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Qatar's Qsuite-Equipped A350-1000 Will Soon Fly to New York

Aug. 01, 2018
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3 min read
Qatar A350-1000 Tour
Qatar's Qsuite-Equipped A350-1000 Will Soon Fly to New York
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Qatar Airways became the world's first operator of the Airbus A350-1000 when it took delivery of its first extended-length XWB in February. TPG and I even had an opportunity to join the delivery flight to Doha (DOH) — it's easily Qatar's best Airbus yet.

While the -1000 has been flying to London (LHR) for months, at the launch event in Toulouse, France, Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker confirmed that the carrier would soon launch its new plane on flights to the East Coast of the United States as well. On Wednesday, we found out when that'll be.

The tail-cam view from Qatar's A350-1000. Photo by Zach Honig.

Beginning Sunday October 28, Qatar will replace its evening Boeing 777-300ER flight from New York-JFK with the A350-1000, operating as QR 702 on the flight to Doha and QR 701 on the return. The A350-900 will continue operating the morning flights, QR 703 and QR 704, flying with Qatar's reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 seat, instead of the far more private Qsuite product.

While Qatar's plane will be the first A350-1000 to fly daily to New York, Cathay Pacific will inaugurate US service for the type a few weeks before, when it begins flying to Washington, D.C. (IAD) on September 15.

Qatar's Qsuite business class on the A350-1000. Photo by Zach Honig.

Business class will drop from 48 Qsuite seats on the 777-300ER to 46. The A350 also offers more comfort in economy, with seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, instead of 3-4-3 on the 777-300ER. There are a total of 281 coach seats, compared with 312 on the 777 used today — while passengers will be more comfortable on board, the airline isn't giving up too many seats.

Economy is arranged in a more spacious 3-3-3 configuration. Photo by Zach Honig.

Business-class fares from JFK to Doha are priced starting at a steep $6,200 one-way or $9,800 round-trip, but connecting flights can often be found for far cheaper — continuing on to Delhi, India (DEL) would drop the price to about $4,400 round-trip, for example.

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While I haven't been able to find business-class awards for the new A350-1000, there are plenty of awards on the morning A350-900 flight from JFK. Unfortunately the -900 doesn't offer Qsuite currently, though the airline's most recent A350-900s have been delivered with the latest business-class product — while the older reverse-herringbone configuration is assigned for now, even the -900 flights could end up flying with Qsuite in the future.

As a Oneworld carrier, you can redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles for Qatar flights — one-way tickets cost 40,000 miles in economy or 70,000 in business class. You can also book awards with British Airways Avios, but at 105,000 each way for biz between NYC and Doha, plus more than $650 in taxes and fees, AAdvantage is a much better choice.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.