Saudia Transit Desk Tells Me There Are No Airline Partners…

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I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Milion Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.

Saudia might want to do a better job of training its transit desk and lounge agents in Jeddah (JED) that the carrier is part of the SkyTeam alliance and has many partners to which passengers from around the world can credit their points beyond Saudia’s own Alfursan program.

Roadblock At Saudia Transit Desk Jeddah (JED)

After unsuccessfully adding my SAS EuroBonus number in Tunis, I hoped to do so upon arrival in Jeddah. After landing, I followed the transit signs and my son and I stopped at the transit desk in hopes of adding.

A very nice woman heard my request and seemed to understand, asking me for my number. I handed her our SAS numbers (displayed on my phone) but she shook her head and said, “No, the Alfursan number must be only numbers. No letters.”

I explained that I was not crediting to Alfursan but to SAS (SK) a SkyTeam partner. She looked at me like I was from another planet and said, “But we can only take your Alfursan number.”

Gently, I explained that SkyTeam has many partners and you can put in the frequent flyer number from any one of the programs. She shook her head and said, “This Saudia. Only Alfursan.”

Fine. It was going to do me no good to argue here.

I thanked her and she called out, “Go to the lounge and check. They can add your Alfursan number. It is only numbers. You have the wrong number.”

Shukran…

The lounge staff was just as ineffective and even more apathetic…Hopefully, I’ll be able to add the number at the gate prior to boarding…