‘World’s best business class’ about to get better as upgrade unveiled

There’s a growing trend in airlines to put what have traditionally been considered first class touches into business class, most of these leaning into the privacy aspects of pointy end travel.

Individual pods, privacy screens, even privacy doors are making their way into business. Now, the airline that took out the award for the world’s best business class at this year’s World Airline Awards is about to make its seats even better.

Unveiling its new Qsuite Next Gen at the key global aviation industry event, the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, Qatar Airways Group has taken the privacy trend and run with it, hard.

The Qsuite Next Gen will be featured onboard the Qatar Airways’ Boeing B777-9 aircraft by next year and includes taller, digitally controlled dividers. But the “suites” also include increased capacity for communal activities during long haul.

In the centre seats, there’s the Quad Suite, which allows families or groups of up to four to combine their spaces. A redesign means this feature is now equipped with movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova IFE screens, Panasonic’s newest premium entertainment, control and communications product, which can be repositioned to the side to create a large social and productivity space. The Quad Suite also features increased-size lie-flat double beds, thanks to this tech.

Meanwhile, the window-adjacent seats can form the Companion Suite, turning two seats into a shared space for two.

The Qsuite Next Gen also will come with an array of customisation options, ranging from ambient lighting to privacy controls, through upgraded touchscreen control units.

And if you’re a privacy seeker at the Taylor Swift level, at the airshow Qatar also highlighted its Qatar Executive Gulfstream G700 aircraft for those privy to private plane travel. These are decked out with four individual living areas, including a dedicated private rear stateroom with a permanent fixed bed. These fly under the Qatar Executive banner, which has expanded its fleet with the addition of four Gulfstream G700 aircraft, and another six scheduled to enter into service within the next 18 months.