KLM - Kuwait (KWI) to Muscat, Oman (MCT) - Flight KL0459

Far from an impressive flight.

KLM Flight KL0459 Kuwait (KWI) to Muscat, Oman MCT: When I was looking for a flight to Muscat I noticed that KLM/Northwest offered a direct flight. Since all the other flights had stops in Dubai, Qatar or Bahrain, we decided to book with KLM for the convenience of a one stop flight (flight time for this flight from Kuwait to Muscat, Oman was 1 hour and 50 minutes). (Click here to read our Kuwait hotel and restaurant reviews and click here to read our Oman hotel and restaurant reviews.)

Check-In: I’ve always had positive experiences in the Kuwait Airport, but the check-in this time was as disorganized as ever. Although they had two Business Class windows open, it still took us over 30 minutes just to check-in, which was unnecessarily long. Oddly enough, the majority of the people that checked in at these windows weren’t even actually flying Business Class but were in Economy! Why the agents did not ask them to go to the correct window when they arrived at the desk I don’t know, but it tremendously inconveniences those that actually paid for the perks of flying Business Class, such as ourselves.

First Impressions: As expected, the interior of the airplane was plain and ordinary, consisting only of three rows in the section. It felt cramped and confining! The flight attendants appeared uninterested as we boarded and got settled in, making me feel like I wasn’t flying Business Class (First Class is not offered on this flight).

The Cabin: The seat configuration is three rows of 2x2x2 in the first business cabin and two rows of 2x2x2 in the second business cabin (there are two sections of business class) . The seats are called lie-flat, deceivingly, because they’re the type that does lie flat but at an angle. For longer flights I would certainly find this bothersome as I feel I am constantly fighting to keep from sliding down the seat. Thankfully, the flight form Kuwait to Muscat was a short one.

The Flight (Service/Food/Drink): Since it was a relatively short flight, they offered only hot snacks such as Chicken Oregano with tomato concassee, tomato basil sauce and fettuccine with spinach or Pasta formaggi Parmesan, pasta filled with cheese served with tomato sauce, spinach and Parmesan sauce garnished with pistachio. I tried the Pasta formaggi Parmesan, and found it to be actually quite good. You could tell it was not fresh (I imagine it was prepared in Amsterdam where this flight originated from) but it still hit the spot, as is the case when one feels famished inside an aircraft, i.e. you have no other choice!

The wines for the month were from South America and they offered two from Argentina (one red, one white) and two from Chile (again, one red and one white). I went with the Sauvigonon Blanc 2007, Finca La Colonia which had a floral and fruity taste. I was pleased with my selection as it complimented my pasta quite nicely.

Service on the other hand was far from acceptable. From the time that we boarded and all throughout the flight, service was lackluster at best and even slightly mean at times! I figured the flight attendants were probably tired as they had started out in Amsterdam many hours earlier, but regardless, this should not be an issue where service should be held high in the creed of these flight attendants. We should have been able to receive at least pleasant service and not been snarled at when had simple requests for refreshments (e.g. a glass of water).

Arrival: Arrival in Muscat was smooth and easy, which was a refreshing change from our experience onboard the plane. It’s a small airport so getting through immigration and then collecting our bags was fast and easy.

Overall Impression It was a direct flight and they had decent food and a nice selection of wine, which was a bit impressive. These benefits, however, were outweighed by the flight crew’s terribly cranky attitude and our long check-in. I wouldn’t want to be around them if I were to travel for more than 4 hours! And to think that was in Business Class.

Overall, I rate the flight from Kuwait to Muscat as Somewhere Between Bombastic and Not.

Be sure to read our Kuwait hotel and restaurant reviews and our Oman hotel and restaurant reviews.

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