Flights to Qatar

Highlights of Qatar

A small peninsula located between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, Qatar is a beautiful country to visit. It is not your ancient desert oasis or part of the legendary dust storms of stories any longer. Qatar has reinvented itself into one of the most forward-thinking and luxurious outposts in the Middle East. Most of this has been the result of Qatar's desire to fit the stereotypical 'idea' of what the Middle East is to western civilization's perceptions. They have been highly successful and westerners eat it up! Souq Waquif advertises 'antique' passageways, when in fact; they are the same as they've always been. The bazaar is awash with exotic scents and iridescent yard goods. Haggling the prices down is expected and fun! Tented accommodations in Khor al-Adaid now have air conditioning and wind-towered development like Al-Sharq Village Resort and Spa claim to be 'genuinely Arabic'. The ones who've known the Qatar of the past despair that it has gone 'Disney', while vacationers just love it! Regardless of the modern trappings, Qatar is still a Muslim country and women are expected to dress properly and decently to avoid unwanted attention from the locals. Influenced by their rich history and tradition, people of Qatar are well-mannered, warm, and generally respectful.

Getting to Qatar

Qatar is a much-revered vacation destination and therefore fairly easy to get to. At least one major airline from most countries in the world will fly to Qatar. Qatar is one of those destinations where you also may reap the benefits of flexibility and 'flying by the seat of your pants'. If you are unable to get a cheap fare due to not being able to book far enough in advance, then consider last minute booking. When airlines do not fill all of their more expensive seats, they will often discount those seats during the last week prior to the flight so as to fill the aircraft, resulting in substantial savings for you! Just keep your bag packed and check those last minute deals daily. Some sites even offer an email or cell phone notification for a particular flight at a particular fare.

Airports

Whether you are flying from Europe, Asia or America, your destination airport will be the Doha International Airport. Baggage checks here are convenient and hassle-free. The amenities at the airport include Wi-Fi, a duty-free shopping area and a few eateries. The airport suffers from over use, regardless of the numerous expansions it has gone through. The existing airport will be replaced when the new airport is complete in late 2011 or early 2012. You can expect a state-of-the-art airport with fantastic amenities and large enough to accommodate their tourism growth far into the future.

Airlines

Qatar Airways, the national service carrier in Qatar, offers many different types of flights including one way trips, round trips, open jaw, connecting and direct trips allowing you to choose one that suits your budget. This service carrier offers reliable flights to Qatar and cheap flights to Doha (Qatar's capital city) from 84 cities and is planning on huge expansions of service in the next couple of years. It will be worth the time to compare rates from one of the major hubs that Qatar flies out of; it might be cheaper to book your round trip to the major hub, then book separate round trip tickets on Qatar Airways. In fact, you can fly into one city and leave from another with Qatar Airways, which may be more to your liking.

More Money-Saving Tips

Once you reach Qatar, taxis are available at affordable rates to assist travelers on their visit at any time of the day or night. Limousines are always available from the airport with rates ranging from QR15 to QR30 (US$4.00 to US$8.00) and most of the bigger hotels in Doha provide excellent shuttle service for guests to and from the airport, free of charge or for a nominal fee.

In Closing

Qatar is the luxury location in the Middle East. Spend your whole vacation here or 'come in from the desert' for a little pampering and respite from the heat. Not even resembling Disneyland or Disneyworld, and with no entrance fee, you will find a luxurious pearl in which to unwind and relax.