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I recently had the opportunity to fly Saudia on a long-haul flight on a narrow-body Airbus A320. The flight was economy class from Milan Malpensa, Italy to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Judging by online reviews, I didn’t have high expectations for this airline. However, after the 5.5 hour flight, I was convinced that this was one of the best flights I’ve ever had on an Airbus A320.
Airport and boarding experience
This year I have frequented Milan Malpensa, both inside and outside of the Schengen area. Malpensa offers a decent airport experience, but I know there are better lounge experiences out there. The atmosphere in most of the lounges in Malpensa is great, but I always feel that the dining situation is lacking.
Boarding was easy. I was able to use the lounge, so I was able to comfortably spend time there until boarding time. I arrived and entered the Sky Priority lane which had just closed (before proceeding to general boarding).
My passport had a visa check mark on it, so I had to explain that I was transiting to Kuwait and intending to get a visa on arrival there. Not a big problem; the gate agent handled this well.
Boarding the plane was via a jet bridge. For some time, Saudia’s fleet has been wedged between regional rivals Emirates and Turkish Airways (though they are much smaller than the other two).
As I walked to the back of the cabin, I could see the 2-2 business class configuration of this plane. The seats certainly look comfortable and seem to offer a lie-flat feature.
space and seating
In fact, the economy seats were very modern and sophisticated. The texture of the tanned leather gave it a slightly luxurious feel. When I sat down, I was given a blanket and pillow, and once boarding was completed, I was given a headset.
The seats were certainly comfortable and didn’t feel cramped or oppressive at all. For reference, I’m 6 feet tall, about 182 cm. I like to carry a backpack on a plane, but I had no problem putting it under the seat in front of me.
Another nice thing for travelers is having power at your seat. As you can see in the photo below, there is an international plug and an additional USB outlet just above it.
In-flight entertainment
The IFE system was great and what I would expect from a modern modern aircraft. The touchscreen was responsive and fast, and the system also featured a USB socket underneath and the ability to accommodate both bifurcated and single-pronged headsets.
The content itself was good. It definitely has a ton of Arabic and Middle Eastern content, which is personally not my thing, but great news for a certain demographic. There was also a somewhat decent selection of Hollywood movies and TV shows.
Something I’ve noticed on some newer aircraft and IFEs is the in-flight messaging system. Definitely useful to have when traveling with friends or family and sitting in different seats. I hope no one uses it to harass strangers…
In-flight meal service
The last thing I will report on is the in-flight meal service. In one word, it was great. Similar to my experience with Air France and MEA, menus were given to me in advance. The menu was actually more luxurious than Air France or MEA in terms of graphic design and print quality. In addition to choosing a main course, passengers could also choose an appetizer. I chose salmon instead of chickpea and quinoa salad for my first course and chicken for my main.
Something that I love but find difficult to make is a tablecloth. A great idea to add more class and sophistication to your dining experience. However, this idea has a flaw in that the folding sheet ends up covering the cup recesses of his tray.
Across the aisle, a woman spilled her juice because the cup wasn’t placed properly over the recess or the cloth was too light to push it all the way into the recess… if that makes any sense If you. It was fine for my heavy water bottle (below).
Finally, an after-meal snack is probably served an hour after the meal. Passengers can choose between chips, sweet biscuits (if I remember correctly), or bananas. This was the healthy option I chose.
conclusion
Although the in-flight experience was great and the flight attendants served us with smiles, the landing and arrival were chaotic. After landing, we spent about 20-30 minutes taxiing. At one point we stopped and appeared to be trying to disembark via the stairs and shuttle bus. However, our plans were canceled at the last minute and we traveled another 10 minutes to the jet bridge at the terminal. I hope that doesn’t happen often at Riyadh’s airport.
Also, there was a tablecloth covering the cup holder, but other than that, the flight was great. The service and food, as well as his easy-to-use IFE, made his 5+ hour flight on a single-aisle aircraft quite bearable.
Have you ever been on a Saudia? What was your experience like? I would love to know!
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