Hello from Frankfurt, as I’m on the return portion of my review trip to Oman. I just took the 7hr40min flight from Muscat to Frankfurt in Oman Air’s A330-200 business class (yes, this is the flight I was supposed to be in first class on, but it had an aircraft swap).
I’ve raved about what a great airline Oman Air is, and how the airline has an incredible business class product. Heck, I flew Oman Air’s Boeing 787-9 business class from Milan to Muscat the night before, and had a phenomenal flight.
Despite this plane having the same seats, the experience couldn’t have otherwise been more different. While I’ll have a full trip report soon, in this post I wanted to share some initial impressions (and actually, I need a separate post about the service, because some stuff unraveled onboard).
I think it’s also important to acknowledge how two people can have vastly different experiences on the same airline on similar routes. That’s exactly what I experienced here, as I flew Oman Air on two flights just hours apart, with planes featuring the same seats, yet the difference was night and day. If this was my first flight on Oman Air, I’d assume the airline is worth avoiding.
In this post:
Oman Air’s tired A330 business class cabin
I was on an Oman Air A330 with Apex Suites, which is a great business class product. This is probably the best business class hard product you’ll find on any A330.
The catch, unfortunately, is that Oman Air just isn’t maintaining these cabins. Parts of the interior were just falling apart. Just as an example, look at the condition of the lavatories. Has the airline just given up, or…? On the plus side, yay for bidets!
Oman Air’s awful A330 entertainment & no Wi-Fi
In theory, Oman Air has a similar entertainment system on the A330 as on the 787. The major difference is that the monitor isn’t touchscreen. So you have to make all your entertainment selections via the small handset, which is not fun to use.
On some other airlines, there’s an option to use the handset as a controller and see all the options on the screen, but that didn’t seem to be the case here. I asked two crew members about it, and they confirmed that’s not possible. Not only do you have to push tiny buttons, but the remote also isn’t very sensitive to touch, so you have to push really hard.
On top of that, Wi-Fi on this flight was broken. Now, here’s the strange part. I brought this to the attention of one of the senior flight attendants, and she claimed that Oman Air doesn’t have Wi-Fi on its A330s. That’s… despite the fact that there was an OnAir Wi-Fi signal, Oman Air’s website stating that A330s have Wi-Fi, and me having flown this exact plane a couple of years ago, and having had Wi-Fi.
But the crew insisted there was no Wi-Fi on this plane, so I’m not sure what to make of that.
Oman Air’s missing business class amenities
On my 5hr40min overnight flight from Milan to Muscat, I got amazing amenities, including comfortable pajamas and Amouage amenity kits. Meanwhile on this 7hr40min daytime flight, I didn’t even get an amenity kit. The flight attendant claimed these are only offered on overnight flights, and not on daytime flights.
I’m not sure if that’s accurate or not, but that’s bizarre. Okay, admittedly offering amenity kits and pajamas on such a short overnight flight is generous, but not even offering amenity kits on a nearly eight hour daytime flight is uncompetitive.
To others who have recently flown Oman Air on a daytime flight to Europe, were you offered amenity kits, or no?
Oman Air’s confusing meal service
The only great thing about the soft product on this Oman Air flight was the meal service. Well, the first/only meal service, that is. Oman Air has delicious food in business class, and this flight was no exception. Service began with mixed nuts and drinks…
I then had the Arabic mezze as the appetizer…
For the main course I had the Omani dish, which included, fish, prawns, zaatar chicken kebab, and more.
Lastly, for dessert, I had the tropical cheesecake.
Now, here’s where it gets strange. On my 5hr40min overnight flight from Milan to Muscat, there was a full meal service after takeoff, plus a continental breakfast before landing. On this 7hr40min daytime flight from Muscat to Frankfurt, there was… well, not really a pre-landing snack?
The menu didn’t list anything about a pre-landing snack. However, I figured on a flight of this length, there would be some sort of a proactive pre-landing snack service. However, the crew offered absolutely nothing, and I didn’t see anyone having anything.
When I asked about this at the end of the flight, I was informed that this is available on request only. But how would someone even know to request it when it’s not offered, not listed on the menu, etc.? This opened up a whole new can of worms about the service, which I’ll get into in the next post.
I’d love some data points from folks, though. If you’ve flown Oman Air on a daytime flight from Muscat to Europe somewhat recently, were you offered a pre-landing snack?
