Qatar Airways has launched its revolutionary business class product – Qsuite. The patented, flexible suite can be adapted to suit the needs of different passenger types, ranging from individual travellers to families and groups.
The Qsuite features the industry’s first-ever double bed in business class. Privacy panels stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room. In addition, adjustable panels and movable TV monitors on the centre four seats allow colleagues, friends or families travelling together to transform their space into a private suite.
Speaking exclusively to Future Travel Experience, Rossen Dimitrov, Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Qatar Airways, said: “We’ve brought the elements of first class into business and that is not only in the service, but in the comfort we’re providing to our customers. We know what customers want today and we’ve looked at all the groups of travellers who travel with us in business class today.
“As you know, at Qatar Airways our premium focus has always been in business class, with the exception of the A380s (which also has a first class cabin). What is very important for us is what we’ve designed can cater to everyone, whether it’s a family, business travellers, people going on celebrations like honeymoons and so on, or whether it’s an individual who is travelling alone with us. It has been designed all around the different types of customers we know we have travelling with us in business class.”
‘This is not just a business class seat’
Dimitrov stated that Qatar Airways has set a new benchmark in business class, so much so that it would be unfair to refer to the new product as a “business class seat”. “I don’t call it a seat. I call it a business class cabin,” he stated.
“This is not just a business class seat that you go and sit in and travel in – it’s very different. Providing comfort and privacy, and providing an unparalleled experience for all the types of customers who travel with us is very important to us at Qatar Airways.”
Dimitrov, who is a member of the Future Travel Experience Advisory Board, explained that he doesn’t see any other airline’s business class product – not even the Delta One Suite with its sliding privacy door – as a competitor to Qatar Airways’ new business class cabin.
“Delta’s is just a business class seat, even though the privacy is there,” he said. “With our cabin, you have much more than just a business class seat. You have a cabin that caters to a variety of customers that we know travel with us.”
Ahead of the launch, Qatar Airways had vowed to unveil “a new level of luxury” for business class. It has certainly delivered on that promise.
Rossen Dimitrov, SVP Customer Experience, Qatar Airways, is a member of the Future Travel Experience Advisory Board. He will deliver an in-depth presentation outlining every stage of the creation of the groundbreaking new business class experience – from concept to delivery – at a Future Travel Experience event this year. FTE will host four events in 2017: FTE Europe, FTE Ancillary, FTE Global and FTE Asia EXPO.
