Qatar Airways Business Class is getting even better?

Qatar Airways is renowned for providing one of the world’s top business class experiences, offering a leading combination of exceptional hard and soft products. Now, the airline is raising the bar even further by enhancing the soft product to nearly first-class standards.

Qatar Airways to introduce caviar in business class

As of August 15, 2024, Qatar Airways will add caviar to its business class menu on 13 select routes. Specifically, caviar will be available in business class on flights between Doha (DOH) and Boston (BOS), Dallas (DFW), Hong Kong (HKG), Houston (IAH), London (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), Melbourne (MEL), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Sao Paulo (GRU), Singapore (SIN), Sydney (SYD), and Washington (IAD).

Caviar in Qatar's Business Class (Source: Qatar Airways)

Qatar Airways already provides an extensive dine-on-demand menu in business class. The new caviar service can be enjoyed either as a standalone option or as part of the meal courses. It will be served with traditional accompaniments, along with balik-style salmon.

Up until now, Qatar Airways has only offered caviar in its long-haul first class, available on select Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. Here's how Qatar Airways’ SVP of Product Development, Xia Cai, describes the new service:

“As the world’s only 11-time winner of the Skytrax ‘World’s Best Business Class’ award, Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest premium business class travel experience. The introduction of caviar service, typically reserved for first-class cabins, further enhances our award-winning business class. We are committed to continuously improving our onboard services to elevate industry standards and exceed our passengers’ expectations.”

Impressive move by Qatar Airways!

Qatar Airways sets itself apart in the airline industry by heavily investing in its business class soft product. We believe this is a smart approach. While many airlines invest heavily in luxurious seats and spacious cabins for their business class passengers, they often cut corners on the soft product, which is a relatively small investment in comparison.

Qatar's "Quad" business class seat arrangement (Source: Qatar Airways)

Qatar Airways stands out in multiple areas, from offering pajamas to a dine-on-demand menu, an exceptional alcohol selection, and extensive in-flight entertainment. Introducing caviar, however, takes the experience to a whole new level. While caviar can be expensive at retail, airlines often get bulk pricing deals. Nevertheless, this is likely the most costly amenity any airline has introduced in business class to date.

We do have a few questions and observations:

• It’s interesting to note which routes Qatar Airways has chosen for its caviar service. This likely reflects how “premium” these routes are considered based on internal metrics. However, it’s curious that Dallas and Houston made the list, while cities like Chicago or Miami did not.

• We’re also curious about how much caviar Qatar Airways will stock per flight. Given the extensive dine-on-demand menu, not all menu items are available for every passenger, so we wonder how quickly the caviar will run out on flights.

Caviar in Qatar's Business Class (Source: Qatar Airways)

Regardless, we’re very impressed by this development. Qatar Airways consistently sets the benchmark for business class, and it’s exciting to see them continue to raise the bar.

Conclusion

As of August 15, 2024, Qatar Airways will start serving caviar in business class on select premium routes. This service will be offered with traditional accompaniments and balik-style salmon.

We’ve never seen a major airline consistently serve caviar in business class before, making Qatar Airways stand out even more in the industry.