I have long be-lieved that life ought to be enjoyed, not endured. A privileged experience proved this even more as it luxuriously unfolded airborne.
There was palpable excitement in the air when I embarked on the maiden voyage of Qatar Airways’ flight from its hub in Doha to São Paolo in Brazil and then to Buenos Aires in Argentina. Making its South American debut, the delightful non-stop flight from Doha to São Paolo, to the land of samba and tango, lasted 14.5 hours. In retrospect, I have long avoided and dreaded long-haul flights. However, on this inaugural Qatar Airways flight, aboard the posh Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft, with unprecedented comfort, service and space on business class seats, converting into 180-degree fully flat beds, I wished the flight would never end. If ever it did, it would only be for one reason to commence once again to travel to any of Qatar Air’s 92 global destinations.
According to Qatar Airways’ gracious CEO Akbar Al Baker, who was aboard this milestone flight, “Our commitment is to provide travelers with the highest quality of service in the air and on the ground. Qatar Airways will grow these services as we continue along our path of expansion and quest to become known globally as the best airline in the world.” Al Baker has been instrumental in shaping the development of Qatar Airways into one of the fastest growing and most highly acclaimed airlines in the world.
Like a bespoke hotel in the sky, it offers posh internal spaces with much room for epicurean dining, relaxing as well as dramatic inspiration from its Oryx in-flight entertainment. I watched my favorite films from Bollywood, Hollywood and even some expertly crafted Filipino films. This more luxurious airline transport approach will appeal to people looking for a more reflective, rejuvenating experience that is more important than simply getting from one destination to another. After all, the journey, not just the destination, should be the reward.
Ranked with five stars for service and excellence by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry monitoring agency places Qatar among the top three carriers in the world. At the 2010 World Airline Awards, polled over a 10-month period among 18 million travelers, Qatar was awarded World’s Best Business Class, Best Airline in the Middle East for its fifth consecutive year, World’s Best Business Class catering and the Staff Service Excellence award for the Middle East. Indeed, the airline has impressively unveiled a redefined way to transport travelers in style and penultimate luxury.
Qatar Airways offers the starry-eyed, dream-like quality and absolute freedom of luxury flight. As if this wasn’t enough, after being chauffeured by a BMW 7 series car from the planeside to their Premium Terminal in Doha, they even have a deluxe spa that simply beckons. Voted among the top airport spas in the world, this pampering pit stop revolutionizes rest and revitalization for discriminating travelers, pre- and post-flight. Yes, I was like Alice in Wonderland mesmerized by the multi-awarded Premium Terminal that caters exclusively to first and business class passengers offering amenities such as bedrooms, spa treatments, sauna and jacuzzis. There are also prayer rooms, medical clinic, business center, game rooms, nursery and duty free shopping. Utilizing only the finest Elemis products, their spa menu offers a glorious selection of face and body treatments administered by expertly trained therapists from all over the world. For the ladies, treat yourself to the Elemis pre–flight herbal lavender repair treatment to reduce stress of air pressure on the skin. For the gentlemen, opt for the Elemis express skin IQ facial skin intelligence a face treatment to defend against the environmental changes of air travel.
American author Pat Conroy was so right when he penned, “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” Who would want to, anyway?
When the company’s Boeing 777-200 aircraft landed at the International Airport of São Paulo, a.k.a. Cumbica airport, in the municipality of Guarulhos, shortly after 4 p.m. last June 24, a momentous ceremony was held at Gate 18 of the airport’s Terminal 2 to mark the line’s inauguration. Besides CEO Akbar Al Baker, the Brazilian ambassador to Doha, Ânuar Nahes and the Argentinean ambassador in the Qatari capital, Rubén Caro, traveled with us on the aircraft.
The meeting was also attended by the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Taufic Schahin, the organization’s secretary general, Michel Alaby, the vice president for the Americas at Qatar Airways, Tony Hughes, the airline’s manager for Brazil, Antonio Bandeira, representatives of government organizations, sectorial organizations and tourism professionals.
