Review: Royal Air Maroc Boeing 787-9 Business Class Casablanca to New York

This flight was part of my Round The World in Business & First Class using miles trip. Click here to read about how I planned the trip.

How to book Royal Air Maroc Business Class with Miles

I booked this flight using just 44k Etihad miles + US$293 in taxes/fees. Unfortunately, due to Etihad’s brutal devaluation, this same route would now require 80k miles, almost twice the pre-devaluation rate.

Royal Air Maroc does not travel to East Asia at the moment:

Travellers can book Royal Air Maroc’s Business Class seats using miles from partner Frequent Flyer Programs (FFPs) like:

• British Airways Executive Club
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Miles on these FFPs can be earned through the best travel/rewards credit cards in Singapore.

Seat map

This seat type can be found in all of the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircrafts. Seats are configured in a 1-2-1 reversed-herringbone configuration.

Additional note: Try to avoid the 787-8 aircrafts, which are fitted with older seats, in a 2-2-2 configuration.

Pre-flight

Prior to take-off, I was offered a hot towel and a beverage of choice.

Royal Air Maroc 787-9 Business Class seat

The airline’s Boeing 787-9 Business Class seats are similar to those from other airlines like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

As the screen does not fold away (like Cathay Pacific’s), the knee room, when in bed mode, is not great.

As in most cases, this seat type comes with ample storage compartments.

Bed mode

Seats can be transformed into fully-flat beds, with the arm rests pulled down for more shoulder room.

Amenity kit

Royal Air Maroc’s Business Class passengers receive amenity kits with Nectarome-branded lip balm, facial moisturizer, dry oil and face mist, along with a pair of socks, eye masks and dental kit.

Dining

The Business Class dining experience onboard this 7.5 hours flight was pretty average, maybe just a little better than my experience on Lufthansa.

Dining menus

Airport lounge

Flying in Royal Air Maroc Business Class from Casablanca gets you access to the Zenith VIP Lounge in Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport.

The lounge experience was pretty underwhelming, with little private seats and minimal variety of food at the buffet.

Beware of corrupt Police/Immigration/Security officers

Before boarding the plane, a security officer was going through my cabin luggage and mentioned that some items, like chocolate drink sachets, power bank and electric shaver are not allowed, but he would let them slide.

He then asked for a bribe, while I played dumb, before he gave up and took away my chocolate drink sachets. Pfft.. 😤

With a quick Google search, you’ll find plenty of corruption/bribery/extortion stories at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, involving the airport staff. As a Business Class passenger, I used a separate (fast track) immigration area to leave Casablanca, but I’ve also read plenty of stories about bribery cases in the general immigration area.

So, be sure to do proper research before planning a trip to/from this airport!

My ratings

This is how I am rating my Business Class experience (vs other airlines):

Bottom line

Royal Air Maroc’s Boeing 787-9 Business Class experience will not blow your mind, but it’s a decent way to fly across the pond. In terms of service and dining standards, it is pretty-much on par with most European and US airlines.

It’s a pity that the image of beautiful countries are tainted by corrupt law-enforcement officers and scams. Morocco, in general, is not an easy country to travel in, and requires ample research.