Content is created by CNN Underscored’s team of editors who work independently from the CNN newsroom. When you buy through links on our site, CNN and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Learn more
CNN Underscored reviews financial products based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through our affiliate partners if you apply and are approved for a product, but our reporting is always independent and objective. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
While business class travel is always a treat, one airline in particular flies above the rest. In 2017, Qatar Airways introduced its game-changing business class cabin, officially known as Qsuites.
The suite-style business class is arranged favorably no matter if you’re traveling solo, with a partner or with your family. On one hand, you can experience total privacy in the air thanks to the fully enclosed suite doors, while you can also lower these partitions to create a shared space.
In short, flying in Qatar Airways Qsuites is arguably one of the best ways to enjoy world-class dining and unrivaled personal space at 30,000 feet above the earth.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the amenities — both on the ground and in the air — as well as the ways you can book these coveted seats for a fraction of the $5,000+ sticker price with travel rewards.
What are Qatar Airways Qsuites?
What makes Qatar Airways Qsuites so special is the experience from beginning to end. At your departure airport, your business class ticket will allow for two checked bags and a dedicated check-in counter.
Then, you’ll have access to a dedicated airport lounge to enjoy the first (of many) meals. You’ll get access to a partner lounge if there’s no Qatar-branded lounge in your particular airport. Qatar Airways is part of the Oneworld alliance, so that could mean a British Airways or an American Airlines lounge.
At Qatar Airways’ Doha (DOH) hub, you’ll have access to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. This lounge has plenty of international food options, a business center and plenty of seating.
There are a few noteworthy features of the Qsuites. With a 1-2-1 configuration, every row alternates facing forward or backward, which results in a supreme amount of space afforded to each passenger compared to traditional business-class cabins.
The center rows are special as the partition doors can be lowered to conjoin the beds in a customizable fashion. If you’re traveling with another person, the center wall can be lowered to create a double bed like you may have seen in Singapore Airlines’ world-renowned first-class cabin.
To make Qsuites even more impressive, families or groups of friends flying together can book a quad suite, which has a private communal space in the middle of the cabin where the partition doors can be lowered for four seats to make a private space to dine together, along with two double beds.
Even in the solo window seats, you’ll get to enjoy the utmost privacy in a fully enclosed suite. No matter where you’re sitting, each bed measures around 80 inches in fully lie-flat mode, as well as roughly 21 inches of seat width.
Between the fluffy duvet, high-quality skin care products and even a set of pajamas, you’re almost certain to kickstart your journey feeling refreshed. Qatar is also touted for its world-class inflight service, including made-to-order meals, and a stacked menu of alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) libations.
What Qatar Airways planes and routes have Qsuites?
The Doha-based carrier has a variety of long-haul aircraft, from Airbus A380s to Boeing 777s. Despite its popularity, the Qsuites aren’t available on all of its aircraft, so you’ll have to do a bit of digging to book a seat in the newer business-class cabin.
You can check the aircraft type for your route when booking, though aircraft swaps can happen, so you’ll want to keep tabs on your flight up until departure.
During the booking process, you can generally find out which aircraft Qatar is flying. Unfortunately, Qatar’s Airbus A380s, Boeing 787-8s and older Airbus A330s are not equipped with Qsuites, boasting the older business class cabin instead. Here’s a quick glimpse of where you can find Qsuites across Qatar’s fleet:
Once you find your aircraft type, you can also confirm whether the aircraft carries Qsuites by looking at the seat map on the airline’s website or via tools like SeatGuru.
As a general rule, Qatar Airways’ aircraft with a 1-2-1 seat configuration in business class have Qsuites (though not all), while a 2-2-2 layout means that the cabin does not have Qsuites and features older business class seats.
As of this writing, the following US cities have Qsuites on flights to Doha. Note that not all flights will have Qsuites if there is more than one flight per day, so check the seat map before you book.
-
Atlanta (ATL)
-
Boston (BOS).
-
Chicago-O’Hare (ORD).
-
Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).
-
Houston (IAH).
-
Los Angeles (LAX).
-
Miami (MIA).
-
New York-JFK.
-
San Francisco (SFO).
-
Seattle (SEA).
-
Washington-Dulles (IAD).
How to book Qatar Airways Qsuites with points and miles
Finally, you may be wondering how much Qatar Airways Qsuites cost. While it may vary depending on the route, a one-way ticket in Qsuites will set you back at least $5,000 on routes from the US to the Middle East.
Fortunately, you can save a ton of money by booking Qsuites using the points and miles earned through popular travel rewards credit cards, and there are lots to pick from.
There are various ways to book Qsuites with travel rewards, but some offer a better deal than others. Here’s a look at two of the best deals.
Avios
Qatar Airways is part of the greater Avios loyalty program, which also includes Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia. Each of these airlines has its own loyalty programs, but all employ Avios as their currency and you can transfer Avios between accounts.
It’s easy to earn and combine your Avios, the streamlined currency of these four airlines, through a multitude of major transferable point programs, including:
You can book Qsuites from the US to/from Doha (DOH) for 70,000 Avios plus taxes and fees under $200. Depending on how you book, you could connect onward to another destination in the Middle East for the same price.
We recommend booking with Qatar Airways Avios if possible since the pricing is the same as British Airways. However, British Airways charges more for connecting flights, while Qatar Airways’ own loyalty program does not.
Thankfully, you can transfer your Avios from British Airways to Qatar Airways on this website. Further, you can transfer other types of Avios to British Airways on Avios.com, and then transfer them on to Qatar Airways.
These are some of our favorite travel credit cards for earning points that transfer to Avios:
-
American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 within the first six months of card membership. $250 annual fee (see rates and fees).
-
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. $95 annual fee.
-
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months. $95 annual fee.
-
Citi Premier® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou points per dollar spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked through the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.
You can also open the British Airways Visa Signature® Card and earn Avios directly. The card currently offers new card members 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Plus, you can earn 5 Avios per dollar on up to $10,000 in gas, grocery stores and dining purchases in the first 12 months.
American Airlines AAdvantage
For an even better deal, consider booking with American Airlines AAdvantage miles. For the same amount, you can add another stop further afield in Qatar’s route network for an additional 5,000 miles.
Want to continue on to Johannesburg? How about the Maldives? You can book this Qsuite ticket for just 75,000 miles.
Besides flying with American and its Oneworld partners, you can also transfer your Bilt Rewards points from the Bilt Mastercard® to the frequent flyer program at a 1:1 ratio. However, transfers to AAdvantage are set to end this June.
You can also earn AAdvantage miles with American’s suite of credit cards, including the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® credit card which has no annual fee or the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® which currently offers 70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months of account opening.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways’ Qsuite business class product is one of the best in the skies with to its excellent seat design, onboard service and airport lounges. And while it might cost a pretty penny to book it outright, leveraging travel rewards points can make it much more attainable.
Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they’re subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
