flymuc

Dates available from August 2020-February 2021
Booking Class I

Examples (cheapest OTA price):
ATH-ADD 685€ https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...51*2.EUR.70151
ATH-DXB 745€ https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...35*2.EUR.76235
ATH-DAC () 751€ https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...03*2.EUR.76803
ATH-CGK 722€ https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...51*2.EUR.73951
ATH-MNL 692€ https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...85*2.EUR.69385
ATH-KRT 675€ https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...26*2.EUR.67626

NextWhiteDeath

It is an awesome fare if you don't mind flying on a dry airline. This fare was discussed year and never went away as the airline just refiled it after it expired. Just be careful about the booking times as SV is not always the best about accommodating if something goes wrong.
BTW A320 they fly to euro all have lie-flat seats.

Alex1983

No, It's not. I flew in March from ATH, it was recliner

DALtoAAL

Yes, I can confirm that the seats on 320's operating to ATH are recliners on most days. Above is the cabin from my flight in mid-February. Still, it was very decent experience.

jhmili

Hi.
Caution with this dry company.
Very long layover in the old JED terminal lounge and very noisy with cold water in the showers...
Very dirty toilets on board. Often plenty of water on the ground!..

But very good prices and meals onboard in business class.
Sometimes their A320 have lie flat bed in J in2-2 configuration...

HalconBCN

Isn't the new termial open in Jeddah now? Agree the old terminal was a disgrace.

108912

I flew SV J previously on a similar deal IST - KUL. Here's my take aways on SV:

The pros:
- very decent onboard hard product. Clean aircraft. Efficient crew (well the expat ladies anyway - the saudi guys don't really do anything)
- free limited wifi.
- none of the four sectors I took were more than half full in J.
- food was 'ok'

The cons:
- the SV terminal in JED is a disgrace. I would rate LOS/EBB/ADD cleaner and more comfortable. And that's saying something. I believe they've moved to a better one now though?
- schedule changes. I'd done my research and knew how awful JED airport was so I had booked flights with <2hrs transit in JED in each direction. On the return the schedule was changed and I had a 9hr transit at JED.
- catering. I'm not much of a drinker so the dry aspect of SV was no issue for me. I had imagine however, being a dry airline, SV would have made some investment in kick a*s non alcoholic drinks. Even if it was a variety of fresh juices, smoothies or even fake booze. Nope. Water is automatically given with each meal and topped up. Unless you request some other beverage. The other beverages are limited pretty much to a few sodas.

All in all I had no regrets flying SV and would definitely do it again providing I didn't have a long transit in JED.

pete_ncl

JNB also possible but you need to "force" a stopover at JED on the way back. For some reason I am unable to find a return

Example: https://www.google.com/flights?hl=de...;sd:1;t:f;tt:m

Romanianflyer

Not yet all flights have moved to the new terminal (at least, not in early February when I flew them shortly before the COVID-19 lockdowns).

I've flown Saudia at least once a year for the last three years (first the FCO deal, then the ex-IST deal, and now ATH). Your summary of SV operations is accurate although a bit outdated. A lot has changed in the SV soft product since the IST-deal.

Food has improved further (I always thought it was pretty good to begin with, but they stepped up even a bit more). They vastly expanded their drinks menu, now including many teas, proper espresso/cappuccino and mocktails (the non-alcoholic Bellini is great, the mojito not so much!). The biggest changes are however to be seen in the service as somehow Saudia either hired a complete new set of flight attendants or threatened to hack them into pieces with a bone saw (pun intended) if they would not step up their game.

Every single interaction I had with SV cabin crew - including the male Saudi FA - has been enjoyable and excellent. They suddenly changed into a welcoming, pro-active, warm and friendly bunch almost overnight. If you have flown old style SV with lazy, disinterested crews you will instantly notice the vast differences.

pete_ncl

Great to hear and I look forward to getting on board in December 2020. ATH-KUL for Xmas and NYE. The product looks excellent. Hoping for lie flats on ATH-JED route!

Changed planes at JED last year ADD-JED-IST and the airport experience was absolutely terrible even though was flying J.

Hope to see improvements and smoother transit experience in December!

Aston100

This is so frustrating for me.
Amazing prices ex ATH to KUL & CGK, but I can't find a reasonable price to Athens and back from Birmingham or even London in order to catch the SV flight on the 19th of December.
Currently seeing around £400pp economy return (return on 2nd or 3rd January).
So close, yet hindered by the silly prices to get to Athens and back.

Would ideally have liked to have gone to CMB but can't find any appropriate flights over the Xmas and New Year school holiday period.

Stuif91

ITA gives Lufthansa as your best option (178-213 pounds). But the trip is long (8-12 hours).

king1983

Do you have avios? there is availability Dec 17/18 and return Jan 1 (though that might not be ideal.....)

Aston100

Alas, I am constrained by school holidays so looking at the outbound from ATH to JED at 15:15 on 19th December.
The inbound from JED to ATH lands at 13:35 on 2nd January.
I can fly out on Friday 18th evening from BHX or late night from London if need be (Agean have an expensive post 10pm direct flight) and come back from Athens on the late afternoon of the 2nd or anytime on 3rd.

And yes I have sufficient Avios but no availability on the inbound, and the outbound isn't at a suitable time.

Thanks.

pete_ncl

I wouldn't worry about the flight positioning. There should be deals later and the availability of reward flights may change too.

I don't even know on which continent I'm going to be prior to the ATH flight, will cross this bridge a bit later.