Men Who Like to Travel - David Latt

Arriving in Doha On our delivery flight from Seattle to Doha, the coach cabins were completely e mpty. Only 20 business class seats were occupied on the 259 seat Boeing 777-200LR. But we weren't complaining. We relaxed, slept, read, and watched movies. When we arrived in Doha in the afternoon, the pilot announced that we would make an approach low over the field but not land. We assumed this was the airplane's "salute" to its new home. We discovered it was something else entirely. Traditionally, the first time a new model of an aircraft is delivered to Qatar Airways, fire trucks welcome the plane with an archway of water. Since our plane was the second Boeing 777-200LR, there would be no ceremony. When we flew low over the field we saw that we were in fact getting a welcoming. There were a hundred or more yellow jacketed men and women and dozens of men in traditional white Arabic robes and headdresses. When the plane landed, red carpeted stairs were pushed up...

I love the new car smell. Does an airplane h ave the same cool, sexy, absolutely fabulous fragrance as a car or is it something more, well, plane-like? Yesterday I had the unique pleasure of answering that question. Qatar Airways invited half a dozen of us to come along on the delivery flight of their second Boeing 777-200LR , flying from Boeing Field outside Seattle to Doha International Airport, Qatar. With Doha as its hub and routes already well established in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and, of course, the Middle East, the Boeing 777-200LR gives Qatar Airways a reach of 8,000 nautical miles, putting them in striking distance of just about any destination in the world. Several years ago Qatar Airways pushed into the American market with non-stop service to New York and Washington, D.C. Starting March 30, 2009, the airline will begin flights b etween Houston and Doha. With service to Houston , they will strengthen their relationship with American energy businesses. For...