Qatar Airways CEO says US airlines employ ‘grannies’ as cabin crew
Qatar Airways’ outspoken CEO, Akbar Al Baker, has said rival American carriers are ‘crap’ and passengers travelling on them are ‘always served by grandmothers’.
Al Baker was speaking at a gala ball at the InterContinental Hotel, Dublin, to celebrate the launch of a new route between the Irish city and Doha last week.
During his speech, Al Baker talked of the advantages of travelling on Qatar Airways’ new generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners, including up to 3,000 entertainment options, spacious cabins with ‘wide seats and plenty of leg room’, and the soon-to-launch high-speed internet connectivity.
He also mentioned the ‘excellent service from our international cabin crew’ and added: "By the way, the average age of my cabin crew is only 26 years.
"So there is no need for you to travel on these crap American carriers from Ireland."
His comments brought laughter and applause from the audience and Al Baker struggled to continue with his speech above the noise.
He then continued off script by saying: "You know you will always be served by grandmothers on American airlines."
The comments were recorded by TravelExtra in Ireland and posted to Youtube.
American Airlines, United Airlines and Qatar did not respond to requests by TravelMole for comment following the speech.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers