• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » Humor » Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker Charms A350 Inaugural Audience
HumorTrip Reports

Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker Charms A350 Inaugural Audience

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 21, 2015December 23, 2017 1 Comment

matthew-with-akbar I had this image of Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker in my mind as a feisty yet unapproachable man who would not “lower” himself to interact with passengers, instead choosing to sit alone in his suite the entire flight as his entourage of personal FAs and staff fawned over him. The FAs still fawned over him, but he turned out to be a very approachable guy.  A group of seven of us had a 40-minute conversation with him on the airline industry, Qatar Airways, the new Hamad International Airport in Doha, and the competition during the A350 Inaugural flight from DOH to FRA on 15 January 2015.

Out of respect for his specific request, I will keep most of what he said in confidence, but he spoke freely on many topics and I appreciated his candor and his self-confidence. Self-confidence can be a liability and yet it is necessary to run an airline – strong-willed Akbar has no deficit of dogged determination.

Two stories. As Akbar walked up the aisle toward us at the start of the conversation, one passenger bowed his head and said, “Good morning Your Excellency”, which of course is part of his full title. His response was, “Please don’t call me Your Excellency. I am Akbar.”

At another point in our conversation the flight got bumpy and the captain turned on the seatbelt sign. A FA dutifully instructed us to return to our seats, but Akbar would have none of that – waving off the FA, he stated, “I am crew and you can remain standing. We will be seated in a moment!” We all laughed and a grin of surprised amusement spread across the face of the FA, but she immediately backed off.

He let everyone take selfies with him as well – I thought that was a very kind gesture!

But he is a character!

And a bit delusional at times too…he maintained that according to the customers he has spoken to, Qatar Airways A380 First Class is a far superior customer experience to Etihad Residence (everyone’s jaw drop). Gino, the first customer to fly in The Residence, pushed back a bit but Akbar had one of those “uh-huh, that’s what I thought, gotcha now, nothing but net!” smirks on his face when Gino admitted that he would likely not pay for The Residence again.

He also argued with a straight face that state-owned Qatar Airways is not subsidized. That’s actually not a bald face lie, but a bit ironic when considering the institutional investor of the airline is the national government.

As I look back upon the flight, I must admit I respect the man – he is a visionary and while it is unclear to me whether Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates can all survive and thrive on a long-term basis, he has built a world-class facility in Doha and is wisely looking forward to 5, 10, and 20 years down the line.

> Read More: Qatar Airways A350 Inaugural DOH-FRA: First Economy Class Trip Report

onboard-a350-inaugural-with-akbar-02

Photo courtesy of Sam Chui

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Royal Air Maroc to Join Star Alliance?
Next Article Two Tricks on the Last Day to Book Hyatt Awards at 2014 Rates

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • a person standing in a subway station

    Exploring Prague’s Soviet-Era Metro Before Flying KLM To Amsterdam

    August 16, 2025
  • a person walking on a path with trees and buildings in the background

    A Kafkaesque Day In Prague

    August 9, 2025
  • a group of people inside a church

    Church, Coffee, And Cow In Prague

    August 7, 2025

1 Comment

  1. Ismael Reply
    January 21, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    Nice pic and feedback about The Chief.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve
    Hot Deal: Chase Sapphire Reserve, Now With 125K Bonus Points Offer August 23, 2025
  • a man in a suit and tie holding a belt
    “I’ve Been A Very Naughty Boy!” British Airways Flight Attendant Reportedly High On Meth Found Naked In Lavatory August 23, 2025
  • Lufthansa Allegris First Class criticism
    “No Trace Of Premium” Lufthansa Flight Attendants Point Out Obvious Flaws In New First Class Product August 23, 2025
  • a large room with a round table and chairs
    Review: Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport August 23, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • SAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen Review
    Review: SAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen (CPH) July 31, 2025
  • a man in a black cape
    American Airlines Flight Attendant Slapped With 18.5-Year Sentence For Filming Girls In Lavatory July 26, 2025
  • U.S. visa bond airport restrictions
    New U.S. Visa Bond Program Requires Travelers To Enter And Exit Through Specific Airports Only August 6, 2025
  • a sign on a wall
    Review: SAS A350 Business Class (Los Angeles – Copenhagen) July 28, 2025

Archives

August 2025
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.