Qatar Airways has loaded an interesting schedule change for its Singapore route, confirming that from mid-January 2026 the Oneworld carrier will operate one of its three daily Changi – Doha flights using its largest aircraft type – the massive 517-seat Airbus A380 – through to the end of the winter schedule season.

While this introduces the carrier’s First Class to the Singapore route for the first time between 12th January 2026 and 28th March 2026, there’s an important trade-off for Business Class flyers: the Qsuite goes missing.

This excellent and sought-after product, which has been guaranteed on all of Qatar’s Singapore flights for the last two-and-a-half years, will no longer be available on one of three daily services during this period.

Which flights are affected?

The upcoming aircraft swap exclusively affects QR947/948, which will be operated by the Airbus A380 instead of the usual Airbus A350 between 12th January 2026 and 28th March 2026, with the exception of 26th January 2026 – 21st February 2026.

The impact for travellers? Business Class switches from the familiar Qsuite to the Collins Diamond seat, but First Class becomes available for the first time on the carrier’s Singapore route.

These are the kind of trade-offs we often see when airlines decide to deploy different aircraft types on long-haul routes at relatively short notice.

The schedule

Here’s how the Qatar Airways schedule currently looks for flights between Singapore and Doha, with three times daily Airbus A350 service offered.

Singapore ↔ Doha
Now – 11th January 2026

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	QR945 A350
SIN 03:15		DOH 06:15
Duration: 08:00
	QR943 A350
SIN 10:15		DOH 13:15
Duration: 08:00
	QR947 A350
SIN 20:15		DOH 23:15
Duration: 08:00
	QR948 A350
DOH 02:05		SIN 14:55
Duration: 07:50
	QR944 A350
DOH 08:25		SIN 21:15
Duration: 07:50
	QR942 A350
DOH 19:55		SIN 08:45*
Duration: 07:50

* Next day

From 12th January 2026 to 28th March 2026, the Airbus A380 takes over QR947/948 services, except between late January and mid-February, as highlighted below.

Singapore ↔ Doha
12th January 2026 – 28th March 2026
(except 26th January 2026 – 21st February 2026)

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	QR945 A350
SIN 03:15		DOH 06:15
Duration: 08:00
	QR943 A350
SIN 10:15		DOH 13:15
Duration: 08:00
	QR947 A380
SIN 20:15		DOH 23:15
Duration: 08:00
	QR948 A380
DOH 02:05		SIN 14:55
Duration: 07:50
	QR944 A350
DOH 08:25		SIN 21:15
Duration: 07:50
	QR942 A350
DOH 19:55		SIN 08:45*
Duration: 07:50

* Next day

This Airbus A380 service will depart from Changi at 8.15pm, landing into Doha at 11.15pm the same day, to meet the airline’s large late-night departure ‘bank’ – a wave of flights going wheels-up from the airline’s hub to Europe, North America and Africa – between midnight and 3am.

In the return direction QR948 is an overnight flight departing from Doha shortly after 2am for touchdown in the Lion City before 3pm, predominantly meeting inbound Europe connecting flights.

From 29th March 2026, Qatar Airways provisionally returns to all-A350, all-Qsuite operation on the Singapore route, though that remains subject to adjustment closer to the time – we may well see A380 service becoming a year-round feature.

Business Class: Collins Diamond vs. Qsuite

The Collins Diamond seat, which will operate on QR947/948 from mid-January to late March 2026, is a reputable tried-and-tested long-haul Business Class product, and it remains a comfortable choice for passengers who don’t mind the lack of a fully enclosed suite.

The seat provides a good amount of personal space, and decent storage for carry-on items.

However, it does not offer the Qsuite’s hallmark features: closing doors, a fully private suite-like cocoon, and the flexible seating configurations that allow for double beds, family dining or meeting spaces for groups travelling together.

For passengers who have grown accustomed to the Qsuite experience on Singapore flights, this change will be very noticeable indeed.

Just last month I flew from Houston to London on British Airways in the carrier’s Club Suite Business Class – the same Collins Diamond seat Qatar uses but with BA’s customisation and closing privacy doors – and I have to be honest, it was a better iteration as a hard product than Qatar’s version.

Qatar Airways will maintain the ‘Qsuite guarantee’ on its two other daily Singapore services (QR945/944 and QR943/942), so travellers prioritising this product should book accordingly during this period if Qsuite is the priority.

While the Collins Diamond seat is not too significantly inferior in terms of comfort, it does lack the “wow factor” of Qsuite in our opinion, particularly for those flying long-haul and valuing privacy and personal space.

Here’s our detailed review of the Collins Diamond product, on the Airbus A350.

Singapore is currently one of only 22 cities on Qatar’s network served exclusively with Qsuite in Business Class, so this swap is notable, since that temporarily won’t be the case.

For a detailed review of the Qsuite experience, see our review here.

Perk of Qatar’s A380 in Business Class: The bar

Although Business Class passengers will miss the Qsuite on these flights, Qatar’s Airbus A380 brings one feature that some will find appealing.

The upper deck bar remains one of the standout elements of Qatar’s A380 Business Class cabin, providing a social space for passengers to enjoy a drink and stretch their legs during the flight.

While we’ve only experienced it once quite a number of years ago, we think it does beat the Emirates version.

Qatar Airways’ First Class: A new option for Singapore

Arguably the biggest upside of the A380 swap is the introduction of First Class to Qatar Airways’ Singapore flights for the first time.

This cabin offers eight seats and features the expected level of Qatar luxury: spacious seating, refined finishes, top-tier catering, and premium beverages including fine wine and champagne.

Lounge access is also a highlight. While First Class passengers will be invited to the Qatar Premium Lounge in Singapore before departure – just like Business Class passengers are – the Qantas First Lounge comes into play here for what we would argue is a ‘step up’ in the à la carte dining stakes.

In Doha, First Class passengers are able to access the renowned Al Safwa First Class Lounge when transiting, even if their subsequent flight is in a lower cabin class.

While the First Class seats on the A380 do not feature suite-style doors like Qsuite does in Business Class, they do offer significantly more space and a sense of indulgence not offered further back in the cabin.

Commercial availability is strong, as expected for a cabin being offered for the first time, but passengers looking to combine Singapore – Doha – Europe travel on the A380 all the way will find a mix of convenient and less-than-ideal connection times.

For example, the ‘all-A380’ SIN–DOH–LHR routing via QR947/QR11 provides a smooth 2.5-hour connection outbound, but returning requires an eight-hour layover in Doha. The opposite applies to Paris, where the outbound leg includes that long eight-hour DOH layover, but the return allows a seamless 2.5-hour connection.

It is worth noting that Qatar plans to introduce a brand-new First Class seat on some of its future Boeing 777X aircraft, but the Airbus A380s will not be retrofitted, since these superjumbos are scheduled for retirement in the coming years.

Nevertheless, for the latter part of the winter season passengers have an opportunity to experience Qatar’s flagship cabin on this route, even if the onward journey is in a lower class.

Award space and redemption

At the time of writing, no First Class award space has been loaded on QR947/948 during its A380 operating window, though we expect that will be added over the coming weeks.

Awards in this cabin will be possible to destinations like Doha, London and Paris, shown below alongside Business Class rates using Avios points during off-peak dates.

Qatar Airways award rates from Singapore
Cabin	Doha	London / Paris
First Class	75,000 +S$224	112,500 +S$348
Business Class	50,000 +S$224	75,000 +S$348
Economy Class	25,000 +S$146	37,500 +S$231

Business Class award seats are available on the A380 flights and of course will now be in the Collins Diamond seat rather than Qsuite, which is an important consideration for travellers who are particular about snagging that particular experience when redeeming miles.

For Business Class travellers who only want Qsuite, ensuring the correct flight is booked is now essential on this route (QR945/944 and QR943/942).

Qatar Airways is bringing its Airbus A380 to the Singapore – Doha route, but the arrival of the type is a mixed bag.

It finally introduces First Class to a route that previously only offered Business and Economy, giving passengers the chance to experience Qatar’s top-tier cabin, and the Qantas First Lounge at Changi, however the longstanding Qsuite guarantee is removed from one of three daily flights – replaced by the ‘good-but-ordinary’ Collins Diamond Business Class seat.

For those prioritising the Qsuite, two other daily flights continue to offer the experience throughout the remainder of the season, but if you locked in a redemption on QR947/948 during this period, you’re likely out of luck now.

Nonetheless, for travellers curious to try Qatar Airways’ First Class, or who might enjoy the social space of the Business Class bar on the A380, this swap does provide an appealing option for the first time.

(Cover Photo: TJ Darmstadt)