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This is part 2 of SV41, from Riyadh to Los Angeles. Part 1 of this report covered the short flight from RUH to JED and the ground stop in Jeddah. This flight covers a 16-hour journey from Jeddah to Los Angeles.
Saudia 777-300ER First Class Service
Around 4am, a new crew member boarded the 777-300ER and introduced themselves. The adorable Ashnia (pictured below, center) primarily looked after me from the aisle, but she also interacted with the entire crew during the long flight. On this flight, three female flight attendants working in first class were from the Philippines.
The service had the perfect balance of friendliness and professionalism. Not only was it polished, but it was really warm. The conversation was good, not forced, and without the awkward flirtatious exchanges that are customary.
We also appreciated the time the crew took to make it look nice, such as adding flowers to hand out candy before landing.
Saudia 777-300ER First Class Chef + Dining
The highlight of the flight was Chef Rami and the beautiful meal he prepared. I’ve written about the Turkish chef before, but he was amazing. He was so great that I easily call him the best chef I’ve ever flown with.
He went around to each seat, introduced himself, looked over the menu, and emphasized that you could customize any dish on the (extensive) menu. He was in great shape. This wasn’t FA in a chef’s costume. He is a truly talented chef and it showed in the way he prepared each course of each meal.
For example, I ordered an omelet for breakfast. He asked: 1.) How hard do you like your eggs? 2.) What kind of cheese would you like on your omelet? 3.) What herbs would you like to season your eggs with? .
Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific offer freshly cooked eggs on board, but this level of customization was on a whole other level.
The flight menu is as follows:
Before takeoff, we were provided with fruit juice and date smoothie. This time I chose strawberry juice. Although Saudia is a dry airline, they have a wide selection of fresh juices on board, which I honestly prefer over alcohol to combat jet lag.
The plane took off from Runway 34 at around 5:55 a.m., just as the sun was beginning to rise in Jeddah.
Immediately after takeoff, Ashnia served a dish containing Arabic coffee, dates and chocolate.
Shortly thereafter, a table was set for breakfast. I had ordered breakfast from Rami before takeoff.
Saudi Arabia first class breakfast
The table was beautifully set and freshly squeezed orange juice was provided.
Cloth napkins are tired because of the gold braiding.
The first breakfast was yogurt with berries and fresh fruit. Breads such as croissants, muffins, sweet rolls, and whole wheat rolls were also provided.
For the main course I ordered the Gruyere cheese and basil omelette. It included potatoes and salad, and two asparagus spears.
Not surprisingly, it was delicious. We also enjoyed the delicious crustless toast flavored with pesto.
In-flight meal
When I woke up after a nap and pressed the FA call button…I was hungry again. Rami appeared and excitedly offered snacks. She notices that there is pizza on the menu and she decides to try it. Rami asked me what I wanted and she offered different toppings. I chose cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil.
Even though I wasn’t asked, Rami brought me canapés while the pizza was being baked. How was the pizza? Tremendous. It’s not your typical pizza, but it was very tasty.
A hot chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream is served as the perfect end to the meal.
In-flight buffet in the galley
In-flight meals were on-demand, but a “buffet” was available in the rear galley. It included snacks, whole fruit, freshly squeezed juice, and water.
Pre-arrival feast
Jeddah to Los Angeles takes 16 hours. It’s been a long day. The big party began about two hours before landing.
First up is a mixed nut smoothie that includes pistachios.
The table was beautifully set again and a bread basket was served. I chose garlic bread (excellent) and pita bread for my upcoming Arabic mezze course.
Chef Rami went the extra mile here too. As I was walking to the bathroom, I noticed he was making some amuse bouche for the first class cabin. This wasn’t on the menu and he didn’t follow the guide…he just winged it. Well, I must add.
Next up was the roasted potato leek soup, which was simply delicious.
Then came the caviar. Rami asked if she wanted it opened or unopened.
I think the only thing missing was a palate cleanser, which would have been greatly appreciated. However, the mint lemon drink served as a pretty good substitute.
Next is the mezze course. It’s very light with two stuffed grape leaves, hummus, pickles, cherry tomatoes and olives.
Time for the main course? still. First up is the salad course. Dressed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette and garnished with grated parmesan and walnuts.
The party continues
Finally the main course arrived. Lamb is my favorite dish so I chose the lamb shoulder. It also felt like pasta. No problem, said Chef Rami. Lamb shoulder and fettuccini may not be a common combination, but it worked perfectly. The tomato sauce tasted homemade and the lamb was incredibly tender.
For dessert, a pistachio tart and triple mousse cake with fresh raspberries (I had requested berries early in the flight, but Rahmi kept looking for them the whole flight) and vanilla ice cream. A bowl of cream was included.
My first cappuccino tasted like powder. When I told Chef Rahmi about it, a look of horror spread across his face and he personally made me a (much better) cappuccino to go with the dessert.
What a wonderful meal. I hope my photos give you some idea of that.
Saudia 777-300ER first class seat
I’ve covered Saudia’s first class suites in detail in previous posts, but I’d like to reiterate that the seats were extremely comfortable in all positions, and I slept well for 7 hours after breakfast, and was able to take another short nap later in the flight. Put.
The suite provided three USB outlets and one power port. The closet was large enough to hold my coat and small shopping bags. Thankfully, separate air nozzles were available and utilized.
I’ve had better bedding in other carriers, but the mattress pad, pillow, and blanket all helped me sleep better. The blanket has a satin finish and is very light.
Saudia 777-300ER First Class IFE + Internet
There were noise canceling headphones on the seats and they were of above average quality. Although Saudia heavily edits the film (not to mention sex and nudity, as well as low-cut blouses and kissing), they don’t seem concerned about the violence. I saw Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson’s old moves. conspiracy theory It was pretty decent.
Before landing, a LAX guide was shown.
The only real disappointment on this flight was that the internet didn’t work. His 16 hours before the connection dropped was a long time and it’s sad that he chose OnAir for his internet service as Saudia is an unreliable provider. He wasted 45 minutes trying to connect and then simply gave up.
Saudia 777-300ER First Class Amenity Kit
Saudia offers a pretty good amenity kit that somewhat mimics the hard shell Rimowa amenity kit. The contents included things like Acca Kappa skin care products, a comb, an eyeshade, a dental kit, and an Apple Lightning cable extension cable.
Saudia 777-300ER First Class Pajamas
The pajamas are Porsche brand and were very comfortable. The most important thing (for me) was that the pants had pockets. I ordered XL thinking it would be small, but it was actually quite large. L was better, but I have a lot of pajamas so it wasn’t a problem.
Saudia 777-300ER First Class Sleep Kit
Apart from the main amenity kit, a sleep kit was provided when the bed was made. This included Apsara spa products including foot cream… which I did not use.
Saudia 777-300ER first class souvenirs
A guide to the suite was included in the suite’s literature rack, which included a seating guide, menu, and a great souvenir, a first class baggage tour.
Saudia 777-300ER first class restroom
First class had three toilets available, two in the front and one in the rear. These were also shared with the pilot. None were too large, but they were kept clean and included Apsara amenities and fresh flowers. Each toilet had a bidet.
conclusion
To be honest, my expectations were for the low-flying Saudia first class. Not only did he easily surpass these, Chef Rami set the standard for what an onboard chef should be. The food was excellent, the service was great, and the suite was comfortable. If you can do without alcohol, definitely ride the Saudia. It was an incredible flight.
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