- Introduction: A Downgraded Adventure To Oman
- Review: Turkish Airlines Lounge Miami Airport (MIA)
- Review: Air Canada Business Class Airbus A220 (MIA-YUL)
- Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal Airport (YUL)
- Review: Air France Lounge Montreal Airport (YUL)
- Review: SWISS Business Class Airbus A330 (YUL-ZRH)
- Review: SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Review: SWISS Business Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Review: SWISS Helvetic Business Class Embraer E190-E2 (ZRH-MXP)
- Review: Oman Air Business Class Boeing 787 (MXP-MCT)
- Review: Oman Air Business Lounge Muscat Airport (MCT)
- Review: Oman Air First Lounge Muscat Airport (MCT)
- Review: Oman Air Business Class Airbus A330 (MCT-FRA)
- Review: Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 777 (FRA-JFK)
For the second segment of my downgraded adventure to Oman, I flew SWISS’ Airbus A330-300 business class on the roughly seven hour flight from Montreal to Zurich.
In recent years I’ve flown SWISS’ 777 business class and SWISS’ A340 business class, but this was my first time flying SWISS’ A330 business class in about a decade. I’ve gotta say, I really wasn’t impressed at all, and found this to be a pretty underwhelming experience, in terms of both hard and soft product. That’s especially true when you consider that SWISS is supposed to be the premium airline of Lufthansa Group.
The SWISS A330 business class cabin is outdated and feels tight, the entertainment screens are small and low resolution, the service felt mechanical, the food was just okay, and the amenity kit and bedding felt cheap. I wouldn’t say this product is worth avoiding, if SWISS has the best schedule or the overall best value. However, this definitely isn’t a product I’d be seeking out in the future.
In this post:
How I booked my SWISS business class ticket
I booked my SWISS business class ticket using Air Canada Aeroplan points, as part of a larger itinerary. Specifically, I booked the following award in business class for 110,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points plus $154.44 in taxes and fees:
1/11 AC1207 Miami to Montreal departing 8:00AM arriving 11:36AM
1/11 LX87 Montreal to Zurich departing 4:50PM arriving 6:15AM (+1 day)
1/12 LX1622 Zurich to Milan departing 5:40PM arriving 6:40PM
1/12 WY144 Milan to Muscat departing 9:30PM arriving 6:45AM (+1 day)
Aeroplan points are easy to come by, as the program is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, and Chase Ultimate Rewards. On top of that, there’s the Aeroplan® Credit Card (review) in the United States, which is quite rewarding.
SWISS business class lounge & boarding
SWISS sends its business class passengers to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal, which I reviewed in the previous installment. It’s a solid lounge, but gets busy in the afternoons.
The SWISS flight to Zurich was departing from gate 58 (it was initially supposed to depart from gate 57, but an Air Transat aircraft was at that gate longer than expected, so the plane was assigned a new gate).
I watched the plane as it arrived at the gate. SWISS only schedules a 1hr40min turn in Montreal, which is quite tight, and doesn’t leave much room for delays. Fortunately in this case the inbound aircraft arrived on-time.
Boarding was scheduled for 4:15PM, 35 minutes ahead of schedule. Those needing extra time were invited to board first, and that seemed to be a good chunk of the plane. It took about 15 minutes for the pre-boarding to be complete, and then general boarding started. Unfortunately that makes my picture taking kind of tough, so I apologize for the lack of good cabin pictures.
SWISS A330 business class cabin & seats
SWISS’ Airbus A330s have a 45-seat business class cabin, which is pretty big. There’s a forward cabin between doors one and two (right behind first class) with nine seats, and then there’s a rear cabin behind the second set of doors with 36 seats.
SWISS has staggered Thompson Vantage seats in business class on its A330s, with the configuration alternating in each row between 1-2-1 and 2-2-1. To explain that in a bit more detail:
- In the center of the cabin there are pairs of seats in each row that are staggered; they’re always equally far apart from one another (so there are no honeymoon seats), but it’s just a question of whether they’re closer to the aisle or closer to the center
- On the left side of the cabin, rows alternate between having pairs of seats, and having “throne” seats; the throne seats are the most popular, as they afford the most space, so see my guide on how to assign these
- On the right side of the cabin, you just have one seat per row, and they alternate between being closer to the aisle and being closer to the window
To explain that in the form of pictures, below is what the seats along the left side of the aircraft look like, alternating between pairs of seats and throne seats.
If you’re traveling as a pair, you might enjoy these seat pairs, as you can sit together while still looking out the window. However, I wouldn’t select one of these if traveling alone, since the window seats here are also the only ones without direct aisle access.
Meanwhile if you’re traveling alone, the throne seats are tough to beat.
Below is an example of what the center seats look like, as they are similar in each row, with the only variation being whether the left or right seat is closer to the aisle.
Below is an example of what the seats along the right side of the aircraft look like, with this being one of the seats closer to the windows rather than being closer to the aisle. I’d definitely prefer the seat closer to the window.
