While most of the world’s premium products are accessible using “common” mileage currencies, there are a few products that aren’t. One of those is Transaero’s first class. Some of you may know my obsession with them. I mean, seriously, take a look at their first class cabin — it makes Emirates’ A380 first class look modest. But sadly I’ve come to the realization I’ll probably never be able to fly their first class, given how outrageously expensive it is, and that there are no common mileage currencies you can use to book the product.
Then there’s Oman Air business class. They have what looks like one of the most amazing business class products out there, with seats that look more like first class suites.
While it’s a commercial, I challenge anyone to tell me it doesn’t look awesome!
I’ve flown first class on the three Middle Eastern giants — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar — and would love to fly Oman Air business class to compare.
As a result I’m trying to find the cheapest paid business class ticket I can on them. It looks like a flight from Bangkok to Munich via Muscat is about $1,800 one-way in business class. While that’s not cheap, it’s not a horrible value either.
Meanwhile they have a $900 business class fare out of Colombo to Munich also via Muscat, though Colombo to Muscat is on a 737 — bleh!
Has anyone flown Oman Air business class? If so, how was it? And does anyone know of better value Oman Air business class fares than the above?
Well,,,,,
on Dec they offer low Business Class prices (Renaissance Day), I found JED-KUL-JED for US$1300!
@Claire
LOL gotta love the ignorant!
You know OmanAir won the Skytrax 2013 World Airline Award for Best Business Class in the WORLD?
Also, you got your influence from U.S. carriers... like the ones that have their own Wikipedia page for Accidents and Incidents? Would Fly Oman Air over any U.S. carrier, anyday!
@Lucky, they have a codeshare agreement with ET who are part of Star Alliance, I don't know if you have you can...
@Claire
LOL gotta love the ignorant!
You know OmanAir won the Skytrax 2013 World Airline Award for Best Business Class in the WORLD?
Also, you got your influence from U.S. carriers... like the ones that have their own Wikipedia page for Accidents and Incidents? Would Fly Oman Air over any U.S. carrier, anyday!
@Lucky, they have a codeshare agreement with ET who are part of Star Alliance, I don't know if you have you can redeem points like that, find an ET flight #? Probably not.
Also, have you ever tried flying VX First Class or VA Business? You can fly VA on SkyTeam, through DL flight #'s (but I know that's a touchy subject for you, hahaha). Also, I'm intrigued to see when you do a Trip Report on a China Southern A380?? There's like NO detail on the flights.
A lot of the pilots on GCC carriers *are* from so-called "first world carriers" with the experience and training that comes with it. And their safety records are second to none. So please stop spouting off nonsense.
My opinions are influenced by pilots from major US carriers. Anyone can make a mistake but there is a marked difference in the training and qualification.
@Claire I suggest before making comments about an airline's staff training and safety record it might be better to educate yourself. Oman Air for example has not recorded a fatality to date. I for one have no opinion about Oman Air and neither should you if you have no facts about the airline. Neither Royal Jordanian nor Oman Air are 'obscure' airlines.
What Lucky experienced can happen on any airline at any time. That's...
@Claire I suggest before making comments about an airline's staff training and safety record it might be better to educate yourself. Oman Air for example has not recorded a fatality to date. I for one have no opinion about Oman Air and neither should you if you have no facts about the airline. Neither Royal Jordanian nor Oman Air are 'obscure' airlines.
What Lucky experienced can happen on any airline at any time. That's the risk we all take. Do you know how well trained your taxi driver is?
4 years ago AirFrance 447 crashed over Brazilian waters with the most likely cause pilot error.
Is that an obscure western European airline to you?
I see that John just said something similar to what I want to say which is: don't you think you're pushing it to fly in a fancy seat on an obscure middle eastern airline where it is doubtful the crew is as well-trained and safety conscious as a first world carrier? Wasn't what happened on Royal Jordanian a warning to you? Unless you really need to go somewhere that you can only get to on that airline, you should just drop this idea.
@Mike from Berlin
Transaero's 744s are ex-South African Airways planes; they kept the interior hardware in first (They're the same as the seats used on LX A340s in first):
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/1/2/3/2196321.jpg
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/8/0/6/2183608.jpg
These aren't particularly attractive, either, though they *are* quite comfortable for sleeping on long hauls IMO.
From most of the TRs about Oman Air I have read, the consensus seems to be good hard product as far as seating goes, slightly better than average food, and as for service...comparable to flying on the other GCC airlines, which means it can be very inconsistent.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) airlines like Oman Air, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar are quite different than other Middle Eastern airlines like Egypt Air and Royal Jordanian in that the vast majority of pilots and management are expats. These people typically come from airlines elsewhere in the world and have solid professional backgrounds and training. Personally, I feel extremely safe on the GCC airlines. So while Oman Air may be obscure, I personal feel safer with...
