Wide-open Qatar Qsuite award availability from Singapore in 2021

Despite first being launched over three years ago, the Qatar Airways Qsuite still sets an exceptional standard among Business Class products worldwide, with only the latest ANA Business Class either catching up or perhaps even slightly surpassing it in recent times.

Singapore became an all-Qsuite route for the airline almost exactly a year ago, in June 2019, with three daily services to and from Doha featuring the new seats on a dedicated basis, unlike some other routes like Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok where the cabin ‘comes and goes’.

Even when the airline operates a smaller Airbus A350-900 on the Singapore route rather than the usual A350-1000, like it has been recently for example, it prioritises a Qsuite-equipped one for the job.

That makes Singapore – Doha the route to choose from this part of the world to practically guarantee the Qsuite in Business Class on your Qatar Airways flight, but the biggest drawback has always been that it’s a difficult route to redeem on, even for one passenger let alone two or more on the same flight.

Qsuite award availability

There’s good news though, thanks to Thrifty Traveller, who noticed that Qatar is loading a significant quantity of Business Class award seats in 2021 including on Qsuite routes to and from the USA.

That led us to take a look at availability on the Singapore – Doha route and it’s really quite astounding.

Qatar Airways has loaded over 1,000 Qsuite awards from Singapore to Doha between January and May 2021, with the same number available on the Doha to Singapore route too.

That’s an average of seven award seats per day in each direction.

We’re literally seeing award space for hundreds of Qsuites in total, with up to 4 on each flight meaning 12 award seats across a single day in some cases.

The Qsuite

If Qatar’s latest Business Class product Qsuite is new to you – see what the airline itself has to say about it here.

These are private individual suites with closing doors, a double bed option in the middle and even a four person family-style ‘quad’ suite, which can be configured in some middle rows.

We’ve flown the Qsuite a few times now, but of course on the first occasion back in September 2018 we took the opportunity to review the product in detail.

Qatar’s service and food isn’t always on par with Singapore Airlines in our experience, but the Qsuite probably makes up for it in many other ways.

All Qatar Airways aircraft fitted with the Qsuite also have the airline’s excellent ‘Super Wi-Fi’ system installed. We tried it out late last year on a Doha to Singapore flight and it didn’t disappoint.

With the first hour free, then US$10 for unlimited Wi-Fi for the rest of the flight with no data cap, it’s great value in our opinion especially if you need to get some work done while sipping a glass of Champagne.

Which dates are available?

We checked award availability all the way through from January to May 2021.

Initially for the first half of January award space is still quite limited, but from mid-January onwards it really starts to pick up, with flights on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in both directions starting to see four award seats on most flights.

That’s your way to unlock the Qsuite’s ‘quad’ seats for a family or group of friends.

Here’s our ‘heat map’ of award space currently loaded, as of 13th June 2020.

January 2021
Date	SIN ➔ DOH			DOH ➔ SIN
	QR 945	QR 943	QR 947	QR 946	QR 944	QR 942
1 Jan	0	2	2	1	2	2
2 Jan	0	0	0	0	2	0
3 Jan	0	0	0	0	2	2
4 Jan	0	0	0	2	4	4
5 Jan	0	0	0	4	2	1
6 Jan	0	0	0	1	1	0
7 Jan	0	0	0	0	0	0
8 Jan	0	0	0	0	0	2
9 Jan	0	0	0	2	0	0
10 Jan	0	0	2	2	0	0
11 Jan	3	4	4	0	1	1
12 Jan	4	4	4	4	1	2
13 Jan	0	0	0	4	4	4
14 Jan	2	2	2	2	2	2
15 Jan	2	2	1	0	2	2
16 Jan	2	2	2	1	2	2
17 Jan	0	2	2	2	2	2
18 Jan	1	4	2	4	4	0
19 Jan	4	4	4	2	4	2
20 Jan	4	4	4	4	4	2
21 Jan	2	2	2	2	2	2
22 Jan	2	2	2	2	2	2
23 Jan	2	2	2	2	0	2
24 Jan	2	2	2	2	2	0
25 Jan	4	2	4	0	4	4
26 Jan	4	4	4	0	4	0
27 Jan	4	4	0	4	4	4
28 Jan	2	2	2	2	2	2
29 Jan	2	2	0	2	2	2
30 Jan	0	2	2	2	2	2
31 Jan	2	2	2	2	0	2

