flyctory.com

Alfursan International Lounge Jeddah Airport (JED)

Florian Buechting Airports and Airlines No Comments

Alfursan International Lounge Jeddah Airport (JED)

Alfursan International Lounge Jeddah Airport (JED)
4.8

Rating

 4.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Outstanding, luxurious lounge design
  • Great selection of food
  • Wide range of different seating options

A roughly eight hour transfer time in Jeddah (JED) – some people would not have booked the trip I took in February 2024 for that reason only. Coming from Tunis (TUN), I had a really good deal flying with Saudia Airlines to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur (KUL), so I just had to do it. I felt that I will somehow be able to work in their lounge on my business class trip, not knowing what would the Alfursan Business Lounge be like. Here is the review of my lounge experience.

 

Alfursan Int. Lounge Jeddah (JED) – Location & Access

Jeddah Airport (JED) is one of two key domestic hubs of Saudia. Transferring there is rather easy. After passing transit security, you are more or less right in a circular main square of the international terminal. Shops are all around that place. The upper level of this main square features several restaurants – and the access to a few lounges. The escalators up to the lounge are close to the access to gate A10, from where I finally departed, and other gates. The signs are very present and you can see the entrance from ground level, so that there is hardly a chance to miss it.

The Alfursan Business Lounge is open to Saudia business class travelers as well as SkyTeam members with a SkyTeam Gold status (including corresponding Saudia Alfursan loyalty program members). If you head left in the main hall, you reach the First Class area, which I could not have a look into as I was not traveling in that class.

 

Alfursan Int. Lounge Jeddah (JED) – Atmosphere

The lounge is huge and overall leads to a luxurious visit. The directions to the different sections of the lounge are given at key points. Thereby, Saudia is granting some services, which you would not necessarily expect in a business class lounge. For example, there is a room to play pool and video games right at the reception. The same part of the lounge features smokers’ rooms (gender-separated), before you enter the main area / main square of the lounge. Not only the piano leads to an amazing first impression. There are buffets and serviced desks partially with different kinds of food, in multiple locations of the Alfursan International Business Class Lounge at Jeddah Airport (JED).

From a small duty free store to some displays about the history of the airline and aviation in the country, there are several small parts of the lounge which add a lot of atmosphere. The range of different seating options, from bistro-style seats near the main buffets to large round tables where you can hang out with your family or friends, there are a lot of options. Of course, there are also options if you just want to relax before the flight. This also includes a relax room with daybeds as well as a small cinema. The latter was not operational during my visit. Some parts have slight structural lacks. For example, in one area I sat in, you are right below the vents of the strong air conditioning, which may be bothering to some passengers.

 

First Class Lounge

The same reception also manages the Alfursan International First Class Lounge. However, this part of the lounge, which is located on the left hand side of the main sqaure, is then having an additional boarding pass check. I just had a very brief view into some of the front sections.

 

Alfursan Int. Lounge Jeddah (JED) – Food & Drink

Especially on the culinary side, staying in the same lounge for eight hours can be very boring and bothering. However, at the Alfursan Business Lounge, I still did not try all the options this place is offering. The main food area does not only serve sandwiches, warm dishes, desserts and bread, but also holds some serviced areas. During my visit, there was live cooking for multiple pasta dishes and a pizza oven. Not too far away, there is a service to create your own salad and to enjoy freshly baked sandwiches. Rather close to the main hall, there are different cakes, patisserie as well as Arabian sweets and coffee. The range of items offered is really huge and thus one of the best I ever explored.

The same applies for drinks. You can grab yourself soft drinks directly from a fridge next to the main buffet. On the opposite side, there is a barrista bar. It does not only feature coffee, but also smoothies and similar drinks – a touch of Starbucks. Close to the cake and patisserie section, there are not only differently flavored Arabian coffees, but also other signature drinks like camel milk.

 

Alfursan Int. Lounge Jeddah (JED) – Services

The staff in the lounge was very attentive. They also seemed to upgrade the staff during the later evening hours, when Jeddah Airport (JED) gets more busy. The WiFi worked very well, too. The QR code driven login is a bit of weird, though – especially if you want to login with a computer, not a mobile device.

You also have a left luggage close to the reception and smoker rooms (split into a men and a women section) as well as prayer rooms. The small cinema close to the main hall unfortunately did not work properly. The layout of some seating was a bit unfortunate (in the rear of the lounge), as the tables were right underneath the vents of the rather cold air conditioning. The lounge as its own bathroom, including shower rooms. Most power outlets I ran into features the design of British power outlets.

 

Alfursan Int. Lounge Jeddah (JED) – My View

The Alfursan International Business Class Lounge at Jeddah Airport (JED) is an outstanding experience. It is hard to believe that this is “just” a business class lounge and the services in the adjacent first class place are really better. The food provided is lovely as well. I finally fell deeply in love with the different pastries and Saudi coffees. The Alfursan Lounge definitely turns Jeddah (JED) to a great option for a transfer for business class passengers and SkyTeam frequent travelers. Hope to be back there very soon.

 

The Best Lounge Reviews

Here are all my lounge reviews, having a rating better than 4.0, in descending order of the rating:

 

Flyctory.com on Eating & Drinking

Flyctory.com is not a culinary blog. Nevertheless, here are all posts dealing with Eating and Drinking:

, , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *