For 2024, I’m hoping to publish more review trips than ever before. My intention is to get that off to a good start, and I just booked my first review trip of the year for travel within the next couple of weeks. I wanted to share the basic details — there’s one segment I’m particularly…
Continue reading: BOOKED: I’m Flying To Oman To Sit On A Couch!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Sounds exciting! I actually thought you couldn't use the LX F lounges on arrival (I believe it was the case some years ago) but it seems like they have changed their policy for the better. Also, isn't there a guest reader review of the Oman Air A330 F from many years ago? -- KUL-MCT if memory serves me right, maybe this time around they might have the pre-booked onboard 😉
@ Ben Holz -- Nowadays they do allow access on arrival, and I actually have a short intra-Europe connecting flight on a SWISS Embraer E195-E2, so I'm not even terminating there on SWISS (I just left that out, since it's a short segment, and probably the least interesting one I'll be flying). And indeed, your memory is correct. Hopefully my experience is better!
Before equipment swap: I'm flying to Oman to sit in a couch!
After equipment swap: I'm flying to Oman to sit in coach
2-2 recliners on an A220 sounds great until you realize how tight it is. The 1-2 euro-J (as on AF and, I'd imagine LX et al) is so much more comfortable.
Flew the YUL-ZRH route on Christmas Day on Aéroplan points. Although first class was "empty" (2 non rev passengers) was not offered any paid upgrades even after asking.
Arrivals lounge is decent, the 615am arrival meant the lounge was empty and scored a bed in one of the bedrooms. Definitely a nice perk.
Trip #2 how about a review of Kenya airways? And a review of the newish Marriott (?) game reserve? I have fond memories of Kenya airways. Old school seats in biz but very comfortable for sleeping.
@ Blue J -- Thanks for the data point, that's not very promising. I'm curious if maybe first class wasn't catered at all and they sat non-revs there as a result, but weren't selling upgrades since they couldn't offer the full product? Didn't realize the arrivals lounge had bedrooms, that's cool! Out of curiosity, for how long can you use them?
In ZRH, I asked about a buy up at the gate (after not pulling the trigger during online check in) and they quoted me a higher amount (2000 franks vs. 1700 euros) and told me it will be business class catering for you. I declined.
Based on this experience, I don't think being catered or not deters them from selling upgrades.
Ben if you want to fly Swiss First contact the social media team. I find them helpful and I think they would offer you a fair price.
Would like to hear about your experiences at Terminal 2 in FRA. Happy New Year !
All well and good flying everywhere, yet you never seem to actually visit any of the countries/cities.
@Icarus
Ben has been everywhere and seen it all. For us flying is a sport; just as others go hunting.
@ Icarus -- I take two kinds of trips. Some are review trips, for the sole purpose of reviewing flights, while others are actual vacations. I'm fortunate to still take way more vacations than the average person. For example, this year I've taken extended trips to Japan, Greece, Germany, Italy, the UAE, and more. I just can't always justify being away from home for extended periods of time, because I have a family.
@ D3kingg -- Happy new year to you as well! I'm looking forward to checking out all the lounges there, as it has been some time!
@ JamesW -- A totally fair and important consideration, and it's something I'll write about soon, as I try to do what I can to offset that as much as possible.
You should commission an Environmental Impact Assessment of your blog and buy carbon credits to mitigate.
I hope you spend at least one day exploring wadis in Oman. They are absolutely gorgeous and well worth spending even a week in Oman (I know you can't do one week but one day you should).
That headline made me chuckle. I thought you were going to sit on a monumental couch in Muscat or sth like that!
Either way, i'm looking forward to the trip reviews. Thank you for what you do for us here Ben.
Dir ein gutes erfolgreiches neues Jahr. Greetings from MUC.
In my view, LX87 YUL to ZRH is one of the most brutal eastbound transatlatic flights. With a departure at 4:50pm and flight time of 7h25m (usually about 6h45m in the air, sometimes as little as 5h30m), it offers hardly any time to sleep. It arrives at 6:15am, which is 15 min past midnight in Montreal. Also no way to check in to your hotel, unless you book two nights.
We'll be in Oman from 1/13-1/21
If you need some expats to hang with, hit us up!
I hope you don’t get the Swiss first upgrade. I think a business class review would be better considering more readers probably fly business over first. It’s easier to get a business awards and when flying with a partner or family, the cash price to upgrade the entire party is out of reach for most people.
Flew up front on an AC 737-8 MAX earlier this year, and it was a very solid product. The seat itself was similar to what you'd find on DL/UA/AA on a domestic F flight, and the IFE was also good. Wouldn't hesitate to fly it again.
Any plans to stay in Muscat, or is this a nonstop circuit like your last RTW adventuer?
In my point of view, it was the easiest eastbound transatlantic flight. As I live in Switzerland, I was after a „short“ flight at 2 am Canadien time at home and went for four hours to bed and had no jetlag. Loved it
If you booked your A330 Oman Air F flight with points, I’m curious which program (airline partner and/or transferrable currency program) you used to book it. I’m sure you’ll share the details in the product review. (I look forward to Oman Air joining oneworld in 2024 and hopefully making some 789 first class awards available to book with AA, Alaska, or BA miles. Last I checked, Aeroplan had no access to long-haul awards for WY F and J flights).
Hey!
I was wondering if perhaps you could start doing YouTube reviews . I’m sure others as well as myself would love to hear your commentary in a video format .
Lucky, while I appreciate you sharing your upcoming trip details with the readers and generating some excitement (and clicks), I’m also sure that these airlines will now be watching your itinerary closely now (even more than the usual VIP-list monitoring, which you are probably already on it) and make sure that the crew deliver an unusually amazing experience to you, which in turn defeats the purpose of an honest review.
Ben - the only time I met you was a quick conversation in the ORD B18 Red Carpet Club back when you were either a senior in high school or a freshman in college, when you were kind of a FT novelty. It is nice to see how you have found happiness and maturity doing what you love.
How are these review trips even justifiable given their environmental impact and the climate crisis?
It won't be the most exciting review in the world, and it will be hard to get in while not crowded, but you should consider flying Delta home from New York to review either the new Sky Club at JFK T4A or the new-ish club at LGA.
I have a booking for late January in Oman F with curious layout on the 333. Any idea of when you’ll post your experience?
That cabin doesn't look "old", "dated", or "retro" in any way... more airlines should have something similar.
Same lol, I thought he was going to sit on a very special couch in Muscat or smth... hahaha but no