Air Mauritius Review

Review: Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class London Mauritius

Sam Chui·November 12, 2019

At the end of September, I flew Air Mauritius's A330-900neo from London Heathrow to Mauritius.

My flight, MK53, departed from Heathrow Terminal 4; it is operated as 3B-NBV and is named Chagos Archipelago. Air Mauritius premium passengers can use the Plaza Premium Lounge at T4 before a flight.

Air Mauritius is the first carrier to operate both the A330-900neo and the A350-900. The Air Mauritius A330neo has 28 Business Class seats and 260 Economy Class seats.

a diagram of an airplane seat — Seat Map of Air Mauritius A330neo

a row of seats on an airplane — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class

people sitting in an airplane with many monitors — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class

a row of seats in an airplane — Air Mauritius A330neo Economy Class

two men in the cockpit of an airplane — Cockpit of Air Mauritius A330-900neo

Takeoff from Runway27L of Heathrow
Climbing out of Heathrow runway 27L

Air Mauritius Business Class

Business Class seats have direct aisle access and the seat goes fully flat. The seat is the same as on Thai Airways B777/A380 and on the Etihad B777/A330. The downside of the seat is that it is quite narrow. The better seats for privacy are the window seats (Rows 2,4,6) and also the middle pair seats.

a man lying in a chair on an airplane — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class

a table with a bag and a makeup bag and a few items on it — Air Mauritius Business Class Comfort Kit

Air Mauritius Business Class Menu
Air Mauritius Business Class Menu
Air Mauritius Business Class Menu
Air Mauritius Business Class Wine Menu
Air Mauritius Business Class Wine Menu

Dining Experience

After takeoff, canapes and drinks were offered; I tried out the Mauritius rum punch, it was very sweet.

It was followed by dinner. Starter was a mango salsa prawn. The main course choices were fish, lamb, poultry or vegetarian dish. I tried the fish dish but it was a bit dry and overcooked.

All the meals are representative of dishes from Mauritius, which has Indian, European and Chinese influences.

a plate of food on a table — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class starter

a man and woman sitting in a plane eating food

a bowl of rice and curry — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class main course

a bowl of food on a table — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class main course

After the main course, the flight attendant came around to offer dessert which was comprised of fruit and a cheeseboard. The dinner concluded with port wine and and a choice of tea or coffee.

a piece of cake on a plate with a spoon — Air Mauritius A330neo Business Class dessert

In Economy there were also 3 choices, this consisted of lamb, chicken or a vegetable biryani. The meal also comes with a proper salad and a dessert.

IFE and Wi-Fi

The in-flight entertainment on the Air Mauritius A330neo was great, there were lot of movies and options. The internet packages ranged from $4.95 to $19.95, with a 300 MB maximum.

Flying on the A330neo

The flight time was nearly 11.5 hours, we flew in a Southeasterly direction via France, Italy, Greece, The Mediterranean, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and finally over the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.

After about 8 hours and at 39,000 ft, we saw the sunrise over the horizon of the Indian ocean. It was the most magical moment of the day; from the first beam, it took just 15 minutes or so to have the sun fully above the horizon.

a cockpit of a plane with lights and a few men

a man in a cockpit looking out of a plane window

a bowl of food with a tin of butter and a cup of syrup — Breakfast: Banana pancake

The pilots explained that the A330neo has a higher maximum takeoff weight and more efficient engine compared to the first generation A330 (A330ceo). Hence it can fly with a longer range. The fuel burn was about 6 tons per hour.

Variant	Range
A330-300	11,750 km / 6,350 nmi
A330-900neo	13,334km / 7,200 nmi

Our flight landed in Mauritius on Runway 14, the weather was quite clear and sunny. After a short taxi, we arrived at the gate on-time. Watch the landing on the video here.

aerial view of a landscape with a body of water and clouds — The Island of Mauritius

a group of pilots in the cockpit of an airplane — Air Mauritius A330neo landing into Mauritius

an airplane on the tarmac — Air Mauritius A330neo

a plane on the tarmac — Air Mauritius A330neo

Conclusion

Air Mauritius is a solid African carrier, with one of the youngest fleets. The seat was a bit narrow, due to the width of A330, and the food was reflective of Mauritius cuisine. The A330neo was very quiet to fly in and the service was excellent.