From Miles to Smiles Stylish travel for professionals seeking luxury at affordable prices
I love Middle Eastern airlines which offer service from our local airport of Manchester. We have only flown with Oman Air once before, and having never heard of them, were incredibly impressed with the entire service. That experience pre-dates my blog, so I thought I would share our experience this time round. This is a must read for anyone considering a flight with Oman Air but unsure what to expect.
Cost
Our flights were a bargain. We booked flights from Manchester to Zanzibar via Muscat for just £908.25, a steal at around £450 each. Admittedly, while most of you were likely tucking into your Christmas dinner, I was searching for flights, so possibly a good day to buy.
★★★★★
Aircraft
The aircraft is configured as a 2-4-2 seat configuration which is my absolute favourite if I am flying in economy. I don’t have to worry about clambering over someone mid sleep, nor do I have to get annoyed with a guest who insists on continually bumping me (as I did on the flight from Muscat to Zanzibar!)
★★★☆☆
Seating
The seat pitch and width are both reasonable, and a large screen TV fills most of the top of the seat. It even houses a USB cord for those desperate to charge phones and other devices. Personally, I found the design a little dated but that takes away nothing from the comfort or space onboard.
★★★★☆
Service
On the flight to Muscat, the service exceeded my expectations. Our air hostess was keen to ensure we were well watered, offering us additional drinks with a wink. I did however find the service inconsistent across the flights we took and certainly don’t think it compares favourably with other Middle Eastern airlines.
★★★☆☆
Food and drink
The food was a dish of chicken or fish with pasta salad and a tangy dessert. Sadly, the chicken had run out by the time they reached me, so I had to settle for fish which was passable.
The pasta salad was lovely and the dessert was ok but nothing to write home about. In fact, on both legs we found the food acceptable but nothing exceptional.
My favourite aspects of the in flight food and drink service were the white wine (Maison Castle), a lovely dry chardonnay and the spicy Chatpatta sticks for munching on.
★★☆☆☆
Entertainment
The entertainment was a little dated with only a few recent films to choose from. Many of the screens seemed to be mal-functioning with either the touch facility not working or the sound missing. I did not find the system especially easy to use and scrolling through the options was a little cumbersome to say the least.
That said, films were on demand and there were plenty of options in a variety of languages from Hollywood to Bollywood, Arabic and European. Whilst they may not have a vast selection, the airline has attempted to be inclusive of passengers from multiple countries.
★★★☆☆
Verdict
As with my first flights on Oman Air, I was once again really impressed with the flight to Oman. Thankfully, it wasn’t busy on our flight so we both got two seats to ourselves giving us plenty of space to snooze in. Even without this, the seats are spacious enough to facilitate sleep and the service is exceptionally good.
For value for money, these flights would be hard to beat.
★★★☆☆
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and all views our own and unedited.
The A330 looks really spacious. The seating arrangement of 2-4-2 happens to be our favourite too. Looks like the plane has ample and comfortable leg space too which is so important.. Another important aspect is food which too looks more than up to the mark. Haven’t flown Oman Air, but maybe would like to give it a go.
I have never traveled by Oman air but this seems to be an okay budgeted flight, I like your honest review and the way you have rated individual service. You really cracked a good deal. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I prefer the 2 4 2 seating, too, especially if I’m travelling with someone. Oman Air sounds decent so I’ll check them out. Certainly sounds affordable.
I’ve never flown Oman air, but I appreciate your honest review. I also really like that you rate the individual services with an easy-to-read way. I love that cost and seating are both really high! Those are my top priorities when I fly.
I’ve heard great things about Oman Air, though I have mostly read about the business class experience, so it was good to read about economy. Bummer about the entertainment. My greatest fear is getting on a long-haul flight and getting a malfunctioning screen. Flights are when I catch up on movies, though if Oman Air only has a handful of recent releases, it might not come in handy. Hope you enjoyed your time in Zanzibar.
Thanks for the informative review. I’m always a little wary of purchasing services that I’ve never heard of, so I’m really glad that your first and even second flight went well. Good to know that they’re an airline I can trust. I also love that you even gave stars for each of the sections, helping me better understand what aspects you liked and didn’t like. Super helpful!
Have been on Oman air a few times. I too found their service decent. Their home airport is an entirely different matter. I’m pretty sure you know what I mean:)
I have to say it isn’t the best airport, but it isn’t bad, and of course they are in the process of building another terminal which looks pretty impressive. We have just visited Zanzibar and that was a shocking airport.
I’m sorry, I’m a bit confused. In the title you said it’s an A330 review, then later described it as a 787.
Oops well spotted. Not sure how I missed that. Have updated so thanks for pointing that out
I don’t have any plans to visit the ME any time soon, but if I did, I would definitely select a regional airline as they tend to be much better than the big global brands! Thanks for sharing your experience!
That was a great price! I never expect much from airline food and usually bring my own along. I have also started downloading my own movies so I don’t have to fiddle with there’s. It sounds like the best part of the flight was the staff, so important since we can have a small amount of control over other things.
I’m not sure that Oman Air serves the Capodichino airport where I live in Italy, but it sounds like a great company. Just like you I prefer a 2-4-2 configuration because I can stand up and walk a bit without having to ask to the person next to me: I’m so shy that I generally give up 🙁