Hello from the United States (at last), as I just flew SWISS’ Airbus A350-900 first class on the 7hr30min flight from Zurich (ZRH) to Boston (BOS), for the final sector of the return portion of my review trip.
I’ve been wanting to update my list of the world’s best first class airlines, and trying SWISS’ new first class has been the missing piece of that, as I had only flown the carrier’s old first class. For those curious how I booked, a friend who is a Miles & More Senator member helped me out with an award booking, as first class awards are otherwise restricted.
In terms of hard product, this was very familiar, as it’s the same as Lufthansa’s new A350 Allegris first class, just with different finishes, and I had flown that before. In terms of soft product, I had an excellent crew on this flight, and I’d say the soft product is good, but nothing that’s going to blow anyone’s mind. I’m actually struggling to decide if I prefer the Lufthansa or SWISS soft product.
In this post I’d like to share my initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full review…
In this post:
SWISS’ A350 first class seats are great but variable
Copying Lufthansa Allegris, the SWISS Senses first class cabin consists of three to four seats. There are two standard window seats, which are spacious, with sliding privacy shields (you could call them “doors,” but they’re very thin and flimsy, but accomplish the same purpose).
Then the most interesting product is the middle suite, which is technically for up to two people. The thing is, it’s not as wide as two first class suites combined, so this would be a very snug fit for two people, considering that the airline was initially trying to either sell this to two passengers paying the first class fare, or for an upgrade cost of nearly $3,000 for a solo passenger.
Nowadays the product can be assigned for free by any first class passenger, so getting this kind of space in a first class suite is sort of unreal.
The one thing I’d say — and I’m not sure if this is just because SWISS has stopped monetizing the double bed — but there was only bedding for one of the seats, and not for the full double bed. When I flew Lufthansa’s Allegris first class, they had the entire bed made up.
Of course it was still comfortable and I guess I’m not “entitled” to two seats, but you’d think they’d spend the extra $5 on bedding to really “wow” someone.
I think SWISS really went from one extreme to the other here when it comes to monetizing this product, but I’m not complaining.
Here’s the biggest difference I noticed between Lufthansa Allegris and SWISS Senses — the SWISS product had individual air nozzles in the suite, while the Lufthansa product didn’t. That’s super valuable… or did I somehow miss those in the Lufthansa suite?
SWISS’ first class catering is high quality but not overly fancy
SWISS is generally considered to be the “premium” airline in Lufthansa Group, though I can’t say that the first class catering is anything out of this world. I’d say the food on SWISS is well executed and there’s a lot of it, but it doesn’t necessarily have the little bells and whistles, like caviar.
On this flight, lunch was served after takeoff, with an amuse bouche trio, which I accompanied with a glass of Pommery Cuvee Louise Millesime 2008 Parcelles champagne. 
There was then an appetizer trolley, with the balik salmon being the staple on the menu, and then the choice of up to three additional dishes, and I opted for the artichokes with lemon and cream cheese mousse, fried capers, and lemon cremolata.
Next up, I had the soup course, which was a chilled smoked bell pepper soup with tomatoes and goat cheese praline.
Then there was a salad course, which was a summer salad with roasted broccolini, strawberries, radish, and puffed buckwheat strawberry vinaigrette.
Next up was a palate cleanser.
For the main course, I opted for the black cod with pepper, saffron beurre blanc, beluga lentils, zucchini, and pepper drops.
Then I had a cheese course, and just asked for a small quantity of each.
At this point I was honestly so full that I couldn’t even think of having a dessert, so I just gave up. I’m sorry. But hey, it was a great, well executed meal.
SWISS’ first class amenities are solid
SWISS first class offers all the standard amenities you’d expect in first class, starting with an amenity kit. The kit had Sisley products, so it doesn’t get much higher end than that. What I found interesting is that the amenity kit had a limited number of items, and then more were available from a basket during boarding (including the Ricola, socks, mouthwash, brush, etc.). I have no issues with that, since it cuts down on waste.
There were also pajamas from Zimmerli, which I liked, but didn’t necessarily love. I’m a sucker for airline branded pajamas (otherwise I hate branded clothes), and these didn’t have much visible branding.
The bedding was what you see above. Wi-Fi was free, but was rather slow. And the headphones weren’t very high quality, but thanks to bluetooth audio, that wasn’t a big deal.
SWISS’ first class service was great on my flight
I’ve flown SWISS a good bit over the years, and I find service on the airline to be… hit or miss. In my experience, SWISS crews range from excellent to borderline curt or rough around the edges. Comparing it to Lufthansa, I think Lufthansa has less variability when it comes to service quality, and crews range from professional to excellent, at least in premium cabins.
