With Qatar Airways Holidays, travellers from around the world can now stopover in the country for up to four days. This is thanks to a new transit visa scheme that allows visitors to break their outbound journey in Doha without impacting their total return ticket fare.
Discover Qatar, the inbound arm of Qatar Airways Holidays offers passengers the opportunity to book from a wide range of products online such as hotels, tours, airport transfers, car rentals and travel insurance. Travellers residing in GCC countries who wish to book flights and hotels as a package to Doha can also visit the Qatar Airways Holidays website on qatarairwaysholidays.com
Discover Qatar tours include half- and full day desert safaris, city and cultural tours, traditional dhow cruise, shopping and culinary experiences and many more. Qatar Airways chief commercial officer, Hugh Dunleavy, said: 'Doha is a unique combination of old and new, tradition and modernism. At Qatar Airways, our brand is about Going Places Together, and even a short stopover in Doha will enrich the entire journey and allow visitors to sample the historic importance of Qatar, from our world-class hotels, restaurants and museums to the ancient excitement of the desert and Arabian Gulf. Visitors can make the most of their stopover with day tours or multi-day experiences offered through Qatar Airways Holidays and Discover Qatar. We welcome visitors to experience the warm Arabic hospitality you won’t find anywhere else.'
Visitors booking hotels with Discover Qatar will experience exclusive added-value services such as spa, meal and activity discount vouchers and take advantage of the recently enacted extended transit visa on the outbound portion of their journey. Stopover special hotel rates are ranging between QR390 to QR1,280 ($107 to $352) per person per night.
EXPANDING AIRLINE NETWORK
Qatar Airways is adding eight more destinations for 2017-18, in addition to seven previously announced new cities for a total of 15 new gateways. Joining the Qatar Airways’ route network, which spans more than 150 destinations on six continents around the world, are: Canberra, the airline’s fifth destination in Australia; Dublin, Ireland; Las Vegas, the airline’s 11th destination in the United States; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Medan, Kualanamu International Airport, the airline’s third destination in Indonesia; and Tabuk and Yanbu, the 9th and 10th destinations in Saudi Arabia.
These newly announced destinations join the already-announced list of new destinations to start in 2017: Auckland, New Zealand will start February 5, 2017, and will be the world’s longest commercial flight; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Skopje, Macedonia; Libreville, Gabon; Nice, France; Chiang Mai, the airline’s fourth destination in Thailand; and Douala, Cameroon.
The airline’s group chief executive Akbar Al Baker, said: 'Qatar Airways offers the world the best network, the best on board experience and the best connecting experience at Hamad International Airport. We operate the world’s youngest fleet, averaging just five years old, and we fly the most technologically advanced aircraft that provide our passengers with an award-winning experience while also ensuring the most efficient and environmentally friendly operations. Our intention is to ensure our passengers can choose Qatar Airways for all of their travel needs – whether they are flying on business, for pleasure, or a combination of both.
'With today’s network announcement, we will be able to connect more people to more places than any other Gulf airline, and we will ensure our passengers will delight in the journey. At Qatar Airways, we are going places together with our passengers, and we look forward to welcoming these new destinations in 2017-18.'
MORE FUN FOR KIDS
Qatar Airways provides an exceptional unaccompanied minor service across its global network, with children enjoying priority assistance through immigration, security, boarding, baggage and customs clearances, while those children transiting in Doha have access to the airline’s fully dedicated Children’s Lounge inside Hamad International Airport.
Qatar Airways, in partnership with Hasbro Inc. has updated its range of plush toys, children’s activity kits and in-flight lunch boxes designed to entertain and delight the global airline’s youngest travellers.
The airline’s specially prepared children’s meals feature new Pictureka or Monopoly designed lunch boxes – a gift that children can take home and use long after their flight. Special thought has been paid to families travelling on overnight flights with the introduction of a glow-in-the-dark Clue Junior entertainment pack; perfect to keep restless youngsters busy once the lights are dimmed.
The updated plush toys, activity kits and lunch boxes, containing comforting favourites such as healthy and delicious pastas, fish or chicken dishes, fresh seasonal fruit, fruit juice, and sweet treats, are available now on Qatar Airways’ A380 services between Bangkok, Guangzhou, London, Paris, Sydney, and Doha. The updated range will be rolled out across the airline’s global network of destinations from early 2017.