February 2021
Date	SIN ➔ DOH			DOH ➔ SIN
	QR 945	QR 943	QR 947	QR 946	QR 944	QR 942
1 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	4
2 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	4
3 Feb	2	4	4	4	4	4
4 Feb	2	2	0	2	2	2
5 Feb	2	2	2	0	0	2
6 Feb	0	2	2	2	2	0
7 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	2
8 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	4
9 Feb	4	4	2	2	4	0
10 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	4
11 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	2
12 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	2
13 Feb	1	2	2	2	2	2
14 Feb	2	2	2	0	0	0
15 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	4
16 Feb	4	4	4	0	4	4
17 Feb	4	4	4	4	3	4
18 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	2
19 Feb	2	2	2	0	2	0
20 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	2
21 Feb	0	2	2	2	2	2
22 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	2
23 Feb	4	4	4	2	4	4
24 Feb	4	4	4	4	4	4
25 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	2
26 Feb	2	2	2	2	1	1
27 Feb	1	2	2	2	2	2
28 Feb	2	2	2	2	2	0

March 2021
Date	SIN ➔ DOH			DOH ➔ SIN
	QR 945	QR 943	QR 947	QR 946	QR 944	QR 942
1 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	2
2 Mar	4	4	3	4	4	4
3 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	4
4 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	2
5 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	2
6 Mar	2	2	2	0	2	2
7 Mar	0	2	2	2	2	2
8 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	4
9 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	4
10 Mar	4	4	2	4	4	3
11 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	0
12 Mar	2	2	0	2	2	2
13 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	2
14 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	2
15 Mar	4	2	4	4	4	4
16 Mar	3	4	4	4	4	4
17 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	2
18 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	1
19 Mar	2	2	2	2	2	2
20 Mar	1	2	1	2	2	2
21 Mar	0	2	2	2	2	2
22 Mar	4	4	4	2	4	4
23 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	4
24 Mar	4	4	4	4	4	4
25 Mar	2	2	2	0	2	2
26 Mar	2	2	1	0	0	0
27 Mar	1	2	2	0	0	0
28 Mar	0	2	2	0	0	0
29 Mar	4	4	4	0	0	0
30 Mar	4	4	4	0	0	0
31 Mar	4	1	4	0	0	0

April 2021
Date	SIN ➔ DOH			DOH ➔ SIN
	QR 945	QR 943	QR 947	QR 946	QR 944	QR 942
1 Apr	2	2	2	0	0	0
2 Apr	0	0	0	0	0	0
3 Apr	0	0	0	0	0	0
4 Apr	0	0	0	2	2	2
5 Apr	0	0	0	4	4	4
6 Apr	0	0	0	4	4	4
7 Apr	0	0	0	4	4	4
8 Apr	0	0	0	2	2	2
9 Apr	0	0	0	1	2	2
10 Apr	0	0	0	2	2	2
11 Apr	0	0	0	2	2	2
12 Apr	4	4	4	1	4	4
13 Apr	4	4	4	4	4	2
14 Apr	1	4	4	4	4	4
15 Apr	2	2	2	0	2	2
16 Apr	2	0	0	2	2	2
17 Apr	2	2	2	2	2	0
18 Apr	1	2	2	2	2	2
19 Apr	4	4	2	4	4	4
20 Apr	4	4	4	0	4	0
21 Apr	4	4	4	4	4	2
22 Apr	2	2	2	2	2	2
23 Apr	2	2	0	2	2	2
24 Apr	0	0	2	2	2	2
25 Apr	2	2	2	2	2	2
26 Apr	4	4	4	4	4	4
27 Apr	4	4	4	0	4	4
28 Apr	4	4	4	4	4	4
29 Apr	2	2	2	2	2	2
30 Apr	2	2	0	2	2	2

May 2021
Date	SIN ➔ DOH			DOH ➔ SIN
	QR 945	QR 943	QR 947	QR 946	QR 944	QR 942
1 May	2	2	2	2	2	0
2 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
3 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
4 May	4	4	2	4	4	4
5 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
6 May	2	2	2	2	2	1
7 May	2	2	0	2	2	2
8 May	2	2	2	2	2	0
9 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
10 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
11 May	4	4	4	4	2	4
12 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
13 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
14 May	2	2	0	2	2	2
15 May	2	2	1	2	2	2
16 May	2	2	2	0	2	2
17 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
18 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
19 May	4	2	4	4	4	4
20 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
21 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
22 May	0	2	2	2	2	2
23 May	2	0	2	2	2	2
24 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
25 May	4	4	4	4	4	4
26 May	4	4	4	4	2	4
27 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
28 May	2	0	2	2	2	2
29 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
30 May	2	2	2	2	2	2
31 May	4	4	4	4	4	4

Generous award space is not just for the Singapore route – we saw similar availability when searching to and from other Asian cities like Bangkok and Hong Kong, plus on those all-important onward routes from Doha to Europe and the USA.