Oman Air’s bad inflight service
I’m going to cover this in the next installment, but the difference in service between this flight and the previous flight was night and day. The service was so bad that I brought it to the attention of the cabin manager (the first time I’ve ever done something like that), and… that became kind of awkward.
Bottom line
Other than the seats and the main meal, my Oman Air A330 business class experience was underwhelming. The plane wasn’t in good condition, the entertainment system was hard to use, the Wi-Fi was broken (or just isn’t offered anymore, according to the crew), the service was bad, there were no amenity kits, and there was no offer of a pre-landing snack.
On a good day, Oman Air is phenomenal. On a bad day, Oman Air is pretty lousy. Unfortunately in this case, the airline was both phenomenal and lousy on the same day. 😉
What’s your take on this Oman Air A330 business class experience?
I totally agree and I'm relieved to read this review. We flew with Oman Air for this trip to Europe and went from overwhelmed on the way there to "get me off" on the way back. The flight was delayed for 1.5hours leaving Milan, and yes this just happens, but there was no communication. The flight was ok but our seats had been changed. The flight from Muscat to KL was a horrible experience. Service...
I totally agree and I'm relieved to read this review. We flew with Oman Air for this trip to Europe and went from overwhelmed on the way there to "get me off" on the way back. The flight was delayed for 1.5hours leaving Milan, and yes this just happens, but there was no communication. The flight was ok but our seats had been changed. The flight from Muscat to KL was a horrible experience. Service was almost non-existant and I felt some resentment when I asked for a drink. We arrived in KL feeling as if we had just flown economy and also full of disappointment. We also arrived with a stomach virus which lasted for a few days. I'm left with positive memories about the flights to Europe but I'm also aware of the inconsistencies.
Flew FRA - MCT - BKK return recently and experienced much the same experience. Staff training and motivation seems an issue with a lack of consistency. I would fly again but for the right price and these aren't often available with Oman. Muscat airport is worth a mention, very impressive and relaxed transfers. Business lounge very good also.
Thank you for sharing.. pm my flight from Doh to Milan business class and night flight so no main course and just snak tomorrow my flight with so preorder shows 3 main course and express snack
So everything has changed after covid unfortunately
Why is an amenity kit such a big deal? I've collected dozens of them and end up throwing all away. Frankly I can't remember ever even using anything out of one since I buy what i want and it is nicer than anything an airline may give me. I'm all for getting rid of them and maybe just having things like toothbrushes and eye shades available upon request. Pretty sad that people get excited over something given away for free. SMH
AC - I agree these are not a big deal and for the most part, I either don't take them, leave them on the plane after using the toothbrush or give them to someone who would find a good use for them.
That being said - if you are not a frequent premium-class flyer, you would like the full experience and you would like it to be perfect. And when you put the cost...
AC - I agree these are not a big deal and for the most part, I either don't take them, leave them on the plane after using the toothbrush or give them to someone who would find a good use for them.
That being said - if you are not a frequent premium-class flyer, you would like the full experience and you would like it to be perfect. And when you put the cost of these flights against some other purchases (say an iphone) - you have every right to expect that. An experience like the one Lucky has described would leave most passengers disappointed and/or feeling ripped off.
I flew Oman Salalah - Muscat connecting to London business class late November. I had a simply stunning experience exhilarated that i had 3 full unobstructed windows with massive amount of room. Different experience. Would definitely fly them again.
Well, that's a good report on Oman air. I wanna to fly with them in October from Bangkok to Milan. But hearing that now it looks like I might have to change my mind, Tell me how is the lounge in Milan and Muscat
The lounge in Muscat is very nice with a good selection of food and drinks and a bar where you can get cocktails. When my wife and I took the trip Milan-Muscat-Bangkok and back, we where impressed by food and the seats - all four flights was on 787.
Same applies to TK arilines : depending on routes (between US, Middle East, Central Asia etc.), the quality of its service and staff attitude towards passengers are quite different. As a forced TK frequent flyers, I feel uncomfortable to hear that you''ve been always cheering about 'fabulous hospitality and service' of TK airlines, which is probably not shraed by many TK frequent flyers.
Oman Air is only competitive as long as they have new planes. Once they reach a certain age they can’t keep up with the industry as they don’t invest in innovations. The crews are not motivated at all. Meal service takes forever. The cabin boys are too proud and the girls in the cabin are to annoyed by the fact that they have to work a lot harder than the proud local boys. It is obvious.
