Last Updated: 29 Jul 2024
The news earlier this year that Qatar Airways was switching its loyalty currency to Avios caused a stir amongst points collectors.
Not only is the Middle Eastern airline a useful extra option for flights via the region onwards to holiday hotspots in Africa, the Indian Ocean and Pacific Asia, but it also has an award-winning onboard product.
Qatar’s business class is particularly highly regarded, especially on flights that feature its Qsuite. This is a First Class-style set-up available for business class levels of cash or Qatar Airways Avios. So what can you expect?
Qatar Airways Qsuite
Qatar was awarded World’s Best Business Class in 2021 at the passenger-voted Skytrax World Airline Awards.
It has joined top airlines in offering full screens around its business class seats - the kind of privacy once reserved for first class - with a product known as the Qatar Airways Qsuite.
Business class cabins with Qsuites are configured in a 1-2-1 formation with seats facing forwards and backwards. Each seat has direct aisle access, so there’s no need to negotiate your neighbours’ feet if they’ve reclined and you need a loo break.
The biggest innovation is that the Qsuites in the middle of the aircraft are arranged in groups of four with two sets of seats facing each other. These can be kept separately screened off, or the screens can be retracted individually so that passengers open onto their immediate neighbour or all four seats in the group open onto each other.
The dividers can be adjusted at the touch of a button during the flight so it’s a handy set-up for chatting with family, friends or colleagues when you want and getting some alone time when you don’t.
Neighbouring seats in the centre section with a fully retractable wall between them can even function as double beds.
The seats recline into fully-flat beds of 80 inches (around two metres). The suites also feature mood lighting and decent storage space, and there’s a large working area should you need to put in some laptop hours.
You can take a video tour of the Qsuite here.
The Qatar Airways Qsuite is available on all the airline’s A350-1000s and some of its Boeing 777-200LRs, 777-300ERs and Airbus A350-900s. The aircraft type will be flagged at the time of booking, then you can check out the configuration by looking at a seat plan site like SeatGuru.com to see if the cabin you’re planning to fly in has Qsuites.
Qatar Airways Business Class
There are some nifty other features to Qatar’s business class, whether or not you end up with a Qsuite.
The Oryx One touch screen entertainment system (with a 21.5-inch screen in the Qsuite) has over 3,000 options spanning films, audio and games. A dual-screen interface on A350, A380 and B787 aircraft allows you to simultaneously use your handheld device and the aircraft’s system and have the contents of both appear on the same screen.
Each seat has a multi-power port that is USB, HDMI and NFC compatible and flights on Qatar’s A380, A350, B787, A319 and some of its B777, A330, and A320 have Wi-Fi which you can access for a fee. Advanced LED lighting will meanwhile help you adjust to a new time zone.
Menu highlights include an afternoon tea with warmed scones and the chance to have a mocktail made to order. Better still, food can be served at your preferred times.
Other treats include smart Italian brand amenity kits on long-haul flights. Containing skin care products from Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio, the men’s and women’s versions of the Bric bags can be repurposed as washbags or cross-body handbags.
During turn-down service, your seat will gain a quilted mattress, duvet and pillows. You’ll also be able to snooze in comfort in cotton pyjamas and slippers from The White Company that are provided for long-haul night flights.
Spending and earning Qatar Airways Avios
The swap from Qatar Airways Airmiles, known as Qmiles, to Avios this March means that not only can you now spend your Avios on a Qatar reward flight, but also, you can earn Qatar Airways Avios when you fly with the airline. Unlike the old Qatar Airways Airmiles, these are much more interchangeable with other airlines, including BA.
If you held Qmiles before the changeover in March, your loyalty points will have swapped to Qatar Airways Avios at the same value. These are also equal to British Airways Avios.
If you already have a stash of BA Avios that you would like to use for a reward flight on Qatar you will need to join the Qatar Privilege Club to do so.
To move your points between the British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club you can link your two loyalty accounts. You will be able to view all your Avios at once and then take a further step to combine them.
You can then switch them instantly between the two loyalty schemes whenever you like.
Advancing your Qatar Privilege Club tier status
You can advance your tier status in the Qatar Privilege Club by flying on Qatar Airways or with a partner airline on a codeshare flight. The points that you accrue in this way are called Qpoints.
There are four tiers to the club – Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Those with Silver status or higher can receive access to international lounges. Other perks include free Wi-Fi, extra baggage allowance and further member-only offers.
How to bag a reward flight on Qatar
In the UK, Qatar Airways flies to and from Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Gatwick offering flights to, and via, its hub in Doha, the Qatari capital. Heathrow is likely to be your best bet for an aircraft that features the Qsuite.
The My Calculator section of the airline’s website can show you how far you can get with your Qatar Airways Avios.
Like BA, the airline has now committed to a certain number of reward seats on each flight. For Qatar Airways this is at least two in Economy and two in business.
You can search for reward flights on the Qatar Airways Privilege Club website. As Qatar and BA are Oneworld alliance partners, for simpler routings, you can also search through the BA Executive Club website.