State-run Saudia, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has secured funding for its massive fleet expansion plans. The addition of 73 new aircraft in the next three years will mark a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s plan to welcome millions...
Saudia Wants To Become A “Big Four” Gulf Carrier
First there was Emirates. Then there was Qatar Airways. Then there was Etihad. Collectively, these carriers are known as the “ME3” or the three big Persian Gulf carriers that command dominance in the region. But knocking on the door...
Man Denied Boarding For Wearing Shorts, Wears Skirt Instead
An American passenger was forced to improvise quickly after being told he could not board his flight due to his “inappropriate” attire. He was wearing shorts. Jordan Bishop, a Forbes contributor, was flying from Jakarta to Istanbul via Riyadh...
Saudia Suspends Flights to Canada: Now What?
Many years ago when I obtained a visa to visit Saudi Arabia for the first time, I remember a prominent sign in the lobby of Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC. It warned of extensive delays for Canadians applying for...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: September 24, 2017
After a few weeks at home, I’ll be traveling again at the end of the week. Leaving home is always bittersweet. When you get used to your daily routine, especially with your family, it is particularly difficult to leave....
Hey Saudia, Where’s My Limousine?
If you read my Saudia first class suite review yesterday, you know that I had a long but very pleasant journey from Riyadh to Los Angeles. But there were two things missing — Saudia advertises a Special Services Team...
Review: Saudia 777-300ER First Class Jeddah to Los Angeles
This is part two of SV41, from Riyadh to Los Angeles. In the first installment of this report, I covered the short flight from RUH to JED and the ground stop in Jeddah. This flight covers the 16hr journey...
Review: Saudia 777 First Suite Riyadh to Jeddah
Even though Riyadh to Los Angeles is sold as a direct flight and there is no way to purchase the Riyadh to Jeddah portion alone, I am going to break up the review into two parts. Note that even...
Review: Saudia Business Class Lounge Riyadh (RUH)
Earlier today I reviewed the Saudia First Class Lounge in Riyadh (RUH). During my long layover, I also had time to check out the business class side of the Alfurshan lounge. The lounge is subdivided into the following sections: Surprisingly, the business...
Review: Saudia First Class Lounge Riyadh (RUH)
The first class section of the Saudia Alfurshan Lounge in Riyadh (RUH) proved to be a very comfortable place to spend a 7.5hour layover between flights. To reach the lounge, simply follow the signs for “Alfurshan Lounge”. You will...
Review: Saudia 777-300ER First Class Dubai to Riyadh
The quick two-hour flight from Dubai to Riyadh was merely long enough to whet my appetite for the 19hr Riyadh to Los Angeles longhaul to come on the same aircraft. We checked in a few hours before the flight...
What I Loved Most About Saudia First Class
I flew Saudia First Class with Ben from One Mile at a Time last week from Dubai to Los Angeles via Riyadh and Jeddah. While many parts of the in-flight and ground experience impressed me, one thing impressed me...
21 Hours in Saudia First Class…
Hello from Dubai, where it is a moderate 102ºF today. Yesterday, I wrote about the travails of transferring points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Korean Air Skypass. Today, I want to talk about what I booked. I was really...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: August 13, 2017
Hello from Tashkent, where I am spending several days checking out Uzbekistan. The country has defied expectations…in good way. I don’t recommend the national airline, though. On Monday I will finish my current trip report with a review of...
Review: Saudia 787 Business Class Jeddah to Manchester
After a long layover in Jeddah, I was happy to board our late-night flight to Manchester. After the atrocious last flight I was not expecting great service, but figured at least I would be able to sleep. Five hours...
Review: Saudia Lounge Jeddah (JED)
While expectations were low, especially after the poor service on the Colombo to Jeddah flight, the Saudia Lounge at Jeddah was objectively not bad. In fact, I’d even call it a good lounge. 1.) Plenty of seating We arrived...
Review: Saudia 777 Business Class Colombo To Jeddah (it was horrible)
Once in a while you have a flight that is so weird you have to pinch yourself and ask whether this could possibly be real. This was one of those flights. It all started so promising. Ben and I...
