Hello from the United States, as I just wrapped up my review trip to Bangkok! For the final international segment of my trip, I flew SWISS’ Airbus A350-900 business class on the 7hr55min flight from Zurich (ZRH) to Boston (BOS).
This was perhaps the flight of this trip I was most looking forward to, given that it was operated by SWISS’ brand new A350, which is the first plane to have the carrier’s new SWISS Senses cabin concept. The plane just entered transatlantic service, so I was lucky to be on one of the first flights, as I found availability with Aeroplan points.
How was the flight? Well, I kind of knew what to expect, since SWISS Senses is basically an exact replica of Lufthansa Allegris, just with different cabin finishes. Still, there’s potentially such variance between flights, given the significantly different kinds of seating products. I’d describe this as an all-around very good experience, but nothing revolutionary.
In this post I’d like to share some initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full review.
SWISS’ A350 business class seats are good but varied
As mentioned above, SWISS Senses business class is a direct replica of the Lufthansa Allegris experience, which I’ve written about extensively.
The only difference is that the cabin finishes better reflect SWISS, and that the layout is also a bit different (SWISS has more business class seats, since it’s typically considered to be more premium than Lufthansa). I will say, I do think SWISS’ cabin finishes are much nicer than Lufthansa’s, so kudos to SWISS on that.
Still, the concept is the same, so your opinions on Lufthansa Allegris and SWISS Senses will likely be the same. One of the things that Lufthansa Group highlights about this seating product is how it gives customers choice, with seven different kinds of seats. So it’s hard to judge any particular seat, since they’re so different. The various seating types come with different upcharges, and those can change over time, so there’s a lot to understand.
On the one end of the spectrum, you have the bulkhead business class suites with doors, which offer privacy doors and a ton of space, though you’ll typically pay somewhere around $500 extra to be seated here.
Then you also have the seats that are close to the aisle, which don’t offer nearly as much in the way of privacy or personal space.
Personally, I ended up in one of the window business class seats in the last row of the forward cabin, which I could assign at no extra cost at the time of booking (though I think there will be a fee for this seat in the future). After the business class suites, these are certainly the best seats in the cabin, as they’re super spacious.
I must say, this seat was absolutely stellar, as these seats have an incredible amount of personal space, a ton of storage, and a huge ottoman. Of course there are only two of these seats in the entire cabin, but if you can snag one, I can’t recommend it enough.
SWISS Senses business class seat tech is great
Nowadays the biggest improvements we see with business class seats involves privacy and tech. So along those lines, the new SWISS Senses business class does have very good tech. We’re talking everything from AC, USB-A, and USB-C charging…
…to wireless charging…
…to a tablet to the side of the seat where you can control all seat functions (including seat heating and cooling)…
…to the ability to pair your headphones or device with the entertainment system…
I also found the entertainment selection to be good, and appreciated the map feature and tail camera.
Now, there were definitely still some kinks to be worked out. For example, the monitor couldn’t actually control any of the seating functions, so the panel to the side of the seat had to be used for that. It’s not a huge deal, but obviously some things have to be ironed out.
Wi-Fi was pricey, at 35 CHF (~43 USD) for the flight (ouch!), but at least the speeds were excellent.
SWISS’ business class catering is quite good
SWISS recently overhauled its business class catering on long haul flights, so this was my first time experiencing that. Long story short, I’d say it’s a minor improvement, but nothing industry leading.
The first thing I should mention is that the meal service was really drawn out. However, I don’t necessarily mind that on a westbound daytime(ish) transatlantic flight, and on top of that, I’ll give the crew the benefit of the doubt, since it was their first time working this jet on a long haul flight.
Dinner was served after takeoff, with the first round of drinks being accompanied by the choice of cheese or nuts. I decided to order the “SWISS Alpine Essence” signature cocktail.
With the updated service protocol, the appetizer is placed directly on the tablecloth, rather than being delivered on a tray. There were two choices, and I selected the marinated balik salmon with sweet potato and ginger relish, ponzu gel, passion fruit, and sweet potato puree. I enjoyed the appetizer.
One of the new additions to SWISS business class service is that there’s now a soup course between the appetizer and main course, and on this flight that was a cream of celeriac soup with truffles.
For the main course, I ordered the cod with wild rice and vegetable linguine. It wasn’t terrible, but honestly, it was underwhelming. It tasted like what you’d expect from a microwave dinner, and I’ve definitely had much better fish dishes on planes.
To finish off the meal, I was offered the choice of dessert and/or cheese. As the dessert, I chose the lychee, black tea, and rose slice, and then was presented with a pretty nice cheese plate as well.
There were then two choices for the pre-landing meal, and I opted for the dumplings with beef, chicken, and mushroom, which I thought were quite good, and perfectly hit the spot as a substantial snack.
Why is SWISS’ business class amenity kit so bad?!
I’m not someone who particularly cares about airline amenity kits, or who thinks they make up a material part of the experience. I think this is an area where “good enough” is sufficient, and I’d rather see investments in other areas.
That being said, I definitely do notice when amenity kits are particularly good or bad, and SWISS must have the least substantial kit I’ve ever seen. Is there something I’m missing? It simply had socks, earplugs, and a toothbrush. That’s it. While the VIU branded case itself was nice, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a poorly stocked amenity kit.
I also wish SWISS offered slippers in business class (as Air France does on all long haul business class flights), since they’re handy for going to the bathroom without having to put on shoes. These are minor things, but they did both stand out to me.
Bottom line
I’m happy I had the chance to fly the new SWISS Senses business class on the A350. Overall I came away with a similar impression to what I had of Lufthansa Allegris — this represents a significant improvement, though it feels a bit over engineered, and I’m not a fan of all the different seating types, since passengers will come away with vastly different impressions.
On the plus side, my seat was very comfortable, and the tech was mostly great. However, I wouldn’t consider this some revolutionary seat that leads the industry.
When it comes to soft product, I’m happy to see the updates that SWISS has made to its service flown. The food quality definitely felt middle the pack, though, and there’s some room for improvement there.
What’s your take on SWISS’ A350 business class?
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