Stepping onto a Royal Air Maroc 737-800 was like stepping back in time to a different era of flying…but the heat was a little intense.
Royal Air Maroc 737-800 Economy Class Review
I booked a ticket on Orbitz the day before departure for $143.10 ($84.00 fare plus $59.10 in taxes). I booked via Orbitz because I knew that gave me 24 hours to cancel it in case my plans changed (again)…my trip to Paris was quite unexpected.
Check-In
Marrakesh Menara Airport strikes me as a far nicer airport than Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca. The check-in desk was empty and I was soon on my way through security and passport control.
Lounge
Royal Air Maroc operates four lounges (two in Casablanca, one in Paris Orly, and one here) and I spent about 20 minutes in the L’Oasis VIP Lounge, which I found quite nice.
> Read More: Royal Air Maroc L’Oasis VIP Lounge Marrakech (RAK) Review
Boarding
Although the my boarding pass indicated boarding would begin 30 minutes prior to boarding, when I showed up to the gate at 4:05 pm, I found it empty and my name being paged…I was last onboard.
Royal Air Maroc 740
Marrakesh (RAK) – Paris (ORY)
Thursday, July 25
Depart: 4:25 PM
Arrive: 8:25 PM
Duration: 3 hr, 00 min
Distance: 1,300 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 24C (Economy Class)
Onboard, I walked past the empty business class cabin and found my seat in row 24. The flight was about half full in economy class.
Seat
The Royal Air Maroc 737-800 has 12 seats in business class (2-2 configuration) and 147 in economy class (3-3).
The plane I was on had vintage…and very comfortable…economy class seats. Unlike the slimline seats of today, these seats were thickly padded and seat pitch was 32 inches, however, the seats reclined quite substantially, meaning you really didn’t want to sit behind someone who put their seat back.
Like other older planes, there were no seatback screens, A/C power outlets, or USB ports…none at all. For three hours, though, I thought it was a good tradeoff for a more comfortable seat.
However, the plane felt like a sauna, which is fine when I’m naked but not when I’m fully clothed and carrying a bag. The auxiliary power unit must not have been installed and even though people were trying to turn the air vents on, it made no difference.
Finally, the engines started and the plane got cooler.
That’s really cheap when it is 46ºC / 114ºF outside.
IFE + Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi onboard or seatback screens. After the meal service, overhead monitors dropped down a silent movie was screened…how retro!
Food + Drink
Royal Air Maroc still serves meals onboard in economy class and lunch was served after takeoff. The carb-heavy meal included a bread roll with packaged cheese, chicken with spaghetti, and a sweet cake with raisins and dates.
The chicken was nicely flavored with a mix of spices that masked its cheap quality.
Beverages were also offered, including soft drinks, wine, juice, or water with lunch and coffee or tea after.
As an American traveler used to having no meal service on flights of that length, I appreciated the complimentary lunch.
Lavatory
Economy class passengers have two lavatories in the rear of the plane. The lavatory was spartan but clean.
Service
Service was neither good or bad…it was not memorable. Meals were quickly served, but after the coffee and tea I did not see the crew again until it was time to land…maybe that’s normal?
CONCLUSION
My Royal Air Maroc 737-800 flight from Marrakech to Paris was smooth and on-time. I appreciated the free meal onboard and comfortable “old school” economy class seats, though the sauna-like atmosphere onboard during boarding was not appreciated.
Wow look at that padding on the seats!