Review: Saudia Business Class Athens to Jeddah (Airbus A320)

February 10, 2020February 21, 2023 Koen 0 Comments

In this review, we will take a Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) flight from Athens to Jeddah in business class on an Airbus A320 with lie-flat seats.

To the gate

After spending some time in the Goldair Handling Lounge, I arrived at the gate some ten minutes before the announced boarding time.

A small crowd had already gathered at the gate, although fortunately most people were just hanging around and chatting a bit with fellow travellers instead of unnecessarily queuing in a line well before boarding even starts.

There seemed to be quite a jovial atmosphere among a small group of European-looking men who stood out among the mostly Arab and Asian passengers at the gate.

I chimed in as well in the conversation when I overheard them talking about the great Saudia business class deal.

It turned out that two of them (a British and a Czech passenger) booked exactly the same deal as I did and would also fly Athens-Jeddah-Kuala Lumpur just like me.

saudia a320 athens — *The Saudia Airbus A320-200 which would take me from Athens to Jeddah. ©Paliparan*

Boarding

Boarding began right on time with business class passengers and Sky Team elites being called forward first. I was the second person to board the flight.

Even though I had flown Saudia a few times before in business class, I was excited to see how much the on-board product has changed as I heard that the airline has introduced some enhancements when it comes to food, drinks and service since the last time I flown them.

athens airport saudia boarding gate — *The boarding gate for my Saudia flight at Athens Airport. ©Paliparan*

Athens (ATH) to Jeddah (JED) on Saudia
Flight SV192 – Airbus A320-200 – Business class, seat 1A
Departure: 3.15pm – Arrival: 7.40pm
Flight time: 3h25m – Distance: 1,441 miles
Costs: 350 EUR for ATH-JED-KUL

athens jeddah flight saudia — *It takes a bit over three hours to fly from Athens, Greece to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. ©Great Circle Mapper*

Saudia Airbus A320-200

Saudia currently has two different configurations of their Airbus A320s, of which they have 46 in total. The planes with the old interior have 12 leather recliner seats in business class, while the updated cabins have 20 lie-flat business class seats.

A quick look at the seat map will show you whether a newly configured aeroplane or an older one is scheduled to operate your flight.

The airline is working hard to configure more airplanes to the new cabin interior – which in the future will be used on all mid-haul flights to Europe which are not operated by widebody planes (such as Madrid which currently has the Boeing 787 operating the flights).

I flew on the non-reconfigured Saudia A320 with recliner seats before and thought they were comfortable enough for a short daytime flight, although needless to say these lie-flat A320s constitute a huge improvement of the hard product.

saudia a320 rome — *The old business class cabin with leather recliner seats on the Saudia Airbus A320. ©Paliparan*

Saudia business class seat

When I first set foot on the plane I was warmly greeted by the flight attendants.

The first thing you note on the reconfigured Airbus A320 is just how big the business class cabin is. It is certainly twice as big as the old cabin with recliner seats, which is no big surprise as these lie-flat seats do take up more space.

As there are five rows of business class in a 2-2 configuration, it makes for a very premium-heavy flight as in economy class there is only space for 110 seats. In comparison, most low-cost airlines such as Wizz Air and Air Asia have around 180 seats in their Airbus A320s.

The plane interior looked modern and clean with its soft colours of brown, beige and white.

I had assigned myself the bulkhead seat of 1A as the seats in the first row have a larger footwell than the rows behind as those are slightly restricted by the seat in front of you.

saudia plane boarding a320 seats — *Boarding the Saudia Airbus A320-200. ©Paliparan*

saudia business class seats a320 — *The lie-flat business class seats on the Saudia Airbus A320-200. ©Paliparan*

saudia business class seat a320 — *Seating is in a 2-2 configuration in business class on the A320. ©Paliparan*

saudia footwell — *The bulkhead seats on the A320 have larger footwells than the rows behind ©Paliparan*

Amenities

Each business class seat had a pillow and a blanket placed on it.

Headphones could be found in a case which was placed on a storage shelf on the top side of the seat, where also one of the two plug sockets and USB charging ports are located.

The headphones itself are of decent enough quality. Also the menu card was already placed here.

Unfortunately, Saudia no longer hands out amenity kits on short and mid-haul flights in business class.

saudia headphones — *Above each seat is a hard-case box with headphones. ©Paliparan*

headphones saudia — *The Saudia headphones were of decent quality. ©Paliparan*

saudia pillow blanket — *There was a pillow and blanket placed on each business class seat. ©Paliparan*

Seat controls

A control panel at the side of your seat allows you to move every part of the seat. It is very straightforward to adjust the recline, the footrest, or to put your seat fully flat and up again.

The seats in business class have a big, high-resolution entertainment screen.

