Air Mauritius
 

Flying with air mauritius JNB-MRU-JNB in C class
on the old A340C and the A319 on the return
what should I expect? is the C class any good on these runs? Lunch on the 0915am return? is champagne offered? the A319 seems to have a 'euro' business class, but this is leaps better than Y I hope!
any reports/tips?
how is row 1 on the A340C?

The A340 is great and has the (almost) lie-flat seats. Champagne - yes, Good food and very pleasant service. The A 319 is more like domestic business but is still good.
I've not done the JNB - MRU route but have flown MRU-CPT several times, also MRU HKG (A330) and MRU LHR (A340)
The service is usually very friendly and upbeat. It's a nice airline in C class. In Y it's fine, apart from the diabolically uncomfortable seats.
Have a good trip

interesting point about the A319 seats. When they started out they were the same as US domestic First - 2+2 fixed seats with a reasonable (I think 42') pitch.

It now looks like they have gone for flexibility with a 3+3 arrangement which cann be converted into a 2+2 unit with a fold-down table. 38' pitch as you probably know.

Seems like a bit of a downgrade, but I guess regional biz class must have had little demand.

Interesting also that the MK website doesn't say the 340C is configured with the new lie flats (only te 340E and 330 claim to have those). I wonder if it is in fact the old First class seats? Can you let us know?

Yes, the A319 looks a lot like BA club europe. Slightly bad for the price paid, but better than Y! I have some hope the A340 is swapped onto this route as I have seen they mix and match every once in a while.
Will let you know about the old A340 seats. Its 2 x 2 x 2 so I am assuming its the new C and the website is just rubbish (which it is). But will let you know.
I hope they have a menu on the JNB run, its an almost 5 hour flight!

yeah I can see the 2+2+2 as well - but their website is a bit strange in that it doesn't specifically say, as for the other A340s and the A330s, that the new seats are installed.

MK used to have first class with a 2+2+2 configuration - with something like a 60 degree recline. I'm wondering i they have used those on the A340Cs??

If by "new seats" you mean the orange capsule-like seats, then I confirm that the whole of the MK Airbus 330/340 fleet now has these seats. the old blue First seats got ditched about 3 years ago.
There is however a difference between the planes as far as AVOD is concerned. Some of them (mostly the A330 and some of the A340) have total AVOD systems whereas some planes still have the loop-playing video systems.
To the OP : I think I have a C menu from my CPT-MRU flight....
Yep just found it. I could scan it if you're interested...

Ahh! Thanks for the update flyphilrun - this explains why they don't mention the new seats on the website for the A340Cs - because they don't have the AVOD!

Not that i was doubting your earlier post but it does make me worry when airlines are 'silent' about stuff. Singapore Airlines is very good at 'hiding' their regional business and First class offerings on their site :)

Hello! Sorry to revive an oldish thread after a few months of comma, but I am flying MRU-CDG in business class (night flight) and was wondering if anyone could update me about what I am likely to get? Is it the 'old' or 'new' 340? And is the difference still only AVOD? How are food and wine (especially considering it is a late departure at 22.35)? Many thanks! On the outbound, flying the AF 744 day flight in case anyone fancies comparing! ;)

In my opinion...
MK and AF seats are very similar.
Last time I did AF C the food was only OK, but I have heard it has got better recently. MK food is very good. Wines are better on MK amazingly. Service is 'smilier' on MK possibly more efficient on AF. AVOD is great on both, if you get AVOD on MK.
And to answer your question, yes that is the only difference between old and new A340s.
When are you flying?

Edited to say: There is some food available in the lounge at MRU before departure but not a proper meal.

Advice on Y versus J
 

So I'm flying MK NBO-MRU o/w in June during an AONE4, as there is no OW coverage of the NBO-MRU sector and I can't connect except through LHR, which is off the table due to the whole no multiple transcons rule. (Thankfully I can fly MN MRU-JHB and then onward to Asia on CX.)

I am asking if it's worth it to pay for the J seat. The one way pricing is $512 vs. $883. Obviously this is a very subjective question, but I would love any input. On this short of a route (~4hrs) is the in flight service worth that extra $371? This route is on a 319 so has the blocked middle seat with 38" of pitch in J versus 30" in Y.

Also, any lounge access in NBO for J pax?

Thanks!

I did MRU NBO not so long ago in C. I don't remember any blocked middle seats on the A319... it was business style seats as far as I recall, two abreast in stead of three abreast in Y. But maybe things have changed since then. It certainly seems that way on the MK website.

The service was great.

As to your value for money question... it is indeed subjective.
The seat was far better (but if it's the blocked middle seat system that will no longer apply) and so was the food and wine. There was no avod (as far as I recall). I don't know about lounges etc in NBO as I didn't return on this route.
As you say it's a four-hour flight... you WILL receive food and drink in Y (free).

Personally I would pay the extra, but then I always try to fly in as much comfort as possible if my bank account allows it. :)

Difficult to give you a cut-and-dried answer though....

Out of curiosity which airline is MN for your MRU-JNB (I presume) leg?

Yeah, from looking at the MK website and posts 3/4 in this thread it seems like they've converted over to the intra-europe business, the only business hard product that makes U.S. Domestic "F" look good :D

Considering your rating of the service and the relatively low price difference, I think I'll jump on it. I wouldn't want to break the RTW without Y streak!

MN is Comair, a JNB based franchisee of BA that flies to CPT, DUR, MQP and PLZ in South Africa, as well as to MRU, WDH (Namibia), LVI (Zambia), HRE and VFE (Zimbabwe). Comair also owns a low-cost carrier operating under the same airline designator and callsign (Do any other LCC do that?!?) called kulula.com that flies a lot of the same routes but isn't a OW affiliate like Comair (nor does it offer any BA codeshares AFAIK) so can't be used on a OWE itinerary.

Thanks for all the help!^

Just for info there is an actual BA (Comair) flight with BA number operating from MRU to JNB (on Saturdays if I recall correctly). I know that when I book MRU - LHR on BA I'm often offered that routing (ie MRU-JNB-LHR) as an alternative all on BA flight numbers.

Happy RTW!!

SHame there are no oneworlds to RUN or you could stop off here while you're in the neighbourhood.

I actually plan on taking that flight and continuing to HKG afterward on CX. I think MN uses BA flight numbers for all of the Comair flights, and MN for kulula. I only needed to go off my ticket for the NBO-MRU segment as the ONLY OW carrier that flies out of NBO is BA and only to LHR! (and for some reason they won't let me fly though LHR as many times as I want to keep using the CCR :D). Intra Africa really is a serious weakness of OW. I'm still considering skipping South Africa and Mauritius and doing going back from NBO-LHR-HKG as that's a legal connection (the S. Africa issue is entering Africa twice by doing NBO-LHR-JNB or something of the like) and then use the extra segments in Asia.

I would love to see RUN too! So many places to go and only 16 segments (stupid e-tickets!).

Air Mauritius
 

Has anyone flown Air Mauritius' KUL-MRU (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International) route? Fare seems to be decent enough, $450 one way.