Qatar Airways has smashed the competition this week, with the airline recognised not once, but twice for its business class cabin.
The Doha-based carrier has been awarded Best Business Class in the AirlineRatings.com 2024 Airline Excellence Awards.
Its ‘Qsuite’ is available on the majority of its long-range Boeing 777 and A350 fleet and will soon be rolled out in its 787s.
AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas described it as a “first-class experience in business class”.
“It leaves nothing to chance, and our judges rated it as the best overall business-class product they had seen that is now being copied by others.,” Mr Thomas said.
“It sets a standard to which some airlines can only aspire.’’
The business class cabin is described as “spacious, private and well-designed” and packed with features designed to make travel more productive and comfortable.
Some of these features include a sliding privacy door, a giant 21.5-inch high-definition touchscreen and generous secure storage compartment.
In terms of the seat, there are four presets: lie flat, fully upright, take off, and recline — and there’s also movable panels that transform the space into a social area, allowing you to work, dine or socialise.
To top it off, there’s on-demand system for ordering meals, snacks and beverages.
It’s been a big week for the airline, which nabbed three titles, including Best Business Class at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards held on Monday in Dubai.
The awards recognise the most successful aviation and hospitality industry leaders in the region through reader-voted nominations, with the Qatari flag carrier also winning ‘Best Regional Airline Serving the Middle East’ and ‘Best Travel App’.
In a post on X, the carrier shared its list of wins alongside the caption: “Cue the applause”.
“For a comfortable journey, delicious meals, and a safe trip, I highly recommend this airline. I will never use any other airline after my excellent experience with @qatarairways. They go above and beyond to ensure passengers feel at ease, regardless of the ticket class,” one satisfied passenger wrote.
Another passenger described their experience as “flawless”.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said the awards are a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Qatar Airways team and innovative travel technologies.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to go above and beyond to deliver unparalleled services and elevated travel experiences to our passengers, both in the Middle East and across the globe.”
The airline, which has an expansive network of nearly 170 destinations worldwide, wanted to expand its Aussie offering.
It proposed twice-daily flights to the federal government to Sydney and Brisbane plus three flights a day into Melbourne, however it was rejected in a move that garnered great scrutiny.
It sparked anger from travellers, airports and businesses at a time of high airfares as well as concern over the influence wielded by Qantas in blocking the proposal.
Qatar Airways is currently entitled to 28 flights per week.
It faces a strict limit on how many flights per week it can offer from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane under a strict “bilateral air rights” agreement with the Australian government.