Have you flown from Marrakech, Morocco back to DC area recently?

[Anonymous]

I have to travel solo for a work trip to/from Marrakech, Morocco and debating whether I want to upgrade to biz class for the return home. It will be a big chunk of personal budget but in some places I know it can make a world of difference. For example after an exhausting trip to Ethiopia, it was worth the extra expense to upgrade for the trip home for the airport lines, waiting space etc as much as it was for the flight itself. Unfortunately this is is not place we usually work so none of my colleagues have recent experience. Any thoughts on what the airport was like - especially queues, security, waiting areas?

[Anonymous]

There are no direct flights to Marrakech, but I believe there are flights (seasonally) to Casablanca.
Newark has (or will be getting soon?) direct flights to Marrakech.

Last time I went to Marrakech was in 2017 and i had to change planes (Brussels on the way there, Frankfurt on the way back.) I will be going again next February and debating whether I want to do that again, or if I want to take Amtrak to EWR.

How will you be going? If I were going to upgrade my flight, for me it would be better for the way over there, because it's an overnight flight. When I flew home, I had to catch a late afternoon flight from Marrakech to Frankfurt, then my flight from Frankfurt to DC was the next morning, so I spent the night in one of the hotels at the airport, so I was already refreshed for the daytime flight home.

[Anonymous]

Ok I don’t have experience from Morocco but the first thing I thought reading your question was how miserable the flight to/from Addis Ababa is and how I would’ve definitely upgraded in that circumstance, if I had the funds! It would be worth it to me to arrive more refreshed.

[Anonymous]

This is OP - thanks for the initial responses. I know there is no direct flight back from Marrakech so I'm trying to figure out my routing. I think my main question is how much of a zoo is the Marrakech airport? I'm not looking for nice and fancy, my concern is whether it is disorganized, chaotic, crowded to the point of feeling unsafe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP - thanks for the initial responses. I know there is no direct flight back from Marrakech so I'm trying to figure out my routing. I think my main question is how much of a zoo is the Marrakech airport? I'm not looking for nice and fancy, my concern is whether it is disorganized, chaotic, crowded to the point of feeling unsafe

I'm the pp that last went in 2017 and will be going again in February.

No, it's a beautiful airport. I haven't been since Covid, but I definitely did not feel unsafe when I was there several years ago. There was a long line to go through immigration and customs upon landing, but that can be the case at any airport. It was an orderly line that went back and forth (snake) just like any other line anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, PP. A long orderly line is totally normal and fine by me.

[Anonymous]

Just got back from Marrakech. Airport is great