DOHA: Qatar Airways’ (QA) customer experience has again been recognised for its industry leadership position, having received the ‘Best In-flight Duty Free’ for the Middle East and Africa 2016 in the Pax International Readers Awards.
The annual awards for “the industry’s most deserving players” are selected by readers of the travel trade title, Pax International, over six months. The wide selection of luxury and affordable brands in QA’s in-flight duty free programmes were commended, together with competitive prices and outstanding customer service levels.
The in-flight duty free award comes just weeks after QA’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was announced as the world’s fifth ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ at the 2016 Skytrax World Airport Awards.
Qatar Duty Free (QDF) operates the 40,000 square metre duty free shopping emporium at HIA, including 70 boutiques and over 30 cafés and restaurants.
Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive, QA Group, said: “QA prides itself in being attentive to customer experience details — from the check-in process to the seat comfort on board. This extends to our in-flight duty free programme.
“We curate a specific, exclusive collection of market-leading duty free products for our guests travelling across our global network.
“QA’s in-flight duty free has always been regarded by our passengers as one of the finest in quality and product range, and the award, voted for by readers of Pax International, recognises our customers’ satisfaction and QDF’s dedication to providing an exceptional shopping experience to all passengers flying with QA.
“QDF brings together some of the world’s leading brands for our customers to purchase on board and in our home, HIA, where it has created a visionary travel retail experience that sets it apart from airports worldwide,” Al Baker added.
QA boasts a hand-picked selection of affordable and luxury brands that make in-flight shopping an essential part of every passenger’s journey.
Its in-flight duty free magazine Extravaganza introduces passengers to a collection of over 170 in-flight products, offering an ideal balance of classic bestsellers and contemporary new launches.
Passengers can choose from a collection of fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, watches, jewellery, fashion accessories, toys and QA memorabilia — all from the comfort of their seat.
QA was also recently recognised for the outstanding quality of its on-board entertainment platform, Oryx One, awarded for Middle East Content Innovation by Inflight magazine and F&E Aerospace.
QA was applauded for offering over 3,000 channels of entertainment and a wide selection of content to suit its global passengers’ needs, from the latest premieres to classic movies and popular TV to special-interest programmes and TV series tailored to the Middle East market.
A global partnership with Ooredoo has further enabled QA to enhance passengers’ journeys with free on board connectivity.
Passengers flying on QA flights served by its B787, A350, A380 and A319 and select A330 and A320 aircraft can enjoy free Wi-Fi for the first 15 minutes with a simple-to-use portal that makes it easy for them to browse the Internet or post on their social media channels while in the air. Continued use is offered at very reasonable rates, from $5 to $20.
The Peninsula
