Saudia’s AlFursan frequent flyer program has brought back one of its rare promotions on buying miles. While I don’t expect this will have widespread appeal, there is one angle to this that I find particularly interesting, which is the ability to use these miles to unlock Saudia first class awards at a rather reasonable cost.
Saudia offering promotion on buying AlFursan miles
To celebrate Saudi National Day, Saudia is offering a 96% bonus when you buy miles in the carrier’s AlFursan frequent flyer program:
- This offer is valid for mileage purchases between September 15 and September 30, 2026
- The program lets you buy at most 200,000 miles per calendar year, pre-bonus
- You can receive the bonus no matter how many miles you buy, so even buying 1,000 miles would trigger the offer
- The airline is ordinarily charging SAR 112.5 (30 USD) per 1,000 miles purchased pre-bonus, which comes out to a rate of 3.0 cents (in USD) per purchased mile, before the bonus, or 1.53 cents per mile after the 96% bonus
Where I see value in buying Saudia AlFursan miles
I recently flew Saudia business class for the first time in years, and was absolutely blown away by how much the airline has improved and reinvented itself, in terms of both service and food. The thing is, Saudia releases most of the same business class award space to members of partner frequent flyer programs as it does to members of its own program.
So there’s not necessarily much need to buy miles with the program for business class redemptions, given all the other ways there are to redeem for travel on the airline as well. But here’s where it gets interesting — Saudia AlFursan also lets you redeem for Saudia’s first class, available on select Boeing 777s, and that’s space that’s not bookable through most partner frequent flyer programs.
For what it’s worth, below is the Saudia AlFursan award chart, with pricing shown being for one-way travel.
Saudia primarily operates its first class on flights from Saudi Arabia to Europe and the United States. As you can see, a one-way first class award from Saudi Arabia to Europe would cost you 62,500 miles. You could buy enough miles for that for 959 USD.
Meanwhile a first class award from Saudi Arabia to anywhere in the United States except Los Angeles would cost you 105,000 miles. You could buy enough miles for that for 1,619 USD.
Let me warn that Saudia first class award space can be tough to come by (you can easily look it up on Seats.aero), but still, there is sometimes availability, especially close to departure.
I last flew Saudia first class all the way back in 2017, and given how much the airline has improved, I’m tempted to give it another try. Taking advantage of promotions like this seems like the best way to do so.
Bottom line
Through September 30, 2026, Saudia is offering a 96% bonus when you buy AlFursan miles. The program ordinarily charges 3.0 cents (in USD) per purchased mile, so with this offer you’d pay 1.53 cents per mile.
I wouldn’t say there’s widespread appeal here, if you have access to transferable points currencies, since Saudia generally makes its business class award seats available to partner programs as well. As I see it, the most interesting angle here involves being able to redeem for Saudia first class. Given my great recent Saudia business class experience, I’m tempted to give the carrier’s first class another try.
Anyone plan to buy Saudia AlFursan miles with this promotion?
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