Later this year, I plan to travel to Oman from the UAE. I'll be in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so I could leave from either. To get to Muscat, am I better off going by land or air? I've heard that locals can just drive their cars across the border, but I'm also seen reports that it is difficult for foreigners to rent a car and do this (I'm an American). The bus trip would seem a bit long, and I've seen cheap airfares on Skyscanner (but haven't checked whether they include any bags).

While in Oman, I am also interested in visiting Salalah. But that seems like a loooong drive from Muscat, and the airfares don't seem cheap.

BTW, has anyone redeemed miles for any of these flights? Are there any good redemption deals, or is it just better to shop for airfares?

As Oman Air is now a oneworld member, I would check redemption rates with Avios. Here's the Finnair Avios redemption chart:



I don't know about fees or surcharges, or what other Avios programs (BA, QR) would charge for the same redemption.

Here's what BA charges for an Economy Class redemption on Oman from DXB to MCT:


But it appears that a restricted Economy Class ticket on that route with a checked bag goes for ~ $100 USD, so probably not the best use of miles.

Thanks. From what I can tell on Skyscanner, there are some $50ish airfares from the UAE to Muscat-- which seem to be what the fees / taxes are on award tickets! I do have to look at the bag fees, though, as we will need normal carry-ons. I'm also wondering if there is a reasonable alternative to flying, as the distance to Muscat is not great.

We would also like to fly down to Salalah (never been there) but it would not be worth an additional $200 airfare each for us to do that.

There is a bus from Abu Dhabi to Muscat but it takes 10 hours, also one from Sharjah which takes 8 hours. It may make more sense to take these buses if you wanted to visit the north of Oman such as Sohar.

QR flies to SLL so you could fly into MCT and leave Oman from Salalah, but the drive there takes 12 hours.

Thanks. I've determined that Alaska is a partner with most of the Gulf airlines, and offers award seats with a free stopover for 7500 miles. I think I will work well with my planned itinerary,

To get the free stopover, I think that both flights must be on the same partner carrier. So for DXB-MCT-SLL, that would mean travel on Oman Air. That sounds like a very good redemption for 7,500 AS miles.

I was able to get that Oman Air itinerary ticketed by Alaska for 7500 points. I had to call, as Alaska's website wouldn't process it (the agent waived the $15 call center fee). Even the agent commented on what a good deal I was getting. Especially with the Middle East tensions, I also like Alaska's generous cancellation and change fees.

Given the Alaska stopover benefit, I'm thinking of flying Qatar back from Salalah, with a free stopover in Doha (I've never left the airport there), perhaps ending the trip in Abu Dhabi (and then taking the bus back to Dubai a couple days later). Alaska shows the necessary award inventory, but again I was unable to book it on the website. This time, though, the agent was also unable to get it ticketed, saying the inventory was "phantom," and that Qatar wasn't actually making the seats available. I'll have to get to the bottom of that, or find another way back to AUH or DXB.

Very creative find. Thank you!

I’d say fly, and if you can, go with Oman Air rather than one of the budget carriers. It’s only about an hour, but when I took flydubai I had a long wait at the airport, while Oman Air felt more seamless and gave a bit of that “luxury” touch.

For getting there, I used Emirates miles from NYC and transferred Amex points into business — Emirates is honestly one of the best airlines for cashing in points, so that worked out really well.

I’m not sure I ever made it all the way down to Salalah, though we did take a seven-hour drive. What I’d really recommend is renting a 4x4 and driving across the country at least once. Oman is extraordinary by road — the landscapes, the people, the whole rhythm of it. Flying is efficient, but you’d be missing somethin

TL;DR: Fly. Attempting to drive a rental car across the border as a tourist is a non-starter. You won't get the required NOC from the agency, and dealing with insurance (Orange Card) at the border is a hassle you don't need. Your instinct about the bus is right—it's a 6+ hour slog with a tedious border crossing where you have to haul bags for scanning.

Since you're seeing cheap cash fares, just book them. Wizz Air (5W) from AUH or Air Arabia (G9) from SHJ are consistently cheap. Burning miles on these short hops usually yields terrible CPM unless it's a last-minute peak travel date.

For Salalah (SLL): Do not drive. It’s a 10-hour drive through empty desert. Fly Oman Air (WY) or SalamAir (OV). Regarding redemptions: The only real "sweet spot" here is using BA Avios for MCT-SLL (Zone 1). It’s 6k Avios in Y or 12.5k in J. If revenue tickets spike >$120, use points; otherwise, pay cash.