It was probably a gamble to fly an airline I’d never heard for my first truly long haul flight. Luckily, it paid off.
Oman Air is hands down the nicest airline I’ve even flown- that includes European lines such as KLM, Lufthansa or Air France, or US airlines such as American, Delta, US or even Virgin. Only BA could possibly give Oman a run for its money, and that’s because I’ve taken into consideration that BA offers alcohol. (Oman Air, being subsidized by the Omani government, does not offer alcohol on any flights.)
I flew Oman Air from London to Doha, and Doha to Thailand. Our aircraft was a Boeing 737. Although I was temped to fly business, my travel partner (a VERY nervous flyer) could not afford it, so I stuck with economy rather than have an awkward Bridesmaids-type situation arise. (“There’s an Amish woman on the wing of the plane!”)
I shouldn’t have been too worried. Economy on Oman Air is certainly nicer than business class on Iceland Air, and economy on other airlines with whom I have flown.
Seat size and amenities on Oman Air
We were sat in a middle row on our way to Doha, and onward to Thailand- which is always a bane for me- but it was actually quite comfortable. On our way back, we had a window and aisle seat. The leg room in both parts of the plane was pretty ample- I’m 5’10” so it is always a concern, but I could actually straighten my legs under the seat and stretch. The amenities were better quality than any other airline I’d flown- I kept the eye mask and bag for my travels, and the toothpaste and earplugs came in handy for the overnight portion of the flight!
The flight was pretty empty on both the outbound and return journeys, so we could stretch out- on the return, V. even had a row to herself to stretch out on and sleep. I, on the other hand, made a new friend, a young Omani girl who I talked with until we landed in Doha. After that, I binged on the entertainment system, which was pretty good. Not exactly as current as US-based airlines, but they had a nice selection, including non-English language movies you’d never dream of on Western airlines. I’m always up for trying something new, as long as there are subtitles!
Since the flight was not at all crowded on any leg of the flight, there was always a free bathroom, and they were all clean. This was a huge added bonus, even if the bathrooms themselves were pretty typical of a Boeing 737.
Food on Oman Air
One thing that was atypical was the food. Oh my goodness, the food! It was amazing. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of wine, although it’s typically my motto not to drink and fly. Just knowing it is there is calming, or something. But the foot was so delicious it didn’t matter. Instead of tasting like reheated frozen much, as most plane food does, this was fresh, with real, warm bread rolls outside of plastic wrapping accompanying all meals. About as fresh as you can get on a flight. We were fed constantly, too, at twice on both legs of the trip. The flight attendants were super helpful with anything else we needed, too, from cool towels to more water- very refreshing compared to airlines that nickel and dime you for even cups of water!
Layover on Oman Air
The most interesting part of flying Oman Air, though, is the layover in Doha. Doha, the capital of Oman, looks fairly small from above, a seaside town nestled between arid desert and mountains. The airport is jammed, however. It is full of tourists from everywhere; clearly, Oman Air and the airport more generally does well as a stopover point between Asia and Europe. It was my first exposure on the trip to squatting toilets, food eaten only with hands and people speaking hundreds of various languages.
I have a feeling Oman Air is heavily subsidized by the Omani government, not least of which because it brings a lot of business to Oman through the airport and through their heavy advertising of tourism in Oman. That makes the tickets very inexpensive for the services you get, whatever type of ticket you have. And you get the added stopover in Doha (if you can handle stopovers, I’d really recommend it! It is free, and a trip to a part of the world you probably wouldn’t go out of your way to see). Oman Air is definitely an airline I’d use again to go to Asia.
