Among the Very Best? Our Review of Qatar Airways’ QSuite in the Boeing 777

It’s hard to believe, but in all these years, no one from the Travel-Dealz team has actually made it into Qatar Airways‘ QSuite. And this is surprising, considering it’s regarded as one of the best business-class products worldwide.

I therefore spared no expense miles to finally try the QSuite. So, this spring, I travelled from Guangzhou (China) via Doha back to Europe. This review focuses on the first leg of the journey from China to Qatar. The connecting flight to Copenhagen was on the Boeing 787-9. While there are also seats with doors (Reverse Herringbone) on that plane, it does not have the famed QSuite.

Here are the flight details:

• Flight: QR 875 Guangzhou CAN – Doha DOH
• Seat: 1K
• Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER A7-BEA (delivered in May 2013)
• Scheduled departure: 00:55
• Scheduled arrival: 05:15
• Flight duration: 9h 20min
• Travel date: March 2024

Booking

In mid-March, I travelled from Oslo via Paris and Seoul to Taiwan. You can find more details in the review of the (new) Air France business class. The tickets were so cheap that cancellation couldn’t be ruled out. Once those concerns were mostly resolved, I needed to find a way back to Europe.

The cheapest option would have been an award flight from Shanghai in SAS business class – for just 50,000 miles. However, I ultimately decided to try something new with Qatar Airways. So I booked:

• Cathay Business Class Taipei → Hong Kong → Guangzhou for 16,000 Asia Miles + €98 (including a 23-hour layover in HKG to test the First Lounge there, which is not part of this review)
• Qatar Business Class Guangzhou → Doha → Copenhagen for 75,000 Avios + €178 (with a 10-hour layover in Doha)

There were also options for Munich or Düsseldorf for almost the same price. I mainly chose Copenhagen because of the flight times: it offered a 10-hour layover in Doha, giving me ample time to explore the lounges there. The layover to Germany would have only been 2-3 hours. Plus, as a Northerner, it’s quicker and cheaper for me to get home from Copenhagen than from Munich or Düsseldorf.

Check-in

A paid business-class ticket with Qatar Airways does not automatically include lounge access or seat selection. However, with an award flight (or the appropriate frequent flyer status), both are included. So, I immediately selected seat 1K after booking. This is a rear-facing seat with lots of privacy, located right by the window.

I was able to check in online for the flight, but no digital boarding pass is available for departures from Guangzhou. This didn’t matter much since I had a suitcase to check in anyway. Qatar’s website provides a list of all airports that offer mobile boarding passes, though it’s quite limited—just 13 airports outside of Europe.

For the 00:55 departure, I arrived at the airport at around 22:30 using the Guangzhou Metro. Qatar Airways operates from Terminal 2, which is primarily home to China Southern. Opened in 2018, the terminal still feels very modern. In the late evening, it was almost deserted…

… except at the Qatar Airways counter, which had already opened at 21:30 (3 ½ hours before departure) and still had a large crowd. Priority check-in is mixed for all Oneworld status customers (from Ruby and up) and business guests, with no separate queue for Emerald members. This is likely due to the lack of departing first-class flights. In Hong Kong, it was different.

I had to wait around 10 minutes and then swapped my suitcase for boarding passes. The boarding passes, with their silver, shiny business-class stripe, looked premium, and I immediately felt appreciated. It’s amazing what a small investment in the customer experience can achieve.

Unfortunately, the business-class lane at passport control & security was closed. Nevertheless, both processes were completed within another 10-15 minutes, and I could proceed to the lounge.

Lounge in Guangzhou

Qatar Airways uses the Premium Lounge in Guangzhou, which is also accessible with a Priority Pass—not necessarily a sign of high quality. However, Qatar has no other choice, as this is the only third-party lounge for international departures in T2, and it’s open 24/7.

Overall, the lounge is decent (by Chinese standards), but the food leaves much to be desired. The dishes in the warmers had clearly been sitting there for a while and tasted even worse than they looked.

