Help - Saudia downgraded flight TUN-JED
#106
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
BTW, by now they use (as earlier suggested) also WAMOS planes on the route. I got a rebooking to seat 2A for my flight JED-TUN on 22 May. It is likely flown by this bird, which has only 2 rows of J in angled lie-flat seats. Still for later days the A300-600 is suggested to do it ;-). I am all happy since my MNL-JED leg is the long one where I want to sleep and that seems full-flat seats.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/sv365
https://wamosair.com/fleet/a330-300/ec-nog
Edit - the poor people flying this bird in Y will find themselves in 9 abreast A330 (low cost lay-out, seems a plane taken from Air Asia)
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/sv365
https://wamosair.com/fleet/a330-300/ec-nog
Edit - the poor people flying this bird in Y will find themselves in 9 abreast A330 (low cost lay-out, seems a plane taken from Air Asia)
#107
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 4
Wamos aircraft!
Just seating in the TUN-JED flight, which is definitely a wet-leased WAMOS A330-300 aircraft.
The aircraft has a SV livery, and the two rows of C-Class are angle flat seats. There's just no inflight entertainment system, which is going to be ok for the next 4 hours
![Smilie](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif)
I'll post some pictures
![Smilie](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Last edited by seventynine; May 19, 2023 at 4:23 am
#108
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
Saudia is very persistent in giving the impression you fly an Airbus 300-600: this is what I got at check in at seat selection. Never mind 2k is J in one of these ex-Air Asia A330-300 planes WAMOS flies for them ;-)
![](https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.flyertalk.com-vbulletin/495x168/20230521_check_in__aa00d7a5c27bc2258779038d3210265b01e55973.jpg)
#109
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 44
#110
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
JED-TUN today was on Wamos for Saudia Airlines. Could not be clearer. On an ex Air Asia A330-300. Outside was fully repainted in Saudia livery, clearly Spanish pilots (much of the communication I heard in the galley before doors closed was in Spanish), I suspect half of the flight attendants Spanish too dressed in Saudia uniforms (although announcements were also made in Arabic). In J no frills angle lie flat seats without entertainment as I know them from Air Asia. Totally fine for the 4 hour flight and the price. Had a peek into Y but that is not where you want to be on this route (packed 9 abreast with 16 inch wide seats).
![](https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.flyertalk.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20230522_062143_1__fd0abec0c9809a0e3ae08a92addf1b13033705c4.jpg)
#111
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,265
My experience with Saudia downgrade has been really poor. Despite various promises, so far they have not made any difference in price refund or compensation for downgrade from D to T in the JED-TUN segment. Only different promises, pretexts and fictions both in Jeddah and Tunis (In Jeddah, I was unduly told I would receive a letter to an email "within minutes" with a compensation amount, In Tunis, it was said that they could only compensate for TUN-JED segments on the spot). It all comes down to recommendations to contact Saudia via their website. But it is somehow a disgrace that a passenger who has not received at all the product for which he paid has to fight for his compensation ...
I flew from JED to TUN today (May 25) and it is noteworthy that there was last minute aircraft change again and operating Airbus 330 (HZ-AQK) was equipped with business class AND a pinch of passengers also received "upgrade" to business. It is completely unclear how the upgrades were done, but they were carried out by "executive manager" at the gate. Maybe his friends or family? At least half of the business class (probably more) was left empty. When I said it was very unfair treatment -- given that I had a business class ticket and they haven't compensated for the downgrade in any way so far -- this "executive manager" suggested filing a complaint via Saudia's website.
So, for five hours, I flew in row 43 (another Saudia agent lied at the gate that he had given me a exit row window seat, which it was of course not). Row 43 had a terrible legroom and dilapidated seats (some sort of different electrical wires and cables shone from under the seat in front). Extremely uncomfortable for sleeping.
It must be said that the crew of the plane was very pleasant, and one of them, I think, purser, tried to somehow compensate for the situation by bringing me dates and chocolates from business class, but I refused all of them.
