Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), will increase its flights between Saudi Arabia and Los Angeles from 3 flights a week to 5 flights weekly from June 1, 2016. This is in anticipation of increased demand during the peak season and in keeping with its continued expansion in its services in North America and elsewhere. The national carrier of Saudi Arabia operates new B777-300ERs to its North American gateways that include New York, Washington DC, Toronto and Los Angeles. The Saudia flights to Los Angeles International Airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal (LAX/TBIT) has a 3-class configuration for a total of 305 seats – 24 in First Class, 36 in Business Class and 245 in Guest Class. Its Guest Class with a 3 x 3 x 3 seat configuration was awarded Best Economy Class Seats at the World Airline Awards a couple of years ago and is still considered among the best in the world today by SkyTrax airline rating website. Saudia first flew to Los Angeles on March 31, 2014, becoming the first and so far only nonstop carrier between Saudi Arabia and the US West Coast. With the flight frequency increase, Saudia will, from June 1, fly nonstop not only to Jeddah but also nonstop to the capital city of Riyadh. Flight days are on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, taking off at 3:00 pm (PST). Saudia started back in 1945 with one DC-3 Dakota aircraft, the gift of US President Franklin Roosevelt to King Abdul Aziz, the founding King of Saudi Arabia. Today, Saudia flies to more than 80 destinations and carries more than 27 million passengers annually. As a member of SkyTeam global alliance, Saudia also has access to a global network of 1,057 destinations.