I assigned myself seat 12A, the throne seat in the second to last row of business class, on the left side of the aircraft.
The big selling point of these throne seats is just how much space you have on each side of you, as there’s a huge counter both to the left and the right of your seat. Now, the seat itself is quite narrow, but at least there’s plenty of shoulder space. The seat also lacks padding, I must say, but that’s a whole different issue.
As far as the seat features go, the tray table folds out from the left armrest, and it’s one of those tray tables that you basically need special training to use (IYKYK).
Also to the left of the seat are the seat controls, which are on an exposed panel. The issue with this panel is that it’s quite easy to accidentally hit buttons on this, given that it’s located where you might rest your elbow.
Also on the left side of the seat is the entertainment controller, which you can remove from the compartment.
The seat has an AC power outlet and headphone jack near the top left part of the seat. That’s the extent of the charging options at the seat.
Then the seat back has the entertainment screen, which is quite low quality and small, compared to what you’ll find with other products nowadays. There’s a small shelf underneath the entertainment console where you can place things during the flight.
To the side of the entertainment screen is the literature pocket. SWISS hangs a coat hanger here during boarding with the seat number, which is a smart concept. That way the crew can easily hang your jacket (if you have one), and know which seat to bring it back to later.
One of the downsides to the throne seats is that they have especially small footwells. That’s because the footwells are located to the side of the seat in front, and in this case, that’s between two seats. So while all seats in this configuration have fairly tight footwells, these are especially tight.
The only other thing to note is that unfortunately SWISS doesn’t have individual air nozzles on its A330s, so that’s not great in terms of being able to control airflow to your seat.
This cabin has definitely seen better days. Admittedly the A330 has the challenge of not being as wide as some other wide body aircraft. However, even then, there’s big room for improvement. For example, the A330 and A340 have the same cabin width, and SWISS has introduced a better business class on its A340s.
SWISS business class amenities
Waiting at each seat upon boarding was a pillow and blanket. The bedding wasn’t much to get excited about, with an okay pillow and a rather scratchy blanket. There was no mattress pad, or anything of the sort.
There was also an amenity kit at each seat, or I suppose in this case, an amenity tin. This couldn’t have been more basic, as it had socks, eyeshades, earplugs, and a dental kit. It was also hard to squeeze everything back into the tin after removing it, and I found the tin kept “popping” open.
There were also headphones at each seat, which were okay.
Lastly, there was a bottle of water at each seat.
Late in the boarding process, the crew came around with pre-departure drinks, with the choice of champagne or elderflower soda, which is a unique selection. I chose the former.
Menus were also distributed, along with a pen. This included a menu card you could fill out, to state whether you wanted to be woken up for breakfast or not. The breakfast card also included an invitation to instead enjoy breakfast in the carrier’s arrivals lounge in Zurich.
SWISS A330 business class entertainment & Wi-Fi
SWISS offers audio and video on demand in business class on its A330s, though manage your expectations. As mentioned above, the screen is quite small, and the screen resolution isn’t good.
As far as the quantity and quality of entertainment options goes, I’d say it was average at best. The selection wasn’t huge, but it also wasn’t too hard to find something to watch. Usually I try to count how many movies and TV shows there are, but that wasn’t so easy here, due to many entertainment options being listed under several sections.
There was also a map feature, and I think this perfectly sums up how outdated this inflight entertainment system is. I’m pretty sure this system was already far from cutting edge about a decade ago.
One other thing worth mentioning about the entertainment system is that it doesn’t work on the ground. I don’t understand why some airlines don’t turn it on until after takeoff. Is it that they don’t want passengers using wired headphones, or…?
On the plus side, SWISS offers Wi-Fi on its Airbus A330s. Back in the day, SWISS had outrageously high Wi-Fi pricing based on data usage, and that was improved some time back. SWISS now has three pricing options:
- There’s a messaging plan for free, where you can use chat apps, including the ability to send pictures
- There’s a four hour plan, with no data restrictions, which costs CHF 25 or $28
- There’s a full flight plan, with no data restrictions, which costs CHF 35 or $38
If you buy a plan, you’re supposed to be able to reconnect on a different device. That way you could switch between your laptop and smartphone, for example.
The Wi-Fi pricing is still on the high side compared to other airlines, but it’s better than before. One thing I found frustrating is that I bought a plan for the entire flight, and then when I tried to log-in before landing, it no longer worked, and it told me to buy another plan. That’s despite the fact that I created a log-in, specifically to make it easy to reconnect. I’m not sure if this was an isolated glitch, or what.
SWISS A330 departure from Montreal
At around 4:45PM, boarding was complete — business class was around 75% full, as there were about a dozen empty seats.
At that point the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 7hr20min, which is a bit longer than usual. Unfortunately we’d also have a bit of a delay on departure — we were waiting on some bags to be loaded, and would then need to be deiced before departure, which he anticipated would take around 20 minutes.
