Riyadh Air only launched recently, but its Boeing 787-9 business class already looks like one of the strongest products in the sky. A recent reviewer flew the carrier's six-hour overnight service from Riyadh to Madrid and came away impressed — with a few caveats worth knowing before you book.

The cabin itself is the headline act. Riyadh Air's Dreamliner business class spans 28 seats across seven rows in a 1-2-1 layout, built on the Safran Unity platform — the same seat type Japan Airlines uses on its A350-1000s. The finishes are genuinely striking, and the seats convert to 78-inch flat beds with 22-inch 4K OLED screens, Bluetooth audio pairing, sliding privacy doors, and even headrest speakers so you can watch films without headphones. The catch: at 45 inches, seat pitch is noticeably tighter than Japan Airlines' 51-inch version of the same seat.

Seat-picking matters here. Solo travellers should grab even-row window seats, which sit closest to the window. Couples will like the odd-row centre "honeymoon" pairs, which can be joined or divided by a movable partition. Front-row "Business Elite" seats offer bulkhead space but cost an extra 2,500 SAR (about $663) — steep for a redeye. One odd omission: no personal air nozzles, a rare miss on a brand-new aircraft.

Soft product? Mixed. Boarding came with a generous amenity kit featuring Marvis toothpaste and products from Saudi brand Kayanee, plus proper duvet bedding, and the food quality was high. But crew service ran slow for a flight this length, and the bigger frustration was Wi-Fi: it's supposed to be free for members of the free Sfeer loyalty programme via Viasat, yet it simply didn't work on this flight — and crew communication about the outage was poor.

For anyone eyeing Riyadh Air, booking is currently cash-only. No points redemptions exist yet, though partnerships with Delta, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic are planned. The reviewer paid $1,602 one-way in business, having hunted for the cheapest European route — Madrid was the sweet spot. If you're flying from the hub, don't skip the Hafawa Lounge at Riyadh Terminal 2; it's described as world-class, and gates are a short walk away.

The verdict: this is one of the most polished airline launches in years, with arguably the prettiest 787 business class cabin flying today. The rough edges — slow service, patchy connectivity — feel like growing pains rather than design flaws, and there's good reason to expect improvement as the airline matures.

Why it matters: if you're connecting Saudi Arabia to Europe and want a genuinely premium experience at a competitive fare, Riyadh Air now belongs on your shortlist alongside Saudia. Just keep expectations calibrated on Wi-Fi, and choose your seat carefully.

Story via One Mile at a Time.