AL-JOUF: People of the Northern Border province of the Kingdom complain that Saudi Arabian Airlines does not pay enough attention to air travelers in the region, saying the number of flights operated by Saudia is not enough.
With limited seats and flights, the residents of this region have to opt for road travel if the need arises. But such journeys are proving to be a nightmare. If people need to travel to the capital or Jeddah from Al-Jouf or Al-Qurayat they have to travel on the dangerous Al-Jouf/Hail road.
Generally, those who need to complete official matters, go for treatment or on any other mission to Riyadh or as pilgrims and tourists to Makkah and Madinah make this trip. Inevitably some have fallen victims to road accidents.
Those who wish to fly to Riyadh on an emergency cannot depend on getting seat on Saudia. The alternative is to drive to Amman in Jordan, take an international return flight to Riyadh or Jeddah and then drive back home to Al-Qurayat.
Salem Al-Kaukabi, who had an appointment with a specialist doctor at the King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh recently, had only a one-way reservation though he tried to get a round-trip ticket on Saudia two months ago. He was put on the wait list for the return trip.
However, after the medical tests were over he wanted to return home immediately. He went to a Saudi Arabian Airlines office in Riyadh only to be told that he would have to wait 35 days at least. He then tried for a ticket to Amman on Saudi Arabian Airlines, but he did not succeed. But he got a seat on the Royal Jordanian Airlines morning flight and was home in Al-Qurayat by noon though he had to pay SR1,260 for the ticket to Amman and SR350 for the drive back to his hometown from Jordan.
