The Definitive Guide to Qatar Airways’ Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types and Seat Options]

Key Takeaways

• Qatar Airways operates flights from major U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, primarily using Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s.
• Most of these aircraft are equipped with the luxurious Qsuite in business class, offering lie-flat seats, privacy doors, and high-end amenities — a cabin rated as one of the best business-class offerings in the world.
• Qatar Airways is known for its exceptional service and connectivity through its Doha hub, providing access to destinations across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Qatar Airways has established a reputation as one of the world’s fastest-growing full-service carriers. With a centrally located hub in Doha, Qatar, it serves as a key connection point for travelers flying from North America to numerous destinations worldwide, including not only the Arabian Peninsula but also locations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Qatar Airways is part of the Oneworld alliance and offers flights to many U.S. gateways, providing travelers with 1-stop connectivity to numerous points around the world. This makes the airline one of the best options for long-haul travelers.

While its route network is undoubtedly worthy of praise, the chief reason Qatar Airways has gained fame as one of the world’s top carriers is because of its Qsuite business class, one of the most aspirational seats you can fly.

In this guide, we’ll look at where Qatar Airways flies in the U.S., as well as the planes and seats the airline offers on long-haul flights.

Where Does Qatar Airways Fly in the U.S.?

From its hub in Doha (DOH), Qatar Airways currently flies to 11 U.S. airports.

The airline serves the following U.S. gateways with nonstop service:

Plane Types Qatar Airways Flies to the U.S.

Qatar Airways has a diverse fleet, ranging from the single-aisle Airbus A320 on shorter flights to the massive Airbus A380-800 with 2 decks. That said, not every plane type in the airline’s fleet comes to the U.S. — including the A380, which doesn’t cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Currently, Qatar Airways operates passenger flights to and from the U.S. with these plane types:

• Airbus A350-900
• Airbus A350-1000
• Boeing 777-200LR
• Boeing 777-300ER

Seats by Aircraft Type

Qatar Airways has one of the world’s youngest airline fleets, with an average aircraft age of 7 years.

Qatar Airways uses a hub-and-spoke model, connecting passengers coming from “spokes” in its network through its central hub, Hamad International Airport (DOH), in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Considering the plane types Qatar Airways operates to and from the U.S., you’ll find the following seating options:

Qatar Airways also has a fifth and sixth variant of the Boeing 777-300ER. You won’t find either of these flying to the U.S., and they originally came from other airlines.

Hot Tip:

Qatar Airways offers first class, although not on any flights to the U.S. It’s available on 6 of the airline’s Boeing 777 planes that were originally operated by Cathay Pacific, as well as the traditional Qatar Airways first class on Airbus A380 planes.

Seats on Qatar Airways A350-1000 Planes

Currently, all of Qatar Airways’ A350-1000 planes offer Qsuite business class; there’s simply a different number of them on the two plane types.

The easiest way to tell the two planes apart is by looking for a galley in the middle of business class. The aircraft with 46 Qsuites continues past a galley, offering 2 separate business-class cabins.

On the plane with just 24 seats in business class, there’s no galley in the middle of business class. Business class ends at row 6 in this setup.

On both plane types, you’ll find both front- and rear-facing Qsuite pods, a lie-flat seat in business, the same seat sizes in business class on both planes, the same 3-3-3 economy cabin layout, and the same seat sizes in economy.

Families traveling together can reserve quad Qsuites at 1E/1F/2D/2G, 3E/3F/4D/4G. These seats feature movable panels that allow passengers to transform the space into a social area, allowing those traveling to dine together. They can also be turned back into more private, individual suites.

Key differences between the planes include the number of seats allocated to business or economy class and the lavatories. On the plane with a larger business class cabin, you’ll find 3 lavatories in business and 6 in economy. On the plane with a small business cabin, there are 2 lavatories in business and 8 in economy.

Hot Tip:

The rear-facing Qsuites, seats E and F, are closer together and form a double bed when you remove the divider, unlike front-facing seats D and G. That makes the E and F seats among the best business-class seats for couples. Conversely, seats A and K at the windows are among the best seats for solo travelers, given their closeness to the window and extra privacy.

Seats on Qatar Airways A350-900 Planes

Qatar Airways has 2 variations of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Of these, 1 model has Qsuite; the other doesn’t. The airline has 34 A350-900 planes. Only 11 of them are the version with Qsuites.

Put another way, if you’re flying on an A350-900, you have nearly a 2-in-3 chance your plane doesn’t feature Qsuites. The cabin interior is very obviously different.