After experiencing the 30°C heat in Guangzhou, I took the opportunity to shower. Unfortunately, I discovered too late that the noodle bar closes at 11 PM, so after my shower, I had to settle for the uninspiring buffet—and the “premium” aspect of the lounge was long gone.

Boarding

My boarding pass indicated boarding at 00:10, i.e., 45 minutes before departure. I was surprised when the lounge staff announced boarding at 23:40. I decided to follow the call, as it’s always good to be among the first on board to take cabin photos.

When I arrived at the gate, over 100 passengers were already lined up. As with check-in, there was only a shared priority lane for Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and business-class guests. However, it was still pleasantly short.

When boarding started promptly, I had to part with my beloved boarding pass as it was torn off, leaving me with only a small stub.

I usually collect boarding passes at home and try to avoid them being torn. This is often possible by using a mobile boarding pass, but that wasn’t an option for the flight from Guangzhou.

Cabin & Best Seat Choice

Choosing a seat in the QSuite is a bit more challenging. Qatar employs what I believe is a unique seating arrangement here. Some seats face forward, while others face backwards. The A and K seats face “the wrong way,” but they are far from the aisle, offering more privacy and a better sense of space than seats B and J. In my case, the plane had only 24 business-class seats. More common is a configuration with 42 QSuites.

In the middle of the cabin, there are other options. If you don’t need a window, you can choose seats directly next to each other (E/F), which can be converted into a double bed. If you’re travelling with a group of four, you can lower another partition to create a kind of family or meeting room. Qatar calls this “The Quad.” Here’s a picture from Qatar Airways for illustration:

Recently, Qatar introduced the QSuite 2.0. It follows a similar concept but, among other features, allows the monitors in the middle of the cabin to fold away, creating an even more open four-person space.

But let’s look at the reality, not renderings. In real life, the layout looks quite futuristic with its curved walls. I also like the colour scheme, a mix of beige and dark red tones, which sets it apart from other airlines.

There are overhead compartments even in the middle of the cabin. While this might take away from the sense of space, it at least guarantees enough room for all conceivable hand luggage. You’re allowed two pieces weighing up to 15 kg in total, plus a personal item.

Seat

As mentioned, I chose seat 1K in the first row. It looks like this (flight direction to the left):

Once seated, two things immediately stand out: the numerous storage options (more on that later) and the control panel with a power outlet, remote control, and more.

Unlike some airlines, where you can only choose between “seat,” “bed,” or “something in between,” the QSuite allows you to adjust each part of the seat individually. This includes moving it forward/backwards on the X-axis, reclining the backrest, and adjusting the lumbar support. There’s also a massage function.

Additionally, you’ll find:

• A wired remote control with a touchscreen
• A universal power outlet
• Two USB-A charging ports
• A headphone jack
• An HDMI input
• An NFC panel that allows you to transfer a playlist from your phone to the entertainment system

The seat was first introduced in 2017 and hasn’t been significantly updated since. So, there are “only” USB-A ports and no USB-C yet. But since there’s a power outlet, this doesn’t bother me much. And the QSuite 2.0 is already on the horizon.

Storage

Many business-class seats sacrifice storage space for comfort, but not the QSuite. Qatar has done a great job of maximizing storage space wherever possible.

First, there’s the compartment in the padded armrest, which comes stocked with headphones and a water bottle. It also includes another larger compartment, presumably for a laptop. However, my 14″ laptop didn’t fit there.

I hardly used the armrest compartment. You could throw other items like chargers, wallets, and passports in there, but you risk forgetting them.

A better spot for such small items is the compartment under the side table:

Under the footrest, there’s another small compartment, probably intended for slippers. To my surprise, my 14-inch laptop with a thick case just barely fit there.

