Review of Royal Jordanian Business Class

Queen Alia International Airport in Amman is the airline’s main hub, and a new airport terminal has made the travel experience much more comfortable.

Amman is a compact airport with short walks between gates, floor-to-ceiling windows and excellent duty-free shopping. Unlike larger airports where a connection can be cumbersome, the airport has easy signage to get you around.

Check-in for Crown Class has its own dedicated area with private security and immigration lines. Waits are not long, and you will be airside in no time. The Crown Class lounge is one level above the duty-free shopping area. It is an open-air lounge - it opens to the main terminal. This means occasional terminal noise seeps into the lounge, but there are quiet nooks for families to play or passengers to enjoy a nap.

The bar stocks Jordanian and international wines plus beer and spirits while refrigerators hold soft drinks, juices and bottled water. On the buffet menu is an array of Middle Eastern and international dishes that cater to different audiences. It changes throughout the day and includes dishes like pasta, chicken, soup, salads and sweet or salty snacks. It provides a comfortable start before any journey or between flights although there are not many views of passing airplanes.

Priority boarding is a perk of Crown Class or oneworld elite status, but queues can sometimes be disorganised during boarding.

Royal Jordanian Crown Class features a bright and airy cabin with the airline’s crown logo on the bulkhead and a credenza at the back of the cabin. The centre section does not have overhead compartments, which continues the open-plan and spacious theme of the aircraft for Crown Class passengers. Between seats, a small translucent panel provides some privacy from your seatmate when the seat is in flat-bed mode.

The airline’s long-haul fleet consists exclusively of Boeing Dreamliner aircraft - set up in a 2-2-2 seating configuration. This is not an ideal setup as it means window passengers will have to climb over their seatmate to reach the aisle - although couples travelling together may not mind. Solo fliers will do best by selecting one of the centre seats as they have direct aisle access.

All recline to a flat bed, which is helpful on long flights. Storage areas behind the seat have a place for a water bottle or other small items plus power and USB outlets. The tray table folds out of the armrest with ease. Touch-button controls allow you to take the seat from upright mode to a reclining position or fully flat with the ability to make small adjustments to suit your mood.

Like other Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, dimmer switches control the windows rather than a traditional shade. This means that you can have it at a bright setting or dim it a bit while still being able to see outside. Some flight crews, however, lock the system limiting your choice on being able to see out or having it completely dark. They do this so people can rest, but it means that window-seat passengers that prefer to look out during the flight lose the choice.

There is no charge to make a seat assignment in advance for Crown Class passengers, but be aware that last-minute seat changes can happen so be sure to reconfirm the seat before departure.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested, before making your choice.

After takeoff, flight attendants visit each passenger to offer them a beverage of choice served with a ramekin of mixed Arabic nuts. This soon follows with table cloths and a tray with the appetiser, salad and bread.

On some flights, RJ serves its selection of four main dishes from a two-tiered trolley rolled down the aisle. The crew plates each dish as you might at a friend’s dinner party offering passengers the chance to try multiple options rather than settling on one. Often, a traditional Jordanian dish like mansaf - marinated lamb in yogurt sauce with rice - is among the options. This à la carte style service is typically only on the airline’s longer daytime flights.

Passengers can select from one of four main dishes including beef, veal, seafood, chicken or pasta. Dessert can vary from cakes to fresh fruit and is served from a beautifully set-up trolley. Occasionally, RJ serves traditional Arabic ice cream with pistachios - a passenger favourite.

Depending on the length of the flight and time of day, a second meal is served before landing with a tray followed by a few more selections from the linen-lined trolley.

Special meals are available for pre-order, which can be made online or via telephone including vegetarian, low-calorie or children’s meals. There is no “dine-on-demand” service, but the flight crew is willing to oblige special requests if time allows.

Before takeoff, a tray of water, orange juice or Champagne is passed around to each seat as well as Arabic coffee poured elegantly into small cups at each seat. After takeoff, more beverages from the bar are available including two white wines, a rosé wine, two red wines, Taittinger Brut Réserve Champagne, port, and several international beers. Usually at least one Jordanian wine is served, but unfortunately the crew is not very attentive when it comes to refills.

A list of spirits and liqueurs is available with mixers plus juice, soft drinks, coffee and tea. Arabic coffee is also available during the flight as are espresso and cappuccino beverages.

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. 

RJ crews are personable and proud of their home country. On some flights to Asian destinations, the airline hires local crews that speak the language of destination. Service is friendly, but can vary between conversational to brusque. One special feature is that one cabin crew usually starts the inflight service by wearing traditional Jordanian embroidery adding a special touch to the flight.

Large television screens in front of each seat are loaded with first-rate films, sitcoms, documentaries and music channels. The controls are intuitive and can be operated via touch-screen or remote control. Noise-reducing headphones are available at each seat, but they are not the best quality.

A moving map display is available, but inflight wireless internet is not available on Royal Jordanian aircraft.

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

4711 Aqua Colonia-branded amenity kits are well-stocked with beauty products, eye shades, socks and dental kits. Royal Jordanian has a relationship with 4711 House of Fragrances going back to the early 1970s, and it is said that the brand is a favourite of the Jordanian royal family. A bottle of 4711 Eau de Cologne is always available in the Crown Class lavatories. Born in Cologne, Germany, 4711 is a globally known unisex line of fragrances with a long and successful history of over 225 years. 

At each seat, a fleece-lined blanket and large pillow make it easy to get comfortable on long flights. 

Families travelling with infants can request a bassinet on long-haul flights to use at certain seats.

Royal Jordanian’s Airbus and Embraer narrowbody planes have proper recliner seats for short flights. While they do not recline fully flat, they provide a comfortable way to travel on flights where a widebody aircraft is not used. On the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 fleet, Crown Class offers a 2-2 configuration, with the smaller Embraer jets offering a 1-2 setup.

Depending on the length of the flight, the crew may serve meals via a tray or à la carte from the trolley in courses like on long-haul flights. On short flights, wireless entertainment is available by connecting a personal device. 

Royal Jordanian is setting its sights on caring for the environment with its focus on fuel efficiency with its fleet as well as more efficient ground operations. Recycling efforts are also important for the brand, and the company is working to create additional measures that will help the national airline support the environment.

The airline has become a roving ambassador of Jordan, and is dedicated to helping promote tourism to the country. As part of this initiative, Royal Jordanian has partnered with the Jordan Tourism Board and placed a Petra-inspired livery on one of its wide-bodied Boeing 787 aircraft. Petra is Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Al-Khazneh, one of the most elaborate temples in Petra, was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World back in 2007.

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.