NoFlyList

Lie Flat for all segments Saudia from IAD to CGK return trip.
March 10th to through March 23rd

Available via Google flights through OTA

NoFlyList

https://www.google.com/travel/flight...2NG3ysxMR92p79

YVR Cockroach

$2,116 on the SV site. Too short for the free hotel. FWIW, 23,000 base miles r/t in I (business basic) class.

MaxVO

What's the deal with free hotel? Is there a link that describes it?

YVR Cockroach

It's off the SV website for now (or I can't easily find it - you can find it in a thread in the other ME/African carrier sub forum - re: free Saudi stopover visa)

Summary:
Need X hours for the free layover. Hotel provided, as is, supposedly, 1 free transfer to OR from the hotel. Reportedly 2 nts for BC pax, 1 room per traveller.

Free e-visa (only can apply within 90 days of the intended stopover) but you have to pay the admin fee and health insurance which comes up to about USD40.

Any stops more than 24 hrs incur a ~$190-200 Saudi departure tax.

Note: You need a Saudi visa for any layover more than 12 hrs.

Only available in one direction (on a R/T ticket).

MaxVO

Good summary, thanks!

YVR Cockroach

https://www.saudia.com/en-US/transit-visa

cheltzel

Actually you can play around with the flexible date search on the SV website and get connections that work really well without a hotel for the $2116.82 fare. On the itinerary below, the connection on the IAG-CGK fllights was 4:15 and the connection on the return was 2:10.

YVR Cockroach

Note: Also available from LAX for the ~same price for an extra ~1,700 base miles per direction but note a gap in bookable service (was there until ~5 weeks ago) between early Feb. and late May.

Schedules unfortunately don't seem to allow for a slightly-longer layover (well, < 24 hrs to avoid the Saudi departure tax) and have the free hotel night (or two) stay). Might not be an issue for those not wishing to make a stop.

bwiadca

Free transit visa for stopovers up to 96 hours.

YVR Cockroach

It isn't totally free: Application (vs. actual visa) fee + health insurance adds up to around €23/USD26.

Saudi free stopover visa - Page 7 - FlyerTalk Forums

atflyer

It depends on the where you come from and where you go. I had a TUN-JED-CGK flight with something like 8-9 hours in between, and could get a stopover visa for 23 Euro and a free hotel. Need to book via SV though, when I used an OTA could not apply. CGK has several flights daily so more ways to expand the stay. Good find about the KSA departure tax, indeed noted that any connection with >1 day is more expensive as something < 24 hours but never could understand why.

A350CZ

Don't forget SV is one of the worst airlines in the Middle East, if not globally. They do not serve alcohol, which is their decision, but transfer/hotel is not as smooth as described above. It really depends on what immigration officer you get. I stayed in the airside hotel - absolutely terrible. People trying to get inside my room in the middle of the night, felt extremely unsafe. The worst is that all Indonesia flights are flown with the 2-2-2 old business class - which is OK for short middle-East hops, but not on 10-hour flights. Avoid it if you can. Honestly, it's worth paying the extra $800 bucks or so for TK or QR.

atflyer

There are for sure better airlines but how to value a 800 $ or more (in my experience usually more, at least 1000 Euro) higher price versus drawbacks of a dry airline, usually long layovers etc. seems a matter of taste. My experience with the transfer visa was extremely smooth - no queue, a look at passport and visa and ready to explore Jeddah. I have no reason to see why another immigration officer would judge a visa differently (I could get my e-stopover Visa in advance; of course if you take a visa on arrival that is more hassle). Took the airside hotel twice now and it is good for a night - no problems with people trying to enter my room, that could have been bad luck for once - agree that can feel like an unsettling experience. The hotel is run by Aerotel now, a very reputable globally operating chain. Yes, the JKT flights I had were 2-2-2, but on half the occasions with fully lay flat seats of the type KLM had until 1 year ago on their 777s. All other flights I had to and from Asia with them were with full flat beds and aisle access. FA's always attentive and helpful. Their JED lounge is great, but since in the KSA of course dry.

A350CZ

Visa issues - not just mine, but my coworkers as well. Aerotel was the transit hotel. Some other people also had issues - look up youtube and people keep commenting on it. We are talking about CGK - so 2-2-2, I don't really care what they fly elsewhere. The topic was this route and the fact that after all it's not a great discount. And I did avoid being political and writing about the airline being a tool for a dictatorship that does not hesitate to cut up journalists at foreign embassies. Overall, definitely "avoid" airlines. It's my opinion, no need to "take it apart".