TODAY’S THE DAY: ‘Qsuite Next Gen’ launches today, and we’re there

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• e14 says:

  22 Jul22 July 05:23

  Amex 241 on QR would be a scoop

  • Jenny says:

    22 Jul22 July 06:05

    Game changer if they ever do it.

    • babyg says:

      22 Jul22 July 09:08

      personally happy with QR pricing (points/fees) currently.. if they BA 2for1 it..they will probably align with the BA fees… More importantly they need to release more than 2 seats per flight (they used to before adopting AVIOS)

      • BJ says:

        22 Jul22 July 09:12

        +1, I don’t want to see any devaluation at QR or AY.

        • Rob says:

          22 Jul22 July 09:17

          Change is coming at QR and not in a good way. I think I talked them out of dropping the 180k Oz ticket though.

        • babyg says:

          22 Jul22 July 09:56

          no surprise they are dropping the 180k… super sad, but since they have adopted avios you can see the direction of travel 🙁

        • babyg says:

          22 Jul22 July 09:57

          oh read you (@rob) talked them out of dropping the 180k! nice work 🙂 now talk them into releasing 4 seats so we can book a family in Qsuite like we used to be able to…

        • BJ says:

          22 Jul22 July 10:25

          Thanks for sharing that @Rob, I’ll probably hold off on avios boosting, which I was contemplating, until we see what happens.

  • No longer Entitled says:

    22 Jul22 July 13:02

    Given all the internal data QR have with regard load, yield, and future utilisation, I would be astounded if having run the numbers they then decide to change tact based on a single conversation with a journalist. But if they did, all power to Rob and his powers of persuasion.

    • No longer Entitled says:

      22 Jul22 July 13:03

      *tack not tact. Damn autocorrect!

    • chris w says:

      22 Jul22 July 13:22

      Exactly. I doubt they are focusing on what the consumer wants most

      • Rob says:

        22 Jul22 July 13:32

        You will never meet a bunch of people more focused on delivering what customers want, regardless of cost, than Qatar in my experience.

        The new CEO was moaning an hour ago that no-one in the industry has caught up with the seat they launched in 2017 and he was disappointed that he was having to keep pushing things forward with no real challenge. (ANA may dispute that but The ROOM isn’t going to get a wide roll out.)

        • Paul says:

          22 Jul22 July 14:07

          And Delta. The Delta one suite is superb.

        • BJ says:

          22 Jul22 July 14:43

          IMO SofaLounge is also superior if one can live with a nonreclining seat.

    • Rob says:

      22 Jul22 July 13:27

      None of those factors make any difference in terms of Avios cost though.

    • BJ says:

      22 Jul22 July 14:40

      Sometimes one person can see an angle a hundred people miss…

• Paul says:

  22 Jul22 July 06:18

  I’d settle for some sense returning to Qatar airways fares and fewer fake sales.

  • Tony says:

    22 Jul22 July 09:36

    @Rob how soon are these changes coming?

• BJ says:

  22 Jul22 July 06:25

  I’m not disputing the fact that Qsuite was revolutionary in respect of business class suite configuration/layout, however, IIRC Delta One was the first business class suite with a door.

  Now that Qatar is my first choice headibg East from EDI I have 3 new Qsuite wishes:

  1. The suite ambience be much brighter by default with at-seat mood-lighting.

  2. They roll it out across fleet very quickly. Qatar currently has too many seat types and the superduamond feels very dwnse and dated already.

  3.will Qatar put existing Qsuite or new Qsuite on EDI yo compete with latest Emirates hard products when they relaunch the routes in a few months? While redeeming avios on Qatar is now my first choice but from next year it is likely I’ll be paying hard cash for at least one of our two yearly flights. Qatar has some convincing to do if I’m going to be persuaded they are worth about £1k more than Finnair or that I should not opt for a better hard product on Emirates assuming they are competitive on price.

  Hopefully you can get answers to one or more of these questions today please 🙂

  • JDB says:

    22 Jul22 July 07:10

    @BJ – in reference to your point 1 the suite is too dark because of the black shell. Probably much more practical than BA’s Club Suite which can now look quite tatty but it does make QR daytime flights disagreeably dark.

  • Rhys says:

    22 Jul22 July 07:17

    I believe Delta One and Qsuite both came out the same year – 2017. Not sure which was ‘first’.

    • willmo says:

      22 Jul22 July 07:24

      It was Delta One that came first. Qatar massively hyped up the Q Suite announcement in the months leading up, and then everyone was very surprised when the Delta One announcement seemingly came out of nowhere and pipped Qatar to the post.

      • Rhys says:

        22 Jul22 July 09:07

        Either way, they were clearly being developed in parallel!