As much as other airlines pad their schedules too much, maybe SWISS doesn’t quite pad its schedules enough, as the entire flight was blocked at 7hr25min, which meant our arrival was delayed quite a bit.
At 4:55PM we began our pushback, and at 5:05PM we began our taxi. Around this time the safety video was screened. SWISS must have one of the most unmemorable and old school safety videos out there — that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s quite a contrast to so many other airlines nowadays.
At 5:15PM we made it to the deicing pad. It’s always fun to watch a plane being deiced, and it’s amazing how much ice accumulated on the wings in the short time the aircraft spent on the ground. My seat gave me an especially good vantage point.
The deicing process was complete at 5:30PM, and then we taxied right to the runway, where we were cleared for takeoff at 5:40PM. As is common after deicing, the takeoff roll was a bit unconventional, as the pilots first revved up the engines to near full power a couple of times, prior to releasing the brakes. That makes for quite some vibration in the cabin.
We had a smooth climb out, and the seatbelt sign was turned off about five minutes after takeoff.
SWISS business class dinner service
In SWISS business class, dinner was served after takeoff. You can find the menu and drink list below.
On a short transatlantic flight, I tend to think the correct service procedure for those who want to stay up is to offer everyone a drink as quickly as possible, and then to complete the meal service efficiently. That’s not exactly how the SWISS service procedure worked, though.
35 minutes after takeoff, the crew passed through the cabin to take meal orders. The flight attendant had an iPad she was staring down at, and she simply said “meal order please,” without even looking up. I tried to order the salmon, but they were already out of that, so I instead selected the chicken.
Then a full 55 minutes after takeoff, the first round of drinks was served off a cart. I ordered a glass of champagne and sparkling water, which was served with a tiny ramekin of mixed nuts. Currently SWISS is pouring Jacquart Mosaïque Brut.
Then 90 minutes after takeoff, the crew was back through the cabin with meal trays. For my main course, I selected the herb-roasted chicken breast with mustard and tarragon sauce, roast potatoes, honey glazed baby carrots, and charred spring onions.
That was served with a side salad and a cheese plate, as well as a selection from the bread basket. There was no appetizer, which I found odd (you’d think that if you’re only going to have an appetizer or a salad, you’d offer the former).
Then the only dessert option was the “caramel delight,” which was sweet and tasty (as you’d expect).
The meal was perfectly fine, but nothing special or memorable. The service was only complete around two hours after takeoff, which feels like a really long time to provide such a basic service.
SWISS A330 business class lavatories
SWISS A330s have two lavatories in business class, located by the second set of doors. There was nothing memorable about the lavatories, other than the Soeder toiletries, including face cream, herbal lotion, and face spray.
Across from the forward left lavatory is the “office” of the maître de cabine. It’s funny how a few airlines have invested in having a space like this, while most airlines haven’t.
SWISS A330 business class bed
After dinner, it was time to try and get some rest, so I reclined my seat fully. I appreciate the privacy of the throne seat, though it definitely feels tight, and the lack of seat padding makes for a very firm sleeping surface.
I ended up going to sleep with just under five hours remaining to Zurich…
…and I woke up with around 1hr40min remaining to Zurich, so I got a little over three hours of sleep. For me, that’s not half bad, especially on a flight this short.
SWISS business class breakfast
About 1hr25min before landing, the crew performed the breakfast service. As mentioned above, a menu card had been handed out on the ground in Montreal, so that passengers could pre-select their choices.
As you can see, the breakfast selection on SWISS is quite simple — you’ll get at most fruit, yogurt, and some pastries. It’s interesting, because even on a shorter transatlantic flight, Air France has a full breakfast service, including hot dishes.
Anyway, I ordered plain yogurt, fruit, and a croissant. I also had a coffee to drink. I wasn’t really hungry, but it was a pretty basic breakfast.
Closer to landing, I ordered an espresso, to get another caffeine hit.
Once the breakfast service was complete, chocolates were distributed, as is standard on SWISS flights.
SWISS business class service
Unfortunately the service on SWISS felt similar to the rest of the experience, which is… not great. I think this comes down to a couple of factors.
First of all, SWISS’ service flow in business class is very assembly line-esque. It feels like there’s no personalization to the service, but rather the crew just constantly rolls carts down the aisle, and if you want something, you better hope it’s on that cart.
The lack of personalization goes beyond that, though. At no point was anyone addressed by name or welcomed onboard, and even when my meal order was taken, the flight attendant didn’t even look up at me when saying “meal order please.”
SWISS also seems to have an issue where it has a combination of very junior and very senior crew, and I’m not sure they work that great together. It seemed like the flight attendants working the aisle were pretty junior, and not necessarily the most efficient or experienced. Meanwhile it seemed like the senior flight attendants were working the galley. The maître de cabine also wasn’t as hands on in business class, as I’ve seen on some other SWISS flights.
