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Oman Air Brings Back Double-Daily Flights to London
Oman Air has announced that it’s bringing back double-daily flights between London Heathrow and Muscat from 26 October 2025. We’ve just come back from a fantastic trip to Oman and we’re already discussing our next visit to explore further.
The extra flights will initially run four days a week, on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and by summer 2026, the route will be back to a full 14 flights per week. Whether you’re heading to Oman for winter sun or using Muscat as a stopover to connect further afield, it’s great to have more flexibility and flight options.
Even better, Oman Air is getting ready to join the oneworld alliance, which means earning and redeeming Avios and status benefits will soon be a lot easier for BA Club members and other oneworld frequent flyers.
The additional service will be operated by their B787-9 Dreamliner featuring three cabins, Business Studio, Business Class, and Economy. The new flight will depart Muscat at 01:40, arriving in London at 05:55, with the return leaving Heathrow at 08:25 and touching down in Muscat at 19:35, perfect timing for onward connections.
Book your flights with Oman Air here.
Cathay Pacific to Roll Out 100% Wi-Fi and Seatback Entertainment
From August 2025, Cathay Pacific will offer seatback entertainment and high-speed Wi-Fi on every aircraft, in every cabin, no exceptions. Whether you’re flying short-haul or long-haul, Economy or First, you’ll have access to movies, TV shows, and internet from gate to gate.
It’s a big step that puts Cathay among a very small group of airlines offering both full-fleet IFE and connectivity, joining the likes of JetBlue, American Airlines, and United. A lot of Cathay’s marketing for this release has mentioned “Free Wi-Fi”, but it will only be free if you’re in Business, First, or a Cathay Diamond member.
More and more airlines are investing heavily in upgrading their in-flight entertainment. Emirates is rolling out 4K seatback screens and Premium Economy across more of its A380s (as above), while Qatar Airways has started introducing Starlink satellite Wi-Fi for faster, low-latency internet. It’s clear that IFE and connectivity are becoming key battlegrounds in the race to win premium travellers.
It’s great to see Cathay pushing the standard for premium travel at a time when many of us are considering our options when it comes to airline loyalty.
Airbus Reveals New First Class Master Suite Concept for A350-1000
At this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo, Airbus revealed the new First Class cabin concept for its A350-1000.
Developed in-house, the design introduces a 1-1-1 layout with an emphasis on privacy and space. The highlight is the First Class Master Suite, a centre-positioned double suite designed for two passengers. Tucked between the aisles, the suite features a double bed, private changing area, lavatory, and even a personal bar. With no windows in the middle of the aircraft, the concept includes ambient lighting that can be adjusted to mimic different times of day, helping to create a more relaxing environment.
The design also includes two additional suites on either side of the centre suite, expected to follow a more traditional First Class format.
What makes this concept stand out isn’t just the luxury, it’s the clever rethinking of the aircraft layout. Airbus has proposed moving lavatories, storage, and the entrance to the crew rest area into a new centre module, freeing up prime floor space for passenger use. This reconfiguration allows for higher ceilings, more privacy, and a less interrupted cabin experience.
The layout is intended for just one row of First Class seats, positioned between Doors 1 and 2 on the A350-1000. While impressive, this also highlights some of the challenges in translating the concept into a commercially viable product. As we’ve seen with Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Lufthansa, airlines are leaning into 1-1-1 First Class layouts, and Airbus’ proposal takes it a step further.
From our perspective, it’s certainly exciting to see Airbus pushing the boundaries of premium cabin design. While the Master Suite looks stunning and undeniably luxurious, we do wonder how many airlines will be willing to sacrifice flexibility for exclusivity. A suite for two sounds great in theory, but having one-third of a First Class cabin limited to couples might not be the most efficient use of space.
Will we see this exact suite in service anytime soon? Probably not. But as airlines look for ways to differentiate at the very top end of the market, don’t be surprised if some elements of this concept make their way into the skies in the not-so-distant future.
