Royal Air Maroc – Washington Dulles to Casablanca in Economy
Is Royal Air Maroc a Good Airline? - My Experience Flying from Washington Dulles to Casablanaca
In December of 2022, I set off on my first-ever trip to the African Continent. Prices were expensive, so I chose to use my American Airlines miles to fly from Minneapolis to Casablanca, Morocco, with a stopover in Washington Dulles. The first question I asked was, “Is Royal Air Maroc a good airline?” My research had mixed reviews, so I decided to book the flight and find out for myself if Royal Air Maroc is a good airline.
The cost of this trip was an extremely reasonable 17,500 American Advantage Miles. The initial leg of my flight from Minneapolis to Washington Reagan was on American. After transferring from Reagan to Dulles, I then flew to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc.
A few days before my trip, there was a winter storm warning for Minneapolis. I decided to bump up my flight from Minneapolis to Washington DC and arrived a few days earlier. This flight change allowed me a few days to walk around the US capital city.
The flight on Royal Air Maroc would be one of many new airlines that I flew on this trip. Others included Turkish Airlines, Egypt Air, Nile Air, and LOT Polish Airlines.
Below are a few photos from my time in Washington DC.
Royal Air Maroc - Washington Dulles to Casablanca in Economy - Table of Contents
- In Royal Maroc a Good Airline?
- How to Get to Washington Dulles Airport on the Washington Metro
- Royal Air Maroc Check In Procedures
- Royal Air Maroc Boarding Process
- My Seat – Royal Air Maroc 787-800 – 10D
- Royal Air Maroc Meals
- Customs and Immigration at Casablanca International Airport
- Transportation at Casablanca Airport
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
Disclaimer: At Buzzin’ Around the World, we do our best to offer the most factual information that was available to us at the time of posting based on our research. If you believe something on our site is incorrect or misleading, please email us.
We follow all local, national, and international laws and ordinances based on our best interpretation at the time of posting. If you are a representative of an organization that believes one of your ordinances has been violated, please know it was not intentional. To have content removed, please email us.
Finally, under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
We use affiliate links to help pay for fees associated with our website. When you book a service (i.e. flight, hotel, tour) or purchase a product through any of our links, we may/will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Buzzinaroundtheworld.com may be compensated for reviews posted on this website. We always review each product truthfully.
Buzzin’ Around the World uses our individual travel experiences to write our content. All photos and content are original. Buzzin’ Around the World sometimes uses AI to generate titles, summaries, or descriptions of our original work.
For more information, please click HERE to visit our private policy page. We can be reached at buzzinaroundtheworld@gmail.com.
How to Get to Washington Dulles Airport on the Washington Metro
It is easy to get to Dulles Airport using Washington DC’s Metro System. To get to Washington Dulles International Airport, I took the Washington Metro’s, Silver Line. The metro stop was located within a five-minute walk of the terminal. My hotel was in the Crystal City area, and it took around one hour and fifteen minutes to get to Dulles.
Royal Air Maroc Check In Procedures at Washington Dulles
I arrived almost four hours before my flight to Casablanca. Royal Air Maroc does not use TSA pre-check, and I wanted to ensure that I had plenty of time to check in and clear security.
I was surprised that there was already quite a crowd at the Royal Air Maroc check-in counter. Royal Air Maroc shares a counter with Saudia and Emirates Airlines, but it appeared that everyone was checking in for the flight to Casablanca.
There was no option to use a check-in kiosk, so I had to wait in line. Thankfully, there were plenty of agents, and the line moved quickly. After a twenty-minute wait, I was able to get my boarding pass and check my bag. It appeared that Royal Air Maroc weighed each bag and made sure they were not even a tenth of a kilogram over the 23-kilogram limit. My bag weighed in at 21 kilograms, so I had no issues. After a brief check of my passport, I was on my way to security.
As stated earlier, Royal Air Maroc is not a member of TSA Pre-Check, meaning I had to wait in the standard security line. The line moved fairly quickly, and I was through security three hours before my flight to Casablanca was scheduled to depart.
Royal Air Maroc Boarding Process - Washington Dulles to Casablanca
My Royal Air Maroc flight from Washington Dulles to Casablanca departed from gate A31. To get to the A-Gates, I had to walk quite a ways. It was fun looking at where all of the other international flights were headed.
After arriving at gate A31, I had a few hours before my flight boarded. I spent the extra time working on my website.
The boarding process for Royal Air Maroc was pretty hectic. Around twenty minutes before boarding, the gate agent put out lettered signs, “A” through “D.” Everyone lined up to board, and they called for a pre-board. After the pre-board, the business class passengers boarded. What happened next became a free-for-all. People from boarding zone “B,” “C,” and “D” all just started pushing their way forward. I was in zone “D” but boarded before many of the passengers in the earlier zones.
The free-for-all boarding method created a long wait on the jet bridge.
I found my seat, and there was still plenty of overhead space. Royal Air Maroc’s chaotic boarding process took around 45 minutes.
