Qatar Airways celebrates 5th birthday

To qualify for the birthday gift, Privilege Club members can book their anniversary flight through a local travel agent or any Qatar Airways office and they will earn extra Qmiles.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker said: "Reaching any anniversary is a milestone, and we are extremely pleased to be able to offer our Privilege Club members with an opportunity to earn extra birthday Qmiles for flying with us.

"Qatar Airways takes pride in looking after all of our passengers and this is a way of saying thank you to all our Privilege Club members."

Qatar Airways also recently entered into a strategic partnership with Starwood Hotels and as part of the new deal, Privilege Club members can earn triple Qmiles for each stay at selected properties around the world during a three-month promotion starting on June 1, 2005.

Privilege Club was launched five years ago and has since matured into one of the leading frequent flyer programmes in the Middle East.

Over the next few weeks, Qatar Airways is adding exciting new destinations to its rapidly-growing route network.

June alone sees the launch of flights to the Iranian holy city of Mashad (June 1), the Egyptian holiday centre of Alexandria (June 9) and the Greek capital Athens (June 15). By the end of 2005, the airline plans to serve at least 70 destinations worldwide.

As one of the fastest growing and youngest carriers in the world, Qatar Airways has made significant inroads in the global aviation industry to become an award-winning airline in just a short few years.

It is one of only three airlines in the world to be ranked a Five Star carrier for excellent service and high standards by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry quality monitoring agency.