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The Qatar Airways Qsuite Business Class cabin is widely recognised as being the best Business Class cabin in the world right now and thanks to aircraft refits and an expanding Qatar Airways fleet it’s getting easier to find flights offering the product.
Now, in a recent schedule update, it looks like Qatar Airways is adding a QSuite-equipped aircraft to its route between Doha and Perth….albeit for just three months.
Between 12 September and 12 December 2019 Qatar Airways is swapping out the Airbus A380 which currently operates the Doha-Perth route with a QSuite-equipped Boeing 777-300ER.
Here’s ExpertFlyer showing the first day of 777-300ER service….
…and here’s the Business Class seat map for 12 September showing a QSuite Business Class cabin:
According to AUBT the Qatar Airways Airbus A380 is due to undergo routine maintenance which is why it’s being temporarily replaced by the 777 – normal A380 service will resume from 13 December 2019.
What Changes Will This Bring?
The change which will affect most people is the one that will see passengers in Economy Class loose around an inch of legroom – the A380 offers 32″ of seat pitch while the 777 offers 31″ at most seats.
The 777 also doesn’t offer the bar area that the Airbus A380 offers and, on a long flight like Doha-Perth, the bar area can be a nice place to spend some time ands stretch one’s legs.
Another negative change is that the Boeing 777 doesn’t offer a First Class cabin so anyone booked to fly Qatar Airways First Class to/from Perth between 12 September and 12 December 2019 will find themselves downgraded to Business Class.
The downgrade is unlikely to be all that painful as the QSuite Business Class cabin is pretty spectacular by Business Class cabin standards.
With individual suites on either side of the aircraft….
…and central pairs of seats which can be linked to form a double bed….
…or even a 4-person cabin….
…this isn’t really too far away from what you’ll find in a lot of First Class cabins…and in some cases it’s a lot better.
I’m an unabashed fan of Qatar Airways Business Class as I find the service onboard to be considerably better than the service on most other airlines (there are some exceptions). I also find that the Business Class seats on most of the airline’s aircraft are pretty good too….but none of them is even close to competing with the QSuite.
Bottom Line
If you’re booked into First Class for travel between Doha and Perth between 12 September and 12 December Qatar Airways should be getting in touch with you to offer you a refund (the difference in cost between a First Class and Business Class fare).
If you haven’t yet heard from the airline it may be worth giving it a call.
Whatever class you’re booked into you should now access your Qatar Airways booking and check your seat assignments as they will almost certainly have changed – the A380 and 777 have very different cabin layouts – so make sure you have your preferred seats reserved.
Overall this will mostly be a nice but brief upgrade for Business Class passengers traveling on the Doha-Perth route – the A380 Business Class cabin is great (reviewed here) but the QSuites are something else.
