Air Mauritius

Air Mauritius is the flag carrier of Mauritius, flying out of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International near Port Louis. Its map is shaped by geography: a small island a long way from anywhere, so the network is a spread of thin long-haul routes to Europe, India, South Africa, China and Australia, plus the short island hops to Rodrigues and Reunion that the turboprops handle. The carrier trades on being the direct way in and out of the island rather than on scale.

The long-haul flying sits on three Airbus widebodies. The A350-900 is the newest and quietest of them, with the roomiest economy of the three and a lie-flat business cabin up front. The A330-900neo covers much of the same ground with a similar business seat and a lower cabin altitude than the older jets. The original A330-200 is the veteran, still on medium and long routes, with a recliner-style business rather than a full bed on some airframes. Below all of that, an ATR 72-500 turboprop runs the regional and inter-island schedule in a single economy cabin.

On the widebodies the split is straightforward: a forward business cabin, then a long economy run behind it. Business on the A350 and A330-900neo lies flat and reaches the aisle without climbing over a neighbour, which is the pick for the overnight legs to Europe. Economy is a standard widebody layout, roomiest on the A350, tighter towards the rear where the cabin narrows by the galleys. The ATR is a different animal: a two-by-two turboprop for short sectors, where the trade-off is time in the air rather than which seat reclines furthest.

For a night flight to Paris or London, business on the A350 or A330-900neo is worth holding out for over the older A330-200, which carries a less generous seat on some airframes. In economy, target the forward rows for a quicker exit and the seats ahead of the wing for the smoothest ride; the last few rows sit by the rear galleys and toilets and draw foot traffic through the night. On the ATR, the two-by-two layout means every window seat is one seat from the aisle, so the choice is really about which side of the aircraft carries the view on the day.