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In a schedule update that took place over the weekend, Qatar Airways added Qsuites service to its Cape Town route and, in a less noticeable alteration to its schedule, the airline also made an interesting change to the aircraft with which it operates its route between Doha and Atlanta.
As things stand, Qatar Airways offers a daily service between Doha and Atlanta using its Airbus A350-900 aircraft but, unfortunately for Atlanta flyers, this particular aircraft isn’t one which has been reconfigured with the Qsuites cabin, so flyers have to make do with the regular all-aisle-access product (which is still excellent).
Qatar Airways A350 (Non-Qsuites) Business Class Review
This weekend’s update has seen Qatar Airways schedule a Boeing 777-200LR to take over from the A350 from 27 October 2019 and, although the seat map for the 777-200LR shows a very old-fashioned 2-2-2 cabin layout…
…I’m not sure this tells the full story.
Here are two key facts:
1 – Qatar Airways only has 9 Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet and, of late, it has been refitting these aircraft with the new Qsuite Business Class product (which is why routes to Los Angeles, Auckland, and Buenos Aires now offer Qsuites cabins).
2 – Atlanta is a highly politically charged destination for Qatar Airways because it’s the home of Delta (the airline which frequently talks nonsense about Qatar Airways expansion and often begs the US government to place flyer-unfriendly restrictions on the Middle Eastern carrier).
With those two things in mind, I’m not convinced that the 777-200LR seat map we’re currently seeing in the schedules will be the actual seat map on offer once the route starts up on 27 October.
With Qatar Airways undoubtedly wanting to look its best at the home of its arch-enemy (Delta), I’m finding it hard to believe that it would really go from offering a very good 1-2-1 all-aisle-access Business Class cabin to an out-of-date 2-2-2 cabin layout on its route to Atlanta.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the 777-200LR that is being added to the Doha – Atlanta route will have been refitted with a Qsuites Business Class cabin by the time 27 October comes around. Or, if it doesn’t have a Qsuite cabin by then, it will have one not long thereafter.
What do you think?
See which routes currently offer the Qatar Airways Qsuites Business Class cabin
My seatmap for March 17 still shows the B777-200LR but for my return April 1 it does show the A350. Both my flights in May show the A350 as well.
I agree wholeheartedly that QR should fly their best product in here, that way I wouldn’t have to fly to IAH to experience the Qsuites and it’d stick it to Delta and their hypocritical ways.
Man, it’s getting close to Oct 27 and they haven’t updated the seat map, I’m flying the route in late November. Fingers crossed that it’ll get updated!!
Interesting look on flightstats.com for QR 0755 Doha to Atlanta, Oct 28 they flew tail number A7-BBH which doesn’t have Q-suites, but then on Oct 29 they flew tail number A7-BBA which does have Q-suites (it was previously on Los Angeles route, curious to see if this lasts)
That’s very good to know, thank you. I’ll keep an eye on this route to see how things develop.
They have Q-Suites daily now from Atlanta
They have Q-Suites daily now from Atlanta.
Thanks for the heads up. Any idea when the new aircraft appeared on the route?
I’ve just had a look at Expert Flyer and the Qsuites are not showing as daily – they appear twice in the first week of December on DOH-ATL but not at all in the second or third week.