The world’s five-star airline
It was my first time to ride Qatar Airways, known as the “world’s five-star airline.” I flew out of Clark, Pampanga (the airline provided a free shuttle to and from Manila and Clark) to go to Doha and was surprised to find out that certain Qatar flights (only from Clark) had a First Class cabin with Business Class service (as there are no First Class flights to and from the Philippines). This was a perfect start to my journey.
The bed was flat and I felt good wearing the Missoni pajamas the flight attendant gave me. The bed was perfect for a slumber after watching two of the several movies the airline offered on demand. The Giorgio Armani toiletry kit was complete and had wonderful scents. Food was superb and also served on demand. How I loved eating whenever I wanted to without having to follow a schedule, both for snacks and main meals!
Qatar Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Akbar Al Baker is the group chief executive of the airline that became the global launch customer of the first Airbus A350. The airline added four more A350s and started to fly to 12 new destinations last year. Now, it has over 150 aircraft in its fleet.
A comprehensive study of all major carriers published by CBS MoneyWatch and conducted by WanderBat found Qatar Airways to be the world’s most dependable airline. The honor was bestowed based on on-time percentage, a low cost to check bags and the average age of the airline’s fleet. Just four months ago, Qatar was named Best Economy Long-Haul Experience by SKIFT and was named Business Class of the Year by Skytrax in 2014.
Of course, taking Qatar Airways to go to Doha (which won the 2022 World Cup bid) or to connect to other destinations will give one the bonus of shopping and eating at Hamad International Airport. I enjoyed spending two hours in that beautiful airport and had a hard time leaving its beautiful Business Lounge complete with both buffet and a la carte food services. It even had sleeping areas, showers and a game room!
My Qatar Airways experience was definitely a five-star experience. I only wish it would have more flights to and from both Manila and Clark so Filipinos could get more five-star service from the five-star airline.