https://twitter.com/qatarairways/status ... 28194?s=20

https://twitter.com/turningleftfor/status/1103243561846431744?s=20

Detailed Pictures: https://thepointsguy.com/news/qatar-new ... unveiling/

Dual multi-function tables
13.3″ 4K seatback screens
USB Type-C fast charging and faster Wi-Fi
More eco-friendly food packaging and products
Amenity kits for economy

Its the Quadra seat from Optimares, going from how it looks and what its properties are.

These look incredibly cramped and uncomfortable given the pitch and hard-looking seats. I do like the 13.3 inch monitors, but the rest is atrocious. Why someone would pay to sit in those things for 15.5 hours is beyond me.

I actually really like it, and think it's a great product for the A321neo and A321LR. I had been wondering which airline would be first to introduce USB-C charging, it's very welcome, plus being able to work on a laptop while the person in front is reclined is a huge benefit for me.

They haven't really said if the pitch is going to be 30", just that it is on this display model, and even then thepointsguy says there was plenty of knee room (at 6'4", I need it), I'd imagine that even if the A321s get 30", longer haul planes might get an extra inch or two (or maybe even a formal extra legroom product). I'm looking forward to trying it out!

Am I missing something? What is “revolutionary” about the product?

13.3” AVODs and USB-C charging is nice but other than these enhancements the product looks like a regular uncomfortable cramped economy product. 30 inch pitch is rough especially when reclining and the seat bottom moves forward edging the knees towards the seat in front. This product is decent for sub 6 hours mission, but anything more than that will be rough.

I certainly wouldn’t want to be in that seat for 12+ hours. I hope they will come up with a modified product for their long haul planes.

golfingboy wrote:

Am I missing something? What is “revolutionary” about the product?

Akbar Al Baker changed his language earlier this week in confirming the announcement saying that they would reveal an 'enhanced' product.

“It is always a pleasure to come to ITB Berlin, and this year is no different. Qatar Airways is known by travellers around the world for its continued commitment to innovation and to redefining the customer experience. This year we are delighted to reveal our newly-enhanced Economy Class product at ITB, a further testament to our dedication to improving passenger comfort at every level. We look forward to welcoming guests and visitors to our stand, where they can experience our world-class products and hospitality firsthand.”

He has always been known to over-hype products.

The 13,3 screens and USB-C with fast charging super nice! 30inches on short flights is fine, over long flights no thank you.

Anxious to see more info on the "semi fixed back shell design." IMO CX's old economy was the most uncomfortable seat I've ever flown in long haul. If this seat has the same back-slouching pseudo recline system, looks like I'll be avoiding QR.

tcaeyx wrote:

Anxious to see more info on the "semi fixed back shell design." IMO CX's old economy was the most uncomfortable seat I've ever flown in long haul. If this seat has the same back-slouching pseudo recline system, looks like I'll be avoiding QR.

Looking at the pictures, I couldn't see any 'semi-fixed back shell design'. I never got the chance to fly CX old fixed shell economy on a long haul flight but 5 hours on it (HKG-DPS) was bearable. Doesn't AF have the same seat on their PEY?

J343 wrote:

tcaeyx wrote:

Anxious to see more info on the "semi fixed back shell design." IMO CX's old economy was the most uncomfortable seat I've ever flown in long haul. If this seat has the same back-slouching pseudo recline system, looks like I'll be avoiding QR.

Looking at the pictures, I couldn't see any 'semi-fixed back shell design'. I never got the chance to fly CX old fixed shell economy on a long haul flight but 5 hours on it (HKG-DPS) was bearable. Doesn't AF have the same seat on their PEY?

AF and SU have them in PE, while NH has them on their 2-4-3 configured 77W's. I'd agree that 5 hours would be bearable, but 15+ certainly was not.

Look carefully at the picture on TPG (after the one featuring the headrests). If you compare the window seat to the middle and aisle seats, it appears that the portion of the seatback including and below the tray table is fixed, while the portion of the shell containing the PTV slides up and down without changing the angle. Somewhat of an improvement over current fixed shell seats, but I'll still take traditional recline over this any day.