Now, to the crew’s credit, the flight attendant working the other aisle seemed to have some personality, as I observed her being super sweet with many passengers (a majority of passengers in business class were on the older side, and many required a little extra attention). However, the flight attendant working my aisle didn’t have that same positive attitude. In fairness, she dealt with some pretty annoying things, like the guy across from me complaining about the whisky selection.
Look, the flight attendants didn’t do anything wrong, and the crew wasn’t bad. It’s just that the service on this flight is such a contrast to airlines like Virgin Atlantic, where you’re greeted with a big smile, you’re asked if you’re familiar with the seat, etc.
SWISS A330 arrival in Zurich
At 6:15AM Zurich time (which was our scheduled arrival time), the first officer announced that we’d be descending shortly, and would be landing in around 40 minutes. About 10 minutes later we began a pretty steep descent. It was a smooth approach, and the seatbelt sign was turned on around 6:40AM. At 6:50AM we had a very smooth touchdown in Zurich.
From there we had a short taxi to our arrival stand, where we pulled in at 6:55AM, 40 minutes behind schedule.
From there I headed to the SWISS Arrivals Lounge, which I was looking forward to checking out.
Bottom line
SWISS’ A330 business class disappointed me, plain and simple. SWISS is supposed to be a premium airline, but the carrier’s A330s offer an underwhelming experience. The cabin was outdated, the entertainment screens weren’t good, the service felt like an assembly line, the amenities were cheap and limited, and the Wi-Fi was expensive.
I’m not trying to suggest this was some awful flight, but rather I feel like SWISS can and should do better than this, as the airline clearly isn’t investing in its business class hard or soft product at the moment. SWISS will soon introduce a new business class, so here’s to hoping that comes with a soft product investment as well.
Like I said, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend avoiding SWISS’ A330s if the schedule or price is good, but I also wouldn’t seek out this product. I’d rather fly just about any wide body business class of a US airline, with the exception of Delta’s 767s.
What’s your take on SWISS A330 business class?
Wow the food quanity for business class was terrible. Especially the breakfast Swiss really underperformed with their meals on this flight!
This post stuck in my head as I was about to travel on SWISS - JFK - GVA - JFK.
I could not disagree more - the crew was absolutely awesome. Our family of 4 was pampered and we had a great flight.
I think no one like snubs and Ben is a snub.
Wow guys. Just wow. Some of the comments here the last week are getting really out of control. I think Ben will be the first to admit that he's not a great writer, but that's not the point of his content. He reviews flights and does so with perfect humility and humor. Personally I think he's one of the best in the business, so for some of you to suggest it's irresponsible and inappropriate to...
Wow guys. Just wow. Some of the comments here the last week are getting really out of control. I think Ben will be the first to admit that he's not a great writer, but that's not the point of his content. He reviews flights and does so with perfect humility and humor. Personally I think he's one of the best in the business, so for some of you to suggest it's irresponsible and inappropriate to be spending so much time away from his child/husband/dog is frankly ridiculous. Keep it up, Lucky! #avgeek ;)
Good call. Also, what's up with all the comments ripping on this blog for not being written well? So what if he says 'and then' to begin most of his paragraphs and always calls himself an AV geek? Get a life ppl
A very well-written and honest review of Swiss even though it seems to bug Julian who seems to be a staff of this company.
According to LinkedIn he's a manager at BCD travel. Maybe his customers avood certain airlines and/or planes after reading Ben's reviews ?
After all it's probably corporate contracts that maintain those subpar products (and miles redemptions as award tickets are usually "cheaper"). I'd be interested to see what business class would be if airlines actually had to fight for paying customers (and did not sell discounted tickets through point redemptions)
avood?
Avoid. My apology.
Its an old aircraft so what did you expect.You may call yourself a reviewer but most of your airline reviews are negative unless they are US based which does not surprise me.Try turning right instead of left on these long haul flights and paying for a ticket and then you can criticise all the time you like being as you hardly ever pay for a ticket due to your so called expertise on your own...
Its an old aircraft so what did you expect.You may call yourself a reviewer but most of your airline reviews are negative unless they are US based which does not surprise me.Try turning right instead of left on these long haul flights and paying for a ticket and then you can criticise all the time you like being as you hardly ever pay for a ticket due to your so called expertise on your own website which you set up supposedly to help people with the way they travel.I have worked in travel for over 40 years and have far more experience then you and your mainly one sided opinions.You obviously do not care what people think as you never respond to positive or negative comments because you are constantly flying around the world flying premium class and staying in first class accommodation.Its a great job if you can get it but do not criticise unless you are actually paying for something.
"your airline reviews are negative unless they are US based"
While Lucky can be very mercurial in his view of airline quality, he gives good reviews to many non-US airlines, especially in the Middle East and Asia. And he also gives European airlines credit when it is due, like on his recent Air France flights.
