Saudia takes on subscription model to attract domestic travellers

• Economy-class flight bundles
• Costs start at $93 per quarter
• Saudi domestic travel rising

Saudia has become the latest airline to roll out a flights subscription, a move analysts say could unlock fresh revenue from Saudi Arabia’s domestic travel base.

The carrier’s Flight Pass, developed with the Saudi Tourism Authority, will offer economy-class bundles of 8, 16 or 24 trips. Travellers can pay upfront for the year or in quarterly instalments.

Packages start at SAR349 ($93) every three months, according to a company statement.

“Subscription models can work, but only if the economics stack up and the targeting is precise,” said Linus Bauer, managing director of Bauer Aviation Advisory.

AGBI has contacted Saudia for further comment.

The Saudi flag carrier transported 8 million domestic passengers in the first half of 2025, a 10 percent increase on the same period in 2024. It operated more than 56,400 domestic flights over the six months.

The Ministry of Tourism recorded 86 million domestic trips across the country in 2024, a 5 percent increase on the previous year. Saudia is betting domestic travellers will be receptive to predictable pricing and simplified booking.

“A subscription model encourages incremental trips, something Saudi Arabia is actively trying to stimulate across cultural, coastal and heritage destinations,” said Bauer.

Various carriers have launched successful subscription plans, including Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines in the US, and Mexico’s ultra-low-cost operator Volaris.

“For domestic markets that see sharp peaks – weekends, religious holidays – and troughs – midweek, shoulder seasons – smoothing demand and revenue is strategically valuable,” said Bauer.

Dawadmi, Rafha, Neom and Red Sea airports are not included in the Saudia Flight Pass offering. Unused trips expire at the end of the paid-for quarter or year.

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John Grant, partner at Midas Aviation and an AGBI columnist, said the “devil will be in the detail” for the programme, particularly around booking classes and seat availability during peak periods.

“For the airline, the hope is that the traveller forgets what they have purchased towards the end of the time period and the airline gets to keep some extra cash. It’s an old idea reworked,” he said.

In 2024 Wizz Air’s Abu Dhabi subsidiary offered its MultiPass flight subscription to travellers in the UAE.

The programme was available on any chosen international route, with promised savings of up to 40 percent. However, it was not enough to save the airline, which ceased operations in September.