In this review, I will share my experience with Saudia for two reasons. First, Saudia has treated me well lately. Second, I have now flown with them 18 times — the last several all in 787 Business Class.
“Saudia stands out from other airlines thanks to the quality of its food.”
For airlines, it seems to me it is increasingly difficult to stand out. Many seats – and layouts – look alike, lounges are shared, and Wi-fi/entertainment is also pretty similar.
Of course, you can differentiate yourself in terms of service and hygiene, but food (and drink) is another way to set yourself apart from.
Saudia Business Class
In this review, I cover Saudia Business Class and specifically the flights I had in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This is commonly used on flights between Amsterdam and Bali, with a stopover in Jeddah at the King Abdulaziz International Airport.
Saudia Business Class seats
As described above, there is little differentiation in a hard product for a company. You can make use of a mattress when someone wants to go to sleep, but personally I find that annoying, as you are less likely to switch from bed to chair.
The business class seats are like many other business class seats and are arranged in a reverse herringbone layout. The seat features a display that allows you to adjust your seat to different positions, various storage compartments, a 17″ touchscreen and a power outlet.
Saudia: food & drink
To get right to the point: Saudia does not serve alcoholic drinks. Now there are stories going around that Saudia wants to move away from that, but personally, I don’t miss alcohol per se. Yes, I like a glass of wine or champagne, but it’s definitely not a deal breaker for me.
This is partly because Saudia serves good food. And even if the food is in poor taste, you can see that they do spend time and attention to detail. When I compare that to the meals KLM plops onto your table straight from the trolley, it’s a world of difference.
Every Saudia flight has a chef on board who is responsible for the meals and also makes regular rounds to ask if everything is to your liking. I can appreciate that attention.
Business Class ticket benefits
A nice seat that can be completely flat, good meals and arriving rested(er). Those are the biggest advantages of a business class ticket.
But a business class ticket comes with more benefits that make travelling more pleasant. These include priority check-in and luggage drop-off (Priority Lane), lounge access prior to your flight and during any transfer and priority boarding, or a separate queue when boarding.
If you have a transfer at King Abdulaziz International Airport, you can use the special – segregated – Priority Check-in counters.
Amenity Kit Saudia
During your business class flight with Saudia, you will receive an amenity kit. This consists of the white pouch containing skincare from Sprekenhus. Among other things, you will find: a hand lotion, day cream and lip balm.
You will also find a comb, a pair of Saudia socks, eye mask, earplugs and a toothbrush with toothpaste.
Transfer King Abdulaziz International Airport
While I am personally very enthusiastic about Saudia’s flights, there is one point I am less positive about and that is the transfer at King Abdulaziz International Airport.
The airport opened recently (2019), but is ill-suited for connecting passengers. You have to pass a transfer desk with security control, which can be very busy and does not have a Priority lane.
Once you get through the transfer desk, you may visit the Al Fursan lounge. This is a fine lounge – although I saw it after a few times – but Saudia transfers are often long and the lounge is not designed for that. There are four areas to take a power nap, which isn’t much given the size of the lounge.
As a result, you have to sleep on one of the too-small benches or chairs, which is annoying.
Saudia Business Class ticket price
Saudia often has its business class tickets conveniently priced. For example, you can find business class tickets from Amsterdam to Denpasar, Bali around €1,800.
No, €1,800 is not cheap, but compared to business class tickets from KLM, Singapore or other providers, they are a lot cheaper. An additional advantage for me is that Saudia is part of SkyTeam and I gain 120 XP from this flight with 41,766 Miles that I can redeploy for free flights or upgrades.
Advantages
- More advantageous compared to other providers
- Food on offer and quality
Cons
- No alcoholic beverages
- Switching to King Abdulaziz can be annoying
Conclusion
Saudia has a great product with its business class. Is it the best business class out there? Undoubtedly not, but it is an ideal solution for SkyTeam programme participants. A good price, lots of XPs and good food on board.
Service is better than it was several years ago and the new airport – although not perfect – is also an improvement over the old King Abdulaziz airport.
After 18 flights, I will try something else, but if you have the chance to book a Saudia Business Class flight cheaply, I would definitely do so.
Frequently asked questions
Depending on the flight you book, you should expect to pay around three times the price of an Economy ticket. Prices for a flight from Amsterdam to Bali – as described here – cost around 2,500 euros.
That depends on the airline you fly with, but usually you get priority check-in and baggage drop-off, lounge access, priority boarding and a kit with amenities such as skincare, an eye mask and toothbrush.
The biggest advantage is often that you have more space to sit (or sleep) and thus arrive more rested, allowing you to enjoy your trip even more.
The difference between a Business Class and First Class flight depends on the airline you fly with. Among other things, the following are different;
– A dedicated First Class terminal or check-in desk;
– A dedicated First Class lounge;
– A taxi to the aircraft and/or assistance with boarding;
– A better seat;
– More extensive amenity kit, food and drinks;
– In some cases, a closed cabin and ability to shower on board.
