Qatar Airways makes SIN-DOH an all QSuite route from March 2019

It’s safe to say that Qatar’s QSuites rank right up there alongside SQ Suites, Emirates First and Etihad Apartments as must-try cabin products for any aspiring travel hacker.

This groundbreaking new product, which was introduced in March 2017, was the first to feature a double bed in Business Class. It can even be used as a dining or working pod for four people traveling together.

Qatar QSuites Business Class | Photo Credit: KNAviation

Although the rollout has been a bit slower than hoped for, Qatar now has 32 aircraft equipped with QSuites. The product is available on all A350-1000s and selected A350-900s and 777Ws.

All three SIN-DOH flights will be upgraded to QSuites from 31 March 2019

Singapore-based flyers have already been able to enjoy QSuites on two of the three daily flights to Doha (QR944/945 & QR946/947).

From 31 March 2019, the third flight, QR943, will also be upgraded from an A350-900 to an A350-1000. This means a swap from Qatar’s perfectly decent reverse herringbone business class to a QSuites-equipped plane.

Here’s a summary of what the flight schedule between SIN and DOH will look like from 31 March 2019:

How much do awards on this route cost?

Here’s how much it costs to redeem a one-way Business Class award between SIN and DOH, depending on which program you use.

Qatar Airways, sadly, does levy hefty fuel surcharges so you’re better off using a program like AA Advantage to book, because it does not pass those surcharges on. AA sells its miles frequently throughout the year at prices as low as 1.81 US cents per mile, although you can also earn those miles by crediting oneworld-operated flights.

Please don’t use Qatar’s Privilege Club to book this flight! In addition to the fuel surcharges, Qatar Privilege Club imposes a ridiculous US$25/50/75 “award redemption fee” per sector for economy/business/first class awards. That’s the very definition of a junk fee, and together with their fondness for unannounced devaluations makes Privilege Club one of the worst FFPs out there.

How much award space is available?

The good news is that award space between SIN and DOH is fairly plentiful. Using the Avios search engine, I can see numerous days where as many as 4 Business Class awards are available. That’s fantastic, because it means you could book up an entire pod if you were so inclined.

I realise Doha isn’t exactly high on many people’s to-visit lists, but you can also catch connecting QSuites flights out of Doha to places like London or Frankfurt. Do note, however, that you’re likely going to be looking at S$1K+ of fuel surcharges on a round trip itinerary like this.

Conclusion

Assuming you can avoid QR’s pesky fuel surcharges, QSuites is a product you should absolutely seek to try at least once. It’s also good that passengers can start to expect a more consistent product across aircraft, given that the vast majority don’t bother to check seatmaps or aircraft types before booking.

Is it too much to hope for this to happen again?

(Cover photo: TPG)