So along those lines, I have to say that my crew on this SWISS flight was phenomenal, among the best I’ve had — there were two ladies working first class, and they were charming and attentive. For both of them, it was their first time ever working the SWISS Senses cabin, and they did a really great job, in light of that.
Bottom line
I’m so happy I had the chance to fly the new SWISS Senses A350 first class. Admittedly the hard product is nearly identical to the new Lufthansa Allegris A350 first class (minus the cabin finishes), so it was a familiar product.
The double suite that I was able to assign is quite something, and easily one of the most spacious first class seats out there. I also appreciated the presence of an individual air nozzle, which I don’t recall having on Lufthansa.
Beyond that, I’d say this is a very well-rounded product, though there’s not any one thing that stands out as being absolutely industry leading. The food was pretty great. The service was friendly. The amenities were good. The entertainment was fine. The Wi-Fi was free (but not terribly fast). This is definitely a huge improvement over SWISS’ old first class product…
What’s your take on SWISS’ A350 first class product?
Thanks Ben for this review. I’m actually sitting in one of the individual suites (1K) right now from Zürich to Seoul on a paid fare. I agree with most of what you mentioned, except for the amenities kit (much of which was by Sisley) and I think it would be more delightful for there to be a little more Swiss representation in the offering. Same with the pyjamas - something with a Swiss logo would...
Thanks Ben for this review. I’m actually sitting in one of the individual suites (1K) right now from Zürich to Seoul on a paid fare. I agree with most of what you mentioned, except for the amenities kit (much of which was by Sisley) and I think it would be more delightful for there to be a little more Swiss representation in the offering. Same with the pyjamas - something with a Swiss logo would be a nice touch but I did appreciate the fact that they actually offered a short or long sleeved option!
Having the privilege to sit in SQ, NH, and CX F over the past year LX definitely has areas that shine, particularly in the pre-boarding experience. One thing that bothered me a little was the proximity of the suite from the galley and I must say, it was noisy from the very lovely and hardworking crew making preparations and other duties. It may be a space constraint of the A350 but I didn’t have this issue on the other airlines.
Overall, though, a lovely experience I appreciated!
Sisley products and you write- doesn't get much higher than this. are you kidding me? that's like cheap as
Gonna be a very long time before the vast majority of LX customers will experience the new cabins due to the glacial pace of plane retrofit and backlog of A350 planes. Almost pointless reviewing it as it doesn't tell the typical LX customer what they will actually experience.
I'm interested, as someone who, like you, Ben, goes out of his way to try to ensure a window seat on every flight, whether you think the extra room in the centre suite here is worth not having a window to look out of? Personally I think I'd still go with the window, after all, how uncomfortable can a standard First class seat be that one would need even more room? Nothing beats the chance to just stare out the window crossing Western Europe, Greenland, Canada.
Another great review! The Allegris business class seats have individual air vents located in the side console, next to the tablet with seat controls. It's a silver nozzle and you can see it in the photos of your trip reports.
Could you briefly explain how the booking worked? The Senator/HON member has to fly the same route, after all. Was your companion—the one who booked the flight—sitting in Business Class, or how did you manage to fly First Class as an award flight?
You got me with the air vents. I am with you (and probably everyone else)
I book away from carriers that I know are hot cabin/no vents...( JAL....)
Thanks Ben
You into sauna? No disrespect, but... 'go to HEL' (specifically, the non-Schengen Finnair Platinum Wing lounge, near gate 52).
I flew Swiss from NYC few times recently. It was for a ski trips to Alps, and I flew into both ZRH and GVA. As a working poor, I naturally flew in Economy, but was super satisfied. Service and whole dynamics were immaculate. However, I think I prefer Swiss French over Swiss Germans, just a bit more exciting and cultured.
The thing is, they don't have to "wow" anyone. Their cashed-up, rusted-on loyalty base in Zurich isn't going to start flying with the competition because $5 worth of bedding is missing. Even at this level the Luftcaca group takes its customers for granted.
@ PeteAU -- You're for sure right, though from an O&D perspective, I think that applies to most airlines. Those who are paying the highest fares value nonstop flights. The point at which the little details matter more is for connecting itineraries, where there's lots of competition.
Then again, Air France is priced in a different league than the other European carriers in first class, while British Airways is usually on the other end of...
@ PeteAU -- You're for sure right, though from an O&D perspective, I think that applies to most airlines. Those who are paying the highest fares value nonstop flights. The point at which the little details matter more is for connecting itineraries, where there's lots of competition.
Then again, Air France is priced in a different league than the other European carriers in first class, while British Airways is usually on the other end of the spectrum. So I'm not surprised that the minutiae of soft product doesn't drive too many purchasing decisions.
