Suite News: Qatar Will Start Serving Caviar on Select Business Class Routes (2024)

The world's best business class is getting even better: Qatar Airways just announced it's bringing dedicated caviar service to its business class menu starting this Thursday, Aug 15 – but only on a handful of routes to start.

Caviar is one of the finer details that separates international first class from a business class experience. But for years, Qatar Airways has argued that its Qsuites business class is making first class irrelevant. So now, the airline is putting its money where travelers' mouths are … kind of.

Just add it to the (already long list) of dine-on-demand meals and high-end drinks available flying with Qatar Airways. This dedicated caviar service will be available as an a la carte option or part of regular meal service.

Either way, it's something no other major airline has done for its business class passengers. Based on Qatar's marketing, the caviar service will include all the usual fixings as well as some smoked salmon.

But you won't find this on every Qatar route – at least not to start. With the initial rollout, Qatar says it will have caviar on the menu on 13 major routes to and from its Doha (DOH) hub, including a half-dozen U.S. cities:

• Boston (BOS)
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
• Hong Kong (HKG)
• Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)
• London (LHR)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Melbourne (MEL)
• New York City (JFK)
• Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
• Sao Paulo (GRU)
• Singapore (SIN)
• Sydney (SYD)
• Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD)

If you're already planning a trip to (or through) Doha, picking one of these routes could be a worthwhile experience for caviar lovers. Only time will tell whether this will eventually expand to additional Qatar routes.

By the looks of it, this will be a scaled back version of the caviar service that Qatar Airways first class passengers already get. But you'll only find that available on the select few routes where Qatar flies the Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s (leased from Cathay Pacific) equipped with a bonafide first class cabin.

At a time when other competitors like Emirates and Etihad are still focusing on luring in customers first class, Qatar is doubling down on business class instead.

“The introduction of caviar service, commonly available only in first class cabins, further elevates Qatar Airways’ award-winning business class experience,” Xia Cai, Qatar's senior vice president of product development and design, said in a statement. “We are committed to continuously enhance our onboard services to elevate the industry’s standards and delight our passengers.”

With fully enclosed suites, top-notch amenities, and excellent lounges like the Al Mourjan Business Lounge in Doha, Qatar Airways was already my favorite airline in the world. This just further sets it apart.

I've flown Qatar business class a handful of times but haven't yet tried caviar, so I'm itching for the chance to notch up the luxury on my next Qatar Airways flight.

It's not exactly a cinch – and booking with through American Airlines is no longer the slam dunk it once was – but there are still plenty of good ways to book Qatar Qsuites.

Using the transferable credit card points you can earn from banks like American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi, you can book these business class seats to Doha (and beyond) for as few as 70,000 points each way. If you're lucky, you might even be able to get in on a transfer bonus (like the current 30% boost being offered by American Express) and cut your price to just 54,000 Amex points one way.

So if you've got a card like the *chase sapphire preferred*, the *amex gold card*, or the *venture x* in your wallet, you're set to make this a reality.

Read more:The #1 Trick to Booking Qatar Qsuites Right Now

Don't want to go to Doha? No problem: Qatar Airways flies to more than 170 destinations around the world, connecting passengers through its hub in Doha. So no matter what far-flung destination you have your sights set on, Qatar can likely get you there.

And now you might get some caviar in the process to boot.

Bottom Line

Qatar Airways already offers one of the best business class seats in the sky … and now they're upping the ante again.

The airline announced on Tuesday that it will begin offering caviar service – typically reserved only for international first class flights – on 13 different routes to and from its hub in Doha later this week. It's too early to say for sure, but we wouldn't be surprised to see this expand to even more of Qatar's routes over time.