Review: Oman Air Business Class FRA-CGK on A330 and B787 Dreamliner
In 2016 my wife was offered a 2 year placement in Melbourne, Australia. As generous expat packages are not that common anymore, they would only pay for an economy flight for her. To make matters worse, the visa process took forever. Literally in the last minute, Oman Air started a Business Class sale and offered return flights from Germany to Asia for the crazy low price of €1065. We still did not have the visa approval and decided to fly as close to Australia as possible: Bali. Oman Air brought us to Jakarta and from there we took a cheap Air Asia flight to Denpasar. Quite the shock, after the fantastic Business Class flight, but I will spare you the details. We set the return for about a month later in case of any visa SNAFUs.
Out itinerary:
Frankfurt (20:20) — Muscat (05:15) | A330
Muscat (01:35) — Jakarta (12:45) | B787 Dreamliner
Chauffeur Service, Lounge and Departure in Frankfurt
We arrived on an ICE train from Hamburg and after a little wait were picked up by an Mercedes GLK, courtesy of the free chauffeur service offered by Oman Air (Unfortunately this service has been discontinued in 2017). We were a little early and had to wait for the check-in counter to open. The dedicated Business Class check-in was swift and very friendly.
We were invited to use the Japan Airlines lounge, but it was quite busy and the offerings were not particularly great. After a short visit we opted to visit the Sky Lounge, which we could access with our Priority Pass to get one last proper pretzel and beer.
Before entering the gate waiting area, our boarding passes were checked and we were asked to switch seats as a family wanted to be seated together. As we chose separate window seats anyway, we didn’t mind. After a short while the friendly check-in agent personally escorted all Business Class passengers to the A330. Business Class is laid out in an 1–2–1 configuration without any complex staggering layout. There is a two row cabin in the front and a three row cabin in the back. Given our last minute booking, we could only get seats in the back cabin. The only downside though were all the economy passengers passing through at boarding.
The seat felt exceptionally spacious and I had a hard time reaching the ottoman even with my 6'2 (1,87 m). I especially liked the large storage area between the seat and the window. I usually watch movies and tv shows on my laptop and this was the perfect place to put it during dinner service.
Unfortunately Dinner was quite bland, but look at the big portion of pasta. The wines were good though and you can ask my laptop about that, as I spilled a full glass of Shiraz on it. Still works like a charm :)
For our travel dates we could only book a flight with a 20 hour layover in Muscat. As we have not been to Oman before, we used that to our advantage and booked a room in the Ritz Carlton Al Bustan Palace. They did not technically offer day rooms, but offered a very generous 9 am early check-in. A free minivan shuttle from Oman Air waited for us at the airport and swiftly brought us to the hotel. We had breakfast, lounged at the pool, took a nap and then ventured out to the souk. Muscat is a magnificent place and we will need to come back. With plenty of time to spare we made our way to the airport to check out the lounge. The food offerings were fantastic and we both booked a free 15 minute back massage.
We made our way to the gate and as it was only a few minutes left until boarding, we waited in front of the boarding gate. And then the madness started. Everyone tried to be the first on the plane and pushed us from all sides. We made our way out only to be told to come in again and wait for the Business Class bus. Our mistake that we followed that order. Business Class boarded in the last minute and so there was hardly time for some pre departure bubbly.
Business Class on the B787 Dreamliner is laid out in a staggered 2–2–2 configuration, allowing everyone direct aisle access. It was very private but also significantly less spacious than the A330.
Shortly after take-off the flight attendant came around. Given the nightly departure and me stuffing up in the lounge, I was not particulary interested in food. I only wanted a glass of Shiraz, a snack and then go straight into sleep mode. Due to the layout of the cabin it is quite difficult for the flight attendant to come close to the guest and I had a hard time hearing him. I ordered my glass of wine, a snack and breakfast. At breakfast service I was then again served with a glass of Shiraz. Apparently there was some kind of miscommunication…
In conclusion we had a fantastic flight. The seats in both planes were especially spacious and I had enough room to stretch out. The only downsides were the bland food and the boarding process in Muscat.
They regularly have great Business Class sales between €1000-€1300 return to Asia and at that price it’s a no-brainer.
We credited the miles to Etihad as they have great redemption rates on Virgin Australia.
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