1) If a plane is old it is 100% the airline's responsibility to keep it modern, e.g. by refurbishing its cabin. In this case, Swiss hasn't kept the cabin all that fresh, so it only makes sense that Ben would mention that.
2) Who do you think pays for his tickets? You're implying that someone else does so, but if he actually criticized airlines unfairly all the time, like you're saying, would they provide...
1) If a plane is old it is 100% the airline's responsibility to keep it modern, e.g. by refurbishing its cabin. In this case, Swiss hasn't kept the cabin all that fresh, so it only makes sense that Ben would mention that.
2) Who do you think pays for his tickets? You're implying that someone else does so, but if he actually criticized airlines unfairly all the time, like you're saying, would they provide him with free tickets, or what?
3) Please do bother reading his Swiss A340 review and then come back and tell us if you still think he only does negative reviews.
I know I'm probably losing my time writing this, but in case you actually read it...
Unless you are being sarcastic, your comment is just absolutely ridiculous.
Ben's job, when writing a review is to provide his view of the experience. He is by far the most detailed reviewer out there, so you, the reader, can form your own opinion. If you are not interested in Ben's view, this blog would be a terrible place for you to pass the time.
Was the aircarft that old? possibly. Is that...
Unless you are being sarcastic, your comment is just absolutely ridiculous.
Ben's job, when writing a review is to provide his view of the experience. He is by far the most detailed reviewer out there, so you, the reader, can form your own opinion. If you are not interested in Ben's view, this blog would be a terrible place for you to pass the time.
Was the aircarft that old? possibly. Is that an important part of the review? absolutely.
The amenities on the flight seem very basic. The food seems like standard coach food. (the wine list was interesting though). The description of the service made me lose any interest in flying Swiss.
Is it possible that one could have an entirely different experience on a different aircraft, different menu and a better crew? Absolutely. As it happens, it wasn't Ben's experience, and he can only report on what his flight was like.
ROTFLMFAO!! This comment is 100% on point
LX is the most profitable airline in LH Group. That's the only thing premium about this airline: the O/D fares and the yield they reap from them.
A monopoly on a high purchase power clientele that does not really know what good service will do that...
To be fair, wages are so high in CH that it's difficult to offer good service at internationally competitive prices.
I'm not surprised the product is...
LX is the most profitable airline in LH Group. That's the only thing premium about this airline: the O/D fares and the yield they reap from them.
A monopoly on a high purchase power clientele that does not really know what good service will do that...
To be fair, wages are so high in CH that it's difficult to offer good service at internationally competitive prices.
I'm not surprised the product is poor on North America bound flights where Star Alliance dominates and the only competition comes from AA and Delta.
I am surprised to read in the comment that even for Asia no effort is done.
Any clue if Switzerland is closed to 5th freedom flights ? I'm sure a well-timed JFK flight from an actually premium carrier would increase pressure do to better. What about rumours of JetBlue recruiting in GVA?
Neither Swiss nor Lufthansa have any commendable products - whether it is the IFE or seats of meals or service. Fair enough if you are using miles but paying the exorbitant fares and surcharges, it is not worth it. I flew recently from ZRH-DXB in Business class and the level of service and quality of meals was pathetic. I wrote to them and they acknowledged it and sent me a voucher for 100 Swiss francs for a future trip which I doubt I will ever take with them.
Hi Ben
Interesting & informative review, thanks
You may want to correct a typo "...prior to releasing the breaks"
I see the "throne seats" to be quite overrated - I'd rather fly current Lufthansa business class (yes, the one without a direct isle access) than Swiss' tired business class. I wouldn't say that it's better than LH busineee class, just because the most of the seats has a direct isle access. The service was quite surprising - the service level of FA you had on this flight is quite equivalent of below-average FA at...
I see the "throne seats" to be quite overrated - I'd rather fly current Lufthansa business class (yes, the one without a direct isle access) than Swiss' tired business class. I wouldn't say that it's better than LH busineee class, just because the most of the seats has a direct isle access. The service was quite surprising - the service level of FA you had on this flight is quite equivalent of below-average FA at the US Big Three carriers (one of the FA whose level is below average compared to the majority of other FA of the carrier, I mean). Is Swiss a "luxury" brand in the Lufthansa Group? Definitely not... again, LH itself would be better. Even Air Canada or United Trans-Atlantic business class experience would have been better.
Just flew Swiss JFK-ZRH last Monday. Review accurately reflects hard and soft products.
Chose 2 singles on right side. Would have liked a mattress pad. Neither of us hungry but husband's beef very tough. Didn't even turn on IFE. We were connecting to Thai flight to BKK so with long day of travel just wanted space and getting award seats. With specific travel dates this was what we could find. We are retired leisure...
Just flew Swiss JFK-ZRH last Monday. Review accurately reflects hard and soft products.
