Overnight at JED (Saudia, J ticket)?
Jul 10, 22, 9:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 40
Overnight at JED (Saudia, J ticket)?
Finding a very good deal in J from IAD to DEL with a 23 hour layover in JED. Anyone have thoughts on overnighting in the airport? How nice is the al-Fursan lounge - looks like it's a year or so old in the new terminal? Are there places to sleep in the lounge? Would they kick me out if I tried to spend 20 hours there?
Edit: Looks like there's a similar Saudia routing through RUH; any thoughts about doing a long overnight there are welcome too.
Edit: Looks like there's a similar Saudia routing through RUH; any thoughts about doing a long overnight there are welcome too.
Jul 11, 22, 1:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Bonn, Germany
Programs: TK Elite, LH FTL
Posts: 647
Finding a very good deal in J from IAD to DEL with a 23 hour layover in JED. Anyone have thoughts on overnighting in the airport? How nice is the al-Fursan lounge - looks like it's a year or so old in the new terminal? Are there places to sleep in the lounge? Would they kick me out if I tried to spend 20 hours there?
Edit: Looks like there's a similar Saudia routing through RUH; any thoughts about doing a long overnight there are welcome too.
Edit: Looks like there's a similar Saudia routing through RUH; any thoughts about doing a long overnight there are welcome too.
Jul 12, 22, 2:22 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 844
I would definitively not spend that much time at either airport - I would try to get an e-visa for Saudi Arabia and then spend the time in town. Both Riyadh and Jeddah have a number of decent hotels and just about enough sights to keep one occupied for 24 hours. If you cannot easily get an e-visa (it depends on your nationality), I would avoid such a long layover.
Jul 12, 22, 12:44 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: YEG/KWI
Programs: EK Gold, QR Gold, WY Gold, Delta Silver Medallion
Posts: 344
Had an eight hour layover at JED on J ticket a couple of weeks ago, and the AlFursan lounge was great. They had slumber rooms, and everything was pretty decent. However, 23 hours in that lounge would be super tiresome. There's an airport hotel available (The Aerotel). Since I had a 20 hour layover on my way back home, I went over to them to look out for the rooms and prices. It costs $160 for 24 hours.
Jul 12, 22, 3:30 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Bonn, Germany
Programs: TK Elite, LH FTL
Posts: 647
That's good to know, I have always been puzzled whether you can get them on arrival, or need to apply for them online. I have only seen information on the e-visa, do you know what the process is like to get them on arrival, i.e. without applying online? I usually travel on a business visa, but I'm thinking about a short visit with the family on our way to Dubai later this year.
Jul 12, 22, 6:59 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 844
That's good to know, I have always been puzzled whether you can get them on arrival, or need to apply for them online. I have only seen information on the e-visa, do you know what the process is like to get them on arrival, i.e. without applying online? I usually travel on a business visa, but I'm thinking about a short visit with the family on our way to Dubai later this year.
Jul 14, 22, 5:13 am
#9
Join Date: May 2015
Location: WAW / TBS
Programs: AF Platinum / Accor Platinum / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Silver
Posts: 2,552
Finding a very good deal in J from IAD to DEL with a 23 hour layover in JED. Anyone have thoughts on overnighting in the airport? How nice is the al-Fursan lounge - looks like it's a year or so old in the new terminal? Are there places to sleep in the lounge? Would they kick me out if I tried to spend 20 hours there?
Edit: Looks like there's a similar Saudia routing through RUH; any thoughts about doing a long overnight there are welcome too.
Edit: Looks like there's a similar Saudia routing through RUH; any thoughts about doing a long overnight there are welcome too.
Jul 18, 22, 4:31 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 16,690
There's an airside hotel in the terminal, but you really can't spend 24H airside!!
Spend some of the money you are saving on an e-visa. It will be a one-year multin-entry visa, which might com in handy for future trips. It'll probably cost around $100 and the application is straighforward.
Best place to stay is on the corniche. The older, Hamra corniche is the one with the fountain. There are plenty of inexpensive hotels: recognised brands are more expensive (the Crowne Plaza can be good value). The other stretch of corniche is further north: newer and ritzier, it has a comfortable-but-pricey Hilton.
Apart from the corniche, it's not a pedestrian-friendly city.
Spend some of the money you are saving on an e-visa. It will be a one-year multin-entry visa, which might com in handy for future trips. It'll probably cost around $100 and the application is straighforward.
Best place to stay is on the corniche. The older, Hamra corniche is the one with the fountain. There are plenty of inexpensive hotels: recognised brands are more expensive (the Crowne Plaza can be good value). The other stretch of corniche is further north: newer and ritzier, it has a comfortable-but-pricey Hilton.
Apart from the corniche, it's not a pedestrian-friendly city.
Jul 22, 22, 5:46 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 16,690
Jul 22, 22, 9:39 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: YEG/KWI
Programs: EK Gold, QR Gold, WY Gold, Delta Silver Medallion
Posts: 344
Last time I went there, I saw the hotel branded as Aerotel Jeddah. I thought of visiting the Aerotel website to reserve my rooms, but there is no mention as such on their website, with only Aerotel MCT being the option there.
Jul 25, 22, 8:27 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: EMA (how boring) but BHX is more convenient.
Posts: 2,314
When I was in Jeddah Airport earlier this month I walked up to the immigration desks and asked about entering the country. They pointed out the place to get visas, and I noted there was no queue. I asked if there was anything that might cause problems and pointed out that I have an Iranian visa in my passport. They seemed unconcerned. I will attempt to enter the country on next arrival when I return from my current trip overseas.
Jeddah Airport seemed moderately sparsely populated and well served by staff as far as I could see. I could walk right up to my choice of immigration staff and ask questions. I may have been there at the right time.
Jeddah Airport seemed moderately sparsely populated and well served by staff as far as I could see. I could walk right up to my choice of immigration staff and ask questions. I may have been there at the right time.
