Battle of business class: Qatar Airways fires a new shot with Qsuite

Qatar Airways has unveiled its new Qsuite Business Class which it says provides the largest social space for companion travellers in the sky.

The much-anticipated event at the Farnborough International Airshow Group revealed some new technology and tweaks to the Qsuite, first introduced in 2017 and a key driver for other airlines to enhance their product in Business Class where margins are highest and even more popular since the pandemic.

The Qatar product known as Qsuite Next Gen delivers customisation options, ranging from ambient lighting to privacy controls, through its upgraded touchscreen Passenger Control Units.

The redesigned Quad Suite is now equipped with movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova IFE screens – a first for any airline in the world.

Panasonic launched the screens last year and says Avionics offers airlines the highest definition and image quality in the skies in every aircraft cabin.

The image quality is sharper, clearer, and with infinite contrast ratio to deliver cinema-quality colours and perfect black.

Qatar says the screens can be repositioned to the side to create the largest social and productivity space in the sky for up to four passengers in the quad suite, and up to two passengers in the companion suite.

The Quad Suite has also been enhanced with increased space for dining together as well as added privacy with taller, digitally controlled dividers. With larger lie-flat and double beds, the new Quad Suite will also offer Qatar Airways’ turn-down service with a dedicated “Make My Bed” feature.

The new Companion Suite has similar characteristics to the Quad Suite, now with the revamp of offering the same shared space in window aisles.

The Qsuite Next Gen will be fitted on its Boeing B777-9 aircraft, due to enter its fleet from next year. Qatar Airways has 70 of the aircraft on order, which have been delayed.

Its first generation Qsuite is available for Airbus A350 aircraft which fly daily between Auckland and Doha.

The airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft entered service with the airline in 2021 and featured the Adient Ascent Business Class suite, equipped with sliding privacy doors, wireless mobile device charging and a 79-inch (2.06m) lie-flat bed.

Other airlines serving New Zealand are also upgrading their Business Class cabin.

Air New Zealand is about to upgrade its Business Premier cabin on its existing Dreamliner fleet as part of a nose to tail refurbishment. New seats and other cabin product also being factory fitted when new Boeing 787s are delivered from later next year.

The airline’s Business Premier Luxe suites feature sliding doors, a seat for a dining companion and a 1-2-1 configuration.

Cathay Pacific is also upgrading its Business Class with, installing Aria Suites from later this year. They have a privacy door and sliding partition, personalised suite lighting, a 24-inch 4K monitor, bluetooth audio, and wireless charging and a ”Gallery in the Skies”- 30 pieces of artwork to be displayed in Business, created by artists who share a deep connection with Hong Kong. The airline is boosting its A350 services to New Zealand this summer. The suites are being fitted to 777-300 aircraft.

Hawaiian Airlines, while not flying its new Dreamliners to New Zealand, has introduced new Business Class cabins to those aircraft.

The new Leihōkū Suites have privacy doors and are in a 1-2-1 configuration with combined double seats slightly angled away from each other, allowing couples to fall asleep while looking up at a starlit ceiling evoking the constellations that guided Polynesian voyagers at night.

Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.