I flew from JED to TUN today (May 25) and it is noteworthy that there was last minute aircraft change again and operating Airbus 330 (HZ-AQK) was equipped with business class AND a pinch of passengers also received "upgrade" to business. It is completely unclear how the upgrades were done, but they were carried out by "executive manager" at the gate. Maybe his friends or family? At least half of the business class (probably more) was left empty. When I said it was very unfair treatment -- given that I had a business class ticket and they haven't compensated for the downgrade in any way so far -- this "executive manager" suggested filing a complaint via Saudia's website.
So, for five hours, I flew in row 43 (another Saudia agent lied at the gate that he had given me a exit row window seat, which it was of course not). Row 43 had a terrible legroom and dilapidated seats (some sort of different electrical wires and cables shone from under the seat in front). Extremely uncomfortable for sleeping.
It must be said that the crew of the plane was very pleasant, and one of them, I think, purser, tried to somehow compensate for the situation by bringing me dates and chocolates from business class, but I refused all of them.
Last edited by fokker50; May 25, 2023 at 6:58 am
#112
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
Hi Fokker50, you are the first in this thread that did not manage to re-route. Apparently you were victim of what some of us including me faced for weeks - no responses, until during a lucky call the issue was solved in my case by re-routing and the like. That they do not even give compensation for the downgrade....over the top. I would have expected at least when you were in JED (and could go into the lounge assuming you had a connection in J there) they at least would have done something. Sorry to hear. And clear many of us in this thread were lucky in getting away with a rerouting or similar.
#113
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,265
Hi Fokker50, you are the first in this thread that did not manage to re-route. Apparently you were victim of what some of us including me faced for weeks - no responses, until during a lucky call the issue was solved in my case by re-routing and the like. That they do not even give compensation for the downgrade....over the top. I would have expected at least when you were in JED (and could go into the lounge assuming you had a connection in J there) they at least would have done something. Sorry to hear. And clear many of us in this thread were lucky in getting away with a rerouting or similar.
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#114
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
Can I ask which airline you had your ticket from? SV was hence for you not the marketing, but operating carrier and you were on a codeshare or so? Then most likely the marketing carrier is the one who should compensate.......and get that back from SV. A situation prone for problems. I sometimes have to book via the travel agent of my employer - when for connecting flights on the same PNR KL where I have plat status changed the first flight making the connection impossible, they did not want to move an inch and said I had to sort it out with our travel agent! (which they did, since of course my employer hired them expecting to deal with such trouble. But with an Online Travel Agent (OTA) you are a single person against them, and they usually ask horrible fees for any help you need).
My lesson is to book as a rule directly with the operating carrier, not via an OTA, and to avoid codeshares if possible, unless the price difference is huge. So I use usually OTA's to find which carrier gives a good price, and then book directly with the carrier on their website. I think I could have had my SV ticket 20 Euros cheaper to got to an OTA but that is not worth it on 1000 or more Euros. Only when the difference is significant and the trip unlikely to give trouble (like a one way MH JKT-KUL where the OTA offered 105 Euro and the carrier 135 Euro for the same booking class) I go for the OTA.
My lesson is to book as a rule directly with the operating carrier, not via an OTA, and to avoid codeshares if possible, unless the price difference is huge. So I use usually OTA's to find which carrier gives a good price, and then book directly with the carrier on their website. I think I could have had my SV ticket 20 Euros cheaper to got to an OTA but that is not worth it on 1000 or more Euros. Only when the difference is significant and the trip unlikely to give trouble (like a one way MH JKT-KUL where the OTA offered 105 Euro and the carrier 135 Euro for the same booking class) I go for the OTA.
#115
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,265
Can I ask which airline you had your ticket from? SV was hence for you not the marketing, but operating carrier and you were on a codeshare or so? Then most likely the marketing carrier is the one who should compensate.......and get that back from SV. A situation prone for problems. I sometimes have to book via the travel agent of my employer - when for connecting flights on the same PNR KL where I have plat status changed the first flight making the connection impossible, they did not want to move an inch and said I had to sort it out with our travel agent! (which they did, since of course my employer hired them expecting to deal with such trouble. But with an Online Travel Agent (OTA) you are a single person against them, and they usually ask horrible fees for any help you need).
