• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » Reviews » Flight Reviews » Review: Royal Air Maroc 787-9 Business Class
Flight ReviewsRoyal Air Maroc

Review: Royal Air Maroc 787-9 Business Class

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 11, 2025April 15, 2025 15 Comments

a large airplane on a runway

My 787-9 Royal Air Maroc business class flight from New York to Casablanca was not a total disaster but represented one missed opportunity after another. The Moroccan carrier has great potential, but a lot of work to do if it truly wants to offer a competitive transatlantic business class product.

In This Post:

Toggle
  • Royal Air Maroc 787-9 Business Class Review (JFK-CMN)
    • Seat
    • Service
    • Food + Drink
    • IFE + Wi-Fi
    • Amenity Kit
    • Lavatory
    • CONCLUSION

Royal Air Maroc 787-9 Business Class Review (JFK-CMN)

When I shared my first impressions of this flight shortly after stepping off, I called it “royally bad” and I stand by that assessment. I still enjoyed the flight and there were certain things I loved about it, but Royal Air Maroc really missed the basics.

Years ago, I flew Royal Air Maroc onboard the 787-8 business class with One Mile At A Time, but was keen to try its latest business class product, found only on the 787-9. Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flies up to two flights per day between New York (JFK) and Casablanca (CMN).

RAM uses Terminal 1 at New York JFK, which is not a very nice terminal, but thankfully it was not crowded when I checked in for my flight about two hours in advance at 6:45 pm. Business class passengers and oneworld elite members can use a special red-carpeted check-in line.

people walking in an airport

a man standing in a hall with a sign

a group of people at an airport

a flag in a building

an airport with people walking around

a large airport terminal with a metal ceiling and a sign

Business class passengers are directed to the Primeclass Lounge, which is located right next to the RAM gate. Our 787-9 arrived from Casablanca about 90 minutes prior to departure…I find the livery quite nice.

a glass door with a sign in front of it

the tail of an airplane

We boarded at 8:00 pm (not 7:35 pm as the boarding pass indicated), with business class passengers invited to board first.

a hand holding a white ticket

a sign in an airport

a screens with a name and date

Royal Air Maroc 201
New York (JFK) – Casablanca (CMN)
Saturday, July 22
Depart: 8:45 PM
Arrive: 8:50 AM+1
Duration: 7 hr, 05 min
Distance: 3,609 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Seat: 3K (Business Class)

Onboard, I was greeted by a flight attendant positioned at door 2L and turned left to enter the business class cabin.

Seat

The cabin is quite unique looking, in a good way, with purple accents and a unique Moroccan pattern on the seats and walls. The reverse herringbone seats are not bad…in theory…when they work.

a person standing in a row of seats

a row of computers in a plane

a row of computers on an airplane

inside a plane with seats and a man standing in the background

a row of seats in a plane

a plane with seats and windows

a row of seats in an airplane

the inside of an airplane

a seat in a plane

a seat in a plane

a seat with a towel on it
I very much liked the cabin accents and colors on the RAM 787-9
a seat in a vehicle
Plenty of room for your feet

The cabin has 26 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, specifically the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond. Each seat features an adjustable headrest and converts to a fully-flat bed…again, in theory. There’s also a side storage compartment, storage under the armrest, and USB-A and universal A/C outlets.

a grey object with a white object in the middle

a close up of a device

a close up of a power outlet

a white and purple toilet with a purple lid

I very much liked the mood lighting:

a ceiling and lights in an airplane

My seat was broken: it would not recline. The control module for the seat was inoperative. The power outlet also did not work (two flights in a row…).

a screen on a plane

So I moved to the seat behind me. This time, the seat reclined, but not all the way. No matter how I tried, it would not go flat.

The third seat was the charm…I was able to recline this one fully, but found there was a large gap between the cushions when in the lie-flat position (like I experienced on American Airlines…same seat).

How was I able to move seats twice? Oddly, the load factor in business class was only about 25%…like old-school business class before airlines figured out how to monetize it.

The most important thing about business class is the seat, so this was a royal failure.

a man sitting in a chair with his arms crossed
Third seat was the charm…

While a “flight to Africa” may sound like a long flight, the flight is only blocked at seven hours, which means time in the air is only about six hours thanks to long taxi times at JFK built in.

I went to sleep after dinner (and after finding a seat that worked). The bedding is average, with a soft blanket but no mattress pad or fluffy pillow. I did manage to sleep, but it wasn’t for very long.

a person holding a purple blanket in a plastic bag

a pillow with a red border

a seat with a tv and pillows on it

a pillow and blanket on a seat

Service

First, let me say that service seemed well-intentioned: the ladies were nice and one flight attendant was particularly kind. However, just moments after settling into my seat, a flight attendant came over and asked me what I wanted for dinner.

No greetings. No welcome aboard. Just, “What do you want to eat?” Did they get their training from a US carrier?