From the airport ceremony, we drove through the streets of São Paolo with moon beaming as witness to our gaiety and revelry. Amina Sleiman, Qatar Airways corporate communications executive took such loving care of our group. We checked in to the beautiful Hilton São Paolo in Morumbi and embarked on a delightful historical city tour the next day to marvelous attractions like Largo São Francisco, Praça da Sé, Pátio do Colégio, Torre do Banespa, Largo São Bento, Teatro Municipal, Av. São João, Av. Ipiranga. We witnessed the riotous emotion and celebration of a Brazilian football game at the popular Brahma Bar downtown and were amused by the cacophonous vuvuzelas that resemble an elephant’s trunk but sounded more like a bevy of buzzing bees. We also visited the comprehensive soccer museum Museu do Futebol, the Parque Ibirapuera comparable to that of Central Park in New York City; Avenida Paulista, which is one of the most important in São Paolo; and Museo de Arte de São Paolo (MASP), the most important museum of Western art from the Southern Hemisphere.
We also checked out luxury shopping streets in jardins lined with lovely trees, nostalgic churches like Our Lady of Nuestro Rosario. We savored fine Italian and French cuisine at Kaa Restaurant and had an unforgettable churrascarias lunch at the famous Barbacoa Itaim Restaurant featuring the most succulent meats and desserts. São Paolo’s eclectic municipal market of fresh local produce fruits, cheeses and many other delicacies were certainly worth exploring over and over.
A memorable dinner at Sky Lounge at the eclectic Hotel Unique with its dazzling skyline viewed from the rooftop makes one realize that one cannot simply embrace so much beauty in diversity without spending more quality time in this progressive city.
At first, one may feel lost in this huge city of São Paolo in Brazil home to a multitude of much cultural diversity. For a while, I was disoriented. Did I stumble on the beautiful lost city of modern Atlantis? Ancient and intriguing, bewildering, besieging, a class on its own, a category like no other. But as you begin to sort out the maze, you see order in this chaos, acceptance in the confusion, love midst the disenfranchisement. São Paulo is a city of stark contrasts, where the most lavish and luxurious lie among the most local and exotic charms. Whatever it is, it is this duality that provides its character, its power, its dynamism as it steers progressively into the future.
The glorious lunar sliced orb hovers ominously over the dramatic São Paolo skyline punctuated by heritage structures juxtaposed with modern edifices that seem to kiss the sky. Albeit the sea of cement jungle, the soul of a timeless culture remains supreme. A merry cocktail, a mélange of extremes where soccer and shopping provide a rich tapestry, unforgettable and enticing. This is São Paolo, a magnificent jewel that arrests your soul, a dazzling enigma that never ceases to amaze
From São Paolo, you may take a domestic flight to Rio De Janeiro and savor the attractions there like the famous giant Christ the Redeemer magnificently perched on top of Corcovado Mountain, the romantic Copacabana beach and the many soccer museums as well as gastronomic restaurants of various cuisine.
Qatar Airways has not only conquered the quest for luxury air travel but has in fact elevated it to an art form. Averaging less than four years old, its planes are among the newest in the skies yet their state-of-the-art comfort is the best way to fly. Truly, it is a five-star journey perfect for all ages. Like a whiff of Christmas potpourri all year round, the experience on board Qatar Air is as magical as it is memorable. My dad always reminded me, “It’s not just enough that you travel; it’s how you do it that makes the whole world of difference.” Each time you fly, make it Qatar Airways, your luxury home in the sky.
For more information, call Qatar Airways at 812-1888 (Manila) or (032)232-1000 (in Cebu). Or log on to qatarairways.com.ph Check out website Hilton Morumbi www1hilton.com/en, Kaa Restaurant at www.kaa restaurante.com.br, Skye Restaurant at www.hotel unique.com.br, and Barbacoa Itaim Restaurant at www.barbacoa.com.br.
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Email the author at miladay.star @gmail.com.