History

Air Mauritius began as a ground services company jointly owned by Air France, British Airways and Mauritius’s government in 1967. In 1972 they launched their own domestic air service to Rodrigues Island with a leased six seater turbo prop. A year later they leased a VC-10 and began long distance flights to Nairobi and London. Boeing 707’s and 737SP’s joined the fleet but were replaced by Boeing 767’s in 1988 and Airbus A340’s in 1998. As the apartheid regime resulted in South African Airways losing landing rights to Australia and falling out of favour, Air Mauritius was able to capitalise by offering services stopping off in Mauritius’s St Denis. In 1995 Air Mauritius was listed on the local stock exchange but the airlines fortunes remain tied to the countries most important industry; tourism. The emblem that represents the airline is the kestrel bird, however the country is more popularly remembered by the dodo bird.

On-Board Service

Air Mauritius crew wear a chic coral blue uniform and their smiles shine through their tans or copper skin tones. They are a good welcome to Mauritius. Flight attendants are all English and French speaking (plus other languages) and are generally reserved and formal. They deliver very good service and are particularly polite to obvious holiday makers. Air Mauritius provides genuine old fashioned service.

Network

As Mauritius’s link to the outside world they could barely provide a better network. For a tiny country with only 1.2 million inhabitants their flag carrier flies to an amazing number of destinations in Europe, India, Africa, Australia, Asia and they cover the Indian Ocean islands comprehensively. While Air Mauritius may fly to Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Milan, Munich and Paris in Europe alone, most of these routes are served very infrequently. Air Mauritius has gone for a maximum number of routes over fewer routes but more frequent. In 2011 Air Mauritius launched its first flight to Shanghai. As routes become unprofitable Air Mauritius will come and go, as they have done in Sydney several times.

Price

Getting to an isolated island in the Indian Ocean is naturally not going to be cheap so unfortunately Air Mauritius is seldom a bargain. However for holiday makers with time up their sleeve they can offer good deals from Asia/Australia to South Africa with a few days stopover in Mauritius, but more likely they are their own destination. Mauritius is a once-in-a-lifetime destination for most people and Air Mauritius is usually the best airline and the best priced airline to get there.

Catering

Air Mauritius provide a very fine catering service, however in 2012 it does show signs of budgeting from earlier years but when compared to others is usually superior. Meal sizes are generous, presentation is thoughtful and choices are usually a cosmopolitan blend of European cuisine or Asian fare. Mauritius’s strong Indian influence typically manifests itself on Air Mauritius in the form of deliciously mild curries.

Entertainment

Air Mauritius tries hard to keep up with the competition so they have invested in a modern individual seat back entertainment units on all larger jet aircraft. Video choices provide an equal selection of English and French films together with other languages. Audio channels provide music in several Asian languages as well. The airlines English/French Islander in-flight magazine is a standard read aimed primarily at tourists but might make a nice souvenir.

Ground Service and baggage

Only in Mauritius does the airline perform its own grown service. Elsewhere third party contractors under Air Mauritius supervision perform the job of checking in and handling baggage, therefore they vary greatly. Generally Air Mauritius provides a good standard however it can be a long process as local Mauritians like to travel with their maximum baggage allowance. Air Mauritius tickets have a regular baggage allowance however they do let students carry 40kg and their excess baggage rates are very cheap by international standards, which they often do not charge.

Premium Classes & Lounges

Air Mauritius’s axed its First Class when the airline underwent a marketing overhaul in 2005. There really was very little difference between the two classes anyway except for seat size and seat fabric. Air Mauritius’s new Business Class product now matches competitors and includes large video screens, lie flat beds and a nice amenities kit. Catering is generous and the airlines menu card is worth keeping as a momento. Air Mauritius has its own Kestral Lounge in St Denis which resembles a tourist hotel lobby and outside Mauritius the airline uses partner lounges which vary greatly.

Economy Class

The airlines Economy Class is cheerfully decorated in a tropical theme, seats are standard, meal service above average and baggage services superior to most. In short Air Mauritius provides Economy passengers a good deal on getting to the holiday island. French speaking passengers will particularly appreciate the equal status their language receives by crew and the entertainment system.

Frequent Flyer Programme

KestrelFlyer is the name of the airlines passenger loyalty scheme. BonusMiles are earned on flights which are redeemed with upgrades and free flights. Higher status members get an extra baggage allowance as well. Because Air Mauritius does not belong to any global air alliance, there is little point in joining unless you have need to visit Mauritius often. The scheme has not been very well developed and compares poorly to most other schemes.

Corporate Culture

Air Mauritius as a company has iconic status at home and all its actions are scrutinised carefully by the media and locals. The corruption, nepotism and ineptitude that characterise many if not most airline management teams is not quite so prevalent at Air Mauritius. Because Air Mauritius is so much in the public eye and so critical to the local economy their corporate body could not award themselves obscenely large pay packets, involve themselves in illegal cartels, attack their unionised staff or do other things airline boards are often so fond of. In many ways Air Mauritius is less cut-throat and retains some old fashioned integrity.

Safety

Air Mauritius has a reasonably spotless safety record. They take good care of their aircraft, maintain them to the highest standards and employ competent pilots. The airline is too important to the island economy to risk cutting maintenance to save a few dollars.

Air Mauritius - Rating

An old fashioned airline that provides a superior service by attempting to please holiday makers.

www.airmauritius.com