Riyadh Air’s Bespoke Dreamliner Will Start Flying to London on July 1, and Tickets Are On Sale

As of today, May 19, tickets are finally on sale to fly Riyadh Air’s Dreamliner on its daily flights between Riyadh (RUH) and London Heathrow (LHR).

“Today marks a truly exciting milestone for Riyadh Air as we introduce our new aircraft and signature premium experience on our established London route,” said Tony Douglas, CEO at Riyadh Air.

Here’s everything we know about what you can expect from the real Riyadh Air experience and how much you can expect to pay.

How To Book Seats on Riyadh Air’s Dreamliner

Riyadh Air has been flying between its hub in Saudi Arabia and the U.K. capital since October, albeit using an ex-Oman Air aircraft. The route was launched before taking delivery of its own bespoke aircraft in order to secure slots at Heathrow and conduct crew training.

Now, as of May 19, tickets to fly the hotly anticipated Riyadh Air Boeing 787 are available exclusively for purchase on Riyadh Air’s website.

The redeye westbound flights are scheduled to depart in the early hours of the morning, while the return leg from Heathrow sets off at a respectable 9:35 in the morning. Here is the expected schedule:

These timings will change slightly when the U.K. clocks go back at the end of October. Riyadh Air has placed orders for up to 72 Boeing 787-9s, up to 50 Airbus A350-1000s, and up to 60 Airbus A321neos, with which it plans to operate an extensive global route network.

London is the first destination for this ambitious airline. Let’s take a look at the ticket cost for each cabin and what is included.

Business Class and Business Elite

A ticket for a business-class seat on the inaugural flight from Riyadh to London will cost a cool 16,154 Saudi Arabian Riyal ($4,308).

There are 3 fare types that increase in price: Smart, Flex, and Elite. The more you pay, the more baggage allowance you get and the more Sfeer and Level points you’ll earn.

All fare types come with fast-track security, lounge access, and even a chauffeur service. We’ve reached out to Riyadh Air to learn more about the flight distances that include chauffeur service and which lounge Riyadh Air will use in London. We’ll update this as soon as we hear back.

If you book a Smart or Flex fare, you can pay an extra 1,000 Saudi Arabian Riyals ($266) to select a Business Elite seat in the front row of the cabin.

These 4 seats boast 32-inch screens (10 inches larger than the 24-inch screens in the 24 business class seats), which Riyadh Air claims are the largest in the industry. An added bonus of Business Elite is that the middle 2 seats combine to make a large double bed.

Booking the most expensive Elite fare type comes with free Business Elite seat selection.

Premium Economy and Economy

A one-way ticket for a seat in premium economy — the middle cabin class — starts at $1,222, while economy starts at $687. Like business class, there are 3 fare types, albeit with slightly different names: Lite, Smart, and Flex.

As with the business-class fare types, the more you pay, the more Sfeer and Level points you’ll earn, and the more checked baggage allowance you’ll get. Flight change and refund restrictions also become more lenient. Only Flex fares come with complimentary seat selection.

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Riyadh Air's premium economy fare types and inclusions. Image Credit: Riyadh Air

Final Thoughts

It’s finally possible to book a seat on Riyadh Air Dreamliner. The inaugural commercial passenger flight, scheduled for July 1, is a huge step forward for the Saudi Arabian startup. London Heathrow is just the first destination in what it hopes will be a large global network to rival the likes of Emirates and Qatar Airways.