[onajetplane]

Firstly with apologies if this topic has already been covered, but I could not find it.

I typically control most of my travel bookings, but on occasions I have to use a corporate booking platform (I can still pick my itinerary). A short Saudia multi-hop made sense for an upcoming trip. I have never flown them, but intrigued so requested the booking. When it came to selecting seats… you need to have an approval code sent as a text/or an email. But it’s auto entered as the corporate booking contact for the reservation and cant be changed. So now despite being a few days out, have Skyteam Elite status, my recourse seems to wait to pick my seat when check-in opens.

From my perspective, the control and the ability to make these small advance reassuring choices are a very important part of travel, and thus I just won’t run the gambit again. I also did not have the choice of corporate booking agent in this instance – who otherwise might have had the foresight to ask, and then pick seats in advance.

[cwoodward]

Sounds distinctly 2 rate and if correct would stop many business travellers from booking with them.
Soudia seem an odd outfit and very traditionally Arab in many ways from what I understand. (that is not intended as any racist criticism but an observation) Perhaps not the best choice for European business travellers.

[BlazeBreeze]

Given your Skyteam Elite status, contacting Saudia’s customer service directly might help secure a preferred seat before check-in. Also, for future bookings, clearly communicate your seat preferences with your corporate booking agent or travel coordinator to avoid similar issues.

[GivingupBA]

Saudia are “very traditionally Arab in many ways”? That is a good thing to me. I must fly them again (I just had two short flights on Saudia, a long time ago).

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cwoodward

[onajetplane]

I think part of my point was that I don’t want to have to bother calling their customer service to resolve the issue. I also ran out of time and online check-in opened. I couldn’t actually add my Skyteam membership number without also seeking verification via text (to the corporate number that is not mine) even at the online check-in stage. So I just proceeded with the check-in and was assigned a random seat which actually worked out well. But just wouldn’t take this risk again – it’s not worth the hassle. And there are multiple airlines flying the route. Just seems a very archaic process not conducive to frequent fliers who like to select these things in advance.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Saudi sometime require an agent/tool to put the travellers email contact details into the PNR manually to enable someone to then Manage Booking online or check in online. So possible had the tool added this you could have accessed (but not an automatic thing most tools would do). Otherwise adding the FF number booking platform should have been able to do pretty easily. If you had spoken to a human behind the corporate platform they should have been able to sort out for you.

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