Sometimes you just get what you pay for……

Oman’s Business class fare isn’t quite cheap as chips, but it isn’t much more. €1800 for Milan to KL in Business with the lure of the seat.

Don’t, whatever you do think that buying a business class ticket will make the experience all that great. Checking in at Malpensa with 43KG-wow, extra baggage charge.
I laughed and told them that in Business you usually got a few kilos over; they said they would give me 1KG free; I had to pay for two!! Imagine the experience of having to troop off to the ticketing agent at Malpensa, stand for an age and part with €70. Ticket still cheap as chips (almost) Though.

Then on board by 09.15 for a 09.45 departure. Seats good.

Menus out straight away. order taken for lunch at 09.30. Lunch appeared at 10.30 AM…what a ridiculous experience.

To compound it, flight snack offered 90 minutes after lunch; a good 3 and a half hours from Muscat. A crew that just couldn’t be bothered.

All they are going to get are the folk who buy on price.

Can’t wait for the return leg.

Meantime, the 2KG baggage charge ticket is now framed and hanging in my study. As I said to the scowling face at Malpensa, it’s a unique experience. I was laughing, it was so funny; she wasn’t.

Apart from the petty charge and meal times Scotty what was the meal like and how was the seat and cabin?

Also the transfer and lounge, any good? The Omani’s are usually very friendly but granted the crew may have been from elsewhere.

Thanks for your comments guys; in response to the points raised I would comment as follows; the seat is by far the best Business class offering I have travelled in. Arranged 1-2-1 in a relatively open cabin, it’s close to Qatar’s first class seat in their A340/A330’s and way better than all Business and some First class seats. I rate it better than the EK A380 Business seat; less private but much more space. It is much, much better than BA’s narrow offering in Club. It is less wide that the SQ Business seat but much more comfortable.

The service, though, is inconsistent. The cabin staff are an interesting and varied mix as is usual with Gulf carriers but obviously less well trained/experienced and aware of customer requirements. The comparison with Emirates or Etihad is night and day. I may be unlucky but, for instance, the Cabin Services Manager has never come to say Hi, How are you, everything OK on the our long haul Business class flights I have taken with them. You almost always have to ask for a second glass of wine or, dare I say, a third. You tend to give up because you don’t want to seem like an alcoholic. On Emirates, every time I fly in Business or First, the Cabin Services Director comes and you can see them working to make sure the service delivery is right for their premium customers.