It is easiest to operate the in-flight entertainment by simply tapping on the touchscreen, although you can also use the controller found in the side of your seat, which is handy when you have put the seat in full flat mode and cannot reach the big screen easily.

I found the film and series selection of the Saudia in-flight entertainment system to be decent enough. It was by no means exhaustive such as airlines like Emirates have, but it wasn’t bad either.

There seemed to be a good mix between classic movies, new released and episodes of popular TV series.

*The seat controls on the business class seats of the Saudia Airbus A320. ©Paliparan*

ife — *The in-flight entertainment system can be controlled by the small controller found in the seat, or by tapping on the large touch screen TV. ©Paliparan*

Menu

The menu card for the flight was already placed above each seat (next to the headphones case) upon boarding.

Although as a dry airline Saudia does not serve any alcohol, there are a good number op non-alcoholic options.

I was pleased to see that Saudia diversified it’s beverage options, as compared to my previous flight on the airline there were now numerous special teas and mocktails listed on the drinks menu.

It was interesting as well to see that Saudia nowadays offers a full dine on demand menu in business class on all its flights.

saudia menu — *The one-page Saudia menu. ©Paliparan*

Cabin crew

Saudia traditionally has an all-female cabin crew hailing mostly from Asian countries, who are led by a male Saudi Arabian senior purser.

Previously, I have always found the Saudia crews a mixed bag, with most of the female flight attendants just going through the motions and the male pursers being downright lazy and even rude at times.

I was however in for a great surprise as the enhancements of the Saudia business class product were not only visible when it came to the lie-flat seat and extended menu, but also in the provided service by the crew.

The crew was just absolutely fantastic on this Saudia flight – and perhaps no-one more than the male Arab purser who was simply delightful.

He and one of his female colleagues both stopped by my seat before take-off to introduce themselves and to thank me for choosing Saudia.

They told me that if at any time during the flight I need something, I should not hesitate to ask them.

Indeed, they would also inquire multiple times throughout the flight if I perhaps wanted a refill or if they could do anything else for me.

Pre-departure service

Just moments after I sat down in my seat, a flight attendant handed out a warm refreshment towel and offered a welcome drink of choice.

I went for the non-alcoholic Bellini, which tasted excellent.

Shortly before departure, the crew also distributed dates and Arabic coffee in small cups, which is a tradition among most Arab airlines in business class.

That Saudia has been working on improving its in-flight product could even be seen here, as I was presented with a choice of different varieties of dates.

bellini saudia review — *A Bellini mocktail on board of Saudia. ©Paliparan*

date coffee saudia review — *A date and Arabic coffee before departure. ©Paliparan*

Prayer

Before departure Saudia traditionally plays a short prayer on the in-flight entertainment screens.

It is an old prayer which the prophet Muhammad used to say before embarking on one of his journeys on the Arab Peninsula, wishing for a smooth and fast journey without any ill outcome for his or his family’s health.

saudia prayer muhammad — *Before departure, Saudia plays a short prayer which the prophet Muhammad used to say before he embarked on his travels. ©Paliparan*

Take-off

After a short distance taxiing on the apron of Athens Airport, we lined up on one of the airport’s two runways for take-off.

Views upon take-off were magnificent. Just like the beautiful views on landing in Athens on my previous flight, there were again gorgeous views over the Attica coastline.

uia ukraine airlines plane athens airport — *An Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane at Athens Airport. ©Paliparan*

view takeoff athens — *Views upon take-off from Athens Airport. ©Paliparan*

athens takeoff — *Views upon take-off from Athens Airport. ©Paliparan*

attica view athens takeoff — *The Attica coastline as seen from the window. ©Paliparan*

attica coastline view athens takeoff — *The Attica coastline as seen from the window. ©Paliparan*

attica athens takeoff view — *View over the Attica coastline. ©Paliparan*

In-flight service

Around 30 to 40 minutes after take-off while flying over the Mediterranean island of Crete the crew started with the meal service.

Already before departure they inquired what my preferred choice of meal was – so as soon as the fasten seat-belts sign went off they could jump right into action.

First a table cloth was placed on my tray table, after which a flight attendant placed an individual bread basket on it.

Then the starters were distributed. I had chosen the Arab set, which had a selection of Arab mezze (hummus, moutabal and labneh) as starters. To drink I opted for the San Pellegrino sparkling water.

The starter was tasty enough. I had better mezzes before on my Saudia flights, although it certainly wasn’t bad at all.

crete island view — *Dinner service started while flying above Crete. Note the snow-capped mountains – not many people know that you can find snow on Crete in winter! ©Paliparan*

arabic mezze saudia review a320 business class — *The Arabic mezze starter on my Saudia flight. ©Paliparan*

Meal

My main, the hamour sayadiya (a baked fish) with basmati rice was excellent. The fish was tender and fresh and the spices made sure that the dish packed lots of flavours.