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) airlines like Oman Air, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar are quite different than other Middle Eastern airlines like Egypt Air and Royal Jordanian in that the vast majority of pilots and management are expats. These people typically come from airlines elsewhere in the world and have solid professional backgrounds and training. Personally, I feel extremely safe on the GCC airlines. So while Oman Air may be obscure, I personal feel safer with their newer equipment and pilots than a typical US Express carrier to a major, for example.
Yikes. I think I'd pass on Oman unless I really needed to get somewhere only served by them.
Does your willingness to fly an obscure Middle Eastern airline suggest that you are fully recovered from the Royal Jordanian fiasco?
Oman Air is excellent and I flew them last year. The business class seat is indeed the same as Korean Air's second generation first class suites. The F/A teams are similar with Qatar, Emirates and Etihad - multi-cultural. There were many Thai crews especially. The service was excellent and the cabin crews were kind and helpful. I rank it above Emirates and Etihad but slightly below Qatar. Muscat airport is a bit odd and there...
Oman Air is excellent and I flew them last year. The business class seat is indeed the same as Korean Air's second generation first class suites. The F/A teams are similar with Qatar, Emirates and Etihad - multi-cultural. There were many Thai crews especially. The service was excellent and the cabin crews were kind and helpful. I rank it above Emirates and Etihad but slightly below Qatar. Muscat airport is a bit odd and there are not jetways. But F/J passengers got their own premium van. The new Oman Air lounge was wonderful but of course it was not as large as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways.
Catering is definitely on par with Qatar Airways and every course is served individually.
It is a nice boutique airline!
none of these look half as good as SQ business
Don't forget Iran Air's 747SPs. ;)
I'm flyin WY in a week. (I'll send you pics Lucky!)
I paid 1700 EUR all in for FRA-BKK round-trip, a much better value than the example you posted above!!
Go ahead and go for Oman Airs first class they have a big couch.
FDW
Um....I think a certain somebody is forgetting a little airline known as Yemenia in his "Middle East Giants" pantheon. They have A310s!
I know people that have flown it and they said it is awesome. They used to have RT fares DXB-MCT-BKK for under $1400, but now it looks like it's more like $1800. You should also try GF on the A330 - also a very good product on the A330. You can get OW DXB-BAH-BKK for about $700 or so.
Funny you're talking about Oman Air and Muscat...I want to figure out how to get there easily on points...maybe stay at http://www.ghmhotels.com/en/chedi-muscat-oman/home/#home
This seat looks very nice - but also very open to the cabin. I for one would take the Emirates A380 seat - any a or k seat with 79" of pitch and with the table and 'mini-bar' at the aisle side over this if given a choice for the privacy.
yikes that yellow/red on Transaero first is god awful
surprised oman air made their J so good i could barely differentiate between that and their own F
Transaero's First "makes Emirates’ A380 first class look modest" ? You can't be serious! From the picture it looks almost like an exact copy of the seats of Thai's First, except the color-scheme is different. It also seams to be some velvet-like material - not something I would like to spend a long-haul flight in...
Cafe Pushkin also caters first class on Transaero...one of the nicest restaurants in Moscow!
Oman Air sounds a bit like Royal Jordanian? Sure you wanna fly them?
@ Nat Arem -- Whoops, thanks!
@ Sven -- It was actually your question that prompted me to look further into this. I've long wanted to fly Oman Air business class, but hadn't given it any real thought till you left that comment.
I recently "asked Lucky" about Oman Business Class because I found a fare for 1914.62 EUR Euro from MUC to BKK return via Muscat which was cheaper than LX/LX etc and I also wanted to use Omanair which looks in C better than most airlines in F.
And it looks like this fare is also to KUL via Muscat.
I pulled the trigger on it for a July flight so once that is done I will send you a note.
Enjoy Bali.
I haven't flown them, but I have seen cheaper fares on the COK-LHR route via MCT in the $699 range one way - this was when I was looking to travel in Jan 2013. This routing however, normally requires an overnight stay in MCT and it has the same 737-8 symptom as the CMB route.
Command + shift + t (I think) is your friend. Enable accessibility services on your mac and turn on text to speech
Another typo: "it’s not a horrible valuable either"
@ and_987 -- Whoops, thanks. I'm done blogging from Bali, my brain is fried. :p
Typo:
"It looks like a flight from Bangkok to Munich via Munich is about $1,800 one-way in business class". Via MUSCAT?