Skift Travel News Blog

Qatar Airways has announced a new collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, which will see the carrier introduce complimentary high-speed internet connectivity onboard specific aircraft and routes. 

The new initiative, which is currently in the pre-launch phase, will allow passengers to enjoy Wi-Fi speeds of up to 350 Megabits per second, allowing internet-based services such as video streaming, gaming and enriched web-browsing with one-click access.

“Qatar Airways is proud to announce its agreement with Starlink to provide seamless and complimentary Wi-Fi to its global passengers. This exciting collaboration is not only in line with our industry-leading approach to technological adoption, but also serves as an unmissable opportunity to connect Starlink to our global passengers. We look forward to our passengers benefitting from this state-of-the-art addition to Qatar Airways’ in-flight experience,” said His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways is not the first airline to partner with Starlink, with the technology also being implemented by JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, and ZIPAIR. We also previously reported that P&O Cruises and Cunard will roll out the service.

Qatar Airways has revealed its latest onboard theme song, ‘The Ascent’, which has been composed by Dana Al Fardan and performed by members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

‘The Ascent’ marks the trilogy of the two previous onboard theme songs, ‘The Awakening’ and ‘The Dawn’.

The theme song, introduces a unique fusion of Arabic charm intertwined with classical music, achieved through the incorporation of traditional Arabic instruments such as the Ney and the Rababa alongside the piano, violin, viola, and cello.

“As a composer, I really want to capture the sounds from my country and explore the nuances of different Arabic instruments, rhythmic patterns, and flourishes. The idea is to preserve the authenticity of one style of sound and build it into another in a way that fits without one having to accommodate the other by deconstructing itself,” Said Dana Al Fardan.

“Music is a universal language, and at Qatar Airways we have chosen a theme song that uplifts the passengers and transcends them to a wonderful destination. I am proud of Dana Al Fardan, not only is she showcasing our Qatari culture through sophisticated art, but her onboard music has also become synonymous with Qatar Airways’ brand identity. It is now directly associated with travel, culture, and luxury. It brings me great pleasure to welcome passengers onboard with the rhythms of Dana’s new symphony,” Said,  His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group.

New York’s loss is seemingly Philadelphia’s gain at American Airlines. The carrier will begin new daily flights between Philadelphia and Doha, home to Oneworld partner Qatar Airways, in October, replacing New York JFK as the gateway for the route.

The announcement comes weeks after American began unwinding its alliance with JetBlue Airways. That pact, known as the northeast alliance, allowed the two airlines to coordinate schedules in Boston and New York. JetBlue acted like a domestic feeder to American’s long-haul international flights in both cities, including from New York to Doha.

An American spokesperson did not mention the alliance in a statement, saying only that the move to Philadelphia was part of a “continuous evaluation” of the airline’s network. They cited the additional connecting opportunities available to Doha travelers over American’s Philadelphia hub.

American and Qatar Airways also partner on flights between the U.S. and Qatar, as well as on flights beyond Doha. This includes connections to destinations in India and Africa.

Philadelphia is American’s primary transatlantic connecting gateway. However, since the pandemic when it forged the alliance with JetBlue and retired several older aircraft types, the carrier has been slow to rebuild its schedule in Philadelphia. That was particularly evident on long-haul routes with flights to boutique destinations like Dubrovnik and Edinburgh disappearing seemingly for good.

Asked whether the end of the American-JetBlue alliance could benefit Philadelphia in July, airport CEO Atif Saeed said: “We could stand to benefit as an airport. Looking at different variables, we have transatlantic from here and as equipment becomes available, it makes sense for it to come here. I don’t mean that we exclusively benefit, but the potential is high.”

American will launch Philadelphia-Doha flights on October 29. No word yet if Qatar Airways, which also flies the route, will adjust its schedules.

As the countdown begins to the Middle East’s very first Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) World Cup, host country Qatar now has British soccer star David Beckham promoting the destination for a stopover break.

The campaign features Beckham on a whirlwind trip to Qatar for 48 hours indulging in a wide range of activities from exploring the spice markets of Souq Waqif, soaking up local street art, cooking tacos to camping in the desert and discovering Doha on a motorbike.

In 2019, Qatar’s transit traffic stood at 40 million passengers, courtesy national carrier Qatar Airways. However, the country only received 2.1 million visitors — a mere 5 percent of the number of people transiting through the country.

Through this campaign, Qatar Tourism seeks to raise awareness of what it dubs is the, “the world’s best value stopover packages.”

Passengers can book themselves at a four-star hotel for as little as $14.00 per person, per night, Philip Dickinson, vice president of international markets for Qatar Tourism had said speaking to Skift in an earlier interview.

The campaign is aimed to encourage the millions who transit through Qatar every year to follow in David’s footsteps, Akbar Al Baker, chairman of Qatar Tourism and group CEO of Qatar Airways, said in a press statement.

“We have something for everyone at incredible value, whether it’s sun, sea, sand, rich heritage and culture, or a modern and fun city break,” Baker said.

Qatar expects to bring in 1.5 million fans during the 28 days that the World Cup is scheduled to take place in the country. FIFA estimates that the Qatar World Cup returns could reach $6 billion, Nasser Al-Khater, CEO of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, said this week while speaking to Qatar News Agency. 

Qatar had unveiled Beckham as its global ambassador for the World Cup in a deal reportedly worth $277 million. Beckham had however come under fire for failing to speak out about human rights abuses in Qatar.

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