The seat map also looks very different.

Qsuites are arranged in a staggered layout, and the seats in the middle of the cabin are blocked together in groups of 4. This layout on the seat map is a quick way to know you’re flying Qsuites.

If your flight’s seat map shows seats in groups of 4 and an offset layout (plus seats facing backward), the plane has Qsuites. If you see a reverse-herringbone layout with all seats facing forward, the plane doesn’t have Qsuites. However, it still provides a comfortable ride and excellent service from the crew.

Both models of the A350-900 have the same number of seats in business and economy. Both models have the same lavatory setup: 3 for business class and 6 for economy. Both economy cabins have a 3-3-3 layout, as well.

Seats on Qatar Airways B777-200LR Planes

There are 2 versions of the B777-200LR in use by Qatar Airways. Of them, one version has Qsuites, and it’s the more common version. The good news is that only two of the airline’s 7 B777-200LR planes don’t have Qsuites.

Aside from the obvious differences in business class — again easily identified by the seating chart layout — there is a small difference between these variants. Both B777-200LR layouts have 42 seats in business class. The Qsuite plane has 230 seats in economy, while the non-Qsuite plane type has 234 seats in economy.

Otherwise, much remains the same about these planes. You’ll find the same number of lavatories in each cabin, and you’ll find the same 3-4-3 layout in economy on both types. You’ll also find Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi on all of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 planes.

Seats on Qatar Airways B777-300ER Planes

As mentioned above, Qatar Airways operates 6 different cabin variations on its Boeing 777-300ER planes. We’ll only discuss 5 of them here, since the sixth — the version with first class — never flies to the U.S. Let’s focus on the planes you might actually encounter at a U.S. airport.

Of the 5 remaining B777-300ER plane types, two of them have Qsuite business class. While that might look bad at first, the good news is that the airline has 57 B777-300ER planes in its fleet, and 40 of these feature Qsuites. That’s more than two-thirds.

You’ll find anywhere between 24 and 42 seats in business class on Qatar Airways’ B777-300ER planes. Again, checking the seating charts will make it clear whether your plane has Qsuites.

If your plane has a 2-2-2 layout in business class, it’s not a Qsuite cabin.

The same is true if you see a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout with all seats facing forward.

In economy, the carrier’s B777-300ER planes flying to the U.S. all feature a 3-4-3 seating layout.

How To Know Which Plane Type You’re Flying

Now that we know which plane types and routes Qatar Airways flies to the U.S., you might wonder how to determine your plane type without counting all of the seats to determine the plane model.

Whether you’re managing a booked flight or booking a new one, Qatar Airways offers several ways to view your plane type. If you want to check the plane type before purchasing on QatarAirways.com, you can click on the button that says “Flight details” from the search results. A pop-up message at the side of the screen will show the plane type and some other relevant details (including whether it has Qsuites).

You’ll get mixed results with partner websites, online travel agencies, and even Google Flights. The best way to determine the plane type a flight is using is to check the details directly on Qatar Airways’ website, even if you’re booking elsewhere using your points or paying a lower price.

Hot Tip:

Remember that plane swaps can and do happen. Whether for mechanical reasons, weather, or operational needs, airlines regularly swap planes. While your change might be like for like, it also might not be. You could be moved from an aircraft with Qsuites onto one that doesn’t have it. You can request a plane with Qsuites instead, but the airline is not obligated to do so if your original business class seat is changed to a different one.

Best Points To Earn To Fly Qatar Airways

There are plenty of ways to earn Avios for flights on Qatar Airways. Oneworld partners are eligible to book Qatar Airways flights, provided that Qatar Airways releases award availability to these partners.

At a high level, we recommend using American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, and Cathay Pacific Cathay to book Qatar Airways flights. Qatar Airways’ frequent flyer program, Privilege Club, offers the greatest availability for booking award travel, though it doesn’t always offer the best price. You can also book Qatar Airways flights with JetBlue points.

The best loyalty program for you depends on the types of transferable points you have, the route you’re flying, and which cabin class you’re booking.

Final Thoughts

Qatar Airways currently flies nonstop to 11 U.S. airports, including all the international gateways you’d expect, such as Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), and New York (JFK).

For travelers seeking an exceptional experience, the carrier offers its award-winning Qsuites business class on most routes. Airlines do occasionally swap aircraft, which can be disappointing if you want to fly Qsuites.

The great part about so many Qatar Airways flights to the U.S. is the fact that lots of seats means more award availability using points and miles.