Royal Air Maroc Review: Is Premium Economy Worth It?

An honest review of my experiencing flying Royal Air Maroc from Toronto

Who doesn’t prefer a bigger airline seat? If price was no concern, I’d upgrade every time for more legroom, more arm room, more space for my extra-large butt. Unfortunately, I have business class taste on an economy budget. Which is why I always look for that special middle-ground: a premium economy seat.

Royal Air Maroc gave me a premium economy opportunity for a trans-Atlantic flight from Toronto to Casablanca: an upgraded seat for way less than a business class ticket. I was already excited to try out their new direct flight from Toronto to Morocco. The fact that I could fly more comfortably sealed the deal.

The cost was an additional $186 CDN each way for the premium economy seat. Was it worth it? Yes. But also no. Let’s say, one direction was great. This Royal Air Maroc review will give my honest opinion on the whole experience with the airline so you can decide if it’s the right one for you and if you should upgrade your seat.

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What Is Royal Air Maroc?

Royal Air Maroc is Morocco’s national airline, operating out of its hub in Casablanca. They fly to destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East — and to Canada.

In 2025, the airline launched a new direct route from Toronto Pearson to Casablanca. It’s only three times per week, but it’s the first option to get to Morocco from Toronto without a transfer, and one of very few transatlantic options flying directly into North Africa at all. In the past I’ve flown to Morocco either via Montreal or Europe, and this was much more convenient.

I flew this route for a trip from Toronto to Tunis, with a connection in Casablanca both ways. So four flights total. On the return, I turned that layover into a 24-hour stopover (more on that in my Casablanca post).

First Impressions: My Online Booking Experience

It’s been years since I called an agent to book a flight. But the Royal Air Maroc website wouldn’t let me choose the specific flights I wanted to make the Casablanca layover happen — which I knew existed — so I rang the call centre in Montreal. The rep was helpful and made it work for me, and emailed me a ticket that looked so old-school it was charming. But perhaps this should have been a hint that flying with this airline would require a bit of patience.

The Seats: What is “Premium Economy” on Royal Air Maroc

Royal Air Maroc’s Premium Economy section is four rows (5 to 8), of wider seats with more pitch than standard economy — a roomy 20″ which is almost four inches wider than standard and just shy of the 22″ width in business class. For just a few hundred dollars more. That’s pretty sweet.

Important to note: not all planes have this, which matters more than you’d think (keep reading).

On the Toronto to Casablanca leg, I really lucked out. The plane was fairly empty, so I had the seat beside me free — essentially a row to myself for an overnight flight. I had also picked the last row which turned out to have a wall behind so there was nobody behind me either. Just a couple in front of me who were equally delighted with their situation. I slept well. Not lie-flat bed sleep, but much better than a standard seat situation.

The extra width and legroom genuinely made a difference on a seven-hour flight, and for $186 I felt like I’d found a cheat code.

Short Haul Flights, Mid-Range Comfort

My next two short Royal Air Maroc flights were uneventful — which is exactly what you want in an airline, in my opinion. Staff is friendly enough, food is good enough, everyone and their luggage gets where they are going safely. So far, so good…

On my way home, the layover in Casablanca was a real treat. I stayed at the Art Palace Suites and Spa and enjoyed a great hammam experience, did the tour of Hassan II mosque, had an amazing breakfast at La Sqala and then was back on my way to Toronto. Check availability at Art Palace Suites and Spa in Casablanca

The Return: Where It Falls Apart

After a lovely trip to Tunis and an overnight microadventure in Morocco, I was looking forward to the flight home from Casablanca. A good end to the trip.

Because I’d done a stopover, I didn’t have a standard online check-in — I just showed up at the airport with the boarding pass I’d received in Tunis the day before. At the counter, they handed me a new one. My seat had changed.

The plane had changed. And this aircraft didn’t have the premium rows.

I had no advance warning. Not a text, not an email — despite the fact that Royal Air Maroc had sent me dozens of emails between booking and departure, most of them trying to sell me upgrades. They had my contact information. They just didn’t use it when it would have benefitted me.

I’d been re-assigned to a middle seat at the back . I’ll admit I was probably more annoying about it at the check-in counter than strictly necessary. They did find me an aisle seat at least. Or Business Class was available — for an extra 1,000 Euro. Aisle it is.

I took my new boarding pass and went to sit at the gate and sulk. I spotted the couple from my Toronto to Casablanca flight, who looked equally unhappy with our situation. Nothing to do but wait.

Then came the announcement: three-hour delay.

More time to sulk. But also, I had to laugh. I try hard to remember that flying is a privilege. I was on may home from a fabulous trip. This was, genuinely a “first world problem.”

We eventually boarded, flew home, and arrived safely, which is the most important thing. But I was still sore — from the smaller seat, and from a joyful experience denied.

The Honest Verdict

Royal Air Maroc flew me on four legs total: Toronto to Casablanca, Casablanca to Tunis, Tunis to Casablanca, and Casablanca back to Toronto. One was fantastic, two were completely fine. The Casablanca to Toronto return was the one that sticks with me, however.

I get it now, in hindsight. Royal Air Maroc has a small fleet — around 10 planes — and only one aircraft is configured with those wider premium rows. When the plane changes, the seat disappears. That’s not exactly something they can fix.

What they could fix is the communication. A single email — the kind they clearly know how to send — would have changed my Royal Air Maroc review. Give me a heads up. Let me pick a better seat before I’m at the airport staring at a boarding pass for row 34. Give me a moment to process my disappointment before I’m standing in front of the staff.

For me, it was a merely an inconvenience and a frustrating end to an otherwise good trip. But if I had booked that seat because I had a mobility issue or a condition that makes a standard economy seat genuinely difficult — showing up at the airport to find it gone, with no warning and no real solution offered, would have been a more serious problem. That’s not a small thing.

I was able to get a $186 refund for the unused seat a few months later. So they got that right, eventually. As for who should fly Royal Air Maroc: if you’re based in Toronto and want to get to Morocco efficiently, this is genuinely your best option. And for flights further into Africa from Canada without going through Europe, also a convenient choice. I’d also look at it between Morocco and France – they have good flights to many cities including Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, etc.

Royal Air Maroc is also a good value. It’s not a budget airline exactly, but compared to bigger and fancier airlines it offers a good option when you can’t or don’t want to splurge. I will likely fly them again to go to Morocco. I just won’t book premium and expect that it’s guaranteed.

What to read next: 24 Hours in Casablanca