Oman Air To Get Rid Of First Class
Intro
Oman Air is a unique airline operating in the Middle East, serving a multitude of destinations from London to Cairo to Bangkok. In the past, Oman Air has been known for their First Class "couch" on their A330s, which have since retired due to a fleet revitalization.
Well, Oman Air now has two 787-9s left, which feature First Class, and it seems to be flying to London and Bangkok. However, that will soon be coming to an end...
Business Studio
The term "business studio" might ring a bell, as multiple airlines around the world have decided to call their "First Class" business studio or suite instead. The likes of Malaysian Airlines on the A350s have done this, as well as Asiana Airlines on their A380s (soon to be retired).
Re-configuring an aircraft takes quite a bit of money, and it keeps the aircraft out of service for some time (also losing money). Instead of reconfiguring, Oman Air will be renaming its First Class as a Business Studio.
If you happen to be seated in the business studio section, expect to have dine-on-demand service as well as free wifi and a bigger seat. However, Oman Air will be pulling the elevated dining, drinks, and amenities and ensuring these are the same as those of the business class.
Don't expect access to the First Class Lounge either...
How Can You Purchase Business Studio
As of now, the new "business studio" is yet to be put on sale, meaning we don't have any idea of the pricing. However, if we take a look at the likes of OZ and MH, pricing seems to be relatively steep on an upgrade to the business studio/suite. I would expect an outright purchase to be in the realm of about 1.5x the business class price, and upgrades to hover at about 400-700 to London.
Oman Air Business Class is perfectly acceptable though, so perhaps paying the extra won't justify the product.
I'm curious to see if Oman Air will sell discounted upgrades to the business suite at the airport. My estimate is that there will be a fixed LMU, but once again, only time will tell.
Final Thoughts
Oman Air plans to get rid of First Class very shortly and replace it with a "business studio" on the two 787-9s that feature the hard product. While this is certainly a downgrade in terms of customer experience, it makes sense as a lot of the bookings coming in were from awards, standby, and pilots. If you can't make money out of it, get rid of it.
If you happen to be flying on a 787 booked into First Class, expect to see the same food and drink options offered, as well as the same amenities of business class.
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