Qatar Airways is already renowned for offering one of the best Business Class experiences in the world, but now the Doha-based airline is looking to take the experience up yet another notch by introducing a signature caviar service on select routes.
Caviar has long been reserved solely for First Class passengers (unless you’re flying with British Airways, in which case even its most premium passengers aren’t deserving of caviar), but now Qatar Airways is expanding the availability of this luxury dish to a massive new audience.
Qatar Airways has long suggested that its Business Class product is more akin to a First Class-lite experience, and up until very recently, the airline had even been toying with eliminating First Class altogether because the line between the two experiences was becoming so blurred.
New CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer has decided that actually there’s still very much a market for a completely separate and exclusive First Class cabin, and the airline is currently working on a new First Class Suite, but that hasn’t stopped Qatar Airways from continuing to blur the service experience.
On Tuesday, Qatar Airways announced that business class passengers would be able to enjoy a caviar service starting on August 15 when they fly 13 different routes.
Those routes have been confirmed as being between Doha and Boston, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Washington.
For now, it looks like Qatar Airways is restricting caviar service to its most premium and important of routes, although the airline did hint that the signature caviar service might be extended to other routes in the future.
“The introduction of caviar service, commonly available only in first class cabins, further elevates Qatar Airways’ award-winning business class experience,” boasted the airline’s SVP of product development and design, Xia Cai.
“We are committed to continuously enhance our onboard services to elevate the industry’s standards and delight our passengers,” Cai continued.
It’s probably important to note that the caviar experience in Business Class is going to differ from the caviar service in First Class. For one thing, the serving size is smaller, and accompaniments are more limited.
What will also be interesting to see is how Qatar Airways manages demand for its caviar service – especially when it is first introduced.
Qatar Airways currently offers a dine-on-demand service, even in Business Class, so managing demand in a full cabin could prove tricky if the airline chooses to scrimp by not loading enough caviar.
Last month, Qatar Airways unveiled its highly anticipated new Business Class suite, which has been dubbed the ‘Qsuite Next Gen’. The new seat is an iteration of the current Qsuite but will fully fold away TV screens which allows four passengers to share their space.
The new and improved Qsuite Next Gen also features higher privacy screens, new charging technology and additional storage options, including a lockable drawer – much like a hotel safe for valuables.
Word is… the caviar Qatar Airways will serve in business class is Baerii from the Siberian sturgeon. They’ll serve 15g per person. A 30g tin of Baerii caviar retails for around £30 to £40 in the UK, so a substantial commitment in aviation spending terms.