Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines touted their world-class service when starting flights to Atlanta over the last few months.
This week, they got more third-party validation from consumer airline review service Skytrax proving that they weren’t just tooting their own horns.
Qatar Airways can no longer lay claim to “best in the world” moniker as it had last year, having been bested by fellow Persian Gulf carrier Emirates Airline.
But Qatar, which launched an Atlanta-Doha flight in early June, still placed No. 2 in customer surveys that determined the annual World Airline Awards, and it took home accolades for the world’s best business class, the best airline staff in the Middle East and the world’s best business class lounge.
Global Atlanta’s Airport City site visited the lounge — along with its separate and even more opulent first-class lounge — in June after taking the inaugural flight to the peninsular country jutting off Saudi Arabia.
Both are styled with high ceilings, various tan stones giving the feel of a modern desert palace and soothing water features that make bold architectural statements. Upon checking in, travelers are greeted with tables piled high with fresh blooms flown in from all over the world.
Amenities in the 100,000-square-foot Al Mourjan Business Lounge include meals buffet style or a la carte, a deli, modern furniture with built-in Android tablets containing flight information and entertainment, whole rooms where families with children can rest and watch TV, video games and much more.
An airline representative told us that many travelers schedule longer layovers longer to carve out some extra time for relaxation in the airport. And why not — the lounge includes showers, and everything is included in the cost of the ticket.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines took home the best airline in Europe award for the sixth straight year. It also won best in Southern Europe and was singled out for best dining in a business class lounge and best catering in business class cabins, making it the only airline to win four awards this year.