Qatar Airways is the flag carrier of Qatar. Based in Doha, Qatar Airways is also one of the ‘Big Three’ Middle Eastern carriers, alongside Emirates and Etihad Airways. It flies to all six inhabited continents and essentially positions itself as a global superconnector, all because of where Doha is located. Not only is Qatar Airways known for its impressive network, but it’s also routinely ranked as one of, if not the world’s best airline.

The Airbus A380 is not just the world’s largest passenger airliner, but is also regarded as one of the most comfortable aircraft for a passenger to fly on. With its immense size, quiet cabin, and smooth ride, it’s a favorite among travelers worldwide. Qatar Airways configures its A380s with 517 seats in a three-class layout, so, when looking at possibly the world’s most comfortable airliner operated by the world’s best airline, which are the best seats?

An Overview Of Qatar Airways’ A380 Fleet

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Qatar Airways operates eight Airbus A380s. The carrier formerly owned 10, but, two still remain in storage from the COVID-19 pandemic and are not slated to return to service. Data from Planespotters.net shows that Qatar Airways received these A380s between December 2014 and April 2018, with the two examples in storage having been delivered in late 2014. Qatar Airways; Airbus A380s operate with four Engine Alliance GP7200s, which are essentially a hybrid between the General Electric GE90 and the Pratt & Whitney PW4000.

Compared to other A380s, Qatar Airways double-deckers fly in a relatively dense configuration, with 517 seats in total. This is comparable to Lufthansa’s A380s (509 seats), but more than the capacity of Etihad’s superjumbos (497) or most of Emirates’ A380 configurations. Qatar Airways initially retired all of its A380s during the COVID-19 pandemic

When speaking with Simple Flying in 2021, (now former) CEO Al Akbar Baker shared his thoughts about the plane, stating that “in my opinion, looking back, it was the biggest mistake we made was to purchase A380s.” However, a quick recovery in demand combined with supply chain issues slowing down the production of new jets has led Qatar to return the double deckers to the skies until replacements can be obtained.

Looking At The Economy Cabins

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Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380s fly with 461 economy seats, making it by far the largest cabin on this plane. Economy takes up the entirety of the lower deck, with Qatar offering standard legroom and seat width for an Airbus A380. Seats on the lower deck are configured in a 10-abreast layout, as is standard on an A380, and Qatar uses the Recaro CL3710 for all economy seats. The screen exceeds 10″ while recline is a generous 7″, per data from aeroLOPA.

Our recommendation is to forgo the lower deck economy seats and instead focus on the upper deck. Qatar Airways sells 56 economy seats on the upper deck, numbered rows 25 to 32. On the upper deck, the carrier configures the economy cabin eight-abreast in a 2-4-2 layout, and uses the same seat model with the same legroom and seat width. If you’re seated in the center section, the experience is virtually identical to sitting in the center section on the lower deck.

The difference, however, comes in the pairs of seats near the windows, as, unlike on the lower deck, there is no middle seat. While this is beneficial for both aisle and window passengers, another benefit for window seat passengers on the upper deck is that there are storage lockers located by the sidewalls. In terms of specific seats, row 30 offers extra legroom, but this row does not have an accessible storage locker. Row 25 offers extra legroom and a locker, but it is close to the noisy onboard lounge.

Touring Business Class On The Upper Deck

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Qatar Airways is perhaps most famous for its ‘QSuite’ business class. Despite debuting eight years ago, this remains one of the best business class experiences in the world. Some still consider it to be the world’s best business class, with the custom Collins Aerospace seat model being a crucial aspect of why QSuite is so well regarded. However, Qatar Airways only offers the QSuite on the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777. On its Airbus A380s, Qatar Airways uses the older Collins Aerospace Super Diamond.

This is an open reverse herringbone seat, and while it’s no longer class-leading, the Super Diamond remains popular with passengers. Qatar Airways offers 48 business class seats on its A380s, which is one of the smallest business class cabins on any superjumbo in the world. One of the benefits of a reverse herringbone seat is the consistency, in that every seat is of identical quality.

On the A380, window seat passengers have access to a sidewall storage bin in addition to the overhead bins, making these seats preferred for most over the center seats. While these seats are largely identical, Qatar Airways places lavatories on both ends of the business class cabin, and the onboard lounge is located behind the business cabin, while a galley is located in front of the cabin. Therefore, seats in the middle of the cabin are best for avoiding noise.

First Class On The Airbus A380

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Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380 only offers eight first-class suites, making this by far the most exclusive cabin on this aircraft. Until recently, this was also the only aircraft in its fleet to feature such a cabin, but the carrier now operates a subfleet of ex-Cathay Pacific Boeing 777s with first class. Initially, Qatar Airways considered phasing out first class entirely with the removal of the Airbus A380, but it’s now expected that at least some of its 777-9s will include this cabin.

The airline’s first-class suites feature an open design that’s intended to make the cabin feel more spacious, rather than making each suite more private as has been the trend. Despite the seat’s relative age, it remains an elegant, spacious design with a large screen and ample storage space. However, in the region, Qatar Airways’ first class does pale in comparison to the glamour of Emirates’ A380 first class or Etihad’s enormous First Apartments.

With only eight passengers, there’s little difference between any of the seats. The suites in the center are preferred by couples, while the four window suites are better suited for solo travelers. In front of the first-class cabin are two lavatories and a staircase, while a large galley is located behind the cabin. This does mean that passengers seated in row one experience less noise pollution than those in row two, as the galley is generally busier than the lavatory area.

Where To Find Qatar Airways’ A380s

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With only eight A380s, Qatar Airways deploys the superjumbo to a limited number of destinations. With its dense configuration, the type is primarily used on Qatar Airways’ highest demand routes, and, unlike Emirates and Etihad, Qatar Airways has never regularly scheduled the A380 on any of its North American routes. It deployed the double-decker once on its inaugural flight to Atlanta, but otherwise, Qatar Airways relies on the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 for routes to North America.

On certain days, Qatar Airways schedules three daily A380s to Bangkok, Thailand. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and Qatar Airways also flies Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787 Dreamliners to the Thai capital.

Qatar Airways deploys a significant number of its A380s to Europe, with London and Paris both served by the superjumbo. The carrier also operates a daily Airbus A380 to Sydney, which is the only Australian destination to see the superjumbo. Qatar formerly flew the A380 to Perth, but this flight is now operated by the Boeing 777-300ER.

The Bottom Line

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Qatar Airways is operating the Airbus A380 largely out of necessity. With aircraft delays and a quick travel recovery post-COVID-19, it risked being left behind. The carrier, therefore, has returned its A380s to service while also purchasing second-hand Airbus A330s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s, which have allowed the carrier to grow rapidly to meet demand until its new aircraft arrive. While the A380 doesn’t offer the best onboard experience, the aircraft still features modern seats along with the general benefits of traveling on a superjumbo.

Premium seats are largely identical to one another, meaning that a decision on which seat is better largely depends on noise levels. For economy passengers, the upper deck offers a more intimate cabin with additional storage for window seat passengers and fewer middle seats, along with the novelty of traveling on the upper deck.

Whereas most airlines (including Middle Eastern rivals Emirates and Etihad Airways) configure the A380 with a huge number of premium seats, Qatar Airways has a heavier focus on economy seats. As such, it focuses on deploying the A380 to high-volume destinations, while other aircraft have significantly fewer economy seats. These planes add frequency to Qatar Airways’ most premium routes.