7-BHA
2. A7-BHB
3. A7-BHC
4. A7-BHD
5. A7-BHE
6. A7-BHF
7. A7-BHG

Airbus A350-900

Being its launch customer in 2014, many of Qatar Airways’ A350-900 had already been delivered when the Qsuite concept was introduced. As a result, only a few planes have been delivered including the new Business Class design.

These planes are:

1. A7-ALY
2. A7-ALZ
3. A7-AME
4. A7-AMF
5. A7-AMG
6. A7-AMH
7. A7-AMI
8. A7-AMJ
9. A7-AMK
10. A7-AML (new)

Currently there are no plans to retrofit the remaining A350-900, since there are just four years old or even younger.

Airbus A350-1000

Qatar Airways is this type’s launch customer as well, receiving its first A350-1000 in early 2018. As a result, all planes of this type are and will be equipped with Qsuites.

1. A7-ANA
2. A7-ANB
3. A7-ANC
4. A7-AND
5. A7-ANE
6. A7-ANF
7. A7-ANG
8. A7-ANH
9. A7-ANI
10. A7-ANJ (new)
11. A7-ANK (new)
12. A7-ANL (new)
13. A7-ANM (new)
14. A7-ANN (new)

Models without Qsuites

The following aircraft types are operated by Qatar Airways as well, but are not equipped with Qsuites. Some of them may be retrofitted, while some of them won’t:

• Airbus A380-800: Won’t be retrofitted. On one hand, these planes are already equipped with a first class cabin. On the other hand, they will be phased out.
• Boeing 787-8: Maybe retrofitted. They already have highly comfortable Reverse Herringbone seating, making a redesign less urgent.
• Airbus A330-200/300: Maybe retrofitted. There is no long term plan on whether QR intends to keep them as part of their fleet or not. They defintely won’t be retrofitted before the entire 777 fleet is done.
• Airbus A340-600: Won’t be retrofitted. These planes will be phased out and replaced by more economically A350 jets.
• Airbus A321/A320/A319: Can’t be retrofitted. These are single aisle planes, their cabin width is not designed to economically operate Qsuites.

Will there be Qsuite service on my flight?

Qatar Airways has started to officially advertised Qsuites when booking on their own website. Connections that feature only Qsuites have a small Q badge:

If your itinerary features Qsuite and non-Qsuite segments, each flight receive individual treatment. Click the flight details button to get further information:

The best way to make sure your flight will be operated using Qsuites in Business Class is to have a look at the seat map.

We recommend doing this is using ExpertFlyer. The Qsuite is easily recognizable as in the picture below by the spacious 1-2-1 arrangement with alternating seats:

What to do if there is no Qsuite service?

If your booking has been explicitly advertised as Qsuite service, but a last minute aircraft change denies you that experience, Qatar Airways has started to offer you alternatives. In those cases, you can change your flight dates once within a ±21 day time frame or select an alternative airport within 500 miles of your orginal origin/destination free of charge. If that doesn’t suite you (pun intended), you can cancel your booking and receive a full refund.

However, Qatar Airways itself will not notify you before a change of flight equipment. You’ll have to monitor the flight yourself.

Summary

The introduction of Qsuites does not go as smooth and quickly as planned. Because of this, Qatar Airways is too often unable to reassure passengers if Qsuites will be available or not. The replacemant of flight equipment and a resulting change of Business Class product happens too often, and mostly without notice.

Have you found any destinations with a high probabilty or certainty of Qsuit service? Be sure to leave a comment!

Frequently Asked Question

Cover Picture: © Qatar Airways