Flying oneworld Business Class from Australia to Marrakech on points

Morocco is not a straightforward place to reach from Australia. There is no direct service, and the routings that work tend to involve at least one Gulf hub and a connection or two at the far end. That complexity is exactly what makes it an interesting redemption: a single Qantas Classic Reward booking can string together three carriers' Business Class cabins and deposit you in Marrakech having barely touched your own money.

We flew the trip in September 2022 on a Melbourne-Doha-Casablanca-Marrakech itinerary, in Business Class the whole way, booked with Qantas Points. Here is what each leg was actually like, and how the booking mechanics work.

The itinerary at a glance

Three cabins, three very different characters, and one alliance. Royal Air Maroc is among the newer members of oneworld, which is what makes this combination bookable on a single Qantas reward ticket at all.

Melbourne to Doha in Qsuites

Qatar Airways does not operate its own lounges in Australia, so departing Melbourne means using a partner facility — in this case the Marhaba Lounge, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and good tarmac views, comfortable armchairs, a buffet and a serviceable drinks list. It is a pleasant place to wait rather than a destination in itself.

Qsuites had been voted the world's best Business Class in the 2022 Skytrax awards, and the cabin makes the case immediately. The colour scheme runs to burgundy and rose gold. Each suite has a closing privacy door, a very large touchscreen, a deep footwell and a proper doona rather than a blanket. Amenity kits are by Diptyque. Pyjamas are provided and the crew make up the bed while you change.

Seat selection matters here. A bulkhead suite such as 1K picks up an extra window — three rather than two — which makes a noticeable difference to how open the space feels over fourteen hours.

Service on our flight was the standout: carry-on bags stowed without being asked, dining orders taken before departure, and an unprompted and genuinely committed photo session in the suite. That kind of unforced attentiveness is difficult to design into a product.

Dining on the Doha leg

Qatar serves Business Class on demand rather than to a fixed schedule, which on a late-night departure means you can eat when it suits you. The table is dressed properly: linen cloth, metal salt and pepper grinders, and an LED candle that does more for the mood than it has any right to.

Our meal ran to a tuna tartare appetiser, a sweet potato, coconut and ginger soup, the airline's signature Arabic mezze, a tarragon-spiked crayfish main and berries for dessert. Breakfast was coconut chia porridge with mango, a chevre omelette and a barista-made latte.

Sleep on the Doha sector ran to eight hours behind a closed door, which is about as much as anyone can reasonably ask of a fourteen-and-a-half-hour flight.

Doha, and the Al Mourjan Lounge

Royal Air Maroc Business Class passengers can use the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International thanks to the oneworld partnership, which turns what could be a grim transit into one of the better parts of the trip.

The lounge is two storeys, with lofty ceilings and a water feature large enough to read as an indoor lake. Your boarding pass is stamped at reception and you can then come and go as you please. At one end there is a casual cafe doing buffet plates, sandwiches and salads — order the lemon mint juice. On the second level there is a restaurant with an à la carte menu, a substantial buffet and a Champagne bar, and it is the better option if your transit is short.

Doha to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc

Royal Air Maroc had only recently resumed the Doha route when we flew, and the staff's enthusiasm about it was obvious.

The 787-9 Business cabin leans into the national colours — bold red and gold against a deep mauve. A bulkhead suite gives you two of the Dreamliner's large windows, a wide seat and generous legroom. The crew wear uniforms with a Moroccan flourish and the tone is warm and unhurried rather than formal.

One adjustment: the pre-departure offering is water or sweet lemon juice rather than Champagne, though Champagne is available once airborne. The drinks list also carries Moroccan wines and beer.

The mint tea is worth ordering for the performance as much as the drink. It arrives as an ornate silver teapot with a curved spout and etched glasses, poured from a considerable height without spilling and cut off with a flick of the wrist.

The one disappointment was the menu, which carried no Moroccan dishes on this sector; flying out of Morocco the catering is reportedly a different story. Breakfast — a cheese and mushroom omelette, pastries, filter coffee — arrived as the aircraft crossed Naples, Sardinia, the Mediterranean and then Spain, which is about as good as a moving map gets.

Casablanca to Marrakech

The final leg is a domestic hop on an RAM Express ATR 72. The Business cabin is small and unmistakably old-school, but there is plenty of legroom and the flight lasts 26 minutes. It also offers the best scenery of the journey: palms, broad stretches of desert and green oases with startlingly blue swimming pools, all passing close beneath the window.

How the booking works

The redemption is 180,000 Qantas Points one-way from Australia to Morocco in Business Class, or 318,000 points return. The return figure is not double the one-way because the pricing is capped at the level of a oneworld round-the-world Classic Reward, which makes booking a return noticeably better value per point than two one-ways.

Carrier charges are the catch. Qatar Airways levies higher surcharges than several other partners, and fees and taxes on this itinerary came to roughly $909 each way. Against a cash Business Class fare of $4,866 one-way for the same routing, that is still a very large saving, but it is not a free ticket and the cash component should be part of your calculation.

Availability is the other variable. The booking was made through the Qantas site in April 2022, when Qatar Business Class reward seats to Doha and onward to Casablanca were reasonably findable. Qatar premium-cabin reward seats subsequently stopped appearing on the Qantas site. This kind of partner availability comes and goes, so check current availability rather than assuming what worked once still works.

If Qatar Business Class is not showing on the Qantas site, the same seats can often be found through other programmes. Velocity Points can be redeemed for Qatar in all cabins via the Virgin Australia site. Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios, British Airways Avios, American Airlines AAdvantage and Cathay Asia Miles are also worth checking, each with its own award chart and surcharge policy.

Worth noting too: the Royal Air Maroc segment on our itinerary was a late airline change rather than the original plan. Qsuites is the more polished product by a clear margin, but the Moroccan character of the RAM cabin — the tea, the crew, the colours — was the better introduction to where we were going.

Frequently asked questions

Can you fly all the way from Australia to Marrakech in Business Class on one reward booking? Yes. Because Royal Air Maroc is a oneworld member, a Qantas Classic Reward can combine Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc segments, including the short domestic hop from Casablanca to Marrakech.

How many Qantas Points does it take? 180,000 points one-way in Business Class, or 318,000 points return. The return price is capped at the oneworld round-the-world reward level, which is why it is better value than two separate one-ways.

Are the fees and taxes significant? Yes. Qatar Airways applies higher carrier charges than some partners, and the cash component on this itinerary was around $909 each way.

Which seat should I pick in Qsuites? A bulkhead suite such as 1K gets an extra window — three instead of the usual two — along with the standard privacy door and footwell.

Can Royal Air Maroc Business passengers use the Qatar lounge in Doha? Yes. The oneworld partnership gives Royal Air Maroc Business Class passengers access to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International.

What if Qatar reward seats are not showing on the Qantas site? Qatar Business Class can also be booked with Velocity Points through Virgin Australia, or with Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios, British Airways Avios, American Airlines AAdvantage or Cathay Asia Miles.

This information is general in nature. It does not take your personal circumstances into account.