The second leg of our journey back from the Maldives, from Muscat to Frankfurt, was a new experience for us: Flying the Oman Air Business Class Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
First we had to get our boarding passes at a transfer desk in Muscat, as they could not check us in for the second leg in Male. There were only two ladies at the counter. One line for business, one line for economy. But both lines were filled with economy passengers and the queue was huge. If we had lined up, the plane would have gone without us for sure. So we went to the front and the lady accepted to check us in directly. The service at this desk was just average, and well below the usual politeness and respect that you get with other Middle East carriers.
Oman Air Business Class Boeing 787 Dreamliner – The Cabin
After a short wait in Muscat’s terminal, a bus brought us to the wonderful Dreamliner. Discovering the new aircraft and Business Class was quite amazing. The cabin has a cosy lighting and it looks like the first class of many other airlines.
As soon as we were seated, we were offered a glass of Champagne, dates and chocolates. We were also handed out the amenity kit which to my great regret didn’t include Amouage products anymore. These were replaced by Chopard: A Body Lotion, a facial Spray and Lip Balm. While I loved the scent of the Body Lotion, I didn’t like the facial Spray and badly missed a hand cream in the kit. A very useful item though is the foldable hairbrush. I think it’s the first time we got one in a travel kit.
The Business Class configuration is 18 seats (2-2-2). No matter where you are seated, every seat enjoys direct aisle access. The seat in itself is great. It is big (width 22.8″) and of course, convertible to a 180 degree full flat bed. You have some privacy as it is surrounded by a kind of wall. A control panel allows to set the seat as you wish or activate the massage function. A handset allows you to control the entertainment system, play games or contact a person in another seat.
Oman Air Business Class Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Food and Beverages
Soon after take off, we were served what we ordered for lunch. As an appetizer, we took our favorite: the Arabian Mezze. To continue, beef and a chicken curry sounded perfect. Last but not least, a cheese plate and a dessert to finish lunch. Of course, each dish came with the wine that we choose from the winelist. The quality and taste of the food was really outstanding on this flight.
Oman Air Business Class Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Entertainment
The flight was about 6 hours, so after lunch and a short nap to enjoy the flat bed, not much time was left to play with the entertainment system. But a fair choice of movies and games is available on a very large screen. Following the flight path on such a screen is a real pleasure. An internet wifi connection is available as well, but at an extra cost and quite pricey if you compare it to Emirates where you have unlimited access for 1$.