Mar 8, 2017, 3:40 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: N1Rotate

Qatar have confirmed the presence of a policy whereby if a customer booked a QSuites flight and subsequently gets an aircraft type swap can you request travel on an alternative flight, subject to availability, see post #2709 Previously this included change of routing, now it only includes changing the date on the same routing. QR issued tickets only!

The Q Suite Master Thread

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Jan 5, 2017, 6:19 am

msm2000uk

Moderator: Qatar Airways

Original Poster

Join Date: Jan 2014

Location: LHR/NCE/MIA

Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher

Posts: 8,949

The Q Suite Master Thread

We all know a new J seat is coming in March, so please keep all discussion within this thread.

The latest information can be found here - https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...d-concourse-f/

M

Jan 5, 2017, 7:38 am

Morgo

Join Date: Sep 2002

Posts: 517

I guess no chance of it being in the AKL serving 777s before Easter?!

Jan 5, 2017, 7:48 am

jah718

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: DUB / DOH

Posts: 693

Out of curiosity, why do they not just stick with the current 787/350 (very good) reverse herringbone into the 777? I can't help but feel that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. IMO it will be hard to come up with a better design than the current 350 seat.

Has there been any clues as to the layout at all? I would imagine the only seat that comes close to being an improvement is the JL J seat, I believe Oman Air have it as well. Or are we talking about a completely new design?

On another note, I will miss the 777 J seat, some of my best plane sleeps have come on those seats, and they are second to none when you have nobody beside you.

Jan 5, 2017, 8:01 am

DreamTrip

Join Date: Mar 2013

Location: SAN, MIA, GOT

Programs: BA Gold

Posts: 349

Quote:

Originally Posted by jah718

On another note, I will miss the 777 J seat, some of my best plane sleeps have come on those seats, and they are second to none when you have nobody beside you.

+1 Have also had the best sleep on the 777.

Jan 5, 2017, 8:21 am

remdk

Join Date: Apr 2012

Posts: 3,944

Morgo absolutely no chance!
AKL is scheduled to have the B777-200LR.
ITB, where the seat is to be launched first opens 8 March.
It will take some time to deliver and then the B777-300s will be retrofitted at the rate of 2-3 per month. There are 34 of them. Then other aircraft types will be considered and retro filtted after an, as yet, unknown plan.
It is thought that all widebodied aircraft that are delivered to QR after 8th. March will have the new seats. Unfortunately no B777-200s are on order at the moment.
I can understand that you cannot find this information on the forum because it is spread across at least TEN different threads with names such as "A350 vs. 77L - worth going out of my way for?" and "Super Business seat"!

Jan 5, 2017, 8:30 am

Shareholder

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 1999

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat

Posts: 38,186

QR appears to be rolling out Al Baker's new improved J bit by bit. As for new seats, seems only a few ways to go:

1. Reverse herringbone 1-2-1 adopted by AA, CX, AC, BR and a number of other 777 operators, though this has width limitations with the A330 cabin where it becomes 1-1-1, thus reducing capacity considerably. This would be consistent with the 787 and A350 product.
2. Staggered "cabins" like LX and AC with a 1-2-1/2-1-2 configuration, again not sure how it would work on the A330. AA uses a variant of this but in all 1-2-1 (though pseudo 2-2-2 as it offers all aisle access).
3. Compact "cabins" like UA has just introduced and BA is adopting, and IIRC NH, OZ and JL have been flying, and is a high-density compromise with 2-4-2 but all-aisle access (pseudo 1-2-1)
4. Wide bench ala SQ in 1-2-1 on the 777, would fit the A330 with slightly less width than SQ's version.

The options for the 777 fleet are considerable, but the A330 has limitations (as the 767 had throughout its career when most carriers squeezed 2-2-2 premium seating while others adopted 2-1-2/1-2-2/2-2-1 variants) due to a narrower cabin.

Suppose we can all speculate. Though what might make a useful discussion while we await "the decision of the judges" is people posting their preferred and practical option based on flying other types of new-gen J seats on other carriers and bearing in mind the A330 limitations.

Jan 5, 2017, 8:40 am

Morgo

Join Date: Sep 2002

Posts: 517

Quote:

Originally Posted by remdk

I can understand that you cannot find this information on the forum because it is spread across at least TEN different threads with names such as "A350 vs. 77L - worth going out of my way for?" and "Super Business seat"!

You're very helpfully moving relevant information into this thread as insinuated in the first post

Jan 5, 2017, 9:00 am

msm2000uk

Moderator: Qatar Airways

Original Poster

Join Date: Jan 2014

Location: LHR/NCE/MIA

Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher

Posts: 8,949

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morgo

You're very helpfully moving relevant information into this thread as insinuated in the first post

Seconded...send Zol and I the threads, and we'll merge them.

M

Last edited by msm2000uk; Jan 5, 2017 at 10:45 am

Jan 5, 2017, 10:40 am

Dan1113

Join Date: Dec 2009

Posts: 2,553

The new seat is going into the A350 too - a brand new plane? I am assuming just the new A350s as they get delivered, not the current ones being replaced?

Jan 5, 2017, 7:08 pm

#10

sxc

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2004

Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob

Posts: 10,780

Yes I'm confused why they would be replacing the A350 seats. Maybe it's just an evolution? Or is it the CEO hyperbolising again?

Jan 6, 2017, 12:02 am

#11

mr_botak

Join Date: Feb 2009

Location: LON|JHB

Posts: 433

Perhaps the new frames will get the new seat?

Jan 9, 2017, 2:09 am

#12

tropikey

Join Date: Apr 2008

Location: Gdynia, Poland

Posts: 631

Quote:

Originally Posted by remdk

Do I understand correctly, that it's rather not possible to experience new J hard product on route to AKL in 2017?
As for now, which type of seat do they have on B777 operating to AKL? Is it like in this http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...ess-class-777/ review?

Jan 9, 2017, 3:15 am

#13

remdk

Join Date: Apr 2012

Posts: 3,944

tropikey yes that is the B/E MiniPod seat that is currently installed on all B777s.
No one can give you a time for when the new seats will appear on the AKL route. The 34 773s are scheduled to take 12-17 months to retrofit with a possible start date in June. After that the most logical aircraft type would be the B772s.
Based on the known information my guess would be that AKL should see the new seats in 18-24 months.

Jan 9, 2017, 3:45 am

#14

tropikey

Join Date: Apr 2008

Location: Gdynia, Poland

Posts: 631

thanks a lot for explanation :-) It will help me with decision, when to fly. If I decide to fly before May, I might add 20k additional qmiles (promo regarding flights to AKL). Together with 5x qmiles which are offered today only, it would give me huge amount of qmiles (I haven't found any provision stating that these two offers can't be combined).

I have one more question regarding this matter. What do think about this seat from the perspective of such a long flight (one of the longest, isn't)? Is this comfortable enough to survive such flight?

Jan 9, 2017, 4:04 am

#15

jacobprince

Join Date: Sep 2014

Posts: 33

Quote:

Originally Posted by tropikey

Sorry to go off topic, but you should maybe check out this thread before banking on 5x miles:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qatar-airways-privilege-club/1813833-qmiles-x2-x3-x6.html