As dessert I selected the apple and blackberry tartlet and a praline éclair, accompanied with a cup of peppermint leaf tea.

I’d wish that especially the tartlet was a bit bigger in size – as it was absolutely delicious.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the entire meal service and quality of the food.

All the dishes were beautifully presented and drink refills were proactively offered.

Besides, the meal was concluded within one-and-a-half-hours after departure. It didn’t take forever but also didn’t feel rushed – which is exactly the way I like it on a day flight.

arabic main dinner fish saudia review a320 business class meal — *For the main, I had selected the Arabic fish dish – which was excellent. ©Paliparan*

saudia business class review a320 dessert — *Peppermint tea, apple and blackberry tartlet and a praline eclair as dessert. ©Paliparan*

Saudia lie-flat seat

After the meal service I played a bit with my seat to check how the quality is in full flat-bed mode. The seat buttons are extremely easy to use and you have put the seat completely flat in under half a minute.

In the fully flat position, there is not much shoulder room – I found the only comfortable way to lie down was to move on my side as sleeping on my back or stomach did not leave for much space around your shoulders.

That said, I can imagine getting a decent enough sleep in these seats. The overall quality is certainly good.

As we are talking here about seats on a plane operating short to mid-haul journeys you can only conclude that these lie-flat seats are the best product imaginable on a narrow-body plane like the Airbus A320.

saudia airbus a320 business class flat seat review — *The Saudia business class seat on the Airbus A320 in lie-flat mode. ©Paliparan*

saudia airbus a320 business class review seat — *The Saudia seat was certainly comfortable in fully flat mode – although it felt a bit restricted around my shoulders. ©Paliparan*

Entering Arab airspace

One aspect which I absolutely loved about this flight were the great views.

After crossing the Med we entered Egyptian airspace. There were some beautiful desert views – with nothing to see but emptiness and sand save for the odd escarpment.

saudia egypt view — *Flying over the Egyptian coastline. ©Paliparan*

desert view egypt — *Nothing but desert and the odd escarpment. ©Paliparan*

WiFi

Saudia uses OnAir WiFi, which I think overall is not one of the best quality satellite internet providers.

That said, on this flight it seemed to worked decently enough, although there were a few coverage gaps (most notably over the Egyptian desert) when there was no signal at all.

Each passenger on the flight was given a few megabytes of data (if I remember correctly – 15mb) for free which could be used only for messaging apps. That said, this also worked to browse the internet.

I easily managed to load a few internet pages and to sent some messages over WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Additional data packages – including a full-flight plan – were also available for purchase and were decently priced. As I had some offline work to do on my laptop, I did however not bother trying any of these out after I used up my free WiFi allowance.

The only thing which puzzled me is that normally, Saudia business class passengers get a voucher code by email which they can use for a certain amount of megabyte in additional data.

For whatever reason, I did however not receive any such email before departure. Also the crew was oblivious about it.

internet saudia wifi review — *The OnAir internet which Saudia used was not working all the time. ©Paliparan*

River Nile

While I tried to get some work done I ordered a coffee – which tasted fairly good. It was beautifully served with a few chocolates and even another refreshment towel.

After a while I decided to ditch my laptop and just enjoy the views from the window.

We were currently flying over the River Nile, which I think is one of the more amazing sights you can see from the plane window.

I just love the contrast between the fertile lands on each side of the river and the desert which immediately begins afterwards.

What a stunning view – especially so at sunset with some stormy clouds closing in!

coffee chocolates saudia business class review — *The coffee which I ordered was presented with some chocolates and a refreshment towel. ©Paliparan*

river nile view saudia — *Flying over the River Nile. ©Paliparan*

river nile view egypy — *I just love the contrast between the desert and the fertile Nile Valley. ©Paliparan*

river nile view egypt — *The contrast between the desert and the Nile Valley. ©Paliparan*

desert egypt view — *The sunset was spectacular with the dark, stormy clouds looming over the desert. ©Paliparan*

egypt desert nile sunset a320 business class saudia — *The sunset was spectacular with the dark, stormy clouds looming over the desert. ©Paliparan*

Toilet

There is one lavatory in the front of the cabin which is exclusively for the use of business class passengers.

Although the toilet is the same size and model as you can find in any other Airbus A320 – it was stocked with some nice quality toiletries and even featured a small flower to give it a bit of the business class touch.

The crew made sure that the toilet was kept immaculately clean during the entire flight, basically checking the toilet after each passenger used it to see if it might need some cleaning.

airbus a230 toilet saudia business class — *The toilet on the Airbus A320 of Saudia. ©Paliparan*

Arrival

Even though our arrival into Jeddah was less than one hour away, the crew had no problem serving out another coffee refill, which was this time served with some shortbread.