My lesson is to book as a rule directly with the operating carrier, not via an OTA, and to avoid codeshares if possible, unless the price difference is huge. So I use usually OTA's to find which carrier gives a good price, and then book directly with the carrier on their website. I think I could have had my SV ticket 20 Euros cheaper to got to an OTA but that is not worth it on 1000 or more Euros. Only when the difference is significant and the trip unlikely to give trouble (like a one way MH JKT-KUL where the OTA offered 105 Euro and the carrier 135 Euro for the same booking class) I go for the OTA.
My lesson is to book as a rule directly with the operating carrier, not via an OTA, and to avoid codeshares if possible, unless the price difference is huge. So I use usually OTA's to find which carrier gives a good price, and then book directly with the carrier on their website. I think I could have had my SV ticket 20 Euros cheaper to got to an OTA but that is not worth it on 1000 or more Euros. Only when the difference is significant and the trip unlikely to give trouble (like a one way MH JKT-KUL where the OTA offered 105 Euro and the carrier 135 Euro for the same booking class) I go for the OTA.
#117
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
To report back - it took some time, but also I got my Original Route Crediting despite having flown TUN-JED-BKK with Turkish - TUN-JED-BKK and MNL-JED-TUN yielded 114 XP as it should be. With the FB miles a small discussion left - my itinerary was over 13k miles, SV I class gives 150% miles, my platinum doubles that - but somehow they multiplied with 1.5+1 = 2.5 instead of 3. Guess with some mails back and forth that will be corrected, and if not the XP is what is of most value for me.
End good, all good. If now only Saudia would have been more responsive in March after their downgrade and have a service desk that you could reach easily....
End good, all good. If now only Saudia would have been more responsive in March after their downgrade and have a service desk that you could reach easily....
#118
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NUE
Programs: *G (TK elite+), OW sapphire (QR), ST elite plus (AF). LA black
Posts: 4,043
2.5 factor is pretty much correct. you only get 100% platinum bonus on the BASE miles - not on the class of service multiplicator.
#119
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,703
https://www.flyingblue.us/en/programme/more-info/earn
- Example 1:
· Distance = 3,625 miles
· Your booking class is D, so the booking class earning percentage is 175%
· As a Platinum member, your Elite Bonus earning percentage is 100%
Miles earned = (distance x booking class earning percentage) + (Distance x booking class earning percentage) x Elite bonus earning percentage
Miles earned = (3,625 x 175%) + (3,625 x 175% x 100%) = 6,344 + 6,344 = 12,688 Miles.
[Bold and underlined by me]
#120
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NUE
Programs: *G (TK elite+), OW sapphire (QR), ST elite plus (AF). LA black
Posts: 4,043
The FB website suggests otherwise. And last year I had a mixed Y and J Saudia trip that scored almost 30k which is only possible with the multiplicator over all miles including class of service bonus. The Delta J example is pretty clear below - first you get a class of service multiplicator, and that amount then is again multiplied with your silver, gold or plat bonus.
https://www.flyingblue.us/en/programme/more-info/earn
· Distance = 3,625 miles
· Your booking class is D, so the booking class earning percentage is 175%
· As a Platinum member, your Elite Bonus earning percentage is 100%
Miles earned = (distance x booking class earning percentage) + (Distance x booking class earning percentage) x Elite bonus earning percentage
Miles earned = (3,625 x 175%) + (3,625 x 175% x 100%) = 6,344 + 6,344 = 12,688 Miles.
[Bold and underlined by me]
https://www.flyingblue.us/en/programme/more-info/earn
- Example 1:
· Distance = 3,625 miles
· Your booking class is D, so the booking class earning percentage is 175%
· As a Platinum member, your Elite Bonus earning percentage is 100%
Miles earned = (distance x booking class earning percentage) + (Distance x booking class earning percentage) x Elite bonus earning percentage
Miles earned = (3,625 x 175%) + (3,625 x 175% x 100%) = 6,344 + 6,344 = 12,688 Miles.
[Bold and underlined by me]
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Last edited by f0zzyNUE; Jul 17, 2023 at 11:16 am