Bleuprince16

This deal is similar to an older deal first identified back in 2019 which has since expired. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/prem...-rt-700-a.html
The deal back in 2019 used to offer many other popular Asian destinations, but I can only find COK, Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala for Euro 790. Is this a good price ? Anyone else able to find other destinations ?
Anyone knows how to make this deal more tolerable while maintaining this price ? That 19 hours layover is painful.

Some extracts of the Fare Rules

jfkeze

I see your 19 layover and raise the stakes with a 31:50 layover!! 😳🧐🤨😂 (Technically a stopover but seems to be allowed)
ATH to SIN from €1107

nk15

COK is also the closest Indian airport with flights to MLE.

IAN-UK

Stopovers of over 24hours routinely add around $150 to a trip: perhaps to protect Jeddah as a destination, though maybe origin taxes for Jeddah com into play. This is probably built into the ticket price quoted above - suggesting it could be significantly cheaper if you can find a <24H transfer.

The other consideration is that transfers of over 12H require a transit visa, whether or not you choose to stay airside: that's another $100. It's something Saudia polices at check-in, though it's not entirely clear if the rule is enforced and if challenged at check-in you could affirm that you intend to get a visa on arrival: but it's a concern. .

kshastry

Does it work in reverse? from COK or any other India gateways?

ElJudioErrante

Works from ATH MRU J rt

Maestro Ramen

Thank you OP!

My better half and I will get a nice weeklong Kochi-Jeddah-Athens trip!

For the 24h stop in Jeddah on the return, do you need a visa to visit?

qraec777

That's no longer the case. You can have long layovers in JED, not sure about RUH though. Although the checkin agents might ask you out of curiosity as to if you'd be fine spending a day in the airport. I just told them that I might get the Visa on Arrival if I wanted to go out of the airport, but they aren't going to bat an eye about your long layovers.

One more weird thing that happened was when I was about to take the trains to the arrivals in JED, a Saudi officer asked me if I was heading to the arrivals area, to which I replied affirmatively. He asked me for the length of my stay, to which I replied, 21 hours. He told that I cannot avail the VoA unless my stay exceeds 24 hours, which is weird because I saw the others get the visa and move on. I had a layover of a similar length on my way back and I was able to get the visa and visit JED with no questions asked.

Bleuprince16

What did you do for 19 hours layover in JED?

qraec777

PSA : If you're booking flights to COK, note that the aircraft deployed on this route is usually the ones with the Recliner J Class cabin, and you won't get lie flat seats. However, there are days when you get the angled lie-flat configured aircraft, been checking FR24. I like to call it the Saudi roulette. Unless you want to get stuck on a recliner at 2 in the morning on a 6-hour flight, try looking out for other destinations with a guaranteed better hard-product like MAA/BLR.

The recliner seats : https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/4-1.jpg

Here's how you can identify if you have the old product:

HZ-AQA,B,C,...,H - Recliner Seats (Easy way to identify : the aircraft still has the old SAUDI ARABIAN livery), although I believe HZ-AQA has been repainted to the SAUDIA livery.
HZ-AQI,J,K,L - Angled lie flat seats (Decent but the seat controls hardly work :/ )
HZ-AQ11,12,13,...,30 - New SAUDIA lie flat seats on the A330-343 regional.

qraec777

On one leg, I spent my 21 hours in the lounge. The food options were extremely limited and wifi was mediocre. However, I spent most of my time in the slumber room and went down to do some planespotting and watch planes take off and land.

On the other, I went out and checked into the Holiday Inn Al-Hamra, Jeddah. It's in a pretty busy and historic area and I visited the old Jeddah and walked along the Jeddah corniche. Don't forget to visit the Mall of Arabia too!

IAN-UK

We have radically different experiences, although i think we come to the same conclusion: the system is in flux. The authorities are trying to tidy it up, to make it more visitor friendly, but old habits die hard and maybe the process clashes with an old-guard resistant to change. It would take just one official playing it by the rules (his rules) to ruin a trip. You met one, but managed to steer round the problem .

I've been travelling to, and through, Jeddah regularly, rarely Riyadh, for some time. Saudia's attractive because on transfers I can book the longest under 24H to get a "free" stopover. I have a long-term visa so entry to the kingdom presents no problems.

Usually, but not always, I get messages from the airline a few days before the flight advising me of the 12H transit visa requirement and requesting i call the local office. This happened most recently a week ago, on a trip back to the UK from Medan. I've learned to ignore the calls, but at the Jakarta check-in calls were made to a supervisor, my visa situation was examined, the details entered into the system manually and my passport photocopied. It wasn't curiosity . At Jeddah i simply follow the arrivals flow.

I have no idea why this happens at some origins, but not at others: I never run onto the situation at Dubai for example.

Saudi Arabia has gone through accelerated reforms over the last few years. Until these bed in, it's probably best to follow the old mantra to avoid creating ripples, keep a low profile. I'd advise anyone undertaking a lengthy transfer in a Saudi airport to get, and follow, the latest information from Saudia on what's needed. Anecdotal evidence isn't definitive.

IAN-UK

I've driven past that HI a few times, but note that it doesn't figure in the IHG/HI website. I asked someone at the other HI, by the airport, about it - he said it's an older hotel switching to IHG, but they are facing problems getting the place up to HI's "standards", whatever that means. What was your verdict?

The HI in south Jeddah was lost to the demolitions so a Hamra alternative to the (expensive) Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental will be welcome.

There's quite a gulf between international brands and local hotels, mainly in price. With luck you can find a perfectly nice 3/4-star hotel in the $50 to $100 range, while the estabished international brands, even the HI, can go for double that.

Al Hamra is a delight in a city difficult to love. The corniche is the old, traditional one and the one I prefer. But it might be worth trying out the new northern corniche if you get the chance - it's a bit more "jazzy", with more refreshment options: Jeddawis flock there.

It's also worth giving up an evening to walk around the streets and souqs of the old town, al Balad. It's not so large, but aim for Bab Mecca. I believe it's got UNESCO world heritage status, but the preservation works are certainly taking their time…..

Sorry this is drifting off topic, but I'm something of a Jeddah fan, and the notes might be useful for anyone on a stop-over

chrini1

No visa on arrival possible. You will need to get the E-visa upfront. But then the good thing: its valid for 2 years.

Ryanfozzie

Sorry to hijack, but I took advantage of the AMS-JED-DXB fare for next April and specifically chose flights to enable time in Jeddah. On the way to DXB, we arrive into JED at around 22:40 and depart at 09:10. Would you suggest the transit hotel or a nearby hotel to the airport? if the latter, which one? Coming back to AMS, we arrive into JED at 13:55 and do not leave until 08:35 the next day, so want to try and have an explore in Jeddah. Any suggestions?

Again, apologies for the hijack!