  • Paul says:

    22 Jul22 July 07:19

    If you are a leisure traveller then I just don’t see how £1000 a head price difference can be justified. That’s £2000 for a couple. Even if it cost £500 to position to HEL there is still a huge saving and that a lot of time in the spa or an upgrade to a better room!
    Comfort is my number 1 demand when flying long haul and QR have been a great choice , but their fares are just silly now. It’s extraordinary that ex EU, Star now offers the best deals east. BA have a few decent fares but almost entirely to USA. QR rarely appear on the ITA matrix or Google flight lists such is the level of fares. I suspect they would rather fly with empty seats than discount. In January, on my return flight to the U.K. that was very evident. No discounts, no Avios availability and yet both flights had less than 20% of seats occupied.
    It’s a great product but not at any price

    • JDB says:

      22 Jul22 July 08:24

      Star, at least LH and LX offer the best deals east because their product is very second rate. They are even willing to sell dirt cheap seats to BA for HKG reroutings.

      I’m amazed you had QR flights with only 20% load factors, that’s rare given their overall high load factors. Discounting those rare seats is not necessarily a sensible thing to do in the overall scheme of things.

• Alan says:

  22 Jul22 July 07:15

  How about your own personal suite toilet!

  • Andy says:

    22 Jul22 July 08:12

    Close the ‘suite’ door. Seat lifts up commode style – great idea 👍

    • BJ says:

      22 Jul22 July 08:32

      Rob reported such on a private jet with a curtain around 🙂

      • Andy says:

        22 Jul22 July 11:32

        Not sure dozens of them would make for a pleasant flight. Q – not so, ‘sweet’ 🤢

  • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

    22 Jul22 July 11:37

    I’m reminded of this story of a private jet toilet: https://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/entertainment-articles/the-most-embarrassing-private-jet-flight-of-all-time/?fb_action_ids=10200881266696504&fb_action_types=og.likes

• BJ says:

  22 Jul22 July 07:48

  @JDB, I think on one of his recent new seat articles (I cannot recall which, JAL or Lufty I guess) Rhys mentioned it would have individual mood lighting which I thought quite cool.

  @Rhys, not certain but I think Delta One was earliest by a few months.

  @Paul, it’s a little more complex because the comparison would be against Finnair Basic so there are seat selection, lounge access, avios and TP earning considerations. The tight HEL connections to/from EDI also make me nervous despite only ever missing one. In reality when I do need to rely more on revenue flights I will consider a wider range of airlines and even exEurope departures if a short preflight break works for me. Primary criteria will be best compromise of price and schedule over hard and soft products.

• ZEPHYR says:

  22 Jul22 July 08:04

  Will it launch today?
  Yes, I believe so since they just last week confirmed it.

  Will it be publicly unveiled?
  I highly doubt it. They might just make it invite only, no cameras/pictures. Use the reaction and comments of the guest to adjust the final product.

  Much like what Turkish has done with its new business class suite, though one person managed to get a blurry picture of it

  • Rob says:

    22 Jul22 July 08:35

    That’s not the Qatar way. Until last week I seriously expected them to outfit an entire aircraft and fly it in.

    • Richie says:

      22 Jul22 July 10:45

      BTW According to FR24, QR have a B789 on the ground at FAB.

      • Rob says:

        22 Jul22 July 11:15

        They do, just walked past it! There’s an Air India A350, which we’re touring later, and a Virgin 330neo (chartered by Airbus and so in their secure area). BA, bless ’em, has brought a neo with the new short-haul seat.

        Lots of fighter jets, helicopters and other boys toys stuff too!

        • BJ says:

          22 Jul22 July 11:48

          You kids probably don’t meet the height restriction on that BA ride.

• steve7612 says:

  22 Jul22 July 08:29

  Echoing comments above regarding Edinburgh, what will the new launch mean for roll out of 1st gen Q-Suite? Will Edinburgh see Q-Suite to coincide with Emirates launch at EDI before the end of the year?

  • BJ says:

    22 Jul22 July 09:19

    Also, anything to the rumoured third daily rotation? I’m guessing if there ever was the EK relauch might have changed thinking.

• Cranzle says:

  22 Jul22 July 09:03

  Meanwhile BA are still flying cabins old cabins that are totally worn down and ‘new cabins’ that are scratched up and broken with sharp metal hinges exposed etc.

  And their choice ‘ambience’ just make the whole experience look like a gloomy day in London. Perhaps by design!

  • Rhys says:

    22 Jul22 July 09:08

    Current Qsuite is fitted on less than 50% of the Qatar long haul fleet, despite launching in 2017. BA are (I think) now over 50% with Club Suite despite launching in 2019.

    • Cranzle says:

      22 Jul22 July 09:33

      I’m sure. But BA’s is falling apart already, and not being maintained despite being newer. You can easily cut yourself on those hinges. Their choice of materials aren’t durable, their maintenance schedule seems non existent, and the lighting & colour choice is depressing.

      And let’s not even get onto ‘cleaning’…..

      • Paul says:

        22 Jul22 July 09:50

        Cleaning is not a word that translates into BA or indeed Heathrow. Disgusting aircraft and Heathrow toilets don’t need signs, just follow the stench. The one at the exit from domestic baggage reclaim is particularly pungent.

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