Oman Air’s transformation in recent years has seen it expand its network and aircraft fleet, while keeping its eye firmly fixed on delivering the highest possible quality in all areas of its operations.
Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than on the airline’s long-haul Airbus A330 Business Class service, where a winning combination of comfort, space and luxury blend with traditional Omani hospitality to create an unrivalled passenger experience.
Nicola Griffiths, a business consultant who regularly flies business class from London to Muscat and beyond with Oman Air, says the airline’s service really does live up to its reputation: “I’m pretty cynical when I hear airlines’ claims about quality and service, but having experienced Oman Air’s business class for myself, I was surprised at just how good it is. The seats are large and comfortable, so I get all the rest I need on the overnight flight, and the cabin crew are terrific. Since first flying with Oman Air, I haven’t thought about going to Muscat with any other airline.”
A good start
Oman Air’s premium business class experience starts at your front door, when the dedicated chauffeur service picks up you and up to 40kg of luggage and whisks you to departures, saving time and the hassle of finding an airport parking space. Now that the airline’s online check-in window has been extended from 24 to 36 hours before boarding, the risk – already minimal – of waiting a few minutes at the baggage-drop desk is further reduced, and fast-track security clearance will see you relaxing at the airport lounge in no time.
At Muscat International Airport, Oman Air’s Business Class lounge offers the ideal environment in which to prepare for your flight. Cool, elegant and contemporary décor, with subtle Arabian influences, signals an environment in which relaxation and traditional Omani hospitality come top of the agenda. À la carte or buffet-style dining and a vast array of refreshments are available and Muscat’s renowned Chedi Spa offers complimentary massages and treatments. For those who want to focus on work, check emails or simply catch up on world news, a business area offers computer workstations and large flat-screen TVs, while well-appointed shower rooms allow you to freshen up before you fly.
The Oman Air Business Class lounge at Bangkok Airport takes its Muscat counterpart as a template and offers a range of Thai and Middle Eastern meals within a tranquil setting. At every stop across the airline’s 42-destination network Oman Air’s customers are offered the very best of local facilities.
Service with style
Once your flight is called, the airborne passenger experience begins and the airline’s cabin crew, stylishly dressed in uniforms designed by renowned designer Balenciaga, welcome you aboard and show you to your seat. And it’s not just any seat. It was named World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat at the World Airline Awards 2012, organised by airline quality specialists Skytrax and following a year-long survey of around 18 million air travellers. This comes on top of the same award having been granted the previous year.
Installed in a one-two-one configuration − giving each passenger the convenience of direct aisle access − and set within a huge 82-inch pitch, the seat converts at the touch of a button to become a fully lie-flat 77-inch long, 22-inch wide bed. When made up with its bespoke sheets and blankets and coupled with the complimentary soft cotton sleep-suit and cosy slippers, the temptation to sleep away the entire flight is almost irresistible.
Award-winning amenity kits – a chic case with a magnetic catch, containing everything you could need on a long haul flight, including eye mask, ear plugs and toiletries from renowned Omani perfumier, Amouage – help to ensure that, asleep or awake, you look and feel at your best throughout the flight.
But sleeping from take-off until landing would mean missing out on the in-flight catering, which makes a reality of fine dining at 35,000 feet. From international dishes such as poached fillet steak and Loch Fyne salmon to traditional Arabic favourites, main meals are a delight, whilst snacks and finger food are served throughout the flight. Soft drinks, teas, coffees and infusions are also offered, and Oman Air boasts a wine list that would put many restaurants to shame.
Having dined, it may well be time to unwind and investigate Oman Air’s on-demand in-flight entertainment system. With a large choice of the latest blockbusters, independent films and movie classics, there is something to suit every taste and if TV shows are more to your liking, there is a huge array of documentaries, comedies and dramas to choose from. There are even live satellite channels delivering up-to-the-second news and sports from around the world, a range of games to keep even the most avid gamer occupied for hours and a vast selection of music, from Arabian and European classical to the latest pop and rock hits. All of this is displayed on a crystal-clear 17-inch personal monitor that, if you prefer it, will accommodate your choice of media: just plug your own device – laptop, tablet, smartphone or games console – and away you go.
Valuable time
Many, however, choose to use their laptops and tablets for more practical purposes, and Oman Air’s complete wi-fi and mobile phone connectivity is the perfect tool for business or leisure. For a modest fee, checking email, surfing the web and updating social media is as easy in the skies as it is on the ground, meaning that flying need no longer be the ‘dead’ time, in business terms, that it used to be.
Coupled with mobile phone connectivity, the service has been a boon to business travellers like Nicola Griffiths: “Staying in touch by email and phone has meant that flying time is not wasted time and I arrive at my destination ready to go. I don’t have to spend time at the other end catching up and can go straight into meetings refreshed and fully prepared. And on my journey home, if we are going to arrive early, I can even phone home and tell them when to expect me back.”
Every detail of the Oman Air business class experience has been carefully thought through and meticulously designed to meet the needs of the twenty-first century premium air traveller − and feedback from customers has been impressive.
As Nicola Griffiths adds: “I love my work, but there have been times when I have been in meetings, discussing business but at the same time watching the clock. I couldn’t wait to get back on the plane, settle into that big seat and put my feet up whilst being looked after by the cabin crew. After all the times I have flown with Oman Air, it still feels special.”
