http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2014/04/01/why-uae-and-qatar-have-the-worlds-best-airlines/ On a business class flight from Rome to Boston, there is no leg rest. The seat does not recline all the way. There is no separation between the passengers. The dinner is not bad, sort of like an Applebees. In the same class cabin on a trip from New York to Abu Dhabi, tiny lights illuminate the ceiling of an Etihad flight like stars. There’s a leg rest. The seat reclines flat. The dinner is Spago’s. My passport fell out of my front chest pocket while sleeping, wrapped in a thick blanket. A flight attendant proceeded to rip apart the entire seat until he found it, which he did, in about a minute. On a São Paulo bound Delta flight out of Boston in the rain, a missed connection means I’m sleeping on the floor in the airport because there’s no room at the local Inn. Fair comparison? Industry experts think so. Read More: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2014/04/01/why-uae-and-qatar-have-the-worlds-best-airlines/
Ah yes yet another of those sensationalist type articles to try and get then attention of those who may not know better. Name me the airline that flies FCO/BOS that does not have seat that reclines flat? and is it the airlines' fault that hotels may be sold out during severe weather yet the article seems to make it look like this is a regular circumstance for just missing a flight. Buried in it some of the comparison problems are mentioned primarily that US airlines serve a different demographic, have greater competition, more taxes, don't require their flight attendants to live in regulated dormitories and are subsidized by oil rich governments. Interesting that Qatar is investing in UK airports who have the highest taxes levied on tickets in the world.
You beat me to that thought, especially the one about oil-rich government subsidies, which I wanted to confirm before I made the claim: Yup. All three airlines that the author's piece is gushing about are all state-owned; owned not by just any state but by some very rich oil-producing states that can easily subsidize their airlines into providing stellar soft and hard products. That is why the comparisons to the privately-owned US airlines that do not have the luxury of subsidies from the government are nonsensical. Another stellar airline that folks gush about is SQ, which is state-owned and enjoys subsidies from a tiny Island-Nation that spares no expenses to try to make an international mark. Comparing such airlines to US carriers, even if they could do better, is just nonsense. If a country can afford to invest in the UK it is tiny Qatar with deep oil-filled pockets. This is not resentment. It is a fact.
who cares who owns the airline and I could give a rat's a** where the flight crew lives an airlines taxes are their problem and of course I will compare the service offered by competing airlines (this is not nonsense, just a buying decision), the government subsidies are irrelevant I travel regularly for my employer and hope to be as comfortable as possible on my trips, be provided with as many services + amenities as possible any airline not providing these value-added services can forget about getting any of our $$ spent on business travel
As yes the selfish underbelly of the (frequent) travelling world if I get mine, mine, mine to hell with all those other poor suckers.
Qatar and the UAE are the modern day "lands of opportunity" I have met lots of people from sub-Saharan Africa, Ukraine, Greece, Spain and almost any country you can mention who work in the Mideast because there are few job opportunities in their home countries with well-respected brands. Many of these people are working in the airline industry and are passionate about their jobs, anxious for the chance to be promoted within their companies. This provides for good service to customers and value for travel dollars spent. Most airlines with legacy issues and broken business models have a hard time competing and there are constant excuses and tired out myths about employees being exploited, socialist governments providing free money....... etc International travel has been "out-sourced" from many developed economies because they just do not offer a similar level of service and they have no justification for only being able to provide a sub-par product.
Actually, Dubai isn't very oil-rich, especially compared to its neighbors. And as we know, Delta, United and American call the country with apparently the greatest known oil reserves home Not that I disagree with many of the other points made here; just wanted to correct the common misconception that Dubai is a major oil producer. Personally I think Dubai and Emirates is a giant house of cards. I have no idea how they plan to fill all the widebodies they have ordered. I hope Airbus and Boeing order the parts as needed, because I don't think they'll end up fulfilling all orders.
Dubai (/duːˈbaɪ/ doo-BY; Arabic: دبيّ Dubayy, IPA: [dʊˈbæj]) is an emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) federation. The main city of the emirate is also called Dubai. The emirate is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. It has the largest population in the UAE (2,106,177) and the second-largest land territory (4,114 km2) after the capital, Abu Dhabi.[4] Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.[5] The city of Dubai is located on the emirate's northern coastline and heads up the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area[6] Then?...
Dubai, unlike Abu Dhabi or Qatar, is not a major oil producer. If that was the case, Dubai wouldn't have needed help from Abu Dhabi and Burj Khalifa would still be called Burj Dubai.
Why do people keep trying to emphasize this moot point. One plus One = Two. Fact: Dubai is an emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) federation. Fact: Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.[5] Fact: Today, Emirates oil reserves are ranked as the seventh-largest in the world, along with world's seventeenth largest natural gas reserves. There is a clear syllogism in there. Put it all together and let me know, within the present or any context, what difference it makes that Dubai itself is not a major oil producer... BTW, here's the list of oil producing countries (by available oil reserves). Note that Qatar is a distant 14th, just behind the US and China, and well behind the 7th-ranked UAE, which includes Dubai. Qatar also trails UAE, which includes Dubai, by miles in actual oil production.
this whole thread has been rather amusing lots of talk about evil governments, subsidies, selfish consumers (like me ;-), oil riches............ much like the USA auto industry before the big shake-up, they simply could not compete and even the most patriotic consumer could not justify buying some of the junk they were making back then it was the Japanese (or Koreans) who were working for nothing, living in dormitories (god forbid), subsidised by their governments, ................. more sensationalism no doubt we could go on and talk about upheaval in several other industries................ then the USA auto industry was forced to wake up and get leaner, meaner, start to actually care about their product and like magic they had greatly improved products and returning customers just like Detroit (or Silicon Valley) Dubai and Qatar have brought in talent from all corners of the world to provide a better product than their competitors and they are winning out in the aviation industry make all the excuses you like of why others cannot compete but I as an international consumer (selfish no less) will spend my travel $$$ where the best value is received all the sympathisers here were the guys buying the Pintos and Vegas while crying about an un-level playing field
