Among the gulf countries without a doubt Saudi Arabia is the one with the biggest ambitions and plans for its airlines. Albeit it also is the on with the biggest amount of ground to be made up. The country will soon see a second flag carrier launch, Riyadh Air, with other airlines ramping up operations massively. One of the biggest markets for middle eastern airlines is clearly the UK. There are profound financial ties and many Saudis escape the summer heat heading to the British island. Therefore it makes sense to see Saudia, a Skyteam alliance member, further expand its network inaugurating its new Jeddah to Birmingham flight SV251.
The New Saudi Arabian Airlines Jeddah to Birmingham Flight SV251
The new Saudia Jeddah to Birmingham flight is part of a much bigger expansion plan for Saudi airlines to take over market share that currently Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways hold.
Flight SV251 will initially be a 3 times weekly service with flights available every:
- Tuesday
- Thursday
- Sunday
Clearly if demand picks up on the sector it will get extra frequencies with more weekly flights. Just for context Qatar Airways flies daily to Birmingham and Emirates twice daily with the 777 and A380.
Saudia flight SV251 Jeddah to Birmingham Schedule
The first Saudia flight SV251 took off from Jeddah on July 2nd and it will become a regular presence in the airline with this schedule:
| Flight Number | Departure Airport | Airport Code | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Airport Code | Arrival Time | Flight Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | SV251 | Jeddah | JED | 08:10 | Birmingham | BHX | 13:00 | 6hrs 50min |
| SV252 | Birmingham | BHX | 14:30 | Jeddah | JED | 22:40 | 6hrs 10min |
The Plane Chosen for Flight SV251
Saudia Jeddah to Birmingham flight SV251 will feature the Boeing 787-9 which is the intermediate size of the Dreamliner lineup. The Saudi airline operates the type in using a 2 class configuration featuring:
- 24 Business Class Seats
- 274 Economy Class Seats
The Saudia 787-9 business class features its 24 seats in a reverse herringbone layout. This is great for privacy as it’s difficult to see over passengers in the cabin. However if you are travelling as a couple there are no two seats that will allow you to comfortably have a conversation or enjoy each other’s company. All seats are equal in terms of privacy offered, just I would try to avoid row 6 as it just forward of the mid galley and of the toilets. Also row 5 A/L has only 1 window and not in a very comfortable position to look outside and enjoy the views. So if that’s something you like doing, avoid this row.
Economy class on the Saudia Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the other hand is quite standard and in line with what is found on many other carriers. The seats are in a 3-3-3 layout with all seats equal throughout the cabin. The only row that varies from this layout is row 36 which features just 4 seats in a 2-0-2 configuration. These seats might be a good option if you are ravelling as a couple if you are willing to put up with a bit of extra noise rom the nearby galley and toilets. Also note that the central portion of the cabin is occupied by the praying area.