30" seat pitch: bad
large screens: good
seat-forward recline instead of the claustrophobic "I can't see the screen or use the tray table because the person in front of me's head is in my lap" recline: very good

usdcaguy wrote:

These look incredibly cramped and uncomfortable given the pitch and hard-looking seats. I do like the 13.3 inch monitors, but the rest is atrocious. Why someone would pay to sit in those things for 15.5 hours is beyond me.

Seriously. The dual tables are cool, but not cool enough that I'd sit in that for more than 4 or 5 hours.

To be fair, we need to know what is the the living space given by the seat at 30" pitch, & how much is knee distance is affected from forward seat before giving a good/bad verdict. And for future wide body deliveries I should expect a minimum of 18" seat bottom width to be a standard, yes ?!

It's a customized version of the Optimares Quadra.

The manufacturer states:

quadra is not a fixed-back shell, and it is not a traditional recliner. The patented mechanism lets passengers enjoy a greater recline than traditional seats, without intruding on the personal space of the passengers behind them.

You can see a better video of the seat and mechanism here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stwnPaEoJx0

The current seat has a seat pitch of 31" to 33". I don't see how a 1" pitch reduction would be unbearable to be honest.

And before you ask, let me just say I survived a 14 hour flight on QR!

Wish there was a regulation for the minimum seat pitch of 33", just a dream though.

TheFlyingDisk wrote:

The current seat has a seat pitch of 31" to 33". I don't see how a 1" pitch reduction would be unbearable to be honest.

And before you ask, let me just say I survived a 14 hour flight on QR!

Its generous of you to allow QR that relative 1 inch (31 to 30), when by your own words it could 3 inches (33 to 30). That would be a massive difference.

But in the absolute sense, the fact is, we are talking about an airline that flies a load of long haul flights putting pax and seat into a 30 inch pitch dimension. That is very skinny; that is LCC territory, in my book. Frankly, electronics and headrest aside, the seat looks LCC to me.

The proof will be in the padding.

edit: the upper small tray with drink holder is useful and a long overdue feature for all Y seating, everywhere. credit where credit is due.

That recline system looks like it could be a winner. From those who haven’t watched the video, it’s not a fixed shell seat like the one CX quickly replaced, but the knee and tray table area is fixed whilst the rest of the seat reclines around it.

a320fan wrote:

That recline system looks like it could be a winner. From those who haven’t watched the video, it’s not a fixed shell seat like the one CX quickly replaced, but the knee and tray table area is fixed whilst the rest of the seat reclines around it.

the fixed tray has been done before, its the execution of the knee area that is novel. but it does not change the fact that by reclining, you are trading torso angle for leg space (also not new). I'm not saying its a bad thing that your seat incline mostly impacts your space and not the seat behind, but in the end, is the space provided sufficient? we shall see.

The seat comfort is totally horrific on this seat. You may remember the Cathay Y seat that slide forward when reclining

Anyone noticed how skinny the arm-rests are?

LH658 wrote:

Wish there was a regulation for the minimum seat pitch of 33", just a dream though.

I agree and also wish there was some further regulations in regards to minimum luggage, food, etc. But then we would be back in the old Regulated Times...

I do not think people have stomach for this (just yet...)

I am not sure if I missed somewhere in the report but QR may be planning a seat pitch of 30" only for their short haul aircrafts (A319 and A320 - maybe some A321 scheduled flights which would not last more than 3 hours).

I believe that, for long haul (over 3 -5 hours) and on their B787s, A350s, A380s, B777s, etc, they will keep the actual pitch.

They would not be crazy enough to send a B77L away from Doha with a 30" pitch economy. Not many people flying to Doha these days - it would damage their business even further.

cskok8 wrote:

Anyone noticed how skinny the arm-rests are?

According to the seat manufacturer (Optimares), the armrests are 2". That's standard width.

Jomar777 wrote:

I am not sure if I missed somewhere in the report but QR may be planning a seat pitch of 30" only for their short haul aircrafts (A319 and A320 - maybe some A321 scheduled flights which would not last more than 3 hours).

