WestJet cuts flying to Mexico and Caribbean at request of Canadian government
February 1, 2021
Japan Airlines revises its international network plan on Sydney, Honolulu, and Dallas/Fort Worth route
February 2, 2021
Qatar Airways made this announcement:
January 29, 2021 marked the introduction of Qatar Airways flights to Seattle/Tacoma (SEA) – allowing passengers traveling from the Pacific Northwest even more flexible travel options via the most connected and Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport (DOH).
Seattle/Tacoma marks the airline’s eleventh U.S. gateway, surpassing the number of destinations it operated in the U.S. pre-COVID-19. The four weekly flights will be operated by Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Boeing 777-300 featuring 42 seats in Business Class and 312 seats in Economy Class.
Kicking off 2021 by expanding its West Coast footprint with inaugural fights to the Emerald City comes as the airline continues rapidly rebuilding – and expanding – its network across the globe. The new flights from Seattle follow last month’s successful San Francisco (SFO) to Doha launch.
As a leading global connector, Qatar Airways currently operates over 800 weekly flights to more than 120 destinations, with plans to increase to over 130 destinations by the end of March. Passengers traveling to and from Seattle can enjoy seamless connections via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International airport with the widest network of destinations in Africa, Asia-Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East.
Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Her Excellency Ambassador Greta C. Holtz, stated: “I am honored to celebrate the launch of Qatar Airways flights to yet another U.S. destination – operated on U.S.-made Boeing aircraft. This new route will open doors for more tourism, business, and education opportunities. Opening this new route is just one more indicator of the growing ties between Qatar and the United States in all respects.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “An international destination renowned for innovation, technology and natural beauty, we are delighted to serve this increasingly important business and leisure market. And, as one of the top airports in the U.S., passengers will have an increased number of convenient connections when Alaska Airlines joins the oneworld alliance on March 31st – including to Alaska, Canada and Hawaii.”
Alaska Air Group Chairman and CEO, Mr. Brad Tilden, said: “Qatar Airways is an outstanding airline known around the world for its excellent quality and service. We’re tremendously proud to join them two months from now as a oneworld alliance member. Our guests will be able to earn and redeem miles on Qatar to amazing global destinations, along with an ease-of-travel experience and oneworld benefits for our elite flyers. Making connections even easier for our guests, Qatar flies to Doha not only from Seattle, but also from two of our other West Coast hubs: San Francisco and Los Angeles.”
As a oneworld partner, Alaska Airlines will connect customers from the U.S. West Coast to Doha and beyond via its other hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, complementing Qatar Airways’ existing strategic partnerships with JetBlue and oneworld carrier American Airlines.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Alaska Mileage Plan members can now earn frequent flyer miles on both carriers. Beginning 31 March, members can also redeem frequent flyer miles on both carriers’ full networks and elite oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald status perks including lounge access. The two airlines are also working closely on developing a strategic codeshare agreement and commercial cooperation in line with the U.S. carrier joining oneworld at the end of March.
Business Class passengers flying to and from Seattle will enjoy the award-winning Qsuite business class seat, featuring sliding privacy doors and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and socially distanced Business Class product in the sky.
Seattle/Tacoma is the seventh new destination and the second in the U.S. to be added by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. The launch of flights to Seattle and resumption of Atlanta in June will increase Qatar Airways’ U.S. network to 12 destinations in the U.S., connecting onwards to hundreds of American cities through strategic partnerships with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue. Atlanta and Seattle join existing U.S. destinations including Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington, D.C. (IAD).
Seattle/Tacoma Flight Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday
- Doha (DOH) to Seattle (SEA) QR719 departs: 08:00 arrives: 11:20
- Seattle (SEA) to Doha (DOH) QR720 departs: 16:05 arrives: 17:15+1
In other news, Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended acceptance of new bookings from UAE for the next 7 days due to UK government concerns. South Africa & Rwanda are also temporarily suspended – exceptions include GCC nationals & Resident Permit Holders returning to other GCC countries.