Chose 2 singles on right side. Would have liked a mattress pad. Neither of us hungry but husband's beef very tough. Didn't even turn on IFE. We were connecting to Thai flight to BKK so with long day of travel just wanted space and getting award seats. With specific travel dates this was what we could find. We are retired leisure travelers so our needs and expectations are modest. Being able to fly J and get a bit of sleep and something light to eat most important. Sure, we've experienced better but this was adequate for us.
Not big breakfast eaters so continental met our needs. Also don't drink alcohol so can't comment on what is good or bad.
In fairness, the whisky selection is quite bad. Chivas 12 is totally mediocre. Jim Beam is terrible. And the 7-year old Swiss malt might be fine, but no one has ever heard of it (and 7 is pretty young for single malt). They should ditch the Chivas, and have at least have one high-quality Scottish single malt instead. Ironically, United's whisky choices are way better: Glenfarclas 12 (which is quite solid) and Buffalo Trace, way...
In fairness, the whisky selection is quite bad. Chivas 12 is totally mediocre. Jim Beam is terrible. And the 7-year old Swiss malt might be fine, but no one has ever heard of it (and 7 is pretty young for single malt). They should ditch the Chivas, and have at least have one high-quality Scottish single malt instead. Ironically, United's whisky choices are way better: Glenfarclas 12 (which is quite solid) and Buffalo Trace, way better than Swiss!
Alas, Ben's booze opinions seem limited to googling how expensive the Champagne is.
Thank you! I‘m always disappointed in the whisky selection on planes. They spend more on the champagne that fills maybe 7 glasses than on a bottle of whisky that fills 35… and all seem to have this disappointing Chivas. The 7yo Swiss whisky seems actually interesting, so already a step up from other airlines.
Due to my once Zürich centric travel from Australia, I was for years a very frequent user of Swiss (in business) , and before that Swissair (in First). I often connected to Swiss (LX) with Qantas (QF), and the contrast in how they handled short red eyes - those 7 to 8 hour over-nighters couldn’t be more different.
LX always took forever to get the dinner orders, and only did it after take-off; QF...
Due to my once Zürich centric travel from Australia, I was for years a very frequent user of Swiss (in business) , and before that Swissair (in First). I often connected to Swiss (LX) with Qantas (QF), and the contrast in how they handled short red eyes - those 7 to 8 hour over-nighters couldn’t be more different.
LX always took forever to get the dinner orders, and only did it after take-off; QF took the orders pre-take off. LX had a status-driven ordering sequence, so the FA would hop all over the cabin to take the orders, which really slowed the process. On red eyes, both had a quick meal option, on QF it appeared very quickly after take off. On LX it came out the same time as everyones full meal, somewhat defeating the purpose. QF quickly dimmed the lights for service, LX not. Approaching Australia on those overnighters, QF crew would serve breakfast to those who wanted it, in the dark, with little clip on torches. With LX, it’s lights on, bright, everybody up! On QF, some sleep maximisation was possible.
On top of that the main reason for giving up Swiss was the incredible discomfort of the narrow hard seats, with an air pump thing that did nothing for anyone, even on the occasions it worked, on top of the really noisy 777s they mostly fly. Because of the interleaved design of the seat rows, it is effectively 10 across the Swiss 777. The throne may be wide, but the seat is too narrow for comfort.
Until the Russian war, we moved to Qantas/Finnair day flights as the easiest route Australia to Europe, but since overflying Russia is now not possible, we are finding the sandbox airlines are hard to beat for schedule, service and comfort, and have left Swiss in the dust.
One thing I would really like to know when reading reviews of business class products is whether there is an adjustable leg rest. I like to get my legs up but often I don't want to lie down. Take Qatar Q suite for example - I love most things about it, but the only way to get my legs up is to recline the seat until it is virtually in bed mode, which is not...
One thing I would really like to know when reading reviews of business class products is whether there is an adjustable leg rest. I like to get my legs up but often I don't want to lie down. Take Qatar Q suite for example - I love most things about it, but the only way to get my legs up is to recline the seat until it is virtually in bed mode, which is not what I want if I am watching a movie, for example. Do you think you could describe this aspect of the seat's function in future reviews please?
Wow the breakfast was strictly a "continental " breakfast, no eggs/warm options!
It seems they have cut down on the service as I would always get an option of either cold cuts or scrambled eggs along with the continental breakfast.
Unfortunately, your experience is sort of the usual with LX long-haul Business Class. Very narrow seats, partly without aisle access, some habitual delay because of insufficient turn-around time, lengthy meal service on overnight flights.
Recently flew ZRH-HKG in C and your review matches with my experience.
-Assemlyline-like service, with no room for personalization
-Badly stocked amenity kit, and overall just a lack of amenities
-Very poor bedding
-Limited (average at best) IFE selection
-Food just "ok", tray service, meh
I flew HKG-FRA two weeks later and I was shocked the experience on LH was better.
-Better IFE selection
-Way better bedding &...
