Qatar Airways 777 Qsuite photo + video coverage: AirlineReporter

In 2017, we covered the unveiling of Qatar Airways’ new Qsuite business class seats. But 2017 was a long time ago. How has Qatar’s flagship product fared since then? The short answer is: It’s going very well. Qsuite remains hugely popular among frequent fliers and has helped propel Qatar to the top of many global airline rankings.

But it’s been nearly eight years since Qsuite took the skies, which is an eternity in the competitive world of premium cabin air travel. How are you today? We found the Qsuite to be our home sweet home on a long flight from New York to Doha.

Has business class in Qatar lived up to the hype? The full story includes answers, as well as plenty of general photos, videos, and window seat views to enjoy along the way. Don’t miss it. Read on!

Pre-flight fun @JFK

At New York-JFK, Qatar Airways operates out of Terminal 8, home to oneworld alliance partner American Airlines. Qatar currently operates three flights a day from New York at intervals.

Qatar Airways does not operate its own lounge at JFK, but that is okay because the US and UK jointly operate three lounges at JFK. Passengers flying in the premium cabins of American Airlines’ oneworld partners have access to the Greenwich Lounge, where they spent time before their flight.

It is a refreshing space with plenty of seating. One of its focal points is the large champagne and wine bar right in the center. The lounge then has two unique corners. It is a pub with beer and bar snacks called the Tasting Room, and the cocktail-focused Bridge Bar.

The space wasn’t open in the morning, so I couldn’t visit it this time. We didn’t mind because the great view from the ramp delighted us.

We found the 777-300ER we were planning to board.

Boarding

The Qsuite interior remains stylish even eight years after its original launch.

Not all 777s in Qatar are equipped with Qsuite, so be sure to check the seat map when booking.

It’s a very well-designed seat with plenty of space, intuitively placed features and smooth finishes.

The biggest advantage of this seat is in its name. This is a suite with a door.

Seating arrangements can vary greatly from seat to seat, so it’s important to choose carefully.

If you are traveling alone, Seat A/K is probably your best option. These are the window seats closest to the window, with 2-3 windows per seat.

Please note that the seats face towards the back of the plane. But at least it’s a little more comfortable than the other *ahem* ones. vintage Rear-facing seats we’ve seen in previous eras:

Forward-facing Qsuite window seats (B/J) are closer to the aisle and may have only one window per seat. All things considered, it’s still good.

If you are traveling with two people, the E/F seats can be used as double seats, which is great. If your travel companion gets tired, you can always raise the divider between the seats.

One of the Qsuite’s most unique design features is “The Quad”, where each cluster of four seats in the center section can be turned into connected units via some sliding partitions.

Each seat has a huge entertainment screen.

The seats themselves are not very wide, but there is plenty of shoulder room overall.

There is a deep storage compartment next to each seat, providing space to store small bags or laptops.

A console in front of each seat offers a variety of power/USB outlets and additional storage space.

Wet wipes and Diptyque amenity kits were provided at every seat during the ride.

A flight attendant came and introduced herself and showed us to our seats.

Soon we were rolling. JFK always has amazing taxiway plane watching.

The view from the window seat was amazing as we took off from Runway 31L and ascended, gradually circling Long Island.

In-flight service begins

Qsuite’s meal service is entirely on-demand, so you’re not restricted to pre-set meal times. Before takeoff, the flight attendant asked us what we wanted for our first meal and when we wanted to eat it. Meals on demand offer a lot of flexibility, but the reality is that most people eat their main meal after takeoff.

After successfully climbing the cruise, we tried more of Qatar’s excellent wine lineup.

Let’s take a look at the flight menu.

As a bonus feature, you can book meal options before your flight.

Let’s take a look at the drinks list.

And there was a wine list for the flight. Wine lovers can click to expand any image in the gallery for more details.

Lunch started with bread and a small amuse bouche.

The mezze starter looked nice but tasted okay. Maybe a flight from Qatar’s Doha hub would be better.

The main course, like all parts of the meal, was beautiful, but unfortunately this poor lobster was very overcooked.

Still, overall it was an impressive meal. We finished with some dessert.

Qatar’s on-demand meal system is so labor-intensive that there were moments when the crew was pulled in 10 directions at once. He handled that moment better than anyone, but I was glad on his behalf when the hustle and bustle of the first meal service settled down.

Between meals, the crew kept several trays of snacks near the galley.

Most passengers seem to be expected to order one main meal and then one of the lighter items before finishing their breakfast during the flight. We were hungry and the flight attendant was happy to bring us our second main meal after 8 hours of flight. However, it was noted that additional main dishes may be subject to availability after everyone’s initial selection.

I was thankful because this meal was more delicious than the first.

Settlement for a long trip

Qatar’s library of entertainment content is vast.

One small AvGeek criticism: We would have liked to have seen an external camera view, and the animated map felt too outdated. Let’s hope Qatar’s final 777X fleet performs better on both counts.

At least the noise canceling headphones were good.

WiFi was available at an affordable price. It was $10 for a full flight or $8 for an advance purchase. Although coverage was uncertain, Qatar is soon rolling out a Starlink-based system that will provide better reliability.

The rav remained in good condition throughout the flight.

Qatar has decided to include individual air nozzles on the 777.

One area where Qatar really excels is bedding. Each passenger received two sturdy pillows and a blanket. Qatar also offers premium inflight passenger pajamas on long-haul flights.

The attendant provided turndown service with a mattress pad.

All ingredients come together for the perfect sleeping experience.

finish

After a little sleep we woke up with less than an hour left until Doha.

Flight attendants in Qatar handed out Läderach chocolates before the end of the flight.

It was a 100 degree foggy desert day in Doha. The view was still pretty nice. In particular, taxis were often taken to the busy ramp of Hamad International.

We’ll save our adventures around Qatar’s Hamad hub for another story.

verdict

After flying Qatar Airways business class for 12 hours, we discovered many things:

• Qsuite’s design perfectly delivers on the hype. This is a carefully designed seat with all the features you want, including an ergonomic layout, ample storage space and stylish finishes. Paired center seating for couples and quad seating for larger groups are just the icing on the cake.
• A great room design can fall into disrepair if not properly maintained. However, Qatar has kept its Qsuite rooms fresh.
• The on-demand meal system is very passenger friendly. And overall the food quality was good.
• With ample bedding, turndown service, Diptyque amenity kits, and pajamas, you can enjoy a best-in-class sleep experience in Qatar.

There were some potential downsides.

• Flight attendants in Qatar are generally good, but even the best can get overwhelmed or miss requests due to the heavy workload required by the on-demand meal service structure.
• The AvGeek in me missed the external camera views (note: Qatar’s A350 fleet has these views). And the moving map wasn’t very good either.

And there are more philosophical arguments for suite-style seating in general. Suites are considered the pinnacle of business class seating design, but that doesn’t mean they’re universally popular. The privacy that doors provide comes at a cost. This means less contact with cabin crew and the cabin feels less spacious.

In comparison, the non-Qsuite A350 cabin in Qatar, which we wrote about in a separate story, has a completely opposite feel.

Qatar Airways recently reclaimed its top spot on Skytrax’s Best Airlines 2024 list. No single ranking is 100% definitive, but after experiencing Qsuite, I can see why Qatar is such a strong contender. And with the next generation of Qsuite in the pipeline, the airline aims to keep its A game on.

Now is the time for us to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below..

Note: This trip was booked using miles. Qatar often offers good award availability if you can book a year in advance when the award calendar opens. However, they have recently been increasing rates for some uses.