Qatar Airways will launch its second-generation Qsuite business class in late July, ahead of its debut in 2025 on the Gulf carrier’s first Boeing 777-9 jetliner.
The ‘Qsuite 2.0’ will break cover seven years after the 2017 arrival of the original QSuite, which set a new benchmark for business class and popularised the use of sliding doors to turn open seats into private suites.
Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer, who last year took over from long-time chief Akbar Al Baker – the man responsible for shaping Qatar Airways into a heavy-hitting premium airline – confirmed the Qsuite 2.0 launch during a wide-ranging interview with CNBC, adding the suites will be revealed at England’s Farnborough Airshow, which takes place from July 22-26 2024.
While Al Meer didn’t share any details on the new Qsuite, Al Baker has previously told Executive Traveller it would create “a revolution of how people travel in business class.”
Al Baker described it as “a huge enhancement of the current Qsuite, because people now are all booking on QR because of the Qsuite, it’s a brand that is now really known to everybody,” leading Qatar Airways to continue refining the product “because we are in a very competitive industry.”
Early reports of the Qsuite 2.0, which was in the first stages of broad design in 2021, indicated the suite would move to a lighter-weight materials and framework to increase the fuel efficiency of aircraft, with the possibility of a revised height for the walls and door, increased storage and more room around the passenger’s feet.
The bespoke Qsuite 2.0 will no doubt come bristling with high-tech touches such as USB-C and wireless device charging, and Bluetooth audio streaming from the in-suite 4K video screen to the traveller’s own headphones or earbuds.
However, the new Qsuite will fly into vastly more competitive skies than its predecessor.
Neighbour and rival Emirates will roll out next-gen A350 and 777 product, both of which are expected to have privacy doors; also on the runway is Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites business class and Lufthansa’s Allegris business class, while speculation in mounting over new doored business class suites for Singapore Airlines.
By David Flynn,
Source ExecutiveTraveller