My Seat - Royal Air Maroc 787-800 - 10D - Washington Dulles to Casablanca
Seat 10D is the first economy row on Royal Air Marco’s 787-800. It is a bulkhead row that has plenty of legroom. The only issue is the seat is slightly smaller due to the tray table being in the armrest. I apologize for the blurry photos. I was trying to take the photos quickly and in the low light I didn’t hold my phone still.
Seat 10D on the Royal Air Maroc 787-800 has an adjustable headrest. There was no WiFi, and my entertainment screen did not work.
Each seat had a pillow and blanket, and there was more than enough legroom for my 6-foot-5-inch frame.
On the Royal Air Maroc 787-800, any seat in row 10 has plenty of legroom. The photo below shows seats 10, A, B, and C.
Royal Air Maroc Meals - Washington Dulles to Casablanca
About an hour into the flight, the meal service began. The choices were pasta, chicken, or fish. I decided to go with the chicken, which was delicious but very spicy. The meal was served with a roll, a salad with some sort of little white balls, blueberry yogurt, crumbled browny, a slice of cheese, and a dark chocolate square. As far as airline food goes, this was one of the best airline meals I’ve ever had.
The second meal on my Royal Air Maroc flight from Washington Dulles to Casablanca was served about 90 minutes before landing. This meal included a turkey sandwich, yogurt, and a chocolate muffin.
Customs and Immigration at Casablanca International Airport
Upon arriving at Casablanca International Airport, I had to clear customs and immigration. The first stop was immigration or passport control. At passport control, the line was rather long as a long-haul flight on Emirates had arrived just before us.
As I waited in the queue, I made sure that I had all of my documents ready. When it was finally my turn, I was called up to the kiosk and presented my documents. As that happened, a woman in the queue next to us fainted. Everyone, including me, rushed to help her. It turns out she was diabetic and had low blood sugar.
A few minutes later, I was back in the queue. Passport control was easy. I just had to answer a few questions about where I was staying and why I was visiting.
The next stop was baggage claim and customs. While I was waiting for my bag, I found an ATM and took out Mad 4,000, or about $393. Shortly after, my bag arrived. To exit Casablanca International Airport, I had to walk through the green aisle marked “nothing to declare.” A few security agents checked people’s passports and asked them to put their suitcases on the x-ray machine. I asked if they wanted to x-ray my suitcase, and they said they didn’t. I exited the airport without being asked a single question at customs.
Transportation at Casablanca Airport
When I arrived at Casablanca International Airport, I had incorrectly thought that I could take the Casablanca Metro into the city center. My iPhone maps app had told me it was possible, but I did not see the part about taking a bus to the nearest train station.
Since I had expected to take the metro and had not made a study of the airport transportation, I ended up asking for help at the airport help desk. The airport help desk was a poor choice as I was helped by a man who was obviously receiving a commission for my booking. He had a sheet with set prices, but the price of MAD 700 ($68) was about half of what it would have cost to take a taxi.
The moral of this story is always do your research. Even an experienced traveler like myself can be taken advantage of after a long flight. If you would like some better transportation options, I have listed some below. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you purchase a transfer using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
 Casablanca Airport to Hotels and Selected Cities private Transfer - $24.59 If you’re in a new city at the airport, you can be an easy target for getting overcharged for a ride. Avoid that situation altogether by pre-booking your ride from Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) to your Hotel or any other accommodation in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Fez or Chefchaoun. with this private arrival service. Your driver meets you right at the airport with a sign featuring your name, and even helps you get your luggage to the air-conditioned vehicle. |
 Casablanca Airport (CMN) to Casablanca City Center Private Transfer - $24.92 Our drivers are professionals and will make sure that you are driven to your destination in Casablanca promptly |
 Private Transfer From Casablanca Airport to Casablanca Hotel - $48.98 Enjoy the comfort of a private transfer from Casablance Airport, or vice versa, and leave your transportation worries to us. Take advantage of our punctual and professional service, and enjoy a comfortable and relaxed ride. |
Buzzin' Around the World's Affiliate Partners
Affiliate Partner of the Month - Viator
Viator is my favorite website for booking tours and packages. With over 300,000 unique tours to choose from, everyone should be able to find something on Viator that interests them. I like Viator because anytime I have an issue with a tour company, Viator has intervened and helped on my behalf. I highly recommend using Viator for booking your tours and vacation packages.
Book Through the Link Below to Help Buzzin' Around the World Earn Commission
Earn $200 in Travel Rewards with the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card is one of the few rewards cards that does not charge an annual fee. Cardholders can earn 1.25 points for every dollar spent while enjoying 0% APR for 15 months.
Currently, Capital One is offering a signup bonus of 20,000 points (worth $200 in travel rewards) when the cardholder spends $500 in the first three months. If you are interested in this card, I would appreciate it if you would sign up with the link below, as I earn a referral bonus of 10,000 points. Those points are worth $100 in travel rewards and will help me continue to bring great content to Buzzin’ Around the World.
Once again, the Capital One VentureOne card is one of the few reward cards without an annual fee and is the perfect card for someone who is just starting to get into the travel points game.