The economy seat formation is 3-3-3, and this night flight is barely half full. So I swap my window seat (41L) for a set of three vacant seats in the middle section, to stretch out and sleep. The seats offer a relatively unstinting 32 inches’ (81cm) legroom, but skimp on the width, at 17.8 inches (45cm). With three seats to myself, though, I’m not complaining.
Entertainment + Tech
My nine-inch (22cm) screen is dead on boarding, and after a reboot, operates only with the handset, not the touchscreen. I land on The Covenant, a 2023 movie about the role of local interpreters in the Afghani war; interestingly, some subtitles have been greyed out, presumably by censors. Audio options include meditation tracks, local music and Koran recitations. There’s power in the seat and USBs to charge phones – I could scan the QR code beside the screen to access Wi-Fi, but I’m ready to sleep.
Service
The staff have their skates on, with the drinks trolley doing the rounds with fruit juices and Arabic, cardamom-infused coffee and dates the minute the seatbelt sign flicks off. Service is speedy, and the smiley team is on hand during the flight, remaining in their hats and vests even as the temperature inside the aircraft is ridiculously hot. The fleecy blue blankets are so fetching, I see one passenger wearing his off as a souvenired scarf.
Food
The dinner service is whipped out quickly, with a pasta dish or beef in tomato sauce served with rice and dry-looking peas. There’s a promising quinoa, lentil and pomegranate salad, chocolate mousse, bread roll and chocolate by Lebanese luxury brand Patchi, but it’s a condiment-free zone, with no butter or salad dressing. I’m so comfortable in my poor-woman’s business class, I sleep through the snack service. Waking, I find a box containing a warm pesto and cheese pizza, a chocolate muffin and a bottle of water waiting for me. As you’d expect, no alcohol is served on Saudia, which is owned by the Saudi government, but you’ll never starve.
Sustainability
Last year the airline won awards for its work to reduce its carbon emissions at the Aviation Challenge 2024 (a competition among SkyTeam members), including most innovative ground operations. The airline has 54 new lower-emission A321neos on order for shorter flights.*
One more thing
Saudia is expanding and has announced new destinations to Europe, Britain and the US. Fun fact: the national carrier started in 1945 when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt gifted the then Saudi king the country’s first plane, a DC-3.
The price
From about $2900, Melbourne to Jeddah return via Kuala Lumpur (Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur operated by Malaysia Airlines).**
The verdict
The staff bring a sense of traditional Saudi hospitality to a comfortable flight.
Loading
Our rating out of five
★★★½
The writer flew as a guest of the Saudi Tourism Authority, visitsaudi.com
*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org
**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.