Qatar Airways is bringing its revolutionary business class to flights from Chicago — with more US cities to follow this year

Qatar Airways
The 25th Boeing 787 airplane purchased by Qatar Airways is shown Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, during a delivery ceremony in Everett, Wash. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

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  • Qatar Airways will feature its award-winning new "Qsuites" business class on flights from Chicago starting on April 1.
  • The airline also announced plans to roll out Qsuites on flights from Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles.
  • The airline currently flies from 10 US cities — plus Las Vegas, later this year — and operates an extensive network throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, with connections through Doha, Qatar.

Qatar Airways just announced that its new "Qsuite" business class product, which was first announced last year, will soon be available on the airline's daily flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The airline also announced that it would be replacing the equipment on its flights from Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles later this year.

Qsuites will be available on Chicago flights starting on April 1. Qatar hasn't announced timing or other details for Houston, Dallas, or Los Angeles. While rumors have been circulating that Qatar planned to launch Qsuites from Chicago for several weeks, since travel blog One Mile At A Time noticed that the available seat maps on Chicago flights had changed, this is the first time the airline has confirmed the service's Midwest expansion.

Qatar Airways won awards in 2017 for best airline and best overall business class from Skytrax, the authoritative airline review and ranking consultancy group. While its older business class product is still comfortable and features fantastic service, Qsuites is a redefinition of business class as "first class lite."

The new product, which features fully enclosed "suites" in the air with seats that can fold into flat beds, and even combine into double-beds in the middle aisle, should be rolled out through Qatar's entire fleet of long-haul aircraft within two years, according to Qatar Airways vice president for the Americas Gunter Saurwein. Until then, it will be launched on one route at a time.

Currently, Qatar's New York City and Washington, DC routes feature aircraft equipped with Qsuites.

There are 10 US cities that are currently serviced by Qatar Airways: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. It's also announced plans to launch a route to Las Vegas later this year. Because Qatar is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance, you can book connecting flights on Oneworld partner American Airlines, or non-alliance codeshare partner JetBlue, as part of the same itinerary. 

Qatar offers routes to around 150 destinations, with connections through its airport hub in Doha, Qatar. Routes throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are all compelling for US-based travelers. 

I recently had a chance to tour a Qatar Airways 777-300ER plane while it was parked at New York's JFK airport in between trips. I was able to test the seats and the in-flight entertainment, explore the business class and economy cabins, and sample the business class catering and amenities, as well as interact with the cabin crew that would be working on the flight later that evening.

While this was a staged media event, which is obviously different than actually flying the airline, it became clear why Qatar won Skytrax's 2017 top honors.

Take a look below at some of the best features of Qsuites business class and economy class on Qatar Airways.

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

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Most of Qatar's flights to the US are operated by Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft.

Qatar Airways 777-300ER at JFK
David Slotnick/Business Insider

The new Qsuites business class, which features a door that you can close for privacy, is installed on planes flying to New York and Washington DC, with more routes on the way.

Qatar Airways Business Class Q Suite
Qatar Airways
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Other cities in the US are served by aircraft with Qatar's older award-winning business class seats, although a Qatar Airways executive told Business Insider that the entire fleet will have Qsuites in two years.

Qatar Airways business class Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith/AskThePilot

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

For those of us whose budget doesn't include premium cabin travel, or who don't have enough miles to redeem for it...

Qatar Airways Business
Flickr/Gary Bembridge
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...Qatar's economy class is still a great way to travel.

Qatar Airways Economy
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I found the economy seats more comfortable than I'm used to on most US airlines' long-haul fleets. On the 777-300ER I toured, seats have 32 inches of pitch, an 18 inch width, and adjustable headrests.

Qatar Airways 777-300ER economy coach
David Slotnick/Business Insider

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

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Qsuite seats have individual 21.5 inch flat-screen in-flight entertainment systems that you can control with a touchscreen or a separate remote.

Qatar Airways Qsuite Q Suite IFE
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During your flight, you'll have access to around 4,000 movies, TV shows, games, and music channels.

Qatar Airways Business Class Q Suite
Qatar Airways
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Economy passengers have access to the same exact in-flight entertainment library on their personal screens as business class.

Economy Class Qatar
Flickr/SUPERADRIANME

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

If you're traveling with a group and sit in the middle Qsuite seats, you can lower the privacy dividers to create up to a four-person "conference room" type setup.

Qatar Airways QSuite 777-300ER
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And in every other row in the middle, where the seats are close together...

Quatar Airways QSuite 777-300ER middle row
David Slotnick/Business Insider

...You can lower the center divider and combine the seats into a double bed.

Qatar Airways QSuites Business Class Double Bed
David Slotnick/Business Insider

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

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Each seat comes with soft, plush bedding, including a duvet, pillows, and a mattress pad over the seats when they're in bed mode.

Qatar Airways QSuite business class double bed
David Slotnick/Business Insider

When you sit in business class, you can enjoy a multi-course meal with your choice of plenty of wines and spirits. This Arabic mezze came with the most delicious (and fluffy) pita bread...

Qatar Airways QSuite business class catering Arabic mezze
David Slotnick/Business Insider
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...While the main course of chicken biryani was exquisite, especially by airplane standards.

Qatar Airways QSuite business class chicken biryani
David Slotnick/Business Insider

A decadent molten chocolate cake with fig was offered for dessert.

Qatar Airways QSuites catering
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If you're with a group in the middle section, you can share a snack platter with things like mini tacos, beef sliders, and mini cheesecake.

Qatar Airways QSuite catering snacks
David Slotnick/Business Insider

Between the big meal...

Qatar Airways Q Suite
REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
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...And the chance to sleep...

Qatar Airways Business Class Q Suite
Qatar Airways

...You'll be on the ground again before you know it, ready to start your next adventure.

qatarairways
REUTERS/Fadi Al-Assaad

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

This article was originally published on 2/7/2018.

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