Oman Air Business Class 737 MAX 8 from Salalah to Muscat

Introduction and Booking

Oman Air has a more limited flight network than other Gulf carriers like Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad. If you’re flying from North America, you’ll need to book a positioning flight to one of the European cities on Oman Air’s network.  From there, you can connect to your Oman Air flight. In my case, I finally had the chance to experience Oman Air Business Class 737-8 when we travelled from Salalah to Muscat. Although the flight was under two hours, I was excited to finally try out this airline.

I initially attempted to book our flight via Aeroplan on a desktop browser, but I kept getting an error when entering SLL. After switching to the Air Canada app, the booking process went smoothly. I redeemed two business class lowest-fare tickets at a cost of 15,000 Aeroplan miles and $54.10 in taxes and fees per person.

WY 906
Boeing 737-8 Max
Salalah – Muscat (SLL – MCT)
Duration: 1h 40min
Seats: 2A and 2C

Oman Air Al Khareef Lounge 

We quickly breezed through check-in and security in this small airport. We headed to Al Khareef Lounge by Oman Air, the only lounge in the departure area. Located on the first floor, opposite Gate B, it’s also accessible to Priority Pass cardholders.

We arrived before noon, a couple of hours before our 13:00 flight. The lounge was practically empty when we first arrived, but more guests gradually began to arrive. However, it thankfully didn’t get overcrowded. The lounge was decorated in the national colours of Oman’s flag, in celebration of the country’s national holiday.

This cozy lounge offers a variety of amenities, including a small kid’s playroom, a business area, bathrooms with showers, a private room, comfortable leather armchairs and sofas equipped with electrical outlets. There’s also a bar and a buffet spread, catered by the Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort. Although I didn’t sample the buffet, I enjoyed the Arabic coffee and dates. When I got up to make tea, one of the lounge staff members kindly offered to prepare it for me. Overall, it was a comfortable place to relax before our flight.

Al Khareef Lounge by Oman Air

Children’s play area

Business Area

Oman Air Al Khareef Lounge – Shower in women’s bathroom

Oman Air Al Khareef Lounge – Private room

Comfy sofa

Al Khareef Lounge – Seating area

Electrical outlets

Coffee Bar

Eating area

Al Khareef Lounge by Oman Air – Buffet

Buffet Spread

Oman Air Business Class 737-8 MAX – Cabin and Seat

We left the lounge just before the scheduled noon boarding time. Turns out we left the lounge too early! Boarding didn’t start until 20 minutes after the scheduled time. When boarding commenced, priority was given to business class passengers, as expected.

Once onboard, the distinction between the business and economy class cabins was immediately noticeable. The economy seats were a calming bluish-teal colour, while the business cabin featured a more refined brown-beige colour palette. I found that the interior design of the cabins beautifully synchronized with Oman Air’s livery.

The Boeing 737-8 Max has three rows in its business cabin, with a total 12 seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration. Economy class features 150 seats in a 3-3 layout. I had selected seats 2A and 2C when booking the flight to avoid being near the lavatories and galley. If travelling solo, you may want to sacrifice the window seat to have direct aisle access. However, given the short flight time, I would personally prioritize the window seat, even when travelling solo.

Oman Air – Business vs. Economy

Oman Air – Economy

Oman Air – Business

The seat itself was comfortable with a generous 46-inch pitch. It felt similar to sitting in a recliner, though the back could not be adjusted. The seat had a sliding recline feature with an adjustable footrest for support. The cushioning of the seat was soft and supportive, with ample leg room accommodating taller passengers.

For additional privacy, there was a divider between the two seats that can be pulled out. The seat also featured a reading light in the top corner of the seat, a headset hanger to the side and a small centre table between the seats, with an electrical and USB outlets beneath it. There was no Wi-Fi available on our flight.

Facing the seat is a 17-inch Aria entertainment screen, a foldable tray table and bottle holders for water bottles. Coat hangers were located between the screens. Although Oman Air typically offers pyjamas and amenity kits to its business class passengers, this was not the case in our flight since it was a short daytime flight. Instead, a pillow and a noise-cancelling headset were placed on each seat. We requested blankets, and they were promptly provided.

Oman Air – Business Class Seat

Oman Air – Business Class Privacy Divider

Reading Light

Centre Table

Oman Air – Foldable Table

Lots of legroom!

Pillow and headset

Oman Air Comfy Blanket

Oman Air Business Class 737-8 MAX – Meal Service

The experience began with pre-departure drinks, offering a choice between orange juice and lemonade with a hint of mint. I opted for the lemonade, which was a refreshing treat. This was followed by the signature Omani hospitality of Arabic coffee and dates. They also provided us with packaged towels, which was welcome.

The flight attendant then took our menu orders. For the main entrée, the options were a grilled halloumi cheese sandwich and a spiced meat sandwich. They had run out of the halloumi, so they asked me if I would be interested in the beef or chicken.

I went with the chicken and it turned out to be an excellent choice. It had sautéed onions, spices and was packed with flavour! It was probably the best hot sandwich I’ve had on a flight.

The sandwich was served alongside a small salad and chocolate shortbread cake, all presented on one tray due to the short flight time. The desert wasn’t memorable, and I would’ve preferred a local sweet instead.

For drinks, they offered an assortment of juices, soft drinks, coffee and tea. They also served hot chocolate and mineral water. The menu also featured Karak tea, a popular caffeinated drink in the Gulf region. To wrap up the meal service, towels were provided, which was appreciated.

Pre-depature Drinks

Arabic Coffee

Oman Air – Dates

Refreshing Towel

Oman Air Business Class – Menu

Delicious Lunch

Take Away

While I’m never excited to fly on a Boeing 737 Max, I quite enjoyed my short flight with Oman Air. Though simple, the inflight catering was the highlight, including thoughtful touches, like the Omani hospitality of offering Arabic coffee and dates. With a comfortable recliner seat and friendly service, the experience left me with a positive first impression.

I’m hopeful that Oman Air will expand its network to include direct flights to North America in the future. Opening up more opportunities to fly with them. Next time, I look forward to experiencing a longer flight with them and hopefully in First Class!