Let's see wether I will get that experience on my way to Cairo from Spore in bzness class..thanks for sharing
I've had a similar experience on Korean regarding amenity kits. I recently travelled ICN-KTM and asked about an amenity kit and was told they only provide during overnight flights. The flight was wonderful but that did surprise me given it was nearly 8 hours. I know SQ offers amenity kits for any flights above 6 hours which is a more reasonable policy in my opinion.
It's very possible that the lavatory was impeccably maintained until a, well, explosive last flight where the ground crew didn't have enough time to fully fix the lavatory before turning the plane round.
I’ve been reading this great blog for about 4 months and was beginning to lose interest because Ben was relentlessly positive about everything and everywhere he went. I was starting to think that he was just a paid industry shill, but today’s reviews have shown that he’s actually very fair and calls out bad service when it is called for.
Well done Ben, you handled that FA’s attempt to cover her lack of effort...
I’ve been reading this great blog for about 4 months and was beginning to lose interest because Ben was relentlessly positive about everything and everywhere he went. I was starting to think that he was just a paid industry shill, but today’s reviews have shown that he’s actually very fair and calls out bad service when it is called for.
Well done Ben, you handled that FA’s attempt to cover her lack of effort much more constructively and politely than many of us would have.
So what is new? Nothing but consitant in being lousy and the inconsistancy of service.
I flew Oman air last week in J class CGK-MCT-IST roundtrip.
I got no amenities kit for my day flight (CGK-MCT). They only offered in MCT-CGK route.
Only 1 meal service for 7hr55minutes flight.
No ala carte or snacks or anything served pre landing. But their maincourse was so nice and I really like their seat.
I lost the luggage when I arrived back in CGK. They sent it to my home 2 days later.
Will I fly Oman air again? Yes if the price is ok.
All I can say is You are entitled to your Opinion about the Airline but You are not entitled to tell them How to run their business. Pretty easy to be a CRITIC these days when social media presents a HUGE Platform to spew negative diatribes. If you or anyone else wants to constantly focus on the negatives or draw attention to things that You do not understand......go ahead start your own AIrline and let's...
All I can say is You are entitled to your Opinion about the Airline but You are not entitled to tell them How to run their business. Pretty easy to be a CRITIC these days when social media presents a HUGE Platform to spew negative diatribes. If you or anyone else wants to constantly focus on the negatives or draw attention to things that You do not understand......go ahead start your own AIrline and let's see PERFECT before our eyes. You won't though because it is easier for you to nitpick and tear others down. (I have worked in the Industry over 30 years and get TIRED of the constant criticisms. Tired. DONE. WTH are You?)
@ andy -- Lol, okay. Do you also have issues with me sharing my positive experiences with the airline, as I've done many times before? Or is that okay?
Looks like we found the cabin manager.
LOL
There is a reason why many airlines get constant criticism over several decades and it is called poor customer service.
Why do so many airlines provide such terrible customer service and why do they never improve?
They always have the same problems.
I am so TIRED of bad customer service from airlines, both in the air and on the ground.
Here Here! I agree with you 100%. Its like a Karen, whining about not getting a sandwich.
@andy, did you miss his glowing review of the flight the night before?
There is literally another comment a few posts up saying how positive Ben can normally be. Which I’d agree with. Personally I enjoy reading about poor experiences more as they’re much more reflective of reality a lot of the time. Ben’s coverage here was extremely fair and he is by far the least nitpicky of “social media” commentators. It’s actually made me want to check out Oman when they join OW.
@ Andy, you seem to have a real problem with your reading comprehension!! I suggest you reread everything before responding so you don't look like a total BAFOON!!
That's by far the most ridiculous argument I heard in a long time.
No. You don't have to run an airline to have a negative view on an airline. You don't have to be an amazing cook to criticize a restaurant. You don't have to be able to sing well to think that an artist is rubbish.
As long as the criticism is based on facts and evidence (and I don't think you...
That's by far the most ridiculous argument I heard in a long time.
No. You don't have to run an airline to have a negative view on an airline. You don't have to be an amazing cook to criticize a restaurant. You don't have to be able to sing well to think that an artist is rubbish.
As long as the criticism is based on facts and evidence (and I don't think you can argue that Lucky's review wasn't) - It is 100% valid and appreciated by his readership.
I am not sure what airline you work for, and you wisely did not specify, but I think that after 30 years, it may be time for you to find a different career path. Maybe something having less to do with serving people...
