sybarites

Yet more new experiences did we encounter on our flight from Istanbul to India. We had hardly neared our destination when we started to notice some differences from the international flights that we’ve been used to so far.

Firstly, I heard what I believe was Arabic being spoken by the crew of our Qatar Airways flight. I’ve never heard that language before.

Secondly, we noticed that, at the rear of the plane, there was a specially designated area for praying. As many people of Qatar are Muslim, the national airline will make allowances for people who must pray on-the-go.

Thirdly, we learned something new about this airline. As our flight took us directly over the Middle East (probably the closest we’ll ever come to Iraq) we started wondering, and kind of joking, about how one would pray in the direction of Mecca whilst most likely flying right over it. Does one pray in the ‘last known direction’, or downwards? Little did we know that Qatar Airways was prepared for the question. When not showing movies, the TV screens flashed through flying statistics and the plane’s location overland, ETA, etc. much the same as any other flight. However, they also displayed the real-time direction of Mecca in relation to the the aircraft.

Fourthly, if you’re ever travelling as a non-Muslim on a flight where the majority of passengers are Muslim, there’s no problem getting more than one bottle of complimentary wine.