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Review: Saudi Arabian Airlines B747-300 First Class
Jakarta to Riyadh
There are many mysteries surrounding this obscure airline. I am always curious to know what the inside of the Saudia is like. Join me as Loni finds them!
We arrived in Jakarta the day before and were ready for our journey and adventure at 10am.
Lone and I took a very nice Silver Bird taxi from Hotel Indonesia Kempenski to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
The situation when arriving at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport by T2D.
Foreign airlines using CGK.
Nice renovation of the Jakarta gate area. Only ticket holders are allowed to enter the check-in area.
Terminal 2D flight display. Only overseas carriers use this device.
Arrived at the check-in counter for flight SV813 to Riyadh. We were welcomed at check-in by a very friendly ground staff member.
Our flight check-in screen.We will depart on time from Gate D6 today.
Since we do not have Saudi entry visas, we will be connecting from Riyadh to Dubai on Emirates Airlines. Saudi Airlines has asked us to visit their office to resolve the issue.
The airline was concerned that ground staff would not be able to transport us from Saudi Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, which is operated by Emirates from Riyadh.
Saudia has the largest station office in Jakarta. Many of the crew members were based in Jakarta rather than Saudi Arabia.
A view of the stationmaster’s room.
After permission is granted. We were taken back to the check-in area to receive our boarding passes. Take photos as memories of your trip.
our lounge pass. It was very nice that they hand-wrote our names, seats, and flight numbers.
Your first class boarding pass has been issued!
The first airplane I saw was B747-368 HZ-AIR. nice registration.
We were both happy that the B747-300 was in operation. Saudia flights are punctual.
The apron is like a park. I love the scenery of Jakarta! It’s nice to see two generations of jumbo jets docking at the same time.
Saudia passengers have access to the Premier Lounge
View of the lounge eating area.
Part of the living area. The lounge wasn’t crowded around noon. Parts of the lounge are dark and parts are bright.
A great feature of the business lounge is the foot massage and reflexology room. I tried it and it’s great. His rate is about $10 per 30 minutes.
Airside walkways between the various concourses of CGK.
CGK’s unique architecture that utilizes sunlight.Designed by France’s Paris Airport
Today’s boarding gate is D6. Boarding begins 30 minutes before departure.
A lovely walkway surrounded by lush tropical gardens
There is a large “God Bless You” sticker on the nose of the HS-AIR. I never get tired of seeing this front view of a jumbo jet.
Finally on board! We are among the last passengers to board the plane. Cross-sectional view of the nose. First class was about 1/2 seat.
A Saudi Arabian Airlines (nationality unknown) FA hands out hot towels before takeoff.
It all ended quickly with a welcome drink. Glassware with the distinctive Saudi Airlines logo.
We pushed back exactly on time and taxied to runway 25R for takeoff.
Descend from Soekarno-Hatta and immediately turn right.
Stretch and relax. These leg rests are electronically adjusted and controlled, as opposed to some modern aircraft that have manual pull switches.
Raise the leg rest all the way to make it as comfortable as if you were in bed!
A view of the Saudia cabin. Isn’t the leg space bad? Almost every passenger has their own row, except for the first and second rows.
My retro Saudia bag (bought online, made in Thailand) raised some eyebrows on the plane. I love all the Saudia colors!
SV B747-300 First Class cabin overview. Note the low, fixed bench in the center.
Roni was happy to be able to go on the trip and couldn’t stop laughing on board the Saudia.
After takeoff, colorful non-alcoholic drinks were served.
The first class menu includes a welcome drink and a napkin with the Saudi logo.
cheers! Today’s flight will be operated by Jeddah-based Captain Al Yamani, F/O Bagened and E/O Buchari.
Total of 173 POBs. Flight level 36000.
Total flight time was 8 hours and 40 minutes. Crisis speed Mach 0.85
Food service will begin shortly. A selection of drinks is also available. I love the colorful bottles.
Appetizer: smoked salmon
Middle Eastern appetizers: Arabic mezze
salad with vinaigrette dressing
Salad with Thousand Island dressing.
Two types of soup available: Pumpkin soup
Or minestrone soup. Breadsticks are a little stale.
Main courses are served in old-fashioned trolley style and can be mixed and matched.
Chicken, beef, fish and biryani were available.
Lone eats chicken breast pasta
I had it in small portions with rice.
Saudia flight attendants serve dessert and fruit after the main course.
Beautifully presented ice cream bowl and chocolate cake.
I requested a bottle of water after my meal. To my surprise, the flight attendant handed me his 2L bottle and said it was the only bottled water they had.
There are some interesting sights on board. Saudi Arabia showed some movies on overhead screens, but most Saudi passengers are not interested in movies or music.
After a short rest, I was taken upstairs and visited the upper deck. The car was empty and the passenger seats were occupied.
Upper deck of Saudi B747-368
the front of the upper deck. It looks like it could be mistaken for a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines decoration.
Steel bowl and non-pressurized flush toilet. Just like in the old days.
The Jakarta-based Saudi Arabian flight attendant has no problem taking photos. These women mainly work on Jakarta flights, as Saudia Airlines has a large base in Jakarta outside of Saudi Arabia.
Unique features of B747. Stairs connecting the upper deck and main deck.
Cruise at 36,000 feet above the Indian Ocean.
Saudia Airlines, like Thai Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has a long galley between doors 1 and 2.
The second meal was served an hour and a half before landing and consisted of chicken pasta, fruit, and salad all on one tray. All catering is from Jakarta.
Fly west during sunset before descending into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
A view of the second business cabin behind the nose section just before landing.
Eight hours and 45 minutes later, at 17:50 local time, HZ-AIR landed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) at King Khalid International Airport serving Riyadh.
It’s time to leave and we say goodbye to the crew. Take a last look at her gigantic B747 cabin.
Photo with Purser Mohammed. He said his favorite air conditioner is…Saudia L1011.
King Khalid International Airport was surprisingly modern, airy, and spacious. There are green plants and a fountain downstairs. It has two floors, with departure on the upper floor and arrival on the lower floor. It’s fairly easy to get from ground level to the upper floors and get through the security check. A layover in Riyadh is possible, but Saudi Airlines does not advertise it. We also investigated the possibility of connecting between terminals of different airlines.
An enlarged view of the fountain inside the terminal. It wasn’t working.
This concludes my journey from Jakarta to Riyadh with Saudi Arabian Airlines. My curiosity about Saudi Arabian flights was finally satisfied.
SV is a decent airline, but a pretty humble one. Although they rarely advertise their services, they have provided a very solid schedule and product. I was expecting lots of check-ins and aerial drama. None of that actually happened. The flight went very orderly and the crew were all very experienced.
We hope that their addition to SkyTeam will provide even more opportunities to experience Saudia and continue to improve our aircraft fleet and services.
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