Review: SWISS A220 Business Class (GVA-FRA)

Was this flight mask-optional? You mentioned a while back that Swiss had ditched its mask mandate?

Also: whatever happened to that review of the hotels in Sarasota, FL? You mentioned you'd stayed there over New Years, perhaps just before the pandemic hit (or maybe even the year before that). Did that review ever get punished, or did it get sidetracked. I've vacationed in SRQ many times before, so I know the area well.

@ Alex James -- Sorry I forgot to mention that. Masks were still required on this flight per German regulations, even though Switzerland doesn't require it. So passengers had to wear masks from boarding until deplaning.

@ [email protected] -- Indeed, a few years back I went to the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota with family for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately I never got around to reviewing it. It was my first getaway with my mom after a major surgery for her cancer, and I wasn't able to get enough pictures of all the outlets to write a good review. Sorry, hopefully I can review it next time, as we had a nice time.

Bewildering why pork is so common on some (especially European) airlines, when so so many people don't eat it.
It's not just religious reasons, a lot of people don't like the fat content, a lot of people are just not culturally used to eating it, such as Indians, where chicken and lamb/mutton are the only 'acceptable' meats, beef and pork, regardless of religion are still considered strange meats to everyone. Most of Africa is similar to India in this regard. Likewise in the Middle East, even if you're not Muslim or Jewish.
In fact it really is only Europeans, and Oriental people, which regularly eat pork. Even in the Americas it's not that popular, and even less so in North America than South and Central.
Even in these regions, many people are averse to it due to the sentient being aspect of pigs, and their hygiene too.

It's not that I don't eat it occasionally, but it certainly isn't my favourite meat, and find it strange that its almost always a feature on British Airways menus, as well as some European carriers.

American carriers feature it occasionally and when needed (e.g. bacon), but European carriers seem to just not get how many people don't eat it or don't like it.

Air pockets?

Hi, I’m flying GVA FRA quite often and love the A220. One point I find worth mentioning is the seat storage: in the two small net pockets you can’t fit much and that’s quite different from many other regional flights/ aircrafts. You have mentioned it in the review, just wanted to highlight it once more.

As for the long taxi: wind came from the wrong direction, if it was the opposite direction (which is more often the case actually, in my perception anyway) your way to the runway would have been much quicker (less views on the city though).

I love when comment section randos think they know better, and cite anecdotal data they’ve dreamed up.

Also, “Oriental”? Were we transported back into the 1920s?

I think Ben meant “lack of air” pockets.

You know, the random areas of vacuum that aircraft occasionally encounter.

I find the mindset of the person who made this comment to be utterly bewildering. Surely the whole point of foreign travel for leisure is to experience different cultures?

You know, including different foods.

Yet that comment seemed to be one long plea for a homogenisation of all food across the planet so that, well, Muricans can eat Murican food everywhere they go.

Those damn Europeans and their pork-eating habits: they should dang well realise that many Muricans don’t eat pork (unless it’s bacon. Ummm… bacon…), and they should immediately change all their menus so they only ever serve burgers, ribs and cheesy mac. Only then will the world be safe for Murican travellers to experience, well, furriners’ attempts to mimic Gods Own Food.

And then we can laugh at them when they don’t get it right.

Why on Earth would they not install Wi-Fi and power points on this brand new aircraft. Surely a retrofit is inevitable. Was this purely an attempt at savings on Swiss' behalf, or is there more to it?

Oh, The Cult of the Air Nozzles! I have to agree, no air nozzles and an overheated cabin=serious misery. OTOH, when I flew SEA - AMS on a NWA A330 in seat 1A Feb. 2006, I left the air nozzle on above my seat when I reclined the seat. I awoke with a frozen throat (I seem to arrive in Europe with one every time).

The 'snack' they served you is pitiable. Intra-Europe Business Class should be cutlery and china, not Ryanair level.

Finally, props for providing Business Class passengers with their own bus to the terminal. I flew BA SEA - LHR Feb. 2008 in First and was smashed into the back of the transit bus to T4. It was during their heat wave and it was 74f. Just nasty.

I echo the others who question the wisdom of no wi-fi or power ports on a brand new aircraft in 2022.

