For over two years Qatar Airways has committed aircraft with its fantastic Qsuite on the Singapore – Doha route, with the exception of occasional operational substitutions, meaning most of our readers could practically guarantee the sought after product for at least part of their journey when flying with the airline.
Qatar even supplemented its use of the Qsuite on three daily Singapore flights from June 2019 with the opening of an exceptional new Premium Lounge at Changi in January 2020, offering a high-end experience for those departing in Business Class on the ground as well as in the air, with pre-flight treatment more akin to First Class than Business.
Recently, however, the Qsuite has been ‘going missing’ on Singapore – Doha flights, with a return to the older generation product fitted to the majority of the airline’s Airbus A350-900s on certain days, and it probably goes without saying that Qatar’s fancy new lounge at Changi sadly remains shuttered.
The Collins Diamond seat is back
Unfortunately for those in Singapore still travelling since May 2021, the airline has been reintroducing its older Collins Super Diamond Business Class seats in place of the Qsuite on several flights.
The less desirable product is now the norm on the Singapore – Doha route for the rest of September 2021, on Airbus A350-900s, most of which don’t have the Qsuite (while those that do have it are now deployed elsewhere, apparently prioritised on routes like Boston, Washington and Philadelphia).
| Flights | Route | Starting | Ending |
| QR945 QR946 |
SIN DOH |
Now | 30 Sep |
| Aircraft | Business Class | ||
 A350-900 |
 Collins Super Diamond |
||
That’s bad news for those travelling imminently to or from Singapore with Qatar Airways and hoping to score the Qsuite during their journey.
Though there’s nothing particularly wrong with the Collins Super Diamond product, there’s nothing all that special about it either these days, and privacy in particular is lacking compared to the Qsuite.
We reviewed the product in September 2019 on an A350-900 flight from Athens to Doha.
Qatar’s new Business Suite is coming to Singapore
Despite the withdrawal of the Qsuite, there’s some good news for those flying on Qatar Airways in October 2021 from Singapore, with the airline’s new Boeing 787-9s being used on the five times weekly QR945/946 service for just one month.
| Flights | Route | Starting | Ending |
| QR945 QR946 |
SIN DOH |
1 Oct | 31 Oct |
| Aircraft | Business Class | ||
 787-9 |
 Adient Ascent |
||
That means the airline’s Business Suite will be making its first appearance at Changi, which surprises us since the Boeing 787-9s low Business Class capacity (30 seats) and high Economy Class fit (281 seats) really lends it to leisure routes, not financial hubs.
It’s really tempting to try this one out for another Vaccinated Travel Lane trip next month, though unfortunately a transit in Doha on the way to Europe would currently mean spending at least 21 days there to then be eligible for a quarantine-free arrival back in Singapore on a VTL flight.
In case you missed it, the Qatar Airways Business Suite is a brand new Business Class product for the airline, exclusive to it’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft, and is a halfway house between the Collins Super Diamond product and the Qsuite.
Qatar was the launch customer for the modified off-the-shelf design by Adient Aerospace (a joint venture between Adient and Boeing) called the Ascent Suite.
It converts to a 79″ flat bed and all seats have direct aisle access in a 1-2-1 configuration.
The Adient seat is used on these newer 787 aircraft because the Qsuite does not fit in the narrower cabin of the Dreamliner without significant modification.
Unlike the current Collins Aerospace Business Class seat on Qatar’s Boeing 787-8s (and most A350-900s), all seats face the windows in this reverse herringbone layout, which means middle seats face the aisle.
Each seat has a closing privacy door, though this is notably lower than that fitted to the Qsuite (which can feel quite claustrophobic with its tall door, though does have better privacy as a result).
Sadly one of the Qsuite’s big selling points – the double bed option in selected middle pairs – is not possible with the Adient Suite.
However, nifty new features include wireless charging in the dedicated mobile device holder, compatible with your iOS and Android kit. That’s also one of the features at most seats in the airline’s latest lounge in Singapore.
If you have 15 minutes to spare, here’s a recent video review on YouTube of the new Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 Business Suite.
