It comes in a little box with humble branding, often handed over without ceremony midway through your flight, and yet it is quietly the most elite thing served at 35,000 feet. We are, of course, talking about Saudia’s pizza which is served on domestic flights and on occasion as a snack on international flights.
If you know, you know. If you don’t, we are sorry for your loss.
Baked in stone ovens (according to the box), and labelled as a “product of Italy” by Vibi Mediterraneo, Saudia’s pizza is a delightful cross between focaccia and pizza, and possibly the best snack the airline serves. It arrives warm, with a comforting gooeyness, and a crisp but not too crisp base that makes you forget, if just for a moment, that you are in economy class with dry cabin air and questionable elbow room.
The Gold Standard: Margherita
The most common and arguably most beloved variant is the Margherita, a tomato and mozzarella combo that is classic, comforting, and shockingly satisfying. At only 300 calories (so says the box), it somehow manages to be light without feeling unsubstantial.
The tomato base has just the right amount of tang, the cheese melts in all the right places, and if you close your eyes, you might even imagine yourself somewhere on the Amalfi Coast (ok, not really, but still).
If you are lucky, you might get mozzarella and mushroom. Sometimes it’s four cheese. And then, in a shocking betrayal of public trust, it might be something like artichoke. We do not know who asked for this. No one asked for this.
Still, even the less celebrated flavors have one thing in common. They are served hot, made with real ingredients, and unmistakably better than most of what you’ll find in the air.
A Business Class Hack
And here’s the real secret. If you are flying business class and do not want your usual plated meal, you can ask for the pizza instead. The crew will usually oblige, and seasoned flyers know this is the move (you can even enjoy it all fancy with a knife and fork this way). That beautifully warm little box trumps overcooked beef medallions and sad pasta any day of the week.
In fact, we are comfortable declaring that Saudia’s economy pizza might just be better than most business class meals. Period.
The Downside of Addiction
The only real problem with Saudia’s pizza is when it is not served. Early morning flight? No pizza. Ramadan iftar meal? Unlikely. And when it doesn’t appear, a wave of disappointment sweeps through the cabin. You can see it on the faces of those in the know, quietly mourning what could have been.
With Riyadh Air gearing up for its launch, a battle is brewing in the skies. But if Saudia keeps its pizza game strong, it might already have the upper hand. You can rebrand, relaunch, add mood lighting and fancy uniforms, but unless you’re serving something that makes people nostalgic for airline food, are you really winning?
So here’s to Saudia’s pizza. May it stay warm, stay cheesy, and continue to surprise passengers who never expected to love a mid-flight Margherita quite this much.
Fly Saudia. Fly for the pizza.
*This is not an ad. This is genuine love for the Saudia pizza.
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