The side table easily accommodates a laptop, meal tray, or similar items. And finally, there’s a small shelf in front of the touchscreen, which is perfect

One more thing: The extendable table, stored under the monitor, can be pulled close and then unfolded. It’s simply huge, and probably the best table I’ve ever seen in a business-class seat (even better than the Allegris table). On a daytime flight, I could easily fit a laptop and a second screen there and be quite productive. However, I felt more like sleeping.

Seat comfort

On a short night flight, seat comfort is of lesser importance. It’s a different story when flying from Auckland to Doha (17 hours during the day) or from Doha to the U.S. West Coast (16 hours).

I can’t say how the seat feels after such a long time, but I found it very comfortable when seated. After takeoff, it’s a good idea to recline into lounge mode rather than sit completely upright. Unlike at a certain airline from Finland, this is possible and quite comfortable.

According to Qatar Airways, the seat is 22 inches (58 cm) wide, placing them somewhere in the middle range. However, the seat feels a bit wider, as it extends directly to the wall of the aircraft (in window seats). The armrest towards the aisle can be raised if you want to rest your arm.

Sleeping comfort

When boarding, there are two pillows and a blanket at the seat. The blanket is warm and cosy, but the pillows could be larger. There’s also a pair of slippers and a pyjama in your preferred size (up to XL). The pyjama includes pants and a long shirt, feels quite high-quality, and fits tall people well.

The seat can be converted into a bed, which is then 2 meters long. You can either adjust the seat yourself to the lie-flat position or ask a flight attendant to make the bed.

I chose the latter option while I took a quick break in the bathroom after dinner. Five minutes later, I returned to find the bed made. A mattress topper adds some extra padding:

The seat is quite wide and open where the upper body lies, but it gets significantly narrower towards the feet, as is common with most modern business class seats:

There’s plenty of upwards space for feet and legs. As for the width, it gets a little tight for size 48 shoes. Fortunately, the seat opens up quite quickly, allowing side sleepers to bend their knees.

In terms of sleeping, the seat isn’t the most spacious or the softest, but it performs well enough. Despite being 1.98m tall, I was able to sleep surprisingly well. I managed to sleep for four straight hours. The only reason my sleep was “short” was the short flight time. That’s the downside of flying via Doha—you have to switch planes halfway through in the desert.

Privacy

The wall between individual suites is 132 cm high (142 cm in the QSuite 2.0). While it’s not very tall, you’re still quite shielded from the rest of the cabin when reclined. Sitting by the window gives you a bit more peace, though you might see the occasional head pass by. After takeoff, you can close the sliding door for additional privacy.

For those sitting in the middle of the cabin, there’s also an adjustable partition between the seats. So, it’s not a big deal if you can’t get a window seat as a solo traveller. In my opinion, solo travellers can save money by not paying for unnecessary seat reservations.

Food & Drinks

While still on the ground, there was the usual Pre-Departure Drink. The options included the signature Lemon Mint drink (lime juice with water, sugar, and mint), fresh orange juice, or champagne.

At first, I thought I misheard “fresh orange juice” and was expecting the usual concentrate. But the orange juice definitely deserved five stars. It was much better than anything you’d find in a supermarket and tasted like fresh juice straight from a juicer.

The dinner orders were taken before takeoff, saving valuable time once in the air. About 30 minutes after takeoff, a portion of nuts was served. I’m not sure if they were supposed to be warm or not. If so, they had cooled down by the time they reached me. However, I’m not crazy enough to carry a thermometer like some frequent flyers do. Regardless, they tasted excellent, with a slightly tangy flavour.

Dinner

Despite the 1 a.m. departure, Qatar Airways offers a full dinner on request. Of course, I couldn’t resist, even with the short flight time.

The menu initially confused me. The usual division between starter and main course was missing, and it presented six options directly:

• Wild mushroom soup with truffle oil
• Rye bread with braised beef and Gouda
• Fried rice with black cod and shrimp
• Roasted pumpkin with cauliflower and other vegetables
• Stir-fried noodles with Kung Pao chicken (probably spicy)
• Grilled vegetables

I hadn’t realized that the beef dish was just a sandwich, so I ordered the beef along with the fish.

