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Last June, Qatar Airways announced plans to eliminate its long-haul first class product, currently available only on Airbus A380 aircraft and ex-Cathay Pacific 777s. The airline's new CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, revealed in March that they would introduce a new first class product for the new planes they plan to order.
Qatar Airways is renowned for its business class offerings but lacks a comparable first class product. The space and ground services provided do not match those of other airlines' first class cabins. "When I’ve flown Qatar’s first class I’ve been escorted from the aircraft on arrival in Doha from plane through immigration formalities," one passenger noted. The design aesthetic of Qatar’s first class al Safwa lounge has also been praised, with some commenting that it "looks like a museum" due to pieces on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art.
Currently, Qatar's short-haul flights are marketed as economy and first class, featuring standard business class seats but with access to first-class lounges. Their Airbus A380 first class offers an open design with two rows of four abreast seating and no doors—features available in their business class on many widebody aircraft.
