Information on Royal Air Maroc Flights

When Royal Air Maroc joined the Oneworld alliance in 2020, it opened up an entire network of African destinations to U.S. travelers looking for an easier connection. Now, the national carrier of Morocco is ready to shine as part of a global alliance and is ideally situated to connect people to, from and through its African hub airport of Casablanca (often referred to just as “Casa").

Its growing fleet of modern aircraft is poised to take the airline to its next phase of growth. No matter where you are flying, here’s what you need to know when flying RAM.

Connecting North America with Europe and Africa

RAM’s hub in Casablanca is ideally positioned in Africa’s northwest corner allowing easier connections from North America to its African and European network with little backtracking.

Intra-African flyers, too, can now connect in less time between cities on their own continent (many used to have to fly circuitous routings via Europe just to reach a neighboring country) thanks to RAM’s network and Casablanca hub. The airline is adding cities in Asia with flights to cities like Beijing and Doha.

This gives the carrier an edge, especially now that it can sell passenger itineraries through alliance partners like Alaska, American and Iberia. It opens up flights to Morocco’s many tourist-friendly secondary cities, too, like Agadir, Fes and Marrakech among others.

Tremendous value for frequent flier miles

If you collect miles in a North American oneworld program like American AAdvantage or Alaska Mileage Plan, your world just got a lot bigger when redeeming miles. RAM added many new destinations to the Oneworld route map.

I have booked a lot of itineraries from Europe to Africa, for example, that are much cheaper using Oneworld and RAM than when redeeming miles via other alliances. And connecting via Casablanca from North America to some of Europe’s secondary cities in the Mediterranean has been a cinch.

Even better, RAM often has more competitive airfare than the major European network airlines. I have scored so many good deals flying RAM in both business and economy class to Europe and Africa from the United States.

RAM’s travel classes

Royal Air Maroc only offers business and economy classes on its flights. For its long-haul flights, the airline is using newer Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Shorter flights around Europe and Africa use a mix of Boeing 737s, Embraer 190s and ATR72s.

The business and economy seat, onboard amenities and service experience will vary considerably depending on your route and aircraft.

Royal Air Maroc business class

Depending on the aircraft, there are two seating configurations of business class in either a 2-2-2 (Boeing 787-8) or more preferable 1-2-1 layout (Boeing 787-9). The latter saves window seat travelers from having to climb over their neighbor.

My main criticism of the 2-2-2 seat is the lack of privacy from your neighbor since they are very close to each other with not much of a divider. Speaking from personal experience, it is extremely awkward to reach the aisle when your neighbor is fully reclined.

With most of RAM’s transatlantic flights being relatively shorter than flights from continental European hubs like Athens, Vienna or Zurich, for example, being disturbed during a nap becomes more of an issue for light sleepers. The most important feature of business class to me is getting some rest.

Both versions of 787 have lie-flat seats with large entertainment screens and multi-course meals. The service is friendly although sometimes more reserved than other carriers. The well-intentioned flight attendants speak French and Arabic, but I find some to be more reticent when being asked a question in English.

The amenity kits come chock full of Moroccan products like argan oil and face mist. I appreciate that the airline offers extra touches like slippers, Moroccan wines and traditional mint tea.

A few pro pointers: the offer of Champagne before takeoff is generally on request (otherwise you will just be presented with juice or water), and once in Casablanca, the airline’s main lounge can be crowded with few places to sit. I recommend going upstairs for more space. That is also where you will find the bar area.

Domestic business class on RAM is nothing special. While the seats will be larger (similar to what you might expect on a domestic first class flight), the inflight service is nothing more than mint tea and a plate of Moroccan sweets.

Economy class

Royal Air Maroc does not stand out in any way with its economy class service. However, the product on the Dreamliner is much nicer than that of its narrowbody planes.

RAM serves complimentary meals and drinks on flights of at least two hours, but the entertainment options will vary. The 787s have seatback screens with a decent selection of international programming.

After a few flights though, you may run out of options. It’s a good thing that their long-haul flights are only around 6-8 hours.

Boeing 737 planes require passengers to use their own devices to connect to the complimentary Sky-RAM system to watch a limited selection of entertainment programs or read international press. I find the system to work well, but remember to power up your devices before the flight as not all planes have power outlets.

Remember that RAM charges for most advance seat assignments unless you have Oneworld elite status or are traveling in a premium cabin.

Connecting in Casablanca airport

If traveling in business class, passengers are met with a private bus to bring them to the terminal on flights that do not park at an air bridge. The terminal does not have enough of these for all flights to park directly at the building.

That’s why so many flights use buses to board and deplane. I wish more European airlines offered this private bus premium touch for business class travelers rather than pack 100 people into a hot bus and race them around the airport after a long flight.

International-to-domestic transfers must go to a separate terminal, and the experience there is hardly ideal. All flights depart from bus gates, and there is no dedicated lounge. There is only one small cafe in the domestic terminal, and in my experience, they only accept cash. This is expected to change with new construction in the coming years.

Connecting to an international flight in Casablanca is more pleasant given a business class lounge with a hot and cold buffet. If you’re looking for an alcoholic drink, you’ll need to head upstairs. This is not made very clear in the lounge, and there are not a lot of staff to assist.

Transit amenities for long connections

RAM builds its flight connections to maximize traffic flows between cities in its network. This sometimes means that some city pairs have longer transit times between flights. But, the airline makes special arrangements for passengers to become more comfortable.

If your connection is between four and eight hours, you are eligible for a meal voucher to use at the restaurant of your choice within the terminal. I have never taken advantage of this generous perk since I usually have access to the business class lounge with my ticket or airline elite status.

Transit times of more than eight hours, however, deserve more than just a meal. RAM makes arrangements for that, too.

If you have the appropriate visa to leave the airport, the airline will provide a hotel room and meal voucher. If your nationality does not permit entering Morocco without a visa, the airline offers a meal voucher and relaxation room within the airport.

Remember that your ticket must be booked with the airline and you must take the earliest possible connecting flight to your destination to be eligible for these complimentary transit perks. If needed, the airline provides transportation to the hotel and back to the airport.

Some tips for a better RAM experience

Have patience as facilities in some parts of Casablanca airport are not as modern as others. You may find limited shops or restaurants in the domestic departure area so bring some refreshments to tide you over.

When traveling between cities within Morocco, know that RAM does not have a notable domestic network. Most flights will require you to connect through Casablanca (locals call it Casa). For example, if going between Marrakech and Rabat, you will need to stop in Casa to change planes.

That’s hardly ideal, especially when many cities are linked with high-speed trains that can be cheaper and faster. I recommend relying on low-fare airlines like Air Arabia Maroc, which offer better links between secondary cities in Morocco that can help you avoid an extra connection in Casa and get to where you are going faster.

Casablanca’s Pearl Lounge, which accepts Priority Pass, is decent, but has few windows. It does have napping pods, and I recommend getting there quickly since they get snatched up quickly. If you are able to use RAM’s business class lounge, it has more natural light, showers and better food to tide you over.