Recently flew ZRH-HKG in C and your review matches with my experience.
-Assemlyline-like service, with no room for personalization
-Badly stocked amenity kit, and overall just a lack of amenities
-Very poor bedding
-Limited (average at best) IFE selection
-Food just "ok", tray service, meh
I flew HKG-FRA two weeks later and I was shocked the experience on LH was better.
-Better IFE selection
-Way better bedding & amenity kit
-Pyamas (top)
-More personalized service
-...
Swiss anno 2024 is hardly the premium airline they are pretending to be and I will be actively avoiding flying with them.
Not impressive at all. Would rather fly Polaris across the Atlantic. I guess Austrian is the best transatlantic J product in LH Group until LH gets new seats across the fleet.
Austrian is good in terms of food. The hard product is even more worn out than on LX (perhaps that will change with the arrival of the 787).
Hi,
A few werks ago I flew Swiss business from Zurich to Bangkok snd back. Very disappointing. I agree completely with everyting you write here. Really sad, Swiss used to be a lot better.
Sounds like a typical LX flight, lately.
LX fired a bunch of F/A during COVID, of which almost none came back.
Across the below average salary (for Swiss standards...) and unacceptable working conditions, LX has troubles finding sufficient crew - which lead to a huge detoriation in requirements for working at SWISS. Almost no local is willing to work as FA for SWISS - you literally make a lot more sitting at a grocery...
Sounds like a typical LX flight, lately.
LX fired a bunch of F/A during COVID, of which almost none came back.
Across the below average salary (for Swiss standards...) and unacceptable working conditions, LX has troubles finding sufficient crew - which lead to a huge detoriation in requirements for working at SWISS. Almost no local is willing to work as FA for SWISS - you literally make a lot more sitting at a grocery store.
In terms of service, LX differentiates between an afternoon and a night departure from the US. I have flown the 11pm EWR-ZRH quite a lot, and usually had my meal within 30 minutes after departure. Meanwhile on the afternoon flights they do this stupidly long service.
perfect, accurate report!!! also from Asia, SWISS is minimalist at best, sorry for the crews..; food (seriously Aldi supermarket offer better bread), IFE, seat comfort - all per DIKTAT from Lufthansa, not realizing/not caring? that they have completely destroyed the once great Swiss brand...TK economy food better than LX biz...
You gotta be some kind of d-bag to moan about the (free) whiskey selection on a plane.
@uncleronnie,
1. The whiskey is NOT free. It is part of the curated price that is charged for Business Class, just the same as the food, service, and amenity kit.
2. Looking back over Ben's report, I've gotta admit that I'm inclined to agree with your 'd-bag' friend - but on a wider scale The liquor / spirit list is certainly NOT anything that echoes 'premium'. Bog standard Bacardi rum, a pretty ordinary...
@uncleronnie,
1. The whiskey is NOT free. It is part of the curated price that is charged for Business Class, just the same as the food, service, and amenity kit.
2. Looking back over Ben's report, I've gotta admit that I'm inclined to agree with your 'd-bag' friend - but on a wider scale The liquor / spirit list is certainly NOT anything that echoes 'premium'. Bog standard Bacardi rum, a pretty ordinary vodka, Jim Bean bourbon. A single malt 7 year old Swiss Scotch (wow, there's something new), a 12 yr old Chivas blend sometimes found in Economy (where a 15 or 18 yr old product is normally served in J) .. I'd sorta suggest your buddy might actually be 'on pointe' on his complaint / discussion with the crew.
I think the view of Swiss as a premium airline brand is wrong, as Ben you have noted previously that you viewed the Lufthansa group airlines as a series of brands while Lufthansa views them as a series of hubs. That would imply Lufthansa’s view is not necessarily that Swiss or any other airline in the group should be more “premium” in the sense of more elevated service (and I think most people would characterize...
I think the view of Swiss as a premium airline brand is wrong, as Ben you have noted previously that you viewed the Lufthansa group airlines as a series of brands while Lufthansa views them as a series of hubs. That would imply Lufthansa’s view is not necessarily that Swiss or any other airline in the group should be more “premium” in the sense of more elevated service (and I think most people would characterize the service you experienced as similar to what you get on LH). Second, the “premium” part of LX is not that they have a better hard product / soft product / service, but that their planes have a higher proportion of premium seats relative to other LH group airlines. In that sense, LX is “premium” the same way that United’s high-J 767 is - same service level in J or PE, but more J / PE seats available.
Exactly. The mainline LH Group airlines (LH/LX/OS) operate as one. Most decisions are taken centrally and the goal is to make the experience consistent across the board. Only Eurowings and SN have a distinct product/strategy.
@Samo yep, for the main LH hubs of FRA/MUC/ZRH/VIE (and soon maybe FCO too), it's no different than the US airlines or Air Canada with multiple hubs that have different destination mixes / types of aircraft / mix of seats based on a combination of geographical positioning and O&D demand of the hub. The only difference is that while the US airlines or Air Canada fly with the exact same livery from each hub while...