You are saying lately that “ xyz is best of service, food, accommodations, etc.” you have had or compares to it closely. Does that just mean that the soft and hard product has became exponentially better from years ago by evolving ( did airlines care 15 years ago? Did they think quality mattered? Or now all airlines have be extremely competitive? Vs. just Singapore, Cathay, etc. in past as elite? Passenger expectations changing? Or now...
You are saying lately that “ xyz is best of service, food, accommodations, etc.” you have had or compares to it closely. Does that just mean that the soft and hard product has became exponentially better from years ago by evolving ( did airlines care 15 years ago? Did they think quality mattered? Or now all airlines have be extremely competitive? Vs. just Singapore, Cathay, etc. in past as elite? Passenger expectations changing? Or now it’s rat race bc service matters more? Etc. Etc? ).
@ Florida sunshine -- In general, competition has definitely heated up in premium cabins over the years, so I do think that's a factor. Every aspect of passenger experience evolves over time, though I think on the high end, airlines are trying harder than ever before.
Heck, even if you look at the major US carriers, you'll see how they're competing with champagne collaborations, and now have among the best business class champagne you'll find on any airline.
Ben - curious how comfortable the seat itself was. I had a client fly on this (in F) and I was excited for him since it was the new product, but his feedback was that the service was just okay and the seat was hard as a rock... He's usually very easy going, so I took his word for it. Granted, this was very shortly after it was introduced on the Boston route so it's possible the seat had not been softened up from use yet... But still curious about your feedback.
@ pstm91 -- Funny enough, on my recent Lufthansa Allegris business class flight, I thought the seat was very hard. Meanwhile on this flight, I can't say I found that to be an issue at all.
There does seem to be some consistency issues when it comes to padding in the new Lufthansa and SWISS premium seats, and I'm not sure what exactly is going on there.
At least in first class if firmness is...
@ pstm91 -- Funny enough, on my recent Lufthansa Allegris business class flight, I thought the seat was very hard. Meanwhile on this flight, I can't say I found that to be an issue at all.
There does seem to be some consistency issues when it comes to padding in the new Lufthansa and SWISS premium seats, and I'm not sure what exactly is going on there.
At least in first class if firmness is an issue, you can always just ask them to put the mattress pad on the seat, and that should help.
Nice humble brag in the title.
@ jcil -- Familiar as in comparable to Lufthansa Allegris, which I've flown. Not familiar in any other way, since I had never flown the product. :-)
Agree with everything written. And yes, the crew can be hit or miss, but when good, they are really top.
I wish the First class air experience matched the ground experience. In this case it could be among the top of the list. Alas...
Can't wait to see your updated F-list.
tl;dr of recent First Class reviews on OMAAT:
Swiss Senses, ANA’s THE Suite, Qatar’s A380: excellent but nothing earth-shattering
JAL A350-1000, Etihad A380, Emirates’ Game Changer: a phenomenal, profound experience
(Air France’s La Première is in a totally different league entirely.)
I wonder: where does SQ fall between these two?
@ Proximanova -- Even though SQ might not be the "shiniest" nowadays, the service and attention to detail on the airline always somehow leaves me with a positive impression, and manages to pleasantly surprise me.
No it isn't. You left out LH.
Weren't they blocking awards, even for Miles & More Senator members?
@ Eli -- Award space is really tough to come by, but it does open up eventually. In my case, it opened up about four days in advance, finally, with a fully open cabin.
Which points did you use to book the flight?
@ Lee -- Miles & More miles, though with the help of a friend with Senator status, given restrictions on first class redemptions.
@ Ben — Thank you for this review. So, both LH Allegris First Class and LX Senses First Class on A359s are now bookable with Miles & More miles, albeit LX F for only certain M&M Senator members? Maybe you’re saving those details for the fuller review.
@ hanchicago -- Will have more details in the full review, but yep, that's correct. Space isn't at all easy to find, but it is there. LX requires Senator status, LH doesn't.
No first class hot dog???
Nice flight!
@ Peter -- Hah, if the "Bastardo" weren't pork, I would've given it a try, just out of curiosity!
Random question: do you speak German with the cabin crew on SWISS? (Asking since they likely speak Swiss German whereas I imagine you speak standard/high German)
@ And -- Yep, we spoke in Hochdeutsch! They're great at adapting to that.
@and
Nothing random about that question. Someone around here with brains in the comment section
In conclusion, meh.
Probably you’re right: given the thousands of dollars you’ll need to spend on an experience like this, the ROI seems fairly limited for a 7-hour flight as opposed to 15 hours in, say, Emirates’ A380. Which is where Air France deserves some credit for charging $20k but ensuring that every cent of its feels like a transformational experience.
The LP wine list is anything but transformational - most stuff on there can be bought at my local caviste here in Paris for 60-70€. I was rather disappointed when I flew them last December for the first and likely last time.