At the end of November, Qatar Airways opened its brand new luxury air terminal at the Doha International Airport in Qatar. The terminal, which serves only first and business class passengers, is over 10,000 sq. meters and will handle as many as 800 passengers per hour, passengers who will have to opportunity to enjoy spa treatments, Jacuzzis and saunas, as well as "exclusive check-in areas, duty free [shops], conference rooms, a nursery [and] a clinic." The terminal is only scheduled to be in operation until 2009, when a large portion of the Doha Airport will be reopened after extensive remodeling. "In the new international airport, we will have first-class facilities, so this structure will not be necessary anymore," said a spokesman. Until then, however, it will definitely be a big selling point for the airline.

The Changi Airport in Singapore is scheduled to open the world's first luxury airport terminal in August. The terminal is the equivalent of a first class cabin on the ground. Fliers can pay an additional fee to gain access to the terminal, where they will be treated to the ultimate travel experience, with people to take care of luggage and procure their boarding passes for them, as well as quickly get travelers through security procedures, sans lines. The CIPs (Commercially Important Persons) will be able to lounge in the terminal's comfortable facilities, spared from having to interact with the ordinary travelers, and when it comes time to board their flight, they can even pay to have a limo drive them onto the tarmac and directly up to the plane. Prices have not yet been fixed for the use of the terminal, which cost $10 million to build. It expects to start off with approximately 50 travelers per day.

[Image Channel News Asia]