Fragrant hand towels. Asian-accented food by Michelin-starred chefs. An exotic in-flight crew that glides through the cabin with a balletic, efficient grace. Flying with Qatar Airways feels like slipping into a foreign land — even before you’ve reached your destination.
Qatar, the world’s richest country per capita, owns the airline and runs it in a manner that befits a royal sheikhdom. And this year, Qatar Airlines launches routes to Philadelphia, Miami and Dallas/Fort Worth in addition to its existing destinations of New York, DC, Chicago and Houston. With its Doha hub located smack-dab in the Persian Gulf, Qatar is a smart way to connect to India, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, but also offers a chance to explore a city exploding with ambition.
Qatar Airways is just as ambitious. Although the airline has only been operating since 1994, it is routinely ranked as one of the world’s top by passengers across all cabin levels — from first class to economy. And while Qatar’s current airport boasts a “premium transfer terminal” with one of the most luxurious business lounges in the world (including a games room, a health clinic, international and Middle Eastern bites cooked fresh to order, piped-in birdsong and relaxing waterfall sculptures), the carrier is building an even bigger $15 billion airport to service a capacity of 30 million, projected to open later this year.
With a country — and an airline — so eager to excel, it’s not surprising that flying Qatar feels like luxury wherever you’re sitting. Economy travelers get more room on the Boeing 777, with one less seat per row than on comparative airlines; business class customers get some of the finest wines you can taste 30,000 feet up (Tommasi Amarone and Babich Savignon Blanc are just two thrillers); and everyone gets 1,000 channels for watching whatever you fancy — from current Oscar winners to brand-new action fare.
Qatar calls itself the World’s Five Star Airline — with its truly global reach, it’s hard to disagree.