Review of Oman Air Business Class

Muscat International Airport is Oman’s main international airport, located 32 kilometres east of Muscat in Seeb.

The airport has gone through an ambitious process of redevelopment in recent years. A stunning new terminal combines an Omani architectural flavour with state-of-the-art technology (Muscat was the first international airport to have a drone detection system).

You will find the Oman Air First and Business Class Lounges on the 5th floor of the terminal. When you enter the shared lounge reception area, the entrance to the Business Class Lounge is to the left of the reception desk. The Lounge is rendered in soft brown and gold hues with marble floors and appealing Arabic design accents throughout – it is a delightful space to spend a few hours.

There are excellent dining options, with two self-serve buffets serving hot and cold food and a tendered bar. A spa provides an assortment of treatments to refresh and revitalise, subject to a surcharge. There are also curtained nap pods, four sleeping rooms available on a first-come-first-served basis, private showers, a kids’ room, a family room, and baby changing facilities for those travelling with children. Wi-Fi is complimentary.

For passengers ending their journey in Muscat, a dedicated Arrivals Lounge is available to Business Class passengers. The lounge offers a wide selection of food and non-alcoholic beverages, private shower facilities and space to relax or catch up on work.

Oman Air offers its own branded lounge at Bangkok´s Suvarnabhumi Airport. At other airports, the carrier partners with other airlines and third-party lounge providers where there is no specific Oman Air Business Class lounge provision. 

Oman Air long haul flights are operated by a mix of Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 and Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. All feature the same Business Class seats, but the newer Boeing 787 Dreamliners provide a better flight experience thanks to lower noise levels, larger windows and better air quality supported by new filtration, better pressure, and more humidity to help passengers feel less dryness and fatigue.

Oman Air Business Class cabins are light, sleek, and elegant, with sand-coloured seats and discreet touches of Arabic geometric pattern designs on interior details. The airline has wisely selected the APEX Suite by Collins Aerospace, providing passengers with one of the best Business Class seats in the skies. Seats are set in a 2-2-2 configuration, but thanks to clever design, all seats have direct aisle access. This is achieved by staggering the seats along the sides of the cabin and providing a passageway from the window seats. All Oman Air Business Class seats are good, but window seats (A and K) are by far the best. Excellent privacy partitions and the private passageway located in front of the aisle seats makes the window seats feel almost like enclosed suites. Window seats also benefit from extra legroom due to the positioning of the seats.

On Oman Air wide body jets, Business Class always starts from row number 10, even if there is no First Class cabin on most aircraft. Seats are the same across the fleet, but the carrier has several different configurations with Business Class featuring between 18 and 30 flatbed seats. Several aircraft have Business Class split into two separate cabins, where one is a “mini-cabin” of just one or two rows.

Seats are 22.8 inches wide (57.9 centimetres), have a pitch of 80 inches (203.2 centimetres) and a bed length of 76 inches (193 centimetres). All have direct aisle access, adjustable privacy dividers, adjustable headset, control of lumbar support and massage function and a fully lie-flat bed.

There’s a large table which extends from the centre console, perfect for working or dining, together with adjustable reading light. The table can be swivelled, making it possible to leave the seat even when the table is set. There is an assortment of small storage areas, though some may not be accessible when the seat is fully reclined. 

In terms of power, there’s a multi-standard socket, two USB charging sockets and a headphones socket. 

The flight search on BusinessClass.com features images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft. Search results also highlight details including seat pitch, width and recline. You can visualise the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested before making your choice.

The inflight dining experience in Oman Air Business Class closely resembles what some airlines offer in First Class, ranging from the quality and presentation of food and the individual bread baskets to how tables are beautifully set with exclusive tableware and glasses. Meals are served on linen-lined tables without trays and most dishes are plated on board, leading to a dining experience that looks and feels more like a restaurant than an aircraft cabin.

Business Class passengers benefit from the same ‘dine on demand’ service’ available to First Class passengers. Hence, you eat at a time that suits you. 

The main meal starts with an amuse bouche, a palate teaser normally reserved for First Class and rarely offered in Business Class on other airlines.

Menus have been designed to offer East-West fusion cuisine, including Omani specialities such as braised chicken koftas or Arabic mezze. In fact, each flight features one traditional Omani dish to provide passenger with “flavours from the Sultanate”. Menus on long haul flights typically offer an impressive choice of four appetizers including soup and a salad, three main courses, a selection of farm-house cheese and three desserts including ice cream.