However, her colleague came over shortly after, warmly welcomed me onboard, offered to take my picture when she saw I was taking pictures, and offered me a welcome drink (lemon mint juice), headphones, and amenity kit.

a tray with drinks and a bag on it

a glass of juice on a table

a menu on a table

Service was efficient, but the flight attendants forgot to offer beverages with dinner, which strikes me as a big miss…that’s quite an omission.

Even so, I genuinely liked the crew…very nice ladies who seemed poorly trained, not at all hostile or lazy.

Food + Drink

Royal Air Maroc, in theory, has a full a la carte service onboard. That means you can dine on demand and if you want to start with breakfast and end with dinner or start with dinner and end with breakfast, it is up to you.

In practice, though, dinner was served after takeoff and breakfast two hours before landing.

The menu (with a separate wine list including Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne):

a red menu on a table

a menu with text on it

a menu on a table

a menu on a table

a menu on a table

Dinner

Dinner was served quickly after takeoff, starting with a trio of canapés:

  • Smoked trout and cucumber
  • Feta and watermelon skewer
  • Zucchini roll with brown rice

a plate of food on a table

That was served with mixed nuts and sweet paprika wafers.

a two bags of food on a table

Next, a (packaged) towel was offered and a tablecloth was placed down on the tray table.

a white and red package on a wood surface

a hand holding a white towel

a white tablecloth with a pattern on it

Moments later, a tray was plopped down in front of me with an appetizer of burrata, artichoke, asparagus, and bresaola. Warm bread was also offered. Not bad at all.

a plate of food and two glasses on a tray

a plate of food on a tray

a tray of food on a tray

But do you notice anything?

Two glasses, both empty. The flight attendant did not ask if I wanted something to drink.

In fact, the main course showed up and I still had no beverage…no one in the cabin seemed to have one.

I requested a glass of white wine and a look of grim doom spread across the face of the flight attendant.

Oops! She realized she had forgotten drinks.

Soon I had sparkling water and wine (which was terrible, though I wanted to try the Moroccan wine). The main course was tiny…the fish portion was only a few bites…but it wasn’t a bad meal (grilled cod fish, dill cream sauce, accompanied with pappardelle and grilled zucchini).

a plate of food and glasses on a tray

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food on a tray with a television screen

a group of silverware on a white napkin

After came dessert: cheese (cheddar, brie, bleu) followed by fruit (sliced strawberries, cantaloup, honeydew, pineapple, kiwi), then tiramisu.

a plate of cheese and vegetables on a table with a television in the background

a plate of fruit on a table

a glass of water and a cup of chocolate dessert

The meal itself was fine, but the beverage thing was strange.

Breakfast

About three hours later…with more than two hours still to go in the light…I was awakened for breakfast. This is absolutely the kind of flight that you want to just sleep and skip breakfast on, but I wanted to sample breakfast for the purposes of my flight review. It was quite substantial (“Farmer’s frittata” with mushrooms and
asparagus, bread, yogurt, coffee, orange juice):

a tray of food and drinks on a table

a plate of food and a television on a table

a plate of croissants and jam

The coffee was very strong and tasted like a Nespresso espresso pod.

a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice

And yet I was too full from dinner to eat more than a few bites of the frittata, leaving everything else.

Breakfast is a nice option to have, but serving this with two hours to go is totally unnecessary. Especially with the low cabin loads, there would have been plenty of time to serve this 45 minutes to an hour before landing.

I did appreicate hte mint tea…very soothing.

a glass of beer on a table

I also tried to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

a bottle of water on a table

IFE + Wi-Fi

The flight had no wi-fi and the in-flight entertainment selection was quite limited, with a handful of movies (no recent blockbusters), TV shows, games, and audio, but just a small fraction of the selection you would find even on US carriers.

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a game

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a television

Noise-cancelling headphones were decent.

a black headphones on a wood surface

Amenity Kit

I quite liked the amenity kit, a burlap bag with the Royal Air Maroc logo in brass, and its contents.

a small bag with a gold label on it

a group of items on a table

RAM partners with Nectarome, a Moroccan skincare brand, and I quite liked the skin oil and face mist.

a group of bottles on a table

a small gold tag on a white fabric
Even the eyeshade had a little gold RAM logo on it…

Lavatory

Business class has one lavatory in the front of the aircraft (also used by crew) and one in the rear of the business class cabin. I liked the rose in the lavatory (reminds me of Lufthansa First Class!) but even more, I liked the window.

a sink and toilet in a plane

a toilet in a plane

a bottle of liquid on a shelf

a soap dispenser on a counter

a pair of roses in a plastic bag

CONCLUSION

We landed ahead of schedule in Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport and the crew thanked me for my business.

an airplane with rows of seats and monitors

Could the flight have been worse? Sure. But the broken seats do not inspire confidence and the service, while well-intentioned, could really use a lot of work. I would fly RAM again, but I think the carrier really needs to work on the soft touches, which would make it a far more competitive carrier.

a group of airplanes on a runway

a sign in a building

a man standing in an airplane

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Plucky The Parrot Grounded: Frontier Airlines Refused Return Flight For Emotional Support Bird
Next Article Entitled Delta Platinum Pulls Rank On Passenger Who Chose “His” Seat (Why Do People Write Fake Stories On Reddit?)