I took the Swiss A200-100, from London City to Zurich, having booked a Business Class return to the Far East, this the first and last of my 6 sector flight ticket.
My choice to use LCY was wise, Due to recent LHR congestion, delays etc, also avoids the LH APD.
Swiss also had a terrific price of £1,550 return? But I added The Thone seat, So it was almost £2,000 return. Other Airllines
wanted over £3000+

Through Check in ex LCY was smooth, no lounge at LCY or on return with a closed D Terminal in Zurich
Swiss need to provide these as promised!
Entering by stairway, the plane looked beautiful and new.
Genuinely greeted, Inside was a smart light grey cabin, Crome tops to seats which looked smart, v clean and a fresh bright feel

Just 4 rows of Business Class, private curtain behind, comfortable, Chique, spacious, restful, modern.
Take off was quieter, smooth if not rapid and steep asczllCY
Crew of 3 were v. organised, a Vegetarian I ordered (mostly not avaliable on European Biz with most Airlines these days).
Nicely presented, fresh healthy items, plus fresh orange juice, great coffee.
Crew were genuinely happy, Cabin Manager served Biz cabin. Repeated drinks and breakfast pastries, breads etc made.
Cabin felt private, quiet, air fresh, Spacious seats, comfortable, Crew worked quickly but thorough, warm and all for a v Pleasant flight.
V smooth landing, and as we departed, Captain came out to goodbye to all passengers,Just as still KLM do.
It is a nice personal touch .
priority luggage made it both ways, as Boarding and exiting.
The Aircraft noticably quieter, powerful.dtill', Spacious, clean as new Aircraft are, food excellent, great service.
The A200'2/3's really equal the Embraer Aircraft, Top notch for short haul City to City within Europe.
Excellent Swiss.
But you need ur lounges open, inform passengers and provide vouchers for open public F n B!
If not, You are mis- Selling a Biz Service.

I also highly recommend using LCY ex London with issues of staffing, inefficiency, that will not change for sometime.

Swiss provided excellent Value Business fares, on the long and short haul flights. You cannot advertise in Contract, what you know is not being provided!

Will use again Swiss, and LCY!

Hi, nice TR!
swiss (and other airlines as well) are offering special meals, especially in BusinessClass!

If you don't eat pork, why not ordering MOML - MoslemMeal. These meals may not contain any products derived from pigs, such as pork, ham and bacon.

Problem solved!

Not sure if you either don’t know what your talking about or you didn’t understand my post.
Pork is not as popular as Chicken, full stop.
Yet BA insist on offering options like, Pork Chop or BBQ Chicken. I don’t like Pork and I don’t want sweet BBQ sauce. This is in business class. Another example is a either a bacon panini or cheese and tomato. I don’t like tomatoes and I want to avoid pork. Again business class not economy. Another example, Pulled Pork or Chicken Tikka Masala. Don’t want spicy Indian food and don’t want pork.
It’s not like Singapore Airlines where there are 6-8 choices and one is pork.
BA insist on giving two options, one of which is often pork and the other is not exactly what you would call mainstream.
Oh and BA’s best one has to be either a Ploughman’s plate (including a cold egg wrapped in cold pork sausage meat, and boiled pink from nitrate ham) or sausage and mash again pork sausages .
No I should not have to order a Kosher or Halal meal just because I don’t want to eat meat made pink with nitrates along with a cold egg or a sausage made from all sorts of meat and ridiculous amounts of fat from an animal with questionable hygiene standards.
I know the next comment will be don’t fly BA then. Well LHR is my closest and most major airport. So very often I’m left with no options BA is the only airline with that kind of network out of LHR, especially short haul.

I love trying new foods, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to be forced to eat a meat which I just don’t like.
Also, I live in the U.K. and am more than familiar with most of Europe. I wouldn’t consider any European cuisine as exotic to me. Sure Florentine cuisine will be different in Florence and Parisian Bistro food can only really be replicated properly in Parisian bistros, but this isn’t happening on European short haul flights, that’s for sure.
Lobster is expensive, but I’m sure you will find far many people who eat it and enjoy it than pork.
Chateaubriand is expensive, but again a lot more people like it than pork.
Heck, Dover Sole and Turbot are expensive, but I can pretty much guarantee most business class passengers eat more quality fish than ham sandwiches.
So I get pork is cheap, but is it really that appealing? And moreover does it even have anything to do with which cuisine the meal is prepared? Murcian or Tuscan or Milanese or Basque? Not at all

We get it you don't like pork. Well lots of Brits do as do the Germans and the French. Oh yes and you don't like tomatoes.... So BA don't serve them either. Take a packed lunch in future.

It looks like the sandwich in question was a salami sandwich. Salami is a traditional Italian sausage made of ... pork. So yes, it is a European speciality.

My issue with the meal is rather that they only serve an sandwich in J class. Yes, it's a short flight, but there are certainly more delicious types of quick food. Basically it's what they served in Economy until recently.

To me, Ben's frequent complaints about pork come down to one question: Is it possible to indicate a non-pork requirement when booking theses tickets?

If yes, Ben shouldn't complain, full stop.

If no, I would agree that the prevalence of "unavoidable" would be highly questionable. Too many people travel in our through Europe who simply don't eat pork. (And the same principle applies to meatless requirements.)