Review: Oman Air 787 Business Studio business class

It’s often said that the best business class seats are almost as good as first class. And then you have the Oman Air 787 Business Studio, which is first class

These eight private suites on the Gulf carrier’s Boeing 787 were conceived and created as an exclusive first class cabin launched in 2018.

However, in a response to passenger demand and global trends, Oman Air recently joined the growing list of airlines choosing to ‘retire' first class.

So what to do with those fancy suites at the front of the 787s?

Oman Air rebranded them as its Business Studio product, selling them as a step up from business class.

Oman Air’s 787 Business Studio features predominantly on the carrier’s London and Bangkok routes, and one-way pricing for early March 2025 on Bangkok-Muscat shows business class priced at AU$1,671 with the Business Studio at AU$2,702.

And with Oman Air joining the Oneworld alliance in early 2025, its business class seats and Business Studio suites will of course become available to frequent flyers to book with Qantas Points, AAdvantage miles, Avios, Asia Miles and many more.

(Under a partnership with Qantas, Oman Air business class and economy seats can already be booked using Qantas Points; Business Studio reward bookings will come online in early 2025.)

The Oman Air Business Studio experience

Oman Air’s Boeing 787s carry six Business Studio suites in two rows of a 1-2-1 layout, which compares favourably with the 2-2-2 business class configuration (shown below).

As you’d expect, the paired middle seats include a divider which, although not as high as the suite walls, still affords ample privacy.

Each Business Studio suite is framed by 1.4m high walls with velvety soft lining and a sliding lattice door, with thoughtful touches such as ambient light and a dedicated air nozzle fitted into the wall.

This inimate cabin embraces elements of Omani heritage and culture in a refreshingly restrained manner. Forgoing the opulence and bling favoured by some of Oman Air’s neighbours, your time aloft in the Business Studio is a relaxing, calming experience.

The plush 60cm-wide armchair converts into a long lie-flat bed, and without any footwell or other furniture in the way, this is essentially a proper single bed.

The bedding is stored under the ottoman, which also serves as a companion seat for dining across a generously-proportioned table.

There’s a selection of chilled soft drinks in the mini-bar…

… while a deep recess next to the seat contains AC and USB sockets plus ample room to stow your laptop or tablet along with books and magazines.

There’s a second USB port convenient located just under the cocktail table, and just past that, preset seat controls plus a touchscreen for fine-tuning individual seat and suite settings – plus a remote controller for the 24" mionitor.

At the risk of offending modesty you could even close the suite’s door to do a quick change into the supplied pyjamas (available on request) and hang your clothes in the concealed coat rack that slides out from the wall.

Business Studio passengers also receive an exclusive amenity kit, which comes in male and female editions and features skincare products and perfume from famous Omani brand Amouage.

The large 23” screen channels Oman Air’s library of movies and TV shows, and as a bonus, Business Studio passengers receive a voucher for three hours of free WiFi, as long as you don’t exceed 100MB of data.

Oman Air’s inflight Internet plans are stuck in a past where high price tags were coupled with modest time limits and measly data caps: paid run from US$6 for 30 minutes or 5MB of social media to US$29 for three hours or 40MB of data.

On my relatively short (six hour) flight from Bangkok to Muscat, the service proved very unreliable, with long periods of being disconnected – and when it was active, I was definitely cruising in the slow lane.

What else is missing from the Business Studio experience?

A mattress topper would be a good addition to the bedding, but most crucially, there’s nowhere to store compact carry-on such as a bakcback or even your shoes unless you empty the locker beneath the ottoman of its blanket and pillow.

Oman Air opted to have no overhead luggage bins in the 787’s first class cabin – not even on the sides – so as to emphasise the sense of space, so your carry-on luggage is stored by crew in the galley (far from convenient if you need to retrieve anything from your bags during the flight).

Oman Air Business Studio dining

Oman Air’s Business Studio passengers enjoy the same meals and drinks as their business class counterparts behind the curtain.

My flight’s 8pm departure from Bangkok meant dinner was in order, beginning with Oman’s light and fragrant version of Arabic coffee, served with dates.

The business class menu not only follows an ‘any dish’ any time’ approach, it offered two choices of cuisine.

The ‘Modern European’ option looked a safe choice with the likes of citrus-poached prawns and angus beef tenderloin.

But the Roqaa Omaniya or Taste of Oman set menu showcased Omani flavours with a selection of starters...

... followed by a choice between oven-roasted chicken with spiced rice, capsicum and lime (shown below); and grilled sea bass with steamed rice, coconut lemon sauce and cumin roasted tomato.

The dessert menu spanned from a cheese platter and Eton Mess to Aish El-Saraya (a sweet bread pudding) and macerated strawberries with honeydew melon, blueberries and honey lime syrup.

And before you ask: yes, alcohol is served onboard. My flight had Charles Heidsieck Rosé and Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut Champagnes; whites and reds from France, Australia and New Zealand; plus a selection of spirits and cocktails.

In summary: Oman Air’s 787 Business Studio is quite the upgrade from business class: after all, this is a true first class product. It’s just one that Oman Air has transformed into a ‘business plus’ proposition, and one that’ll be worth spending your points or miles on when Oman Air joins the Oneworld family. 

David Flynn travelled as a guest of Oman Air and Qantas.