I’m just wrapping up a very fun trip, and rather than doing preview posts for each part of the experience, I’m instead just going to publish a full trip report shortly. Well, sort of. I just got off a nine-hour overnight Royal Jordanian Boeing 787-8 flight from Bangkok (BKK) to Amman (AMM), and I just can’t help but share some impressions.
Of course there are bigger issues in the world, and my complaint isn’t that Royal Jordanian doesn’t know how to treat influencers. 😉 However, Royal Jordanian is currently undergoing a radical transformation that includes a fleet modernization, and I can’t help but think it’s the soft product that needs an overhaul.
Aspects of Royal Jordanian business class are good
Royal Jordanian’s Boeing 787-8 business class consists of Collins Aerospace Diamond seats, which are fine, but hardly that competitive nowadays (in fairness, the airline is introducing new reverse herringbone seats on its Dreamliner fleet, including on new and existing aircraft). I had an empty seat next to me, so it was actually super comfortable, and I have no complaints on that front.
Also, since the last time I flew Royal Jordanian business class, they’ve added very thick mattress pads, which is appreciated, and made it much easier to get comfortable when the seat was reclined.
There are even individual air nozzles, so in theory, that should make for a pretty great experience!
The Dreamliner I was on even had Viasat Wi-Fi, which was free for all passengers (I think it’s only supposed to be free for business class passengers and select elite members, but there wasn’t even a log-in required, for whatever reason).
Royal Jordanian business class disappoints in so many ways
It’s really unfortunate how little things can detract from the experience, and that’s really where detail oriented airlines stand out from the competition. Individually, I could deal with any of these, but when you add them all up, it really left me disappointed.
For one, Royal Jordanian has one lavatory for business class passengers, and it was filthy. Like, toward the end of the flight it looked dirtier than just about any public restroom I’ve been in, and obviously the crew made no effort to tidy that, despite going in there several times.
I get that policies differ at airlines, and not every carrier is like Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines, where the lavatory is totally fresh at the end of a long haul flight, with the toilet paper in a perfect triangle. But when there’s zero tidying done, it’s something that negatively stands out to me about the experience. I found the bathroom so disgusting that I “held it in” until I was in the terminal.
Also, the crew just… wasn’t it. The older flight attendant was lovely and warm, and the only one who ever checked on me proactively. The issue is that she was working the galley position, so I rarely interacted with her.
Meanwhile the two younger flight attendants working the business class class left a lot to be desired. I was primarily served by a female flight attendant who would’ve been hard pressed to seem less interested if she tried. She wasn’t rude, she just seemed like she didn’t care.
If we exchanged 10 words during the flight, I’d say that’s a lot. When it was time to take meal orders, she didn’t say anything, she just stood there until I said “are you taking meal orders?” When she came to collect the used warm towels she had distributed, she gestured with her finger for me to place it on her tray (by pointing at it and then pointing at the tray), without saying anything.
The male flight attendant was well intentioned enough and was the nicer of the two, but the entire flight he just uttered one phrase to me over and over — “enjoy it.” I’m not sure if those were the only two words he knew in English, or what, but from distributing the amenity kit, to handing me a bottle of water, to bringing the mattress pad, that was the phrase for everything.
And the food… meh. On ultra long haul flights, Royal Jordanian has incredible food, while on this flight there was a one tray service after takeoff, and it was okay. There were no pre-dinner drinks despite the very long wait to be served. For that matter, Royal Jordanian serves alcohol, but there was no menu with the selection, and the crew was clueless about what was available.
I was also never once offered a drink refill, and with breakfast, I wasn’t even offered a drink at all, aside from the orange juice proactively placed on the tray (which I didn’t want).
Speaking of which, on a flight of this length, below is what the only breakfast option looked like. C’mon! Four pieces of bread, really?
While I’m ranting, this was an overnight flight, and since Wi-Fi was free, the lady in front of me decided to watch Instagram videos without headphones for much of the flight, including in the middle of the night. The crew walked past her over and over, and said nothing.
Eventually I made eye contact with one of the crew members and asked if they could please have her put on headphones. The same stuff continued minutes later, and the crew did nothing.
Going back to the cleanliness reference above, that issue continued when I arrived in the Royal Jordanian Lounge Amman. Despite the lounge being totally empty and literally dozens of staff just standing around chit chatting, a large percentage of the tables were littered with trash. Why is no one cleaning anything up?
I think that really sums up my impression of the Royal Jordanian experience. It just felt like no one cared, and no one was putting effort into the little details to make a nice experience. That’s the sad thing — trying a little bit harder costs nothing, it just requires caring. But no one actually seems invested enough to make that a reality.
Like, the first time I entered the Royal Jordanian Lounge, the lounge attendant at the entrance was having (what I assume was) a personal call on speakerphone, and didn’t so much as say a word to me. The second time I visited the lounge (I had a long layover and decided to get some steps in the terminal), she just scanned my boarding pass and said nothing (even though I said “good morning” and “thank you”).
Anyway, rant over… thanks for indulging me.
Bottom line
Unfortunately my Royal Jordanian Boeing 787 business class flight left a lot to be desired. The issue wasn’t the cabin, as I don’t mind the seats, I appreciate the individual air nozzles, I like the mattress pads, and I’m grateful for the free Viasat Wi-Fi.
My issue was everything else, and that ultimately boils down to the lack of anyone actually caring. From the dirty bathroom to the dirty lounge, to the lack of being offered drinks, to breakfast consisting of four pieces of bread, I just think some very small efforts would go a long way.
Am I being unreasonable in my assessment of Royal Jordanian business class?