Ms Andy.. the plane wall was taped babes, what you mean don't whine? I would be furious as well if I were to paid that price with amenities and service of an overnight low fare bus babes. Make it make sense..
You literally raved about oman air in the other article here https://onemileatatime.com/insights/oman-air-787-business-class/
Did you like, skip through this whole article? He literally mentions how great his first flight was, and how easy it is to see when others have night and day experiences.
"I think it’s also important to acknowledge how two people can have vastly different experiences on the same airline on similar routes. That’s exactly what I experienced here, as I flew Oman Air on two flights just hours apart, with planes featuring the...
Did you like, skip through this whole article? He literally mentions how great his first flight was, and how easy it is to see when others have night and day experiences.
"I think it’s also important to acknowledge how two people can have vastly different experiences on the same airline on similar routes. That’s exactly what I experienced here, as I flew Oman Air on two flights just hours apart, with planes featuring the same seats, yet the difference was night and day."
Flew MCT-CDG on 1/1/23. Daytime flight on a 789 in business. There were 2 meals, amenity kits and even pajamas on request, which I requested and received.
@ Supropal -- Thanks for the data point! That's how I figured it should be. I have the suspicion that they actually had amenity kits (and probably pajamas), but were just claiming they didn't to avoid having to do more work. Of course I could be wrong, but...
Ben - didn't you have a similar issue during the first 4 flights you took with them, when you first flew with the airline all the way back in January 2016 (as part of the "OMAN, IB CRAZY AF" trip report if memory serves) - unconscionably, that was EIGHT years ago at this point? The first 3 flights (FRA-MCT-BKK-MCT)were amazing, and the final leg (MCT-FRA) was APPALLING? IIRC you mentioned that the crew was ridiculously...
Ben - didn't you have a similar issue during the first 4 flights you took with them, when you first flew with the airline all the way back in January 2016 (as part of the "OMAN, IB CRAZY AF" trip report if memory serves) - unconscionably, that was EIGHT years ago at this point? The first 3 flights (FRA-MCT-BKK-MCT)were amazing, and the final leg (MCT-FRA) was APPALLING? IIRC you mentioned that the crew was ridiculously lazy. It's no wonder that the situation is as bad as it is, if 8 years on they aren't maintaining the product. It's even more interesting that First Class (and indeed the old J seat) is still flying. You mentioned on your 2016 review of them that the airline anticipated old J seat wouldn't be around much longer - 2017 at the latest. How wrong that turned out to be.
@ Alex Conway -- Hah, you have VERY good memory, I'm impressed! And yes, you're exactly right.
JFC that trip review was 8 years ago? I'm getting "old" fast...
I remember those quirky titles from back then during your trip reviews...kind of miss them. I still remember when you went to Bhutan, did 20k miles in 3 days, etc
My how we have both traveled since then and lives have changed.
There do seem to be inconsistencies in some flights. I have flown Oman in premium cabins several times now including on their Max 8. All but 1 of the flights did I experience average service, interesting it was also a day flight from Muscat to KL. Good review as always but maybe a tiny bit harsh?
@ Steve -- Totally respect if you feel that's the case, though perhaps the perspective in this post will explain a bit more why I feel the way that I do:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/awful-service-oman-air/
Yes, just reading that. Don't disagree with you after that hahaha. It's just so random how service with Oman can be so good and at times average at best....
Thanks for the review mate!
On Muscat to London, there’s a few “A la carte” options from my flight last April but I didn’t request one (the main meal was plenty filling)
This experience seems to match my multiple Oman Air experiences more than the other ones you have written about. Apathetic crew, outright useless ground staff, and borderline rude customer service are par for the course.
The only positive I have seen on Oman Air is that the crew very strictly enforce seat changing on board - whenever I have paid for the exit row and someone else tries to sneak in next to me, they...
This experience seems to match my multiple Oman Air experiences more than the other ones you have written about. Apathetic crew, outright useless ground staff, and borderline rude customer service are par for the course.
The only positive I have seen on Oman Air is that the crew very strictly enforce seat changing on board - whenever I have paid for the exit row and someone else tries to sneak in next to me, they are always sent back from whence they came. On the flip side, I have also had an empty row to myself and moved from aisle to window, but was made to move back despite the entire row being empty.
@ Sean M. -- Not letting you move to other seats in the same row when empty is kind of wild, hah.
WTF............ The Seat Polize gone wild!!