Premium Travelers Name Qatar Airways the Best in Middle East Global Traveler Readers have Chosen the Airline for Their Service in the Middle East

Global Traveler announces Qatar as an award winner.

(PRWEB) January 21, 2007 -- Global Traveler is pleased to announce that Qatar Airways has won the GT Tested Award for Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline was awarded this honor by Global Traveler readers who participated in a survey that ran in the magazine from February 2006 to August 2006.

Qatar Airways will be recognized at an awards luncheon on January 23, 2007 at the Jumeirah Essex House in New York City. Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO of Global Traveler, will honor the winners at the gala ceremony, accompanied by Cynthia Nixon, star of Sex and the City. Nixon will speak to attendees on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

"The awards luncheon is a celebration of the accomplishments of all our award winners," Gallagher said. "Our readers have recognized them as the cream of the crop; however, this luncheon also reminds all of us that it's time to give back. By benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we have the opportunity to help and celebrate personal good fortune by helping those hindered by misfortune. However, I do want to congratulate all of our winners for their achievements in the world of travel and the work they do that puts them a step ahead of the competition."

"Considering that Qatar Airways has not yet even started flying to the U.S., we are delighted to receive this highly prestigious award from readers of Global Traveler. It demonstrates that the U.S. public is well traveled to all parts of the world and to be recognized as the Best Airline in the Middle East as a young and rapidly developing airline is a wonderful recognition for our achievements. We strive to be the best in what we do and our standards are already among the best in the world. Qatar Airways is extremely honored and looks forward to our entry into the American market this summer," said Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways.

For a complete list of winners and to read the full awards article, visit www.globaltravelerusa.com.

About the Survey
Global Traveler conducted the third annual survey of its readers from February 1, 2006 to August 31, 2006, with open-ended questions for the best in 42 categories of business and luxury travel. A total of 13,653 completed questionnaires were received. The questionnaires were made available as a six-page insert in subscriber copies of the magazine and online at the Global Traveler website www.globaltravelerusa.com/readersurvey. Only those questionnaires in which more than 50 percent of the questions were completed were counted; those answering fewer than 50 percent of the questions were discarded.

Responses also were screened for duplication. Members of the travel industry and employees of FXExpress Publications were not allowed to participate.

Survey respondents spent a mean number of 61 nights last year on international business trips and 76 nights on domestic business trips. They took an average of 18 international flights and 21 domestic flights per person during that period. Of all respondents, 76 percent were male and 24 percent were female; average age was 45.

About Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is one of only four airlines in the world with a Five Star ranking for service and excellence awarded by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry monitoring agency. Skytrax also named Qatar Airways' cabin crew as Best in the Middle East for the fourth year running in 2006 and second best worldwide following a survey of more than 12 million passengers worldwide. The airline's fleet will more than double in size to 110 aircraft by 2015. Qatar Airways plans to acquire 60 Airbus A350s and 22 Boeing 777s, with deliveries of the latter beginning in November 2007. The airline is a launch customer of the twin-deck Airbus A380 "super jumbos" with four aircraft on order and scheduled for delivery from 2009 to coincide with the opening of the New Doha International Airport. For more information, visit www.indiaproject.com.

For the financial year that ended in March 2006, Qatar Airways carried more than 6.3 million passengers worldwide. The projected passenger figure for the 2006/07 financial year is 8 million

About Global Traveler
A business travel publication that takes into account the sophisticated lifestyle interests of today's executive travelers, Global Traveler is the publication of choice among seasoned business travelers. Circulated nationally, Global Traveler is the only ABC-audited American magazine for the international business traveler, with ABC paid circulation of 60,055. The magazine has increased its frequency to12 times a year, effective with the January 2007 issue.

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