Articles tagged “qatar airways”

Qatar's departure from the Oneworld alliance could translate into some trickier international flights and connections for travelers on American, British and a dozen other airlines.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker may be posturing about leaving Oneworld, but he is indeed making alternative plans nonetheless.

Remember when the Trump administration suggested in May it had solved the ongoing dispute between U.S. and Gulf carriers? Hah. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is already complaining one competitor is ignoring the spirit of the agreement.

We're not sure Europe needs another airline with global ambitions. But more capacity almost always means cheaper fares, so passengers should enjoy watching these competitive dynamics play out. Perhaps Air Italy will become Italy's national carrier if Alitalia stops flying. Or maybe they'll both go bust.

The big three Gulf carriers are still very important, but because of a variety of reasons, they're no longer as scary as they were a few years ago. Still, this is good news for U.S. airlines.

Did Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker finally win himself a slice of a U.S. airline? You could say that. But remember JetSuiteX, for now, has only five airplanes. We'll see how much it grows with the new money.

The wellness concept has enticed the luxury travel industry. Many of today's high-end travelers want something more than just first-class flights and a fancy hotel -- and there are plenty of companies out there happy to service that need.

Other airlines say they're adapting to what younger travelers want. But not all of them actually do it. Delta seems to be ahead of many of its competitors. And that's a good thing.

We're not surprised American Airlines is not interested in blinged-out first and business class cabins. But we're still slightly puzzled at the U.S. carriers' anger toward the Gulf airlines. Yes, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar receive government assistance, but so do a lot of airlines.

When you add up the PR value for Qatar as well as the good will it engenders among travelers (especially those adding to their oneworld alliance point totals), the snafu was a smart move.