The Qsuite returns to Changi
Some good news is that Qatar Airways has scheduled Qsuite-equipped Boeing 777-300ERs on the Singapore route from the start of the northern winter schedule in November 2021, though the bad news is that it’s only planned for a six-week period until mid-December 2021 at this stage.
| Flights | Route | Starting | Ending |
| QR945 QR946 |
SIN DOH |
1 Nov | 15 Dec |
| Aircraft | Business Class | ||
 777-300ER |
 Qsuite |
||
After that it looks like the airline intends to revert back to Collins Super Diamond A350-900s for over three months through to the end of the winter schedule in late March 2022.
| Flights | Route | Starting | Ending |
| QR945 QR946 |
SIN DOH |
17 Dec | 26 Mar |
| Aircraft | Business Class | ||
A350-900 |
Collins Super Diamond |
||
The airline then provisionally re-adding the Qsuite with the Airbus A350-1000 on the Singapore route twice daily in summer 2022.
However, it’s worth noting that Qatar Airways does tinker with its longer-term aircraft deployment quite regularly, so this plan could easily change again before then.
Qatar Privilege Club
As we’ve mentioned several times in the last 10 months, the Qatar Airways Privilege Club has a new lease of life following its revaluation to early 2018 redemption levels when booking award tickets on its own flights.
With no fuel surcharges applied on award tickets, this has elevated the programme to among the best value options for Business Class redemptions from Singapore to Europe and back, given that the Qsuite was a practical certainty for at least the Singapore – Doha portion of the journey, and in some cases the whole way.
This latest news is disappointing – just as border restrictions start to be relaxed, one of the best Business Class redemption options to and from Europe (e.g. 75,000 miles each way to Frankfurt) looks set to be in an older cabin product.
Granted at the moment a transit in Qatar does scupper arrival quarantine in Singapore somewhat, but that could change before March 2022. Let’s hope Qatar’s Business Class seat deployment on the Singapore route does too in that case.
Summary
The Qsuite is definitely Qatar Airways’ best Business Class seat, though we don’t think travellers will be too disappointed with the new Business Suite on the Boeing 787-9.
Unfortunately those will only be used on the Singapore route for the month of October 2021, with a brief return of the Qsuite for six weeks then the older Collins Super Diamond seats on Airbus A350-900s planned right through to late March 2022.
While these older seats are perfectly fine, they are nothing too special.
Let’s that hope once travel rebounds with further border relaxations in the months ahead, Qatar Airways brings back the ‘Qsuite guarantee’ on its Changi flights again.
(Cover Photo: Qatar Airways)
Disagree with your raving appraisal of the QSuite, my wife and I find it too claustrophobic so we much prefer the Collins Super Diamond seats on Airbus A350-900. The Business Suite on the 787-9 sounds good though, maybe the best compromise!?
Yes Qsuite can be quite claustrophobic, I found it a bit like that at the solo window seat but better in the middle pair as a couple.
Anyway the new Business Suite on the 787-9 sounds like a perfect compromise I agree! Looking forward to trying it once I get chance.
I found the opposite! The rear-facing window seat was great for me… but the middle seats were too confined for me and they felt too boxed-in, even when we opened up into a ‘pod’ for four people. Back to the window for me next time, no matter who I’m travelling with! 😂
I loved the Qsuite (both, when traveling alone and with my wife)and didn’t find it claustrophobic. It obviously really depends on personal preference.
Got to try the new Business Suite on the Boeing 787-9 last week, and it’s definitely a nice ‘halfway house’ between the full blown QSuite and the Collins Diamond seats. It gives a tidy cabin and its walls are lower than QSuite which I find much better, not as claustrophobic while still offering plenty of privacy. This also gives much better manoeuvring space in the aisle before and after the flight, when QSuite is very crammed, almost impossible to handle you carry-on luggage, especially on the A350-1000. Main criticism of the new Business Suite is the surprising complete lack of stovage, no place for shoes etc., even the shelf beneath the TV is gone, closed up. I still prefer the Collins Diamond seats as on A350-900, especially if sitting in the center pair with your partner, as seats are then facing inwards, not away from each other, and you still get a sense of what’s going on outside. The walls on both other options prevent that. But all three options are of course great, my main serious complaint when flying Qatar is the horrible music they play before and after the flight! Always the same tune, sounds like mourning cats…!!