Qatar A380 comes to Singapore; book mixed First & Business awards at Business Class rates

Qatar Airways will deploy one of its eight Airbus A380-800s to Singapore from mid-January 2026, which at 517 seats represents a major capacity increase over the 283-seater A350-900 it replaces.

The bad news is that this represents a downgrade for Business Class travellers, because it swaps the beloved Qsuite for an older Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seat.

The good news? It also creates a unique opportunity to experience Qatar’s First Class…at Business Class rates!

Qatar Airways brings A380-800 to Singapore

From 12 January 2026, Qatar Airways will operate an Airbus A380-800 on the SIN-DOH route as QR947/948, replacing the A350-900 that is currently rostered. The A380 is currently rostered all the way till the end of the Northern Winter 26/27 season, which concludes on 27 March 2027.

While this is an upgrade in terms of capacity, it’s a downgrade in terms of product quality– at least where Business Class is concerned.

The A350-900 that currently operates QR947/948 is equipped with Qsuites, Qatar’s flagship Business Class product. This offers a fully-enclosed suite with a sliding privacy door, in a staggered layout that gives each passenger direct access to the aisle. The centre seats can be converted into a double bed, or if you have a party of four, a group dining or meeting space. 

I finally had an opportunity to review the Qsuite on a B777-300ER, and I can confirm it very much lives up to the hype. 

Review: Qatar Airways B777-300ER Qsuites Business Class (LHR-DOH)

The A380-800, on the other hand, is outfitted with the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seat. This is a very respectable Business Class product by all accounts, with a full-flat bed and a 1-2-1 configuration that provides direct aisle access for all passengers.

However, it’s a decidedly last-gen product, and lacks the privacy doors or double bed/family dining/meeting space configurations offered by the Qsuite. It’s comfortable enough, but if you’ve ever flown the Qsuite, it’s impossible not to feel disappointed. 

I reviewed this seat back in 2023, albeit on an A350-900.

Review: Qatar Airways A350-900 Business Class (DOH-SIN)

If it’s any consolation, Business Class passengers on the A380 have access to an inflight bar, located on the upper deck. This provides an opportunity to stretch your legs during the flight and chat up other passengers (or try everything in your power to avoid eye contact, as I’d much prefer).

Book mixed-cabin awards at the Business Class price

But here’s the good news: you can book mixed-cabin awards from SIN-DOH-X (or vice versa) with SIN-DOH in First Class, and DOH-X in Business Class, and pay just the Business Class rate for the entire journey!

Here’s a sample itinerary from SEA-DOH-SIN:

• The first leg from SEA-DOH is in Business Class on a B777-300ER
• The second leg from DOH-SIN is in First Class on an A380-800

On the Qatar Airways website, I can book the entire itinerary for 95,000 Avios, which is exactly the same price as a pure Business Class itinerary. 

After adding in Qatar’s junky “award redemption fees”, you’ll have to pay US$287.20 in cash, but for 14.5 hours in Qsuites, 8.5 hours at the Al Safwa lounge, and 8 hours in First Class, I think I can overlook it!

From what I can see so far, this pricing is available for itineraries between Singapore and North/South America. I’ve been able to find GRU, LAX and SEA, though I’m sure there’s more possibilities out there.

I have yet to find any routings between Singapore and Europe, but if you did, you should expect to pay 70,000-75,000 Avios in total.

Do remember that Qatar Privilege Club has three possible costs for a given award:

• Regular (Off-Peak)
• Regular (Peak)
• Flexi

The pricing quoted in the table reflects off-peak pricing. Peak pricing costs 20% more than off-peak, and Flexi awards (formerly known as Q2 awards) cost 100% more than off-peak. When searching for awards, always look for the “off-peak” label (anything without a label is peak pricing).

Caveats

While Qatar Airways has rostered the A380 on QR947/948 all the way from 12 January 2026 to 27 March 2027, there is no guarantee they will actually see it through. 

Qatar is notorious for aircraft swaps (“getting QR-ed” is a verb among the frequent flyer community), and if the replacement aircraft has no First Class cabin — which is highly likely — then your First Class leg will be downgraded to Business Class and you won’t enjoy any of the First Class lounge entitlements. 

In that case, I don’t think you can expect much in the way of compensation, especially if they see that you paid the Business Class award rate for the entire journey. That said, it’s significantly trickier to swap a high capacity aircraft like the A380 for a lower capacity one, unless perhaps the seats aren’t selling well.

Also, this pricing glitch could be corrected at any time, and there’s no guarantee the tickets will be honoured as booked.

What is Qatar First Class like?

Qatar Airways doesn’t have a very big First Class footprint. The only Qatar aircraft with a long-haul First Class product are the Airbus A380s, and a few Boeing 777s inherited from Cathay Pacific (Qatar didn’t change the seats, so this is a unique opportunity to try “Qatar Pacific”– Cathay’s seats with Qatar’s service). 

Its former CEO liked to say that the airline didn’t need First Class because its Business Class was as good as First Class. In fact, at one point it looked like Qatar was planning to eliminate First Class altogether, though it’s since reversed that decision.

That said, on the A380 you can expect an eight-seater cabin with the airline’s signature, refined finishes (i.e. not bling). While the seats don’t have doors, there are movable dividers that can offer additional privacy. You can check out OMAAT’s review here.

In terms of the soft product, the main difference is a higher crew to passenger ratio, a bigger portion of caviar, and an upgrade to the wines and champagne (Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires, if I’m not wrong). However, the bedding, amenity kit and pajamas are the same as what you’d get in Business Class. 

When transiting in Doha, First Class passengers can access the amazing Al Safwa First Class Lounge. This is a massive facility that feels like a museum- and I mean that in the best possible way. The architecture is inspired by Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, and offers a la carte dining, private hotel rooms with ensuite showers and toilets, its very own duty-free shop, and even a spa (not free).

Access will be granted whether you’re arriving in Doha in Business and connecting to First, or vice versa (thanks to oneworld access rules). I visited this lounge back in 2017, and you can find the review below.

Review: Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha Airport

If you’re departing from Singapore, you will also have a chance to visit the Qantas First Lounge at Terminal 1, which offers restaurant-quality dining and excellent cocktails (it’s the kind of thing I’d be happy to pay money for outside).

I’d consider this the best lounge in Changi Airport, and no, I haven’t forgotten about The Private Room!

Conclusion

Qatar Airways will be bringing its Airbus A380-800 to Singapore in January 2026, and while that’s bad news in terms of the Business Class product, it could yet be a bonanza for those booking awards.

When flying from Singapore to North or South America, mixed First and Business Class awards can be booked at the cost of Business Class, giving you a “free upgrade” to try First Class on the ~8 hour flight to/from Doha. 

I’ve personally booked one of those tickets for late 2026, though a lot can happen between now and then, so I’ll consider it a bonus if it actually happens.

(HT: Simon)