MANILA, Philippines – A plane ticket and a good story — both take you to places you could have only imagined.
I thought about this onboard a special chartered flight operated by Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the state of Qatar and one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. It was the first time ever an Airbus A350 was being flown into the United States.
You’d think that I would be tired after flying nine hours from Manila to Doha, a three-hour layover at the Hamad International Airport, and finally, the 13-hour inaugural flight from Doha to New York. But I wasn’t. Not when history was being made. I couldn’t wait, especially because I was the only journalist representing the Philippines.
Not only is the airline the first to bring the Airbus A350 to the United States, that flight also made Qatar Airways the very first airline to fly the aircraft to three continents, adding to its list of firsts including being the first global operator of the machine.
A friend of mine who grew up in New York said: “It’s a city with something for everyone.” Indeed, one would love getting lost in the vividly ventricled body of the City that Never Sleeps, what with the amazing variety of people, places and things to do that typifies my friend’s beloved New York.
That evening, our group of journalists found ourselves in Midtown, which is home to some of the most tourist-heavy areas like the Empire State Building, the Big Apple’s core. The most obvious draw is the impressive architecture with thousands of people visiting every day. From the observatory at 1,200 feet above the ground, the vantage point affords panoramic postcard views of the city. It was built during a difficult time in New York’s history, so it is a true symbol of the people’s grit to pursue the American Dream.
“New York is the center of the universe, as they say. This is a city, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. And actually, because the city is so critical to our American operations, we have decided to consolidate our United States offices and open up our new flagship office right here in New York, in the Empire State building,” said Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker. True enough, the Empire State Building warmly welcomed its newest office tenant, by shining in burgundy and white lights.
At the glamorous The Peninsula New York, members of the press also witnessed Al Baker unveil the new and inspiring brand campaign. For Qatar Airways and its travelers, 2016 is about going places — together.
“Many airlines can sell a ticket to fly somewhere, but we offer a true experience…We have a style of our own, when it comes to the way we think, in which service should be delivered onboard…[Our customers] appreciate all of the small details that really do make a very big difference. Our focus as an airline is the foundation of who we are,” he shared.
Al Baker explained he wanted a fresh way to communicate the company’s vision, noting that the brand-new campaign is something much bigger than a celebrity. He said it’s about all of us, going places together.
“We believe travel is a transformative experience unlike other airlines, that treat it as a transaction. When people travel, it is a life-changing moment. It is about new beginnings,” he said.
He gave a few examples like starting a new business venture, deepening relationships when reuniting with family members or visiting customers; or following one’s passion to better understand the world by better understanding its art and cuisine. Travel is about going somewhere and being awed by the experience and enriching one’s life.
Qatar Airways’ new campaign is about going places literally and figuratively. But more importantly, it’s about going places together.
“Experience may be an individual pursuit, but it’s truly meaningful only when we share our experience with each other. So it is from this lens that we approached our brand campaign. Our guests onboard, our loyal passengers, have a voice and we wish for them to be heard. The time invested in a trip, is time, at the end of the day. And we, at Qatar Airways, believe that your time should be viewed as a journey, a memory that stays with you forever,” he said.
With my plane ticket, I found a good coming-of-age story about how an ambitious airline, only 18 years young, believed it could fly to new heights. How far it has have come because the experts behind it believed in what they could be.
“Our guests onboard have the same dream for themselves; they aim to achieve great things in life. Our product defines us — a luxurious elegance that we designed for all to enjoy. In whichever class of travel, our loyal passengers who choose to fly with us believe because life, like air travel, should be enjoyed,” Al Baker concluded.
Qatar Airways’ network group reflects its ambitious spirit with a modern fleet of 173 aircraft flying to 153 key business and leisure destinations across six continents. For Al Baker, his company isn’t just any other airline, they are Qatar Airways, ranked best in the world three times over (Qatar Airways won Airline of the Year, Best Business Class Airline Seat and Best Airline in the Middle East at the 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards. This is the third time the airline won the accolade of Airline of the Year). And they aren’t finished growing yet, just as they believe their guests have more to achieve.
So, what are you waiting for?
(For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com or Qatar Airways on Facebook.)