Award rates

Qatar Airways is a oneworld member, so you can use frequent flyer miles accrued in any oneworld programme to redeem its Business Class seats, including the Qsuite.

We looked at four one-way routes from Singapore, the first being simply non-stop to Doha. After that we checked pricing including an onward flight to London, Athens and New York.

Not all of these onward flights use the Qsuite (e.g. Athens), but many do including New York and London.

Qatar Business redemption to/from Singapore
FFP	Doha	London	Athens	New York
	67.5k +S$44	125.5k +S$56	109.5k +S$56	169k +S$79
	61k +S$420	70k +S$482	70k +S$482	90k +S$608
	62k +S$420	124k +S$482	84k +S$482	170.25k +S$608
	75k +S$420	119.2k +S$482	90k +S$482	159k +S$608
	82k +S$420	131k +S$482	131k +S$482	165k +S$608
	40k +S$44	75k +S$56	75k +S$56	110k +S$99

Sadly only two of these frequent flyer programmes allow you to avoid the sting in the tail with Qatar Airways awards – the hefty fuel surcharge. That’s using Qatar’s own Privilege Club Qmiles or American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

As you can see Qatar’s own (stealth no-notice devaluing) Privilege Club fares poorly as a redemption option in terms of miles needed. You can transfer into the programme from Citi and Standard Chartered credit cards in Singapore, but there’s really no good reason to, given the miles rates compared with other schemes.

Exception: If you’re only flying to or from Doha, using Qatar’s Qmiles is probably the best way to redeem, since the airline does not pass on its fuel surcharge to Privilege Club members (since 2015). Even though it costs 6,500 miles more than using Asia Miles or 5,500 miles more than using Avios points, the significant S$376 saving far outweighs the extra miles needed.

Asia Miles is your accessible go-to frequent flyer currency for Qatar Airways Business Class awards, unless you’re only going to Doha in which case British Airways Avios is reasonable too, but as we mentioned above you’re better off using Qmiles on that route and avoiding the fuel surcharge.

You can transfer credit card points into Asia Miles from practically every bank in Singapore (OCBC and Standard Chartered are the sole exceptions), so there’s great flexibility here for most of our readers.

If you’re very lucky you have a stash of American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Lucky for Qatar Airways awards that is, given this programme also does not pass on any fuel surcharges (YQ) or carrier-imposed charges (YR) when you book awards with oneworld or partner airlines, except for British Airways and Iberia.

Not only that, AAdvantage has a competitive oneworld and partner award chart, meaning you can redeem the Qsuite to Doha for just 40,000 miles + S$44.

At 75,000 miles all the way to or from Europe, this even beats Asia Miles in our opinion given that you’ll be making such a significant saving by avoiding Qatar’s fuel surcharge but only paying an extra 5,000 miles.

Unfortunately there are no credit cards transferring into AAdvantage in Singapore, but you can credit Rocketmiles hotel bookings to the programme or transfer from Marriott Bonvoy, which are often on sale at a discount. AAdvantage miles can also be purchased directly, from around 1.6 US cents each in their best bonus promotions.

How to search Qatar award space

Generally we use the British Airways Avios search engine to find Qatar Airways award availability. This requires you to be logged on in order to search, but it’s free to have an Executive Club account.

This will show you the availability on a given day, with the ability to quickly check days either side or skip to different weekly periods.

There is no need to enter the number of passengers or select Business Class when searching (just leave it at the default settings, Economy and 1 pax), since it will show both classes for Qatar flights by default and display the number of seats available for redemption within each cabin on each flight (if it’s less than 9).

You can also search a calendar month view using the American Airlines AAdvantage site. This is quite a useful way to view Qatar availability, plus doesn’t require you to be logged in or even have an AAdvantage account.

If you’re a Qatar Airways Privilege Club member you can also log on and search availability through the airline’s website.

Checking your flight has the Qsuite

All Qatar Airways flights to and from Singapore have the Qsuite in Business Class, so that part of the journey is no stress.

It may help you to know that all Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350-1000s plus selected Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 777-300ERs have the Qsuite.

All Boeing 787-9s will also have the product, when they finally enter service with “Qsuite Version 2” installed.

Assuming your onward flight from Doha is on an Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 777-300ER, you’ll be able to check whether it has the Qsuite from the seat map, using a tool such as ExpertFlyer.

