In 2017, Qatar Airways introduced the QSuite with its groundbreaking design for a business class suite with a door which it triggered a step change in business class seats. Now, a business class seat with a door is seen as the modern standard for long-haul travel.

The QSuite, along with the service on board Qatar Airways, is widely considered to be one of the the best business class products in the world. With Qatar Airways launching its new generation of QSuite at Farnborough Airshow this week, you may be wondering how you can improve on the leading product.

While there have been numerous updates, which are more “tweaks” to keep up with progress since its launch, the new design also has a groundbreaking change.

So, what changes can be expected from the new seats? Well, firstly, they are longer and wider, meaning that a larger double bed can be formed with the two middle seats if you wish to configure them together. The walls of the suite are also higher to give extra privacy.

As you would expect, the suite’s technology has also been upgraded with wireless charging and USB-C, USB-A, and 110v multi-country sockets. The TV screens will be moveable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova 22” screens, a first for any airline in the world. Bluetooth pairing for your own headphones will be available for entertainment. Qatar is also planning to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi, which is currently one of the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky. There is also a choice of lighting for every activity and a drigitwally lockable drawer for valuables.

The biggest changes are to be found in the way the suites can be combined. With the current QSuites you can combine the center seats into a duo or a quad with two pairs of seats facing each other. Sadly if you love a window seat, you are out of luck since these are not currently able to be combined. All this changes with the Next Gen seats, which will feature a new “Companion Suite” which is formed with two window seats facing each other. The current layout of 1-2-1 with seats alternating between forward and backward facing will continue to allow for this and save space so the maximum number of seats can be installed.

Along with the groundbreaking window dual suites, the combination of the quad, duo, and companion suites is also unique. Instead of having a divider between the suites that needs to be lowered, the TV screens form part of that barrier and can be folded away. This means that where you are facing someone, the TV folds to the side so you can both see the screen. It also means that the view to the other seats in a quad or the new Companion suites will no longer be obscured since they can be tucked into the sides, completely out of the way.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “We are excited to have finally revealed the long-awaited Qsuite Next Gen at the Farnborough International Airshow. Qatar Airways has once again raised the bar for its award-winning product, the Qsuite. We look forward to welcoming media and partners to our stand throughout the week to experience the future of business class travel with the World’s Best Business Class onboard the World’s Best Airline.”

It will be some time before these new suites are flying, as they are due to debut on the Boeing 777X. Qatar recently added an additional 20 aircraft to its existing Boeing 777X order, bringing the total number ordered to 60. Qatar Airways does not have a firm delivery date for its first B777X. The long-anticipated new aircraft type from Boeing has been delayed from its original target delivery date of 2023 due to the pandemic. Currently Qatar expects that it should receive the first of its B777X by the end of 2025.

The airline confirmed that it will not be retrofitting older aircraft with these seats. Currently Qatar Airways has a mixture of different business class seats across its fleet, in part due to the issues it had with the Airbus 350 aircraft that were taken out of service. With these aircraft now back in the air, the airline will look to reduce the number of non-Qatar-branded leased aircraft and start to retire the oldest aircraft.

Qatar also confirmed that they will not retrofit the A380 with either QSuite. However, the A380 does have modern business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, but they are not suites with a door. Instead, the A380 does have additional storage in the window seats on the upper deck and a delightful lounge/bar area for business and first passengers to enjoy a drink and snack as well as stretch their legs.