I come from a generation that lived and witnessed the joy of travel first-hand when travel was truly a special experience. The perks were a delight, the service was exceptional and the memories were wonderful. You flew in “cabins”, you were “served” because you were simply a “guest” not just a passenger. There were glorious stars of this industry, mainly the exceptional airlines that made such great experience possible. Names like TWA, Pan Am, Braniff, BOAC, British Caledonian and SAS to name but a few. Then things went haywire! Petrol prices went sky high; airlines started suffering massive losses which led to the sad closure of some of them. The aviation industry was in for a nasty run and a huge wakeup call.
Mergers and acquisitions followed, alliances were created and open skies policies were adopted, forever changing the playing field and creating a new set of players. This led to emergence of some “new” global players, airlines that did not have domestic routes which consume a lot of overheads and not profit makers. Domestic lines have been severely attacked by the new breed of airlines. Budget travel was born! The global airline players were dominated by British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Swiss and Cathay Pacific. However, the tiny state of Dubai launched Emirates Airlines more than two decades ago and the industry was due for another jolt! Emirates Airlines carried the concept of service to a brand new level. Spending heavily on fancy aircraft and new lounges, Emirates Airlines attracted “guests” again from all over the world. The effect was unmistakable; great awards and huge recognition as a globally favored airline without question. Emirates was soon “copied” by its sister competitor from the neighboring state of Abu Dhabi which launched the global airlines “Etihad”, which followed in the footsteps of Emirates Airlines. This was also followed soon by Qatar which launched its global airline “Qatar Airways” and in no time it started creating great impact, establishing itself as a serious choice for the international traveler. The Arabs can claim a lot of pride in what they have accomplished in the highly competitive global aviation industry. Emirates even forced the Australian airlines “Qantas” to move away from its well-established relationship with the well-run Singapore Airlines and its magnificent Changi Airport in favor of Dubai. That was a news item that raised eyebrows but was expected in a way. Singapore Airlines finally realized that it was “defeated” by an able competitor. Now, when Emirates, Etihad and Qatar airlines' future plans are reviewed, one can only be amazed with the audacity of their vision. But again that's what brought them to were they are in the first place.
