OMAN AIR: How do they shape up on the eve of joining the OneWorld alliance

I’ve travelled on about 10 long-haul sectors on Oman Air, starting in 2023. My most recent experience with them was earlier this year (2025) in June. Between my first flight with them and today, Oman Air has undergone a restructuring. A shrink-to-grow strategy was advised by international airline consultants. That is, after an expand-to-grow policy in early 2023 was abandoned. How does the service shape up now, two years later.

The shrink-to-grow approach involved rationalising their aircraft fleet, including the sale of their A330 fleet. It has also involved ‘rationalisation’ of staff, and as you will see, some skrimping and saving on little bits of customer service. Everything from Menus to amenity kits.

My Experience

I travelled on two segments between Bangkok and Muscat and on to London in June. You can tell the difference in the levels of service from my first trip with Oman in June 2023 through to my most recent in June 2025. Not all are good, and some just feel like penny pinching.

Service Consistency

My slightly unscientific observation is that service quality and style can vary depending on the enthusiasm and skill of the cabin staff. It seems that the mature women, with a wealth of experience, who dominated the staff in 2023, have disappeared from the flights. They have likely retired, given the considerable downsizing of staff at Oman Air over the last three years. The crew appears to be younger and more diverse in terms of ethnicity. I don’t remember quite as many Asian-based crew members as were present on my flights in 2025.

An Omani-based male crew member provided exceptional service on one of my flights. He was very good at his job and worked efficiently the entire flight, distributing his hospitality to all the passengers he served in the business class cabin. Okay, he forgot my amenity kit request until I asked again, but everyone is allowed one oversight.

Despite this inconsistency, I have never had a bad flight experience, unlike Ben over at OMAAT.

The positives

Let’s start with the good points.

Wine

Oman Air has modified its service flow in several ways. They pour at the seat. Previously, you never saw a bottle other than a picture in the menu. Back in 2023, all wine was poured at the galley and brought to you. It meant you had no way of verifying that what you were drinking was what you had selected.

The negatives

Unfortunately, there are a lot more of these than there are positives.

Menu

The menus have received a definite downgrade. They just don’t shape up to the previous incarnation. Oman has transitioned from a multi-page, coloured, and illustrated menu to a couple of sheets of paper, printed in Arabic on one side and English on the other. No illustrations, no photos, just text. Cheaper.

Bedding. Does it shape up?

I think the bedding is broadly the same. It’s just packaged differently. In 2023, it all came folded in plastic, which assured you that it had been freshly laundered. In 2025, it came with a glued band, which provided no assurance of cleanliness but was difficult to tear off. I’m all for reducing plastic use, but I don’t think that was the purpose here. I think it was just cheaper!

Amenities don’t shape up

This was the real kicker. The amenity pack in 2023 was that lovely waves-illustrated cube on the shelf above the bedding that you can see earlier in this post. It was filled with Amouage scented cosmetic unctions, plus the usual eye mask, earplugs, dental set, and you even got slippers.

In 2024, you received a different, more traditional zippered pouch, but with similar contents, minus the slippers.

For 2025, nill, nada, nothing, unless you asked.

What you then got was similar to the amenity pack above.

Now I am an assertive aviation and hotel blogger, so I am not backward in being forward when required. Plus, I always presume the best of staff. Had they forgotten to distribute them? Had I been in the bathroom when they were handed out? Well no. None of the above. I particularly value the socks or slippers, the eye mask and the earplugs. I’m not too bothered by moisturiser and mouthwash. The eyemask and earplugs help me sleep, and the socks protect my own from, how can I put this delicately, bathroom spills.

2PAXfly Takeout

I am still an enthusiastic fan of Oman Air. The Apex Business Class suites, with direct aisle access, especially the window seats, I think, are among the best in the sky. And that’s despite their age.

The one thing that has changed, but not noticeably diminished, is the food. OK, the service is not as elaborate with the Arabic mezza starter, but the quality is still there from my recent experience.

The service on Oman Air is still wonderful, although not as consistent as I would like it to be. I don’t know how it will all shape up. I have a couple more flights with them on this trip, so I will be interested to see how those flow.

Wait for the full trip review.