[Anonymous]

[Swissdiver]

Am trying to find info in Saudi Arabian Air business class product, especially on A320s as it seems they use this aircraft for the RUH CDG route and it is a night flight… Any experience to share?

[LuganoPirate]

It’s been a couple of years since I last flew with them, but business class was comfortable, good IFE but the movies are censored. Friendly service from mostly Asian crew and decent food as much as airline food can ever be.

They used to wake you up for the dawn prayers and a compass on the ceiling will point to Mecca. Curious if they still do that?

If you don’t mind going without alcohol you will have a good flight and most probably enjoy it. Have a good trip.

[Swissdiver]

Thanks, LP. Flights are not yet organised. My problem is AF is for some reason code sharing with them for the return night flight… I am not sure I’l even have a IFE on a A320… The alternative would be LH connecting in … FRA… I’ll see however if I can do it on EK.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Swissdiver

Are you sure it is SV with a 320 and not AF with a 319? I have not been to RUH yet this year, but made over 20 journeys (on various carriers) there in the past 24 months and the AF minibus left about 0115, from memory. It was equipped with cradle type seats in business.

WRT to SV A320s, I think the ones they use on ‘thin’ medium haul routes have 2 x 2 seating with about 40″ pitch.

Never been on one, but Saudi colleagues said they were okay (for a narrow body.)

Are you able to look at BA? Their timings may be wrong ad they don’t fly every day of the week, but the connections to/from CDG are excellent and NCW is a good product.

[LuganoPirate]

Two other alternatives, could be Egypt Air (Star Alliance) or Royal Jordanian. I’ve flown both with no complaints. I used to fly them to avoid horrible middle of the night departures.

[ArronZidane]

I remember reading this article recently, Saudi Airlines serve donkey meat??? Maybe this will help your decision
http://www.emirates247.com/business/donkey-meat-on-saudi-arabian-airline-2011-06-13-1.402522

[Swissdiver]

@DoS
I am usually using Kayak for my initial research but AF website gives the same indication. “AF6671 is operated by Saudi Arabian Air” with a “Airbus A318/319/320/321”. I guess it is a question of travelling day as the CDG RUH leg would be done on a A330. Same problem with BA which would definitively have had my preference also because of the B777 they use..

[Swissdiver]

@LP:
I travel regularly with MS because of their direct GVA CAI flight. They improved a lot to say the least. But I tend to prefer wide body aircrafts to narrow’s (They fly a B737-800 for these routes) and I don’t trust at all their luggage handling in Cairo… Plus still no alcohol on board… Plus in this case 4 hours layover…

I like RJ though haven’t travelled with them for a couple of years now. I guess though it won’t be an option for this trip (they are flying only 2 or 3 times a week to GVA).

Going through BEY could also be an idea (staying over for one night at least of course :-)). But schedule are not yet made public (would be in Winter)

[Swissdiver]

@AZ:
Thanks, but I doubt this would be true although they could have been tricked. The penalties could be rather huge in KSA for that kind of things especially if the meat wasn’t halal…

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