On flights that offer two meal services, the second is a simpler affair such as a light gourmet platter or continental breakfast but executed to the same high quality as the main meal.

Business Class passengers are offered pre-departure Omani coffee (‘Kahwa’) from a traditional Arabic coffee pot accompanied by Omani dates (a popular offering on Gulf airlines, although sometimes the preserve of First Class). Additional pre-departure beverages such as Champagne, water or juice are also offered. The Champagne served in Oman Air Business Class is a solid Laurent-Perrier Brut served in proper fluted Champagne glasses. Oman Air serves all wine in proper long stemmed wine glasses, something only a handful of airlines do as tall glasses are challenging to transport and use in the confined environment of an aircraft cabin.

A wide selection of alcoholic beverages is available, including two white wines, two reds, a sweet dessert wine and a selection of beer and spirits. Oman Air offers a range of juices including freshly squeezed orange juice, melon and ginger juice, apple juice, tomato juice and raspberry smoothie, plus carbonated soft drinks, and mineral waters. Business Class passengers are offered speciality coffees such as Illy espresso and Cappuccino or Mocha, and a range of exotic teas by Dilmah. For an Arabic experience - try the Karak Tea – a strong sweet tea made with evaporated milk and spices such as cardamom.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on which Champagne is served in Business Class and First Class on many airlines. We do our best to keep track of any changes, but feel free to let us know if there is something we missed. 

Inflight service in Oman Air Business Class is mostly friendly, well-polished, professional and crews speak excellent English. Unlike the larger airlines based in the Middle East where you never encounter locals working as cabin crew, crew on Oman Air are mostly Omani and provide genuine Arabic hospitality.

Oman Air female cabin crew wear a delightful turquoise uniform - inspired by the Sea of Oman - with a small hat and veil. The style evokes the old school elegance of a bygone era of air travel.

The entertainment system on Oman Air is called ARIA. It comprises a 17-inch personal monitor controlled by the touch screen remote control and a pair of basic unbranded noise-cancelling headphones. While the 17-inch monitor is sufficient for most seats, it feels small for the window seats due to the 80-inch distance between the seat and the screen. You can expect the latest film releases, television boxsets, games, and various audio options.

Wi-Fi is available on wide body aircraft but comes with a hefty charge and is limited both by duration and data caps. There are two USB ports on every seat, laptop power and an adjustable personal reading light.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment.

Business Class passengers receive well-stocked amenity kits by Amouage - the Omani luxury fragrance brand - featuring large-sized body lotion, facial moisturiser, and lip balm. There’s also a Colgate dental kit, shaving kit, mouthwash, silk eyeshades, hairbrush, socks, and earplugs. Amouage scents can be intense, but they are toned down for the airline. 

Passengers on long-haul flights receive quilted duvets and fluffy pillows, slippers, and a cotton sleeper suit – something most other airlines do not offer in Business Class. Mattress toppers are also available.

Additional branded amenities are available in the Business Class lavatories, which also feature a bidet function normally only seen on Japanese airlines.

Hot and cold towels are offered several times during the flight.

The Oman Air regional workhorses are primarily Boeing 737-800, 737-900 and 737-MAX 8 aircraft, occasionally supported by wide body jets. The Boeing 737s feature comfortable recliner seats with generous legroom in a 2-2 configuration. Even short flights include pre-departure beverages and a proper meal adjusted to the time of day. Expect a three-course menu and warm rolls on most flights. While Oman Air serves alcohol on the majority of its routes, alcohol is not offered on domestic flights.

Oman Air is reducing its environmental impact across its business by increasing the local sourcing of supplies, operating smaller aircraft on short-haul routes, and replacing older aircraft with new, more fuel-efficient planes. The airlines has implemented a range of fuel-saving initiatives which were identified by the airline´s Air Traffic Management and Fuel Conservation teams, which bring together people from across the organization to review operations and ensure they are conducted with maximum efficiency. Oman Air has partnered with Oman´s Ministry of Social Developments to help families with special needs, and sponsors selected community support initiatives.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on CO2 emissions for each flight. Our quality algorithms also give a higher score to flights operated by the most modern and environmentally-friendly aircraft.