Umra Visa and the new Saudi immigration rules
If you are planning to go for Umra through Saudi Airlines, please read this post before you book:
The Hajj Ministry of Saudi announced that issuing Umra visas would start on 5 Dec, 2013. I applied for the visa for the family and myself, and then started searching for the best airline price.
At that time, Saudi Airlines was offering the best price through their online booking. I booked on 8 Dec, 2013 to travel:
20 Dec, 2013 Doha-Riyadh-Medina
28 Dec, 2013 Jeddah-Riyadh-Doha
On 20 Dec, 2013 at Doha airport, we arrived with many other Umra Visa holders to be informed by the Saudi Airlines employee, that we are not allowed to travel as Saudi Immigration issued a new rule on 18 Dec 2013, which doesn't allow Umra visa holders to transit through Riyadh airport. Umra visa holders should travel direct to Medina or Jeddah Airports!! Period.
In the next day, we visited Saudi Airlines office in Doha to investigate more about this issue and to change our booking or to get refunded for our tickets. After long discussions, we reached to a verbal agreement that they will refund us the tickets.
After a week, we visited the airlines office, and the answer was "Sorry no refund, we can't do anything to you".
Assuming that Saudi Immigration issued a rule on 18 Dec 2013 and got enforced IMMEDIATELY, which does NOT make any sense!!, Saudi Airlines didn't take any action "on 18 Dec 2013" to call their passengers immediately to arrange for different booking (as they have direct flights to Jeddah), or to do any other arrangements.
As a conclusion, many people lost their tickets. Many people didn't go to Umra after visa arrangement, hotels arrangements, vacation arrangement, ....
I'm sharing this for the people who have intention to visit the holy places in Mecca and Medina.
Get direct flights to Jeddah or Medinah. Avoid Saudi Airlines transit flights.
Allah Yetkabbal.
Thank you for writing up this post!
As of Jan 2015 the same rules apply. You will not be able to board an airplane if you have a transit/stay in any airport except Jeddah or Medinah -while you are traveling on an umrah visa.
I have learned one thing from all this. Just book with the Umrah agents as they are updated with new rules or consult with them before booking.
I've already wrote a complaint to Saudi Airlines Head office, but the answer was negative, No refund. It looks like they are not able to manage the large amount of canceled tickets.
So the best solution was to act like Ostrich (put the head in the sand), and let the passengers go to hell (instead of going to Mecca or Medinah).
Feel sad for your plight. Such is the way with Saudi Airlines. Write a letter to the Arab News and complain.
Thanks for sharing. Good Post!
For your refund, you can complain online to Saudi Airline website.
If the Saudi Airlines people here are refusing to refund your money for the ticket you can always lodge a "written" complaint about this to their Head Office in Saudi Arabia giving all the details.I am sure once they get the complaint, they will act on it. I had a similar experience with Kuwait Airways several years back when my baggage was lost while I was on my way home. The local office in my country tried everything possible to prevent me from getting my claim. However, I lodged a complaint to their Head Office in Kuwait and within two weeks the claim was settled.