Qatar Airways wins Best In-Flight Duty Free

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Airways’ 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 a period of six months. The wide selection of luxury and affordable brands in Qatar Airways’ 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 Qatar Airway’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 operates the 40,000 square metre duty free shopping emporium at HIA, including 70 boutiques and more than 30 cafés and restaurants.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways prides itself in being attentive to the 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. Qatar Airways’ in-flight duty free has always been regarded by our passengers as one of the finest in quality and product range, and this award, voted for by readers of Pax International, recognises our customers’ satisfaction as well as Qatar Duty Free’s dedication to providing an exceptional shopping experience to all passengers flying with Qatar Airways.

“Qatar Duty Free brings together some of the world’s leading brands for our customers to purchase on board and in our home, Hamad International Airport, Doha, where it has created a visionary travel retail experience that sets it apart from airports worldwide.”

Qatar Airways boasts a hand-picked selection of affordable and luxury brands that make in-flight shopping an essential part of every passenger’s journey. Qatar Airways’ in-flight duty free magazine, Extravaganza, introduces passengers to a collection of more than 170 in-flight products, offering an ideal balance of classic best sellers and contemporary new launches. Passengers can choose from a collection of fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, watches, jewellery, fashion accessories, toys, and Qatar Airways memorabilia, all from the comfort of their seat.

Qatar Airways 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. Qatar Airways was applauded for offering more than 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 Qatar Airways to enhance passengers’ journeys with free on board connectivity for all passengers. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380 and A319 as well as 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 passengers to browse the internet or post on their social media channels whilst in the air. Continued use is offered at very reasonable rates, from $5 to $20.