As anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time knows, I'm fascinated by Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways' CEO. He's one of the most passionate/insane people in the airline industry. So I feel strongly about him, both positively and negatively. Al Baker certainly isn't afraid to open his mouth. He has called…
Continue reading: Qatar Airways To Make “Historic Announcement” In New York
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Last January he was boasting of introducing a super premium business class by 2016 that would compete with EK and EY first class--could this be a follow-up?
I hope it is something positive and has nothing to do with his earlier threat to leave Oneworld??? I still have a trip to plan and AA miles to burn...
I bet he's coming to personally apologize to you, Lucky, because you were for some inexplicable reason fearful of being dragged off to a dank dungeon instead of being handed a glass of champagne and a bowl of warm nuts the last time you passed through his humble little corner of the world.
An American company he owns is going to start a new airline, that's my guess.
Showing a new route etc or new plane is nothing earth shattering or having to do with the future of american aviation.
Would love to see a new airline owned through an american company owned by a foreign carrier to destroy the US3
Wow, your speculation (save for your joke bullet at the end) mirrors all of the main guesses as well as their pros and cons as discussed on the airliners.net thread about this. Not even a citation to that thread as they seem to be the ones you used to come up with 'your' speculation?
His ego makes Trump look like a salt-of-the-earth guy. Historic announcement? Has he discovered a cure for cancer? Maybe he's making an emancipation proclamation...freeing the cabin crew from servitude. 😉 My guess is A380 service announcement, but hoping for at least something a little more substantial.
I hope it has something to do with the super uber business class he said they were developing last year!
I think they will buying into a US based carrier possibly JB. If that happens I think you will quite possibly see EK aline with AS, which would be fine with me. Serves DL right ! And maybe AA but don't think so Parker loves to run his won show too much to share with someone especially a partner with that much cash.
I'll guess they'll announce they'll be the first airline to offer A350 flights to the US.
Given Al Bread-baker's outbursts maybe they meant to say "“Histrionic Announcement.”
My guess is he's going to announce the first regularly scheduled sub-orbital tourist space flights. Richard Branson is going to be very pissed.
The only "historical announcement" I can think of is his acquisition of one of the three major US based airlines - United Airlines/Delta/AA. The acquisition of JetBlue (a tiny regional airlines) is not even close to "historical" at all. Not to mention "Qatar Airways’ first A380 flight to the US" ! There are so many A380s flying around so many different part of world, how historical is that ?? AA and US Air have just merged, they are not eager to be merged again so soon. United is too messed up to be merged. That will leave to the acquisition of Delta... maybe border line of "Historical Announcement". If everything else, that's only a bluffing from a man with ego as high as Himalayas!!
It'll be something even more shocking than anyone else predicts:
Akbar Al Baker will receive a hair transplant.
My guess is they're launching a half dozen USA-DOH flights with stops in various European cities (a la JFK-MXP-DXB that EK flies). This will represent a second daily frequency in all cases and compliment the non-stop they already offer. ARN, CPH, MAD, or BCN are my best guesses for destinations and I'm thinking they're going to serve them from NY/BOS/CHI.
It certainly would be historic if he announced he intended to buy a US airline since government regulations restrict foreign ownership. Yes, the A350 is bookable but QR would be the first airline flying it to the US, no? To the media, that announcement would still be an "event". Pulling out of OW would certain hurt a friend of mine who's got a lot of QR flights booked to keep his AA status.
Clearly regarding the "super-business class" seats he's been whining about. Not sure how that's not one of your options...
Qatar Airways is going to fight for Human Rights, and protect its workers rights!!!
Some other speculation I saw was that Qatar might be listing on the NYSE. The jetBlue stake would make a ton of sense though given that Lufthansa recently discarded their jetBlue stake.
After watching Donald Trump, he's going to buy himself a US citizenship and make a run for the presidency.
ATL will become the US base for more than one Qatar flights wth 5th freedom rights and with a JV with an American airline to code share throughout the US.
Doubt it is an acquisition or merger with a US carrier. All are publicly traded (including JetBlue), and an acquisition would need to be announced to markets within a few days after an agreement is signed. And it would be nearly impossible to time the announcement of an acquisition of a publicly-traded company two weeks ahead of time. If anything, the speculation would bid up the price of shares in US airline stocks in the lead-up and lead to an increase in the purchase price to Qatar of the target.
I hope Ken is right, but my guess is he's announcing he'll be The Donald's running mate. Citizenship is no problem for these two blowhards. Trump will just "change the law."
Qatar has had enough of there being no AA award seats available for Qatar FF's to connect to. They are quitting OneWorld and joining Sky Team, where they will code share with Delta.
I have flown QR both in First and Business Classes long haul and short haul their service,reliability and product far surpass anything US or European carriers offer I am looking forward to flying them again soon!
easy... he'll announce a new 5th freedom flight of Qatar flight within the US... perhaps from LAX/SFO-JFK-DOH.... you heard it here first!
Thanks for not posting my comment where I call you out for basically summariziing airliner.net threads Ben. You missed another one here:
Ben says:
November 25, 2015 at 4:37 pm
Wow, your speculation (save for your joke bullet at the end) mirrors all of the main guesses as well as their pros and cons as discussed on the airliners.net thread about this. Not even a citation to that thread as they seem to be the ones you used to come up with ‘your’ speculation?
Some interesting comments here, but the key words are "historic moment in American aviation". So leaving Oneworld, flying yet another A380, offering a new type of first or business class seat for Qatar, etc, isn't relevant.
With all the hyperbole this man spouts, it might not even be that historic.
Maybe he's moving his hub to somewhere less leaky.
Like the former pan am terminal
Looks like this 'could' be about the a350 coming to NY? Just booked 2 J tickets NY-DOH-IST and asked the AAgent about the new earlier flight aircraft, "359". Boom, booked 2 round trip.