I believe that, for long haul (over 3 -5 hours) and on their B787s, A350s, A380s, B777s, etc, they will keep the actual pitch.

They would not be crazy enough to send a B77L away from Doha with a 30" pitch economy. Not many people flying to Doha these days - it would damage their business even further.

Their A320 and A321s operate flights longer than 3 hours. They fly them to Prague, Helsinki and soon Malta. All more than 3 hrs from Doha.

Yep, arm rest does looks thin. There will be constant fight between stranger neighbor passenger LOL.

Also I think screen is way too big for Y seating arrangement... there should be a good ratio of distance. This is as good as you putting big 52'' 4K television in small 8ftx8ft box room.

On other note (sorry slightly off topic), does anyone know why QR prices don't come up unlike all other airlines when you see fares between UK/Europe to Asian countries. Very rare occasion QR prices are displayed with other airline options...any ticketing experts here?

Thanks.

theaviator380 wrote:

Yep, arm rest does looks thin. There will be constant fight between stranger neighbor passenger LOL.

Also I think screen is way too big for Y seating arrangement... there should be a good ratio of distance. This is as good as you putting big 52'' 4K television in small 8ftx8ft box room.

On other note (sorry slightly off topic), does anyone know why QR prices don't come up unlike all other airlines when you see fares between UK/Europe to Asian countries. Very rare occasion QR prices are displayed with other airline options...any ticketing experts here?

Thanks.

QR's yield management is built around offering convenient schedules and the lowest fares for non-typical itineraries. So where any airline would beat QR on a typical 10 day trip and would be competing heavily against dozens of airlines for very low yields, QR has the solution when the trip is very short or has an open jaw or is between city pairs that are not served 1-stop by many airlines.

The double table and large screens look nice, the thin seatback and the pitch not so much.
They won't ever see me on their claustrophobic B787's anyway...

I tried the seats on display at the ITB in Berlin today and have to say they were comfortable enough - at least for the 10-15 minutes I spent sitting in them. I am 185 cm tall with relatively long legs and had no problem reclining. Also, the partially fixed shell means that getting up is a lot easier, as the recline of the seat in front of you is hardly noticeable.

However, since the mechanism means that you end up sitting on a slightly sloping seat, I have a feeling that it will become very uncomfortable on any flight longer than a couple of hours.

Jomar777 wrote:

LH658 wrote:

Wish there was a regulation for the minimum seat pitch of 33", just a dream though.

I agree and also wish there was some further regulations in regards to minimum luggage, food, etc. But then we would be back in the old Regulated Times...

I do not think people have stomach for this (just yet...)

I agree. It’s time to get people of lesser means off airplanes. I say let them walk.

Can someone explain to me why having the seat sliding forward when reclining is so bad? I believe the seats on EK also slide forward when reclining, and I've never had a problem with that, and haven't seen any complaints either. Am I missing something?

tcaeyx wrote:

J343 wrote:

tcaeyx wrote:

Anxious to see more info on the "semi fixed back shell design." IMO CX's old economy was the most uncomfortable seat I've ever flown in long haul. If this seat has the same back-slouching pseudo recline system, looks like I'll be avoiding QR.

Looking at the pictures, I couldn't see any 'semi-fixed back shell design'. I never got the chance to fly CX old fixed shell economy on a long haul flight but 5 hours on it (HKG-DPS) was bearable. Doesn't AF have the same seat on their PEY?

AF and SU have them in PE, while NH has them on their 2-4-3 configured 77W's. I'd agree that 5 hours would be bearable, but 15+ certainly was not.

Look carefully at the picture on TPG (after the one featuring the headrests). If you compare the window seat to the middle and aisle seats, it appears that the portion of the seatback including and below the tray table is fixed, while the portion of the shell containing the PTV slides up and down without changing the angle. Somewhat of an improvement over current fixed shell seats, but I'll still take traditional recline over this any day.

