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Qatar has the best business class product in the world in its new ‘QSuites’. To be sure even their older Airbus A350 business class is very good, a B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seat and a phenomenal soft product. But QSuites are revolutionary suites with doors and moveable partitions that allow two and even four passengers to travel together in their own space.
Credit: Qatar Airways
In the past it’s been possible but not easy to get (4) business class award seats on a single flight with QSuites. That’s special because it means you can be seated together in a section of four, take down dividers.
Credit: Qatar Airways
Back in August I wrote about great business class award space on several non-QSuites routes. Right now there’s amazing availability on routes with QSuites too starting in early 2019 and running through end of schedule.
Always check your seat back. Boeing 777-300ERs (“77W” aircraft type) will have 11 rows of business class if it’s QSuites. They’ll also have seats appear clustered together in the middle section.
The plane is operating Washington Dulles – Doha and award availability is great February onward, except for June. Here’s business class availability for four passengers in March:
QSuites aircraft are also operating Chicago O’Hare – Doha and award availability is great February onward, with March and April best if you want four awards versus just two. Here’s business class availability for four passengers in March:
Boston – Doha doesn’t feature QSuites, however it does get Qatar’s Airbus A350-900 with excellent B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seats. And of course Qatar’s soft product. Here’s business class availability for four passengers in March:
This is a fantastic chance to redeem miles for the world’s best business class. You may want to visit Doha, I recommend a couple of days and definitely seeing the Museum of Islamic Art. However it’s also a great connecting point.
In general American AAdvantage miles are best for redeeming long haul business class travel on Qatar. American charges 70,000 miles each way for business class between the US and the Mideast or Indian Subcontinent.
- American also lets you connect in Doha to Africa on Qatar on a single award redemption
- Connections between Asia and Africa, between Europe and Asia, and between Europe and South Pacific are permitted on Qatar with a single award redemption. These are additional exceptions to American’s usual rule that you cannot fly between two regions via a third region.
Citi’s best-ever 70,000 mile American AAdvantage business card bonus offer is still available. The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® has the best offer I’m aware of that they’ve ever made for the card, a 70,000 mile initial bonus after spending $4,000 within the first 4 months of account opening. This card has a $0 annual fee the first year (then $99). [Offer expired]
British Airways (Chase, American Express transfer partner) can book Qatar Airways seats with fuel surcharges. Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles (American Express, Citi transfer partner) can as well.
(HT: Robert J.)
What about MIA-DOH?
Anybody finding space from MIA ?
For a family of 4, I just booked PHL-DOH on A350-900 and then DOH-CMB with QSuite – only 5 hour flight but I think we’ll be awake and able to enjoy the family time! Coming back on Cathay via HKG so technically a round the world trip… Annoyingly, flying back into Toronto so AA charged 5000 extra miles 🙁
Shame they put up the number of QMiles required so bloody much 🙁
Gary, with AA can I book IAD->DOH->CPT for just 70,000 miles? (you say “American also lets you connect in Doha to Africa on Qatar on a single award redemption”)
Would any of the QR’s partners allow a free stopover in Doha?
@Albery – it would be the price of business between US and Africa, 75k miles one way in business
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/miles/redeem/award-travel/oneworld-and-other-airline-partner-award-chart.jsp
@Jimmy @Mel MIA-DOH-MIA is served by a A350 which have nice business class seats (B/E Aerospace Super Diamond).
@Albery. It’s 75k AA miles for IAD-DOH-CPT each way. I just flew that routing last month and even enjoyed running around Doha for 6 hours and took a shower in the biz lounge before continuing on to CPT.
Can I ask how you search by the month? I’ve been using BA but having to go day by day is annoying. Also, the most I see is 4. Has anyone ever seen 5? Or is my best best to split into 2:3? Thanks
The hardest thing is then finding a connection onward form Doha. Maldives or Africa would be the best since it can be had for the same amount of AA miles. I tried to make an African family vacation work, but couldn’t line up the dates. Either i could find US-DOH for 4, but then not from DOH-Africa within 24 hours so that it can all be booked for one set of miles, or vice versa.
https://truptravels.com/2018/09/15/2019-summer-vacation-planning-passing-on-europe-and-africa-but-how-you-can-do-it-on-points-and-miles/
Completely random question but where are those availability calendar screenshots come from? Is it ExpertFlyer?
@clem – awardnexus.com
I’m on American’s website searching IAD-DOH in Business Saver, but for every day of the month in March all that comes up is BA routing IAD-LHR then LHR-DOH. How do I find any QR availability?
@Floyd Russak – American’s website does not show Qatar Airways availability, you have to call
Thank you for this post, Mr. Gary. Picked up QSuites [SAT-ORD-DOH-ORD-SAT] for two (2) at the SAAver award level.
I’m looking to fly NYC to DOH, any availability in QSuites rewards for Feb 2019? I am seeing it avl out of IAD, not JFK