For years, Qatar Airways’ Qsuite has been considered one of the most opulent business-class seats in the world. First unveiled in 2017, the pod-style seats boast sliding doors for privacy, center-aisle suites that can be turned into a lie-flat double bed, and on-demand dining with Western and Arabic meal choices. Now the carrier has announced an even more lavish 2.0 version of its front-of-the-plane offering.
Slated to be delivered by the end of 2025, Qatar’s Qsuite Next Gen will feature a new companion suite design, digitally lockable storage (akin to a small hotel safe), wireless charging, and several additional features when it debuts on Boeing 777-9 aircraft.
Here’s what we know about Qatar’s forthcoming Qsuite Next Gen seats.
Larger, more social seating
Like the current iteration, travelers will see alternating forward- and rear-facing rows of seats in a one-two-one configuration. No matter the location, each seat offers options for socialization.
In the middle of the plane will be the new Quad Suite, which allows families or groups of up to four to combine their seats into a larger space by stowing away the privacy panels. The high-definition 4K OLED Panasonic screens will be maneuverable and can be tucked to the side to open up the space further. Seats in the same middle row can be made into one lie-flat double bed. And cabin crew will offer an on-demand turndown service to all business-class passengers.
A new companion suite option will allow guests who are traveling together and seated along the windows to remove their partitions and sit face-to-face for meals or to chat.
Each seat will be one and a half inches wider upright and four inches wider in the lie-flat mode than the current Qsuite seats. The doors will be two inches higher for increased privacy and motorized, versus the manual doors on the current Qsuites.
New in-suite features
One of the biggest complaints about the current Qsuites is the lack of storage space, which the Qsuite Next Gen aims to amend with two added drawers (one of which can be locked with a keypad, much like a hotel safe), a nook for small bags next to the seat, a cubby hole for shoes, and a dedicated water bottle compartment.
Travelers will have more options for customizing their space, including altering the ambient lighting and repositioning the seat through two touchscreen control panels. Other amenities include USB-C high-speed charging outlets and a wireless charging pad. The entire plane will have Starlink Wi-Fi.
Currently Qatar Airways has no plans to retrofit the current Airbus A350 or Boeing 777 jets with the revamped product. However, the carrier shared in a press release plans to launch new food and beverage concepts across its business class, including a selection of shared dishes and an “express breakfast” service for those who want to sleep as long as possible. There will also be new business-class pajamas designed by London-based The White Company, which specializes in luxurious sleepwear, and new amenity kits made by high-end luggage brand BRIC’S, including products from Italy’s Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio.
In June, Qatar won the top spot for World’s Best Airline, Best Business Class, Best Business Class Lounge, and Best Airline in the Middle East in the Skytrax 2024 World Airline Awards, which ranked some 350 airlines based on votes from passengers across more than 100 countries.
