Flight Review: Oman Air Abu Dhabi – Muscat – Abu Dhabi (Business)

Confession: I very rarely splurge on a Business Class seat. Not only that I still feel reasonably comfortable sitting in a coach (especially since I started travelling light), I also feel that in most cases the fare difference is not quite justified by the hard products and service you get in return. However, when the offers are too tempting to resist and I see the value in it, I do give in, if for the sake of experience.

These flights actually form parts of my longer return trip between Abu Dhabi and Jakarta (the full itinerary being AUH-MCT-CGK-MCT-AUH). However, since the hard products (seats, etc) I experienced in these two legs (AUH-MCT and MCT-AUH) were identical, I will club them both together.

The Ground Service (Abu Dhabi & Muscat)

Abu Dhabi airport is one of the few airports I have been in that has an exclusive check-in area for Business and First Classes passengers (of all airlines). Not only that the check-in formality itself is a breeze, you also have a dedicated immigration counter right after, therefore saving you a lot of time.

Once you are done with the passport control and assuming that you have plenty of time on your hands, you can then proceed to one of the lounges. I first went to the Al Reem Lounge as this was what was written on my boarding pass, but once I reached the place, was asked to go to the “bigger and better” Al Dhabi Lounge, located on the other side of the building.

Now I do not know if the Al Dhabi Lounge is really “bigger and better” although as far as the walk-in entrance fees are concerned, it seems to be true. However, my first impression of the lounge was not very positive. No, I am not referring to a dozen or so people sleeping on the couches (although the management could have been kinder and placed some chaise lounges instead), but the upkeep of the lounge itself. At a glance (and I was not even trying hard), I spotted quite a few signs of wear and tear (including a torn upholstery) on the furniture. This, of course, was not something I would expect from an airport as sophisticated as Abu Dhabi. I also found the food variety and quality to just be so-so (granted, it was very early morning, so probably more and better food would come later in busier hours). I ended up just having some tea and yoghurt with fruits (again, nothing fancy). I did not use any other facility (toilet or shower) as I did not have much time to kill, but the WiFi service worked quite well.

On my way back to Abu Dhabi a few weeks later, I checked-in directly in Jakarta and so was not required to check-in again in Muscat. I did, however, use the Business Class lounge in Muscat International Airport, of which the review is here.

The Flights

For short regional flights, Oman Air uses Embraer 175, which apparently are only serving short and regional hauls and will be entirely phased out very soon. The aircraft seats 11 in the Business Class (advertised as “First Class”) and 60 in Economy. The Business Class configuration was 1-2 with quite a generous seat width of 22” and seat pitch of 40”. The seat itself was reasonably comfortable and reclined without difficulties.

The cabin looked clean and well maintained, except that there was a power outage a few minutes before take-off in Abu Dhabi Airport (which did not turn out to be a serious issue but did freak me out a bit as no explanation was offered by the crews, not to mention it was my first time ever flying with Oman Air). Also, on both occasions (AUH-MCT, and then again MCT-AUH), there was water dripping from the AC (?) in the first few minutes of the trip. It was no big deal, but nonetheless annoying – especially in a Business Class.

On both occasions, I selected seat 2A, the first from the galley, meaning that I had an uninterrupted leg space. Each seat was also equipped with a personal IFE, although I did not use it in either leg due to the very short flight time (and the fact that I was travelling in odd hours!) There was the normal small pocket right above the IFE screen, which as usual was already full with the in-flight magazine, et al.

What I particularly found interesting was that in Muscat, Business Class passengers are transported to the terminal in their own bus, regardless of the number of passengers in the cabin. It did feel a bit awkward as there were only three of us in Business at that time.

(I did not take any picture/video of the seat, but this video is an accurate representation).

The Service

This is where I think Oman Air can exert a bit more effort on. While the crews were all polite and pleasant, the service did not feel quite genuine nor personalized. For example, even when there were only three of us in the cabin, the crews did not use our names, neither did they try to engage in some small talk or check if we were comfortable. Of course, it could have been just me, but I felt that a part of the premium experience is to feel genuinely welcome and cared for. Using a guest’s name, for example, can actually go a long way in building rapport and even be a reason to foster long-term business relationships.

As the flight duration was extremely short (less than one hour), we were first asked if we wanted any meal during the flight (presumably only for Business Class passengers). I said yes the first time, and received an omelette with a hash brown on the side, both of which were bland, dry, and coarse. What was also disappointing was the fact that although the food was served hot (at least this deserves a thumb-up), the cutleries were extremely cold (another thumb-down). I was also offered some bread/pastries and coffee or tea, but I declined both. On my way back to Abu Dhabi from Muscat, I was also offered a hot meal (chicken with rice – not a very appealing description) but preferred to sleep through the entire flight.

One nice touch, although most probably offered elsewhere too, was the Arabic coffee & dates service prior to take off, which I think serves as a very warm and appropriate welcome to all Business Class passengers.

The Touch Down

On both occasions, the flight touched down more or less on time and although no immigration fast track was offered in either Muscat nor Abu Dhabi airport, I did not need any since the queue was very minimal.

Verdict

I have experienced better service elsewhere, but Oman Air does provide functional products and offers an overall great value for money in this route.

LIKE: The value-for-money, the comfortable product.

DISLIKE: The service needs to be upped a few notches if they want to be a market leader.

PRICE: Fares vary depending on seasonality. Check their website for details.

DETAILS: http://www.omanair.com

DATE OF FLIGHT: December 2015 (AUH-MCT) and January 2016 (MCT-AUH)

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