@Samo yep, for the main LH hubs of FRA/MUC/ZRH/VIE (and soon maybe FCO too), it's no different than the US airlines or Air Canada with multiple hubs that have different destination mixes / types of aircraft / mix of seats based on a combination of geographical positioning and O&D demand of the hub. The only difference is that while the US airlines or Air Canada fly with the exact same livery from each hub while LH has different liveries, seats, etc. from different hubs. Even for SN, they are arguably doing the same thing but with a much more niche destination mix focused on Africa.
‘Maître de cabine’! Meine gott!
I’m reminded upon hearing this of Pam-Ann’s description of this role - the ‘CSD’.
IYKNY.
En route to Italy we flew YUL-ZRH in J on LX's A340 last year. Wasn't spectacular but there aren't too many competitive options bet. YUL and Europe. LX has little incentive to upgrade its hard product serving YUL.
Flew ZRH-SFO pre-covid, and the throne seat was lackluster, but damn, that steak was the best steak I ever ate on an airplane, and even beats a decent chunk of steak I ate in restaurants.
I have the same opinion as the author. Swiss was "just fine". Not in anyway memorable.
Have recently flown Swiss Business EWR-ZRH and had practically the same experience. Just okay-ish. Unfortunately within Switzerland this airline is still percieved as very good. They made a promotional campaign about becoming top notch airline etc., but in reality not much has changed.
Compared to airlines from Asia, business class standards and services of Lufthansa Group are subpar (ok, Austrian has good food...).
There is no real competition within Europe, hopefully new AF...
Have recently flown Swiss Business EWR-ZRH and had practically the same experience. Just okay-ish. Unfortunately within Switzerland this airline is still percieved as very good. They made a promotional campaign about becoming top notch airline etc., but in reality not much has changed.
Compared to airlines from Asia, business class standards and services of Lufthansa Group are subpar (ok, Austrian has good food...).
There is no real competition within Europe, hopefully new AF business class will stir things a bit?
BTW, Ben, your site is amazing!
Swiss reflects the brand ethos of Luthansa. Tired, dated products, and mediocre service, albeit with a smile. The Swiss cabins are circa 2009. Swiss is also rarely punctual. It's a shame because it was the best in the Lufthansa brand portfolio.
Don't forget inflated prices.
LH Group's strategy revolves around the network. They know they can overcharge and underdeliver when most of their customers don't have a choice to fly with someone else.
The 'overcharging' only applies to certain markets. Things like intra-Europe business from the UK to Eastern Europe, or first class to Asia from Scandinavia, are often less than half the price of their competitors. It may not be the most polished product, but the value proposition for connecting pax tends to be better than paying KLM a similar amount to fly in the next class down.
Swiss business class absolutely sucks. I seem to forget and try it again every year and get reminded of this.
Flew JFK-ZRH a few weeks back. The seat is uncomfortable (way too hard) when flat and randomly seems to put itself in massage mode or some lumbar support mode which I don't actually want. The food is underwhelming. I like the pre-order concept but not being able to serve at least _something_ warm is...
Swiss business class absolutely sucks. I seem to forget and try it again every year and get reminded of this.
Flew JFK-ZRH a few weeks back. The seat is uncomfortable (way too hard) when flat and randomly seems to put itself in massage mode or some lumbar support mode which I don't actually want. The food is underwhelming. I like the pre-order concept but not being able to serve at least _something_ warm is just ridiculous. On the ground I find their lounges just don't seem to actually have much food available and the wait for a shower is frequently ~1.5 hours.
Avoid avoid avoid. The problem is they have pretty good reward availability so I might end up on them again. I guess no one wants to pay cash!
Still beats Air Canada!
Really? Tell me what’s wrong with the AC business class product compared to this review.
AC is far superior. The only meaningful difference is that there's is no 1st class. I've flown J, PY, and Y, and can say that the experience is quite good across all cabins. And AC J is way better than what Ben described on this review.
That chicken looks almost identical to what they often serve in economy (which is actually quite competitive on Swiss)…
Hi Ben. Great review as always. It always amazes me how much variance there is across carriers. It would be great to see an article showing you best standard versus the cost to see if there is any correlation between the cost of ticket and quality of the business class experience.
Garbage food for Biz class.. what happened to the old Swiss. I know.. pick me.. LUFTHANSA!
Ben, did you try the arrivals lounge in Zurich? Wondering since so few airports have them.
Not surprised to hear this; I have seen a few other unenthusiastic reviews of this business class product. Think I will choose another option when flying across the Atlantic.
I actually love the modular breakfast. ÖBB does the same thing on Nightjets and I find this much better than fixed options which have too little of what I want and too much of what I don't want.
Of course I understand it sucks if you want a hot breakfast (and it should definitely be an option) but I imagine most people flying LX would go for continental anyway.