For the next sector of my Four Seasons Yacht via Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia adventure, I flew Saudia’s Boeing 787-10 business class on the 5hr20min flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to Jeddah (JED). This was perhaps the flight of the trip that most exceeded my expectations. The food, service, and amenities were absolutely phenomenal.
Prior to this flight, it had been years since I flew Saudia business class, and past flights definitely left a lot to be desired. I had heard that Saudia has been improving in recent years, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite this good — it felt like flying a completely different airline.
This is truly a world-class soft product, with the obvious caveat being that the airline is “dry” and doesn’t serve alcohol. I try to judge airlines objectively, so this isn’t a political statement about Saudi Arabia, but instead a reflection of my flight experience.
How I Booked My Saudia Business Class Ticket
I redeemed Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for my Saudia business class itinerary. Specifically, I booked the following for 85,000 Flying Blue miles plus $301 in taxes and fees:
- 7/28 SV214 Amsterdam to Jeddah departing 3:55PM arriving 10:45PM
- 7/29 SV1056 Jeddah to Riyadh departing 1:00AM arriving 2:45AM
This isn’t actually a particularly good redemption value, though I did earn those Flying Blue miles with a 25% transfer bonus. So why didn’t I book through Delta SkyMiles or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, which are also in SkyTeam and in theory have lower redemption rates? For whatever reason, they didn’t see award availability on the Jeddah to Riyadh connecting flight, while Flying Blue did — so that made the math work in Flying Blue’s favor.
I booked my ticket around two weeks before departure.
Saudia Business Class Lounge & Boarding
I had booked a separate economy ticket on KLM from Dubrovnik (DBV) to Amsterdam the morning of my Saudia flight. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to check in online — likely because they need to verify visas for Saudi Arabia — which was somewhat inconvenient.
I headed to the check-in desk around three hours before departure when it opened. Check-in was chaotic, not due to any fault of the staff, but because a lot of passengers seemed to struggle with queuing and several people in front of me had issues with their tickets or were trying to argue for an upgrade.
I then spent some time in the KLM Crown Lounge, a solid lounge and a nice place to spend time before a flight. My flight was departing from gate F4, just a short walk from the lounge.
Boarding was scheduled for 3:10PM, 45 minutes before the 3:55PM departure. I arrived at the gate early and spotted the Saudia Dreamliner parked there in the old livery.
The inbound flight arrived on schedule, so I’m not sure what caused the delay, but boarding was pushed back substantially. The crew only boarded at 3:20PM, and actual passenger boarding didn’t begin until 3:40PM. Those needing extra time boarded first — which appeared to be about half the plane — after which general boarding got underway.
Saudia 787 Business Class Cabin & Seats
I boarded through the second set of doors and was greeted by an exceptionally friendly flight attendant who directed me to the left. I was on the most stretched version of the Dreamliner, the Boeing 787-10, which has quite a bit of space between the first and second sets of doors.
Rather than dedicating that entire space to business class as most airlines do, Saudia only has 24 business class seats across six rows, followed immediately by an economy section with 36 seats across four rows.
Saudia’s 787 business class features Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats — the standard reverse herringbone configuration. This is a solid hard product. It’s not cutting edge today, but it’s hard to imagine anyone complaining about these seats. Saudia is expected to introduce a new business class product soon, so it will be interesting to see what the airline comes up with.
If you’re traveling with someone, the pairs of seats in the center are a better option than sitting separately, though it’s still a little tricky to communicate easily given the separation and angle of reverse herringbone seats.
Most passengers will prefer a window seat, which offers both direct aisle access and a view outside.
I selected seat 6A, the window seat in the last row on the left side.
The seat features a side console with an entertainment controller, headphone jack, and both AC and USB-A charging ports, along with a literature pocket. Part of the console can be raised to reveal an enclosed storage compartment large enough for headphones, a passport, a phone, and similar items.
Overall, Saudia’s 787-10 business class delivered a genuinely impressive experience — particularly given the airline’s previous reputation. For travelers willing to fly dry and book strategically through Flying Blue or another SkyTeam partner program, it represents solid value on the Amsterdam–Jeddah route.