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Delta Air Lines A321neo Economy Class Review

    Review: Delta Air Lines A321neo Economy Class

    May 14, 2025
  • United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class Review

    Review: United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class

    April 26, 2025
  • a row of seats in an airplane

    Review: Royal Air Maroc 737-800 Economy Class

    April 22, 2025

15 Comments

  1. Willem Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 1:10 pm

    Just booked such a ticket but departing YUL, do you know why Alaska-issued awards come with a ~$300 charge that it doesn’t seem your AA issued award included?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 11, 2025 at 2:28 pm

      My AA ticket certainly did not have such a surchrage. Are your taxes/fees broken down in the reciepts?

      Did you get the 787-9 or that retro 787-8?

  2. Willem Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 1:12 pm

    (Also, no way your departure time was 8:45 am, a brief 5 minutes before your 8:50 am arrival…)

  3. Malik Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 1:49 pm

    QR has a strategic joint business agreement with AT and will say that compared to my TATL flight with AT in J 15 years ago (needed a fast hop from CMN to JFK at the time), AT looks like it has improved a lot, but more can still be done.

  4. Joseph Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 2:45 pm

    Had an opposite experience with AT last year from CMN-AUH. My original flight with EY had a technical issue and got rebooked with AT and found the FAs very friendly. But based on the reviews out there, I just got very lucky.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 11, 2025 at 3:01 pm

      One of the FAs who worked in J was extremely friendly – a gracious, kind FA. But I don’t think RAM trains them well…and that’s really unfortunate.

  5. Daniel Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 4:46 pm

    We flew RAM two years ago, JFK-CMN-AGP, on the 787-9. No issues with seating, etc., but they did a cocktail service after takeoff, served dinner, and also did not offer a proactive drink service. When I asked for a glass of champagne, they happily obliged. At the time, I wondered if it might be a cultural thing – not pushing booze, etc. The flight to AGP – on an ATR – was really cool. Light meal was served, along with drinks etc., despite the short flight time. Would fly them again in a heartbeat, based on our experience.

  6. Johnson Isiorho Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 5:38 pm

    My name is Johnson Isiorho
    I was supposed to travel last Sunday 6/4/2025 to Lagos through Air maroc but I missed my flight ✈️ and my ticket was cancelled..
    I wasn’t even asked to pay a charging fee or pay me back my return ticket balance
    They said is is their policy.
    My question is that other airlines does have such policy.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 11, 2025 at 9:22 pm

      Did you totally miss the flight?

  7. Christian Reply
    April 11, 2025 at 9:59 pm

    I lack your coffee bona fides and like Nespresso pods so I can’t tell if your description as them is an insult or a compliment.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 11, 2025 at 10:16 pm

      I did like the coffee. It’s quite acceptable.

  8. Alexandre Reply
    April 12, 2025 at 12:29 am

    I live between Paris & Casablanca, and I could comfirm their Business Class has become very mediocre on Long-Haul flights ; and just below average on Medium-Haul ones. Many cost-cuttings after the Pandemic.

    It’s very easy to understand: among 3500 employees, there is not a single one specifically dedicated to the Business Class product, with a dedicated Business Unit and Benchmark Culture. State-owned spirit.

    Regarding the FA, there is no specific training to serve in J, everyone can work there as soon as they get hired. Which is surreal.

    The only positive thing: Good Laurent-Perrier Champagne.

    • Crystal Reply
      April 12, 2025 at 11:31 pm

      Same with US airlines. Any flight attendant for a US airline can work any position in the aircraft. They also receive very little training about Business class. When a flight attendant works Business class for the first time, they typically learn from the most Senior flight attendants on that flight.

  9. emercycrite Reply
    April 12, 2025 at 1:54 am

    Damn Matthew, put those guns away.

    And yes, RAM is a woefully inadequate full-service carrier. I flew them IST-CMN and unfortunately got the B 788 with its hideous business class seat. Never again.

  10. JAXBA Reply
    April 15, 2025 at 12:07 am

    RAM serve wram bread? 😉

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • private member clubs
    Private Clubs Are The Latest Trend In Luxury Hotels May 25, 2025
  • a plane on the runway
    ANA Passenger Tried To “Murder All Onboard”, Diverts To Seattle May 25, 2025
  • Thompson Miami Beach courtesy of Hyatt Hotels-Two-Queen-Beds-With-Balcony
    Sneak Peek At The Thompson Miami Beach (Opens Fall 2025) May 25, 2025
  • Motion Sickness Uber
    I Used To Get So Much Done In Ubers. Now I Just Try Not To Puke. May 24, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • a room with a table and benches
    Where To Smoke At Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) April 26, 2025
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) May 1, 2025
  • United Airlines Refresh Polaris Lounge Chicago
    First Look: United Airlines Reopens Renovated Polaris Lounge In Chicago (ORD) April 29, 2025
  • a hand holding a blue card
    Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer Ending Soon May 2, 2025

Archives

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.