Saudia A330 Business Class
Saudia's Airbus A330-300 business class offers a great experience on short haul flights, with a full meal, friendly service, and a flat bed.
The author recently flew Saudia's Airbus A330-300 business class from Jeddah to Riyadh, a 75-minute flight departing at 1AM. Despite the short duration, the flight offered a full, delicious meal, friendly service, and even a flat bed. The author redeemed Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for the ticket, which cost 85,000 miles plus $301 in taxes and fees.
How the ticket was booked
The author booked the ticket using Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles. The itinerary included a flight from Amsterdam to Jeddah on a Saudia 787, and then a connecting flight from Jeddah to Riyadh on the A330. The total cost was 85,000 miles plus $301 in taxes and fees.
Saudia business class lounge and boarding
The author had a transit of just under two hours in Jeddah and visited the Saudia Lounge, which is located one level down from the concourse, near gate A5. The lounge was excellent, with plenty of seating, friendly staff, and a wide selection of food and drinks. Boarding for the flight started exactly on schedule, and the author was the first person to board.
Saudia A330 business class cabin and seats
Saudia has a fleet of over 30 Airbus A330s, with two different business class hard products. The author's flight was on an A330 with 30 business class seats, which are flat beds. The seats are in a 2-2-2 layout, and the author selected seat 5D, the center left seat in the last row of business class. The seat features a tray table that pops out from the center armrest, USB-A charging, and an entertainment controller.
| Seat Configuration | Number of Seats | Layout |
|---|---|---|
| 36-seat cabin | 36 | 2-2-2 |
| 30-seat cabin | 30 | 2-2-2 |
The author notes that the Collins Aerospace Diamond seats lack storage, with only a literature pocket toward the back of the seat. The seat back entertainment screens are 16", and the footwells are on the tight side.
Saudia A330 business class entertainment and Wi-Fi
The author found the entertainment system to be good, with a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music, and games. However, the Wi-Fi pricing was found to be absurd, with a 200MB package costing $50. The author notes that the Wi-Fi is courtesy of OnAir and is glacially slow.
Saudia business class amenities
The author found the crew to be incredible, with friendly and attentive service. The amenities included noise-canceling headphones, pillows, and blankets. The author was also offered a pre-departure drink and a hot or cold towel, and was presented with a menu for the flight. The service was lovely, with the crew familiarizing the author with the seat and offering a signature date and banana smoothie.