The ‘staggered’ seat layout at alternate rows indicates the Qsuite.

The seat map on the left in this example shows the Qsuite on the Boeing 777-300ER, while the one on the right is an aircraft with the older product.

If your onward flight from Doha doesn’t have the Qsuite but is on an Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 787-8, then it has the airline’s previous generation direct aisle access product.

This is still a great seat with decent privacy levels, so we’d say don’t let it put you off especially given that you’ll definitely be getting the Qsuite on your Singapore – Doha flight and vice-versa in any case.

Married segment awards

The availability we showed above is for a simple Singapore to/from Doha redemption. Most of our readers will want to be redeeming into Europe or across to the USA with a transit in Doha, so something to bear in mind about Qatar’s award space is the ‘married segment’ principle.

It means there may be more award space on a flight with an aircraft change in Doha en route, for example from Singapore to Paris via Doha, but less award space between Singapore and Doha when searching the first flight in isolation. The same can apply in reverse.

For example:

• SIN-DOH: 2 seats
• DOH-CDG: 2 seats
• SIN-DOH-CDG: 4 seats

or:

• SIN-DOH: 4 seats
• DOH-CDG: 3 seats
• SIN-DOH-CDG: 2 seats

Most of the time, the award space you see making individual searches (e.g. SIN-DOH then DOH-CDG separately) is the same as you’ll see searching the whole itinerary (e.g. SIN-CDG), but it can sometimes be different.

We therefore suggest searching your whole proposed itinerary rather than sector-by-sector.

Change fees

Booking this far ahead means you might need to shift your plans to a different date, flight or routing. Here’s how each FFP listed above charges for award ticket changes.

Award ticket change fees
FFP	US$	S$	Notes
	$25		> 24h before departure
	$100		3-24h before departure
	$100		Or 10,000 Asia Miles
		$69
		$0	+ 5,000 QFF Points
	$20
	Free

Cancellation fees

Locking in a redemption for next year in these uncertain times means there’s a chance your travel plans will not be possible. Here’s how each FFP listed above charges for award ticket cancellations.

Award ticket cancellation fees
FFP	US$	S$	Notes
	$25		> 24h before departure
	$100		3-24h before departure
	$120		Or 12,000 Asia Miles
		Free	Within 24h of booking
		$69	Avios points used will also be forfeited if cancelled within 24h of departure
		$0	+ 6,000 QFF Points
	Cannot cancel
	$150		First passenger on booking
	$25		Additional passengers on booking (same PNR)

It’s very important to highlight here that Malaysia Airlines Enrich miles are not refundable, you can only change your award.

“Once an Award Travel is issued it is considered used if not utilised for the flight reserved. Enrich Miles cannot be re-deposited nor can taxes, fees and surcharges paid be refunded.”

Malaysia Airlines (Enrich T&Cs)

Qatar Singapore Premium Lounge

Don’t forget a Qsuite redemption from Singapore is also your ‘golden ticket’ into one of Changi’s finest new lounges for some pre flight à la carte dining.

The exclusive Qatar Airways Singapore Premium Lounge is off-limits to those with frequent flyer status, including Qatar’s own Platinum members (sorry to those of you who recently status matched). You must be flying in First or Business Class with a oneworld airline to make it through the door.

We stopped by in the lounge’s opening week to write the first review of the facility, and it certainly sets a new bar at Changi among Business Class lounges.

Features include a Martini Bar, two types of Champagne, a restaurant with à la carte dining including a Breakfast and Dinner menu suited to the time of day, plus shower suites and the airline’s latest ‘relaxation pods’.

Summary

If you’re comfortable to book now for travel in 2021 (as late as May 2021, which is almost a year away), then this is a fantastic opportunity to secure an award booking for you, for a couple or even a family of four, in one of the most popular Business Class closed-door suites on the market.

There aren’t many Business Class seats out there that give you a double bed as a couple or even a quad arrangement as a family, with privacy doors to screen your space off from the rest of the passengers.

Even travelling solo is quite an experience on the Qsuite, with excellent solitude if that’s what you prefer.

To top it all off, there’s Qatar’s fantastic new Singapore Premium Lounge to look forward to, reserved only for those flying in First and Business Class.

There is a risk involved in making award bookings at a time when the travel landscape is so uncertain, however this opportunity is sufficiently far in advance to be of lesser risk in our opinion.

Do be aware of the change, cancellation and miles redeposit fees involved depending on the frequent flyer programme you wish to use, as a ‘worst case’ scenario in case you book now but then have to alter or cancel your plans.

(Cover Photo: The Points Guy)