Before the meal was served, the table was set. The LED candle was very stylish, as were the metal salt and pepper mills. This is another example of how Qatar Airways outshines other airlines with minimal investment in the customer experience:

Soon after, dinner was served. I was lucky to be the first passenger to be served, sitting in seat 1K, so the first main course arrived just 50 minutes after takeoff from Guangzhou (and the second shortly after):

Even though I missed the fact that the beef was a sandwich, it turned out to be a highlight. The fish dish was also excellent.

I followed up with a small cheese plate. You’ll want to like soft cheese if you order it:

The only disappointment during dinner was dessert. The caramel mousse lacked flavour, and there wasn’t much choice. You could only choose between cheese and/or dessert:

Drinks

Qatar Airways offers an extensive selection of beverages, including five different non-alcoholic mocktails. In hindsight, I realize I forgot to try the non-alcoholic bubbly.

Here’s a first look at the drinks menu. On the left are the non-alcoholic options, while cocktails and other alcoholic drinks are on the right:

Additionally, the wine list includes two champagnes (the Alexandra Grande Cuvée Rosé 2007 is priced at around €250 per bottle) and many other options like a 20-year-old port wine.

Breakfast

Since I didn’t want to miss breakfast, I didn’t press the “Do Not Disturb” button on the cabin control. However, I didn’t expect to be woken up 2 hours and 20 minutes before landing. On a 15-hour flight, that would be fine, but with only 4 hours between dinner and breakfast, it felt too soon.

The breakfast menu reads as follows:

I saw the word “salmon” and didn’t need to look any further. I’m always up for salmon dishes, and if a hotel doesn’t serve salmon for breakfast, that’s a big downside in my book.

So, I was all the more disappointed when this dish arrived at my neatly set table:

I searched in vain for the salmon, only to find it in the form of an unrecognizable paste between the bread slices. Imagine a tuna sub from Subway but replace the tuna with salmon, and you have the business-class breakfast. I have nothing against fast food, but this was not worthy of business class, especially since the salmon flavour was barely noticeable.

An hour and a half before landing, I had already finished breakfast. At that point, it was impossible to fall back asleep, so I started working on this review.

In hindsight, I probably should have just slept longer and had breakfast in the lounge. However, with all the activity from the service crew, it would have been difficult to sleep through anyway.

Service

The service began with a few noteworthy touches, e.g. the cutlery wasn’t simply rolled up in a napkin and placed on the table. Instead, the napkin was spread on my lap, and the cutlery was laid directly on the tablecloth—just like in a high-end restaurant.

During dinner, I was initially impressed by the attentiveness of the staff. Just two minutes after finishing one course, the next was already served.

However, the service wasn’t perfect, and as the flight went on, I noticed more drawbacks:

• I wasn’t asked if I wanted dessert; the table was just cleared. Apparently, I should have requested it.
• Being woken up more than 2 hours before landing for breakfast (see above) was simply unnecessary on such a flight.
• The service was always professional, but at no point did it feel particularly friendly or warm. Personally, I prefer other airlines where the flight attendants show more personality.
• I was never informed about the option to order food on demand.

Overall, I felt that the prescribed service routine was followed meticulously, but that was about it.

In-Flight Entertainment

Qatar Airways advertises its in-flight entertainment with “more than 4000+ entertainment options.” This count is generous, likely including thousands of songs from the music library.

Nevertheless, the entertainment program on the 21″ touchscreen leaves little to be desired. In addition to blockbusters like Oppenheimer, there are also some unusual options, such as hotel documentaries or videos from popular YouTubers. However, for many TV series, only individual episodes are available, not full seasons.

There are also 15 games—slightly more than usual. If you want to check the selection of movies and shows in advance, you can do so on the Qatar Airways website.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m easy to please when it comes to entertainment. Give me a FlightMap, and I’ll leave it open for the entire flight. In that regard, the QSuite has room for improvement. There are no interactive features, and despite the high-resolution screen, the map is very pixelated. Plus, text is constantly displayed in Arabic because the language cannot be changed.

The entertainment can be controlled either via the touchscreen or the small remote. The remote glows quite brightly in the dark, but you can adjust the brightness to zero to prevent this.

Wi-Fi

The Boeing 777 I flew on was equipped with the new Super Wi-Fi. As a Qatar Privilege Club member, you can test this for free for one hour. After that, it costs $10 for the rest of the flight.

Initially, the Wi-Fi wasn’t usable at all. Even though it should have been available, I kept receiving error messages stating that my Privilege account couldn’t be found.

After the third attempt, it eventually worked, and I was able to browse the internet at acceptable speeds (around 5 Mbps download) during the free trial hour. The ping was quite high (around 800 ms), as is typical for satellite connections.

Extras

I’ve already mentioned the power outlets and USB ports when talking about the seat. Other extras worth noting:

• The amenity kit came in a rather unremarkable cardboard box. However, the contents from the Diptyque Paris brand (various creams, disposable socks, and eau de toilette) were perfectly fine. Toothbrushes and other items aren’t included in the kit but can be found in the lavatories upon request.
• In this Boeing 777 configuration, there are two toilets for 24 business-class passengers. One of them was out of order, but there are two more between business and economy that can be used.
• With the HDMI input at your seat, you can mirror the content of your laptop onto the touchscreen or use it as a second monitor. More airlines should offer this feature, as the screen is already there.
• The seatbelt sign remained on for the entire flight. As a result, none of the passengers took it seriously anymore, which defeats the purpose of the sign.

Transfer & Lounge in Doha

In Doha, it’s unfortunately common for even wide-body aircraft to be handled by bus. Although this can be a bit annoying, it’s at least well organized. Two separate buses were provided exclusively for business-class passengers.

Upon arriving at the terminal, you have to go through security again. There’s a separate line for business passengers, though the early morning hours (before 6 a.m.) were generally quiet. After that, you can choose from various lounges. Only a business-class ticket (excluding the Light fare) grants access to the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounges. Status customers have to make do with the less impressive Gold or Platinum Lounges.

In recent years, the airport has expanded significantly, including the addition of the Garden area. The quickest way to get there is via the airport’s small train. Signage is mostly clear but occasionally confusing.

I spent almost half a day at the airport and, with my business ticket, visited both Al Mourjan Lounges. I was especially impressed with the food offerings. A review of the newer of the two lounges can be found below:

Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden in Doha

Overall, the transfer process in Doha works well, and the walking distances aren’t as bad as at some other airports.

Different Configurations and the QSuite Lottery

At this point, it’s worth briefly mentioning that not every Qatar Airways aircraft is equipped with the QSuite. As of October 2024, there are six different configurations for the Boeing 777-300ER alone, with only two of them featuring the QSuite.

• A QSuite configuration with 42 business-class seats
• A QSuite configuration with 24 business-class seats
• An older business-class configuration with 42 seats in a 2-2-2 layout (MiniPods)
• An older business-class configuration with 24 seats in a 2-2-2 layout (MiniPods)
• A Virgin Australia configuration with 37 business-class seats in a 1-2-1 layout (Super Diamond)
• A Cathay Pacific configuration with 53 business-class seats in a 1-2-1 layout (Cirrus II)

As such, you can never be entirely sure that your flight will have a QSuite. On some routes, there’s at least a 90% likelihood. Data from 2023 can be found in our overview.

Conclusion

Here’s a brief summary of the pros and cons:

The lounge in Guangzhou is not included in the star rating, as it is not operated by Qatar Airways. Due to the lack of alternatives, it’s not as if Qatar has much choice in which lounge to offer there.

Translated by Ditmar

Cover Picture: Peer Linder