I was able to fly the new Boeing 787-9 business class suite from Milan to Doha. While I will review the entire experience in a separate post, I wanted to give my impressions of the cabin and seat.
This is an all new business class seat type that is being used by the launch customer, and we can expect this on other airlines as well.
The Qsuites business class product is one of the best business class products in the world, and is known by many to be one of the best business class products in the world.
Why wouldn't the airline install an all new business class product, instead of Qsuites?
The cabin of the 787 isn't wide enough to have four Qsuites per row, and the fuselage is a bit narrower than that of the A350 and 777. The A350 cabin is a little larger than the 787 cabin, which might be a surprise to some.
There is a new business class seat on these planes. The seats are lighter than Qsuites, which helps reduce fuel burn.
The seats should be installed on the 30 Boeing 787-9s that the carrier has on order. It is not expected that these seats will be installed on other aircraft. I wouldn't be surprised if those 30 Boeing planes eventually get the new seats that they have, but that hasn't been confirmed.
Direct aisle access and a door are included in the 30 business class suites on the Boeing 787-9s. The business class cabin takes up the entire space between doors one and two, and there is a spacious entryway as you enter through the second door.
I think I compare the new business class of Qatar Airways to the A350 Club Suites and the A350 Upper Class of Virgin Atlantic. There is a reverse and herringbone configuration in the cabin.
The seats along the windows are in a reverse herringbone configuration.
The two center seats face away from one another, because they are in a herringbone configuration.
If you are traveling alone, there is a very high privacy partition along the center seats. If you are traveling with someone, the partition can be lowered all the way.
Delta's A350s have a door that doesn't close all the way, but it is similar to the one on the seat.
One thing that always works well for Qatar Airways is attention to detail. The finishes are stunning and well thought out, from the lamp next to each seat to the wireless charging. I didn't feel like I had a connection with these seats because I didn't think the person who designed them had ever flown in business class.
The tray table can be extended from the front of the seat to the back. It is well designed and sturdy.
Storage is the only thing missing with these seats. There is a small storage compartment on the side of the seats that the headphones go into.
These seats are very comfortable in bed. I think they are comparable to reverse herringbone seats in sleeping mode, though I found the seats to be a bit less tight in the footwell than most reverse herringbone products out there, which is good.
The partition can be lowered by the center seats for those traveling together. Don't expect a double bed in Qsuites. You can lower the partition and have your heads next to one another, but the seats are not close to each other.
The new Boeing 787-9 business class is very good. I think it's the best business class product out there. Only one in three seats in business class have the kind of space that the window seats in Apex Suites do.
How does this product compare to Qsuites? I think Qsuites is still a bit better. That is a testament to the first time around. Why do I prefer the original Qsuites?
Even though the plane has a range, it isn't being used for ultra long haul flights by Qatar Airways. The aircraft will eventually replace other aircraft that primarily operated in the region. There is an amazing product for medium haul flights.
The new 787-9 business class seat will be available on other airlines as well as on the Qsuites product. The Adient Ascent seat was chosen by the airline. We know that Hawaiian Airlines will have this on its Boeing 787-9s, and we also know that American Airlines may introduce this as its new business class seat on future Boeing 787s.
The Adient Ascent seat is unique due to how it is configured. The layout of the cabin can be modified significantly, so I'm not just talking about the finishes. The airlines can choose to have a more forward-facing configuration in the center. Hawaiian Airlines will have a double bed in the center section.
A new business class product on the Boeing 787-9s is a custom version of the Adient Ascent seat. The reason for this is that Qsuites was too wide, and the new product is lighter.
I was impressed by the new Boeing 787-9 business class suite that I flew with Qatar Airways. The seat is comfortable, and the finishes are great. I prefer Qsuites if I travel with someone.
I will have a full review of my flight in the coming days.
What do you think about the new Boeing 787-9 business class?
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