Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Doha (DOH) via Casablanca (CMN)

On the Ground: I was traveling to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi with my colleague Banu Yilmaz. After picking up Banu, based in New York, at the train station, we headed from Yardley, Pa., to Washington Dulles International Airport. As the Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca departs quite late from IAD, we didn’t encounter too much traffic on our drive. Parking and check-in couldn’t have been easier. With priority security access, we were through and on our way to the lounge in no time.

Once at CMN, we cleared immigration, which took a bit longer, then headed to the lounge for a brief visit before our connection departed to Doha.

Pre-Flight: At IAD, Royal Air Maroc business-class passengers can access the Etihad lounge. We caught up on emails while enjoying the lounge’s table service, snacking a bit from both the buffet and the menu. I was so comfortable, I started dozing off waiting for the departure of our flight at close to midnight.

The sizable lounge in Casablanca was busy when we arrived. Although our stay was brief, it provided a welcome respite to freshen up, have some coffee and check emails between our two seven-hour flights.

In-Flight: Royal Air Maroc’s business class offers all the modern comforts coupled with the conveniences of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner — larger overhead luggage space, noise reduction, larger windows.

On both flights the lie-flat seats offered 61 inches of space, adjustable head rests, partitions with adjoining seats and additional storage space. They were perfect for sleeping, which was my plan of attack on the IAD–CMN flight. From Casablanca to Doha I caught up on movies on the LCD seatback video screens. I did notice the movie offerings were a bit different on the two legs.

Moroccan and international options are offered on the à la carte menus, along with a full selection of Champagne, wine and liquor. Flight attendants greeted passengers with welcome beverages, in-flight reading material and amenity kits.

Boarding, security and immigration processing were made easier with priority access.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

◆ Royal Air Maroc launched the non-stop service from Washington Dulles International Airport to Casablanca in September 2016. The airline’s brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliners service the route.

◆ Washington, D.C., is the second U.S. city served by Royal Air Maroc, after 40 years of service to New York (JFK).

◆ On my return flight, I had a 12-hour layover in Casablanca, which afforded me the opportunity to both explore the city and spend time in the premium lounge at the airport.