I see it now thanks! Regarding CX's fixed shell, they got a lot of criticisms with it and replaced it with their current one (pre 3-4-3) which I find to be extremely comfortable and wide especially with the double padding; a similar one is found on their A35K which I believe will be going on their A330s too. My grandparents found AF's fixed shell PEY very uncomfortable but I don't see any criticisms of it compared to CX's old long-haul Y.

Also QR, released a better video on FB and it looks like the seat slides forward. If that's the case, I'll pass.

tomgle wrote:

Can someone explain to me why having the seat sliding forward when reclining is so bad? I believe the seats on EK also slide forward when reclining, and I've never had a problem with that, and haven't seen any complaints either. Am I missing something?

How tall are you?

Tbh, not that I’ve really focused on the recline mechanism but I’m pretty sure most of not all seats I’ve reclined in have slid forward as the vertical goes back.

Byrdluvs747 wrote:

tomgle wrote:

Can someone explain to me why having the seat sliding forward when reclining is so bad? I believe the seats on EK also slide forward when reclining, and I've never had a problem with that, and haven't seen any complaints either. Am I missing something?

How tall are you?

Over 180 cm, so about 6', maybe a bit more

seansasLCY wrote:

Jomar777 wrote:

I am not sure if I missed somewhere in the report but QR may be planning a seat pitch of 30" only for their short haul aircrafts (A319 and A320 - maybe some A321 scheduled flights which would not last more than 3 hours).

I believe that, for long haul (over 3 -5 hours) and on their B787s, A350s, A380s, B777s, etc, they will keep the actual pitch.

They would not be crazy enough to send a B77L away from Doha with a 30" pitch economy. Not many people flying to Doha these days - it would damage their business even further.

Their A320 and A321s operate flights longer than 3 hours. They fly them to Prague, Helsinki and soon Malta. All more than 3 hrs from Doha.

Thanks for that but note that, in my original post, I mentioned 3 - 5 hours. Also, those destinations may very likely transact to a B787 when new aircraft comes into play which might be earlier than Qatar Airways' ability to refurbish all their aircrafts.

bigjku wrote:

Jomar777 wrote:

LH658 wrote:

Wish there was a regulation for the minimum seat pitch of 33", just a dream though.

I agree and also wish there was some further regulations in regards to minimum luggage, food, etc. But then we would be back in the old Regulated Times...

I do not think people have stomach for this (just yet...)

I agree. It’s time to get people of lesser means off airplanes. I say let them walk.

Bit too far and too elitist (but I guess you are being sarcastic...).

Mind you, if this was to happen, on actual economy scenario, you would see the majority of airlines collapsing. One reason flight went to the masses was that, in long term it would not be sustainable to bring technology and improvements to a mode of transport to be used by few.

Look at the Concorde - no successors just yet.

Obviously a lot of people missed the point that there is nothing official to suggest that seat pitch is shrinking to 30" on QR.

This was a mock-up demo model at a trade show.

While the video only mentions USB-C the actual images appear to show two classic USB units under the screen
And then a separate USB-C elsewhere (seemingly instead of a power outlet).

I was getting worried they wouldn't have any regular USB outlets.

While I've got a few USB-C devices now they are all still normally power from USB

alancostello wrote:

I had been wondering which airline would be first to introduce USB-C charging

BA's refurbished 777s based at Gatwick have USB-C charging. You can see it in the first picture here: http://mediacentre.britishairways.com/p ... 8-247/9236

(For the record I’ve used it in person, not just seen it on a website)

747fly wrote:

alancostello wrote:

I had been wondering which airline would be first to introduce USB-C charging

BA's refurbished 777s based at Gatwick have USB-C charging. You can see it in the first picture here: http://mediacentre.britishairways.com/p ... 8-247/9236

(For the record I’ve used it in person, not just seen it on a website)

Amazing! Any idea what kind of wattage it pushes out? If it's in the screen I would imagine it's only the same as USB-A (c. 10W or so).

What's not to love?

Increase in food
Less single use plastic items
Better entertainment
USB C

There's no confirmation that pitch will be 30", and if it is, how far are their A320/A321s flying?