As Qatar Airways prepares for the October 10 maiden voyage of its newly acquired A380 superjumbo, plans are also in the works to beef up business class and phase out first class. This comes at a time when many airlines are focusing on their first class sections and adding extra perks beyond fully reclined seats and hot meals. 

Amidst a frenzy of airline rebranding efforts, Qatar Airways (QA) has decided to adopt similar tactics. But unlike Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines who have chosen to cater to the fewer, less frequent elite travelers through increased first class amenities, QA has chosen to remove the first class option from all airbuses outside of the A380 class.

But that doesn’t mean QA is not prepared to compete with first class distinctions. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said, “this is a new concept, and when you compare it to what is available today, it will be a first class product sold as business class.”

Why Business Class?

According to Baker, first class occupancy for his airline “is only 40 percent… and you will find that airlines with a lot of first class seats, more than 50 percent of those seats are occupied by their frequent flyer passengers, not full fare paying passengers.”

To Baker, the move to beef up business class into what they’re calling ‘super business class’ is a way to eliminate extreme and exotic expenses for the status of a small percentage of travelers. To patrons, it means increased accommodations at comparable prices.

Who They’re Targeting

According to Baker, “All future Qatar Airways aircraft will only be two classes—business and economy—except for the A380.” Baker understands QA needs to “satisfy the high first class demand originating from my country,” but he is avoiding the lavish indulgences for first class amenities that their competitors insist upon.

Recently, Etihad Airways revealed its new first class Resident Experience: a three-room suite complete with a bedroom, shower, and London-trained butler.

“We have no residents and no suites and no butlers, but we have class,” Baker stated.

As the current trend of luxurious first class quarters seems to continue building momentum, Qatar Airways chooses a more reasonable approach to cast a much broader net. Realizing a limited, possibly dwindling, volume of fare-paying first class patrons means more vacancy and less money, Baker chooses to increase comfort and convenience across all classes of travelers.

What This Means for Qatar Airways 

With plans to implement all business class updates by 2016, Qatar Airways seems quite ambitious, anxious even, to introduce the new line of business accommodations. Exact specifications about the updates have not yet been released, but speaking of the newly acquired A380 at a recent press release, Baker stated: “The aircraft will be delivered to us before the end of the year on schedule, and we may have some additional surprises for you which I will not discuss with you now.”

If ambiguous promises aren’t enough to excite you, maybe the promise of new sunglasses will—Qatar Airways stated here that business class purchases through September 21 will include a new pair of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses.

For more information about how airlines are changing first class seats, check out:

• Etihad Airways: Beds, Baths, & Butlers in the Sky
• Will All-Business Class Airline La Compagnie be Profitable?
• How Airlines Target First Class Flyers

By Neil Thigpen for PeterGreenberg.com