Royal Air Maroc (AT) is the national air carrier in Morocco and one of the largest airlines in Africa. Operating out of Casablanca, it connects non-stop to London Gatwick, London Heathrow, and Manchester. While this airline has become part of the oneworld Alliance in recent years, the experience is inconsistent. Whether you’ll have a good flight depends on things like which class of service you fly or which airplane you get. Still, flying Royal Air Maroc is a good option in a few specific situations.
Why fly Royal Air Maroc?
While the average age of the AT fleet is just over a decade old, some of its airplanes have seen better days. In economy class, I’ve experienced worn-out seats and grimy cabins (the airline reportedly has plans to upgrade its fleet in the next few years).
Economy class service can be hit-or-miss. Check-in, boarding and deplaning are sometimes chaotic. Flights are often packed and the cabin crew is not always attentive to passengers’ needs.
Still, I fly Royal Air Maroc in a few specific scenarios. Royal Air Maroc offers direct flights to Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir. While other airlines (such as EasyJet, TUI and Ryanair), may offer cheaper options, they may not provide the same frequency of direct connections.
The journey to Casablanca, for example, is also pretty quick from the UK. AT’s direct flight from Gatwick takes just over 3 hours and its direct service from Manchester is around 3.5 hours. There are several reasons that may influence UK travellers to opt for AT over the budget airlines.
For example, AT offers a generous checked baggage, even for economy travellers. This is a big win for AT over the budget airlines.
Second, there's a notable difference between the business class and economy experience. AT offers the comfort of fully reclining seats, priority boarding, enhanced baggage allowances, and access to airport lounges.
Finally, choosing Royal Air Maroc can be a good option for oneworld Alliance loyal travellers (more on this below).
Fare classes
Royal Air Maroc has 2 main classes of service: economy and business. Within each class, there are several fares you can purchase, each with a set of restrictions and rules.
Economy class
For long-haul flights, AT offers 2 economy fare types: Eco Flex and Eco Serenity. Eco Flex is the cheaper option which includes cabin and checked luggage. Seat selections, ticket changes and refunds are allowed for a fee. The higher-priced Eco Serenity includes seat selection, changes and refunds in the fare.
I recommend checking the fares on British Airways first because very occasionally booking with them can result in better prices than booking with Royal Air Maroc. You might get lucky if there's a promotion on, and nab a flight for the same fare or lower as Eco Serenity fare. Take note that BA doesn’t call these fares the same. Business Class is called Club Europe on BA. There is no Eco Flex option with BA though.
Business class
AT has 3 business fares: Essential, Flex and Serenity. The price variation between the 2 lowest tiers, Essential and Flex, is minimal. Serenity can cost up to 20% more than Flex. The difference between these 3 fares comes down to changes and refund policy. Essential doesn’t allow refunds and allows changes with fees. Flex allows changes for free and refund with fees. Serenity allows both changes and refunds for free.
If you’re planning to fly business, I have the same advice: check with British Airways first. You could come across BA flights prices if travelling off-peak, when booking well in advance or during sales or promotions. However, AT has lower base fares for its business class on flights from the UK to Morocco, making it a more affordable option in most cases. If booking with BA, pay attention to refund policies: a fare with refund to travel credit is much cheaper than a fare with refund to original form of payment.
Booking a flight
Booking an AT flight is straightforward, especially if you’re originating from the UK cities it serves. AT’s schedule varies depending on the city of origin. London Heathrow offers 16 flights weekly to Casablanca. London Gatwick also operates 7 flights weekly. Manchester has 3 flights weekly.
The same goes for return, so you’ll need to be flexible with your dates.
AT pre-flight experience
Online check-in is available on Royal Air Maroc flights to Morocco, but on the way back, you’ll need to check-in at the counter at Casablanca, so be sure to allocate enough time for this process.
Remember that you can apply for fast track services at an additional fee for UK airports. For example. Gatwick offers Fast Track Security for a fee of around £6, as well as a Premium Passport Control service for faster immigration clearance. At Heathrow, Fast Track Security is available at for £12.50.
While the boarding experience in the UK has improved (perhaps due to AT joining the oneworld Alliance), it can still be quite hectic in Heathrow. In my experience, there is no boarding by zone, perhaps because passengers get to the plane by bus, rather than jetway bridge. Long wait times are not unusual and I recommend practising patience for this part of the journey.
If you’re flying business class out of Casablanca, be aware that there is a separate boarding van for business passengers and often, you have to ask for it. I’ve missed this van in the past because the crew did not notify business passengers about this option at the gate. In theory, business passengers board first, while economy passengers wait in the bus on the tarmac.
Onboard Royal Air Maroc
Your onboard experience with AT will vary depending on which class of service you booked. Let’s look at each.
Economy
The AT economy seats are not particularly comfortable and have little legroom. I recommend packing extra comforts that can increase the cushioning (I bring a thick scarf and a pillow). If you’re flying the 787-8 Dreamliner, the smaller of the 2 Dreamliner models AT operates across the Atlantic, your seat pitch might be as tight as 30 inches (76 cm). On the larger 787-9 model, the pitch is a standard 32 inches.
There is no wi-fi onboard AT flights, but the inflight entertainment options are decent - if you get a working screen, which was not always the case on my flights. The USB power outlets might be defective, so be sure to bring a portable phone charger as a back-up.
Business
Onboard the 787-9 model, the business class cabin features the now-popular reverse herringbone 1 - 2 - 1 configuration, while the 787-8 model has a more traditional 2 - 2 - 2 arrangement. The seats in both models are lie-flats, but the -9 model seats feel roomier and more comfortable.
If you have any flexibility in your dates, I recommend booking a flight that operates on the 787-9 model. These planes tend to be newer, with soothing LED mood lighting, beautiful cabin design and better seats. But be aware that plane type can always change at any time prior to take-off.
In business, I particularly enjoy the AT amenities kit, which include toiletries made in collaboration with a local producer, and the Moroccan mint tea, served out of the traditional silver teapot.
AT baggage woes
AT consistently ranks as one of the airlines most likely to lose your baggage. I often fly with cabin baggage only, but especially so when I know I have an AT flight coming up. If you can swing it, consider leaving your baggage at home. If you must check bags, I recommend investing into the luggage tracker devices which will give you some peace of mind if your bags do get lost.
Oneworld Alliance
Since becoming part of the oneworld Alliance, Royal Air Maroc has added more ways for members to earn and redeem miles and earn loyalty points. Morocco has been recategorised from the African to the European region on the American Airlines network, booking award travel to Morocco and beyond is now over 20% cheaper if you happen to be travelling from across the pond.
As a oneworld Ruby status holder, I have several handy benefits with Royal Air Maroc, including priority check-in at AT’s business class desks and ability to book preferred seating. Sapphire flyers or higher get priority boarding, extra luggage allowance and access to business class lounges like the Royal Air Maroc lounge in Casablanca (not available for Priority Pass passengers).
You can earn oneworld Alliance miles by using British Airways co-branded credit cards, which are offered through partnerships with various banks, including American Express and Barclays. A number of other programmes, like American Express Membership Rewards, offer a way to transfer points to partner programs like Etihad Guest, which awards AT travel.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
