Saudia Airlines

JEDDAH TO MILAN

- Matteo Legnani

After Saudi Arabia opened its borders to foreign tourists in 2019, the country launched a massive campaign to revamp the passenger experience at its main airports and flag carrier Saudia Airlines. A world-class terminal now pampers passengers at King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah. And in November, the government announced the construction of an entirely new aerial gateway in Riyadh. Saudia refreshed its fleet by acquiring a large number of Boeing 787-9 and -10 Dreamliners featuring a new Business Class product and an enhanced onboard service and in-flight entertainment. The Dreamliners are used chiefly on long-haul services to West Africa and East Asia and on a few medium-haul flights to some American and European destinations, including Milan.

So, visiting a friend who lives in Jeddah became the perfect occasion to try the top-notch product of the Kingdom's airline. To avoid spending a fortune for a relatively short trip, I booked a ticket in economy class on my way to Saudi Arabia and upgraded to Business Class on the leg back to Europe.

Upon making my reservation, I discovered that my flight would be operated by one of the carrier's Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft features a 24-seat Business Class cabin arranged in a 1-2-1 cross section-a considerable step forward in privacy and comfort compared with what passengers experience on the carrier's 777s, which feature older seats and an outdated 2-2-2 configuration. The airline operates the 777 product on its USA network, which includes New York, Washington and Los Angeles.