Some 40 minutes before landing the crew even passed by each seat offering each business class passenger a glass of juice before arrival. I selected a glass of orange juice, which tasted good.

I always like arriving at airports in Saudia Arabia (be it Jeddah – or even better in Riyadh) by night as the city lights and the mostly rectangular street grid just looks impressive from the air.

Unfortunately, my phone camera was nowhere near good enough to capture this in darkness.

We landed spot on time in Jeddah and after a short taxi time we arrived at our gate of Jeddah’s new airport terminal.

saudia coffee refill business class review a320 — *My coffee refill was served with some shortbread. ©Paliparan*

sunset view saudia red sea a320 business class — *Sunset while flying over the Red Sea towards Saudi Arabia. ©Paliparan*

saudia pre landing drink — *The excellent flight crew served pre-landing drinks while already slowly descending towards Jeddah. ©Paliparan*

jeddah view — *The city of Jeddah visible in the distance! ©Paliparan*

jeddah night view — *Jeddah by night. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

The flight from Athens to Jeddah went by fast – which is always a sign how good a particular flight is. Sure, the great views along the way of the Med and the Egyptian desert helped too, but it was Saudia which stole the show.

For a short to mid-haul business class product, the Saudia Airbus A320 with lie-flat seats have the best hard product imaginable.

If you want, you can have some good sleep, although also in upright position these are excellent business class seats.

The food and drinks on board Saudia are excellent too, although do note that no alcohol is served. That said, there are plenty of mocktails, sodas, juices and teas available to keep most people satisfied.

I loved the quality of my main dish and dessert – and the whole meal services was smoothly executed and beautifully presented.

Best of all was however the crew. You can clearly see that Saudia’s recent changes and improvements of its soft product also impacted their employees.

Each and every crew member went a bit extra to ensure that all passengers were well fed and always had a full glass next to them. They seemed to be genuinely happy doing their jobs, welcoming to each and every passenger and proud of the Saudia product. And they indeed should be.

The only negative I can think about is the removal of the amenity kit on short and mid-haul flights and the shaky internet connection – but those are minor issues I can easily live with considering how great all other aspects of the flight and service were.

Overall, I can highly recommend flying Saudia in business class on their Airbus A320 with lie-flat seats.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Lazing in Laos and Gallivanting a Wee Bit Around Asia‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: Aegean Airlines Business Class Bucharest to Athens (Airbus A320)
2. Review: Goldair Handling Lounge (Non-Schengen) Athens Airport
3. Review: Saudia Business Class (Airbus A320) Athens to Jeddah (current chapter)
4. Review: Saudia Alfursan Lounge Jeddah Airport South Terminal
5. Review: Review: Saudia Business Class Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur (Boeing 787)
6. Review: CitizenM Hotel Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang
7. Kuala Lumpur in One Day: What to See and Do in 24 Hours
8. A Batu Caves Half Day Trip From Kuala Lumpur By Public Transport
9. Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Private Resting Suite Gateway KLIA2
10. Review: Air Asia Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane (Airbus A320)
11. Review: Hotel Khamvongsa, Vientiane, Laos
12. Destination Trip Report: A Day in Vientiane, Laos
13. Guide: Domestic Bus Travel in Laos and How to Book a Ticket
14. Review: Simon Riverside Hotel, Vang Vieng, Laos
15. Trip Report: Vang Vieng – Worth a Stop on Your Laos Itinerary?
16. Review: Villa Ban Phanluang, Luang Prabang, Laos
17. Luang Prabang: The Stunning Pearl of Indochina
18. Guide: Luang Prabang Morning, Food and Night Markets
19. Kuang Si Falls: A Gorgeous Luang Prabang Day Trip
20. Review: Thai Smile Economy Class Luang Prabang to Bangkok (Airbus A320)
21. Review: Ibis Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit 4
22. Review: Air France/KLM Business Lounge Bangkok Airport
23. Review: Garuda Indonesia Business Class Bangkok to Jakarta (Boeing 737-800)
24. Review: Sapphire Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 3 Jakarta Airport
25. Review: Garuda Business Lounge Terminal 3 Jakarta Airport
26. Review: Review: Japan Airlines Business Class Jakarta to Tokyo Narita (Boeing 787-8)
27. Review: Capsule Hotel Transit Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
28. Tokyo Stopover: What to See and Do in the Capital of Japan for a Day
29. Review: ANA Business Lounge Tokyo Narita Airport
30. Review: United Club Tokyo Narita Airport
31. Review: Turkish Airlines Economy Class Tokyo Narita to Istanbul (Boeing 777)
32. Review: Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Lounge Istanbul Airport
33. Review: Turkish Airlines Economy Class Istanbul to Bucharest (Airbus A330)