On July 28, I traveled with Saudi Airlines from Madrid to JED-BKK. The negative experience and poor quality started during the flight from MAD-JED (SV 226, Seat 48H), where the TV output for connecting the headset did not work. The staff brought several headsets to check if the issue was with the headset or the TV output, but they did nothing else. They did not offer to change my seat, so I spent the 5.5-hour flight with no entertainment. I felt like I was traveling with a low-cost airline, even though I paid for a regular flight. I recommend that Saudi Airlines improve both maintenance and the training of onboard staff. From a maintenance perspective, improvements could include inspecting each device before deeming the aircraft fit to fly. This would allow onboard staff to know which devices are working and which are not, preventing passengers from being assigned to faulty seats. Regarding staff training, it should include interim solutions, effective communication, and follow-up with passengers to avoid negatively impacting their experience and the expected quality from such an airline. During the flight from JED-BKK (SV 844, Seat 52H), an issue occurred involving the passenger seated in 53H, an elderly Saudi lady. She was sharing the row with a Spanish couple and began arguing with them about their affectionate behavior during the flight, such as hugging each other. The flight staff intervened and explained to her that such behavior is normal in Spanish culture and offered to find another seat for her if she was uncomfortable. Although she was initially aggressive, the staff managed to relocate her to another seat. I understand that this was not the airline's fault, but I expected the staff to explain the situation to the Spanish couple and apologize on behalf of the airline for the incident. Instead, I was the one who apologized to the couple and explained that not all Arabs and Muslims are the same, and that we generally respect other cultures and religions.
I feel I was penalized by the staff for apologizing to that couple. I ordered coffee, but they never served it to me, and when I asked about it, their response was unclear as to why I couldn't have coffee. Finally, in BKK, we noticed that several bags were missing, including my baggage with the tag SV080887.