Qatar Airways has unveiled a new business class seat today – the Q Suite – at the travel trade fair ITB in Berlin.
Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said that the airline was “Raising the bar for business travel”.
Taking hints from its own first class product (which is only on its A380), but also other airline’s first class products, the new Q Suite has a privacy door that “completely encloses you”.
The airline says the Q Suite offers the first-ever double bed available in business class. Adjustable panels and movable TV monitors on the centre four seats allows passengers travelling together to create a private suite.
In addition, passengers can turn on a DND (Do Not Disturb) sign, perhaps essential when the centre seats can convert into a double bed.
The seat has bespoke pillows, quilted mattress, White Company pyjamas, and the ability to convert the seats not only into a double bed but also a family section as two seats face backwards and two forwards, and the inflight entertainment screens allow a “sociable” meal in the sky (see photo above).
The airline is also launching a new food and beverage concept, offering a selection of “sharing dishes” available throughout the flight. A wake-up Express Breakfast will also be available for those who choose to sleep through breakfast.
The carrier had a live stream of the event on its Facebook page.
As revealed previously (and exclusively) to Business Traveller‘s Middle East editor
the new seat “…will be across the fleet in B777s and A350s, and we have a new seat development for the B787s as this new seat can’t fit in the 787,”.
All the current fleet will be retrofitted with the new seats, but with exceptions. The first aircraft “will be the B777 that flies to London next June”, according to the CEO. On clarification, we learned that “next” means “this”, so in just a few months’ time.
“We will then have an aggressive retrofitting programme. So our first product from the manufacturer will be on our B777 new order followed by the A350-1000 and it will be delivered installed by Airbus.”
The seat however will not be on the B787, or the A380. For these aircraft a similar seat in style will be developed a “uniform” product, in that “the passenger will have total privacy in business class”, but because of Qatar’s current business class being on the upper deck of the A380, and the aircraft having a curvature to the walls, the seat will not fit.
Business class passengers will also receive new cotton pyjamas and amenity kits, courtesy of a partnership with The White Company and luggage brand BRIC’S, featuring products from Italy’s Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio.
A new inflight entertainment (IFE) interface has also launched. The airline’s Oryx One IFE platform has been redesigned to make it easier to surf content. Passengers can choose from 3,000 entertainment options, offering movies, music, news and games.
