- Introduction: Zimbabwe Via The Cockpit Suite
- Review: SWISS First Class Boeing 777 (MIA-ZRH)
- Review: SWISS First Lounge Zurich Airport Terminal E (ZRH)
- Review: SWISS First Lounge Zurich Airport Terminal A (ZRH)
- Review: SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Review: Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Marriott Tribute Portfolio
- Review: Corendon Amsterdam New-West, Marriott Tribute Portfolio
- Review: KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
- Review: KLM Business Class Boeing 777 (AMS-JNB)
- Flying Federal Airlines To Buffalo Range, Zimbabwe
- Review: Singita Pamushana Lodge, Zimbabwe
- Review: Emirates Lounge Johannesburg Airport (JNB)
- Emirates Premium Connections Service Dubai: My Experience
- Review: “New” Emirates First Class Airbus A380 (DXB-IAH)
For the first segment of my trip to Zimbabwe, I flew SWISS’ Boeing 777-300ER first class on the 8hr20min overnight flight from Miami (MIA) to Zurich (ZRH). This was my first time in many years flying SWISS first class, and I was looking forward to seeing how the experience was holding up.
I’m happy to report that I was very pleased with the experience. SWISS’ first class suites are spacious, and the airline offers impressive food and drinks, great amenities, and friendly service. As far as Lufthansa Group airlines go, this definitely felt a step above Lufthansa first class (though in fairness, I do love the Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380 at Lufthansa).
In this post:
How I booked my SWISS first class ticket
Unless you have elite status with the Miles & More program (the loyalty program of Lufthansa and SWISS), it’s not possible to redeem miles directly for SWISS first class.
So, how did I fly SWISS first class? I booked my SWISS ticket using Air Canada Aeroplan points. Specifically, I booked the following award in business class for 70,000 Aeroplan points plus $74.41 in taxes and fees:
2/11 LX65 Miami to Zurich departing 7:50PM arriving 10:50AM (+1 day)
2/12 LX736 Zurich to Amsterdam departing 8:45PM arriving 10:25PM
Aeroplan points are easy to come by, as the program is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, and Chase Ultimate Rewards. On top of that, Aeroplan often sells points at a discount.
I then upgraded the ticket from business class to first class. On a space available basis, SWISS sells first class upgrades at check-in, even on partner award tickets, so I managed to successfully get one of those upgrades, though at a steep cost. Still, I figured it was worth it to finally be able to review this product again.
SWISS first class lounge & boarding
I arrived at Miami Airport shortly before 6PM, for the 7:50PM departure to Zurich. At the check-in desk, I was pleasantly surprised to find that both Lufthansa and SWISS now offer escorts through security at the airport.
During the afternoon and evening peak rush, the security checkpoints at Terminal H & J at Miami Airport might just be the most unpleasant security experience in the United States, and having an escort saved a lot of time, as she literally walked me to the front of the line.
SWISS sends its first class passengers to the LATAM Lounge, which I suppose is supposed to be more premium than the Turkish Lounge, though I’m not sure why. When I walked into the lounge and saw how crowded it was, I decided to leave.
Am I the only one who would rather sit in the below area than in the above lounge? Because that’s exactly what I did. The kind SWISS escort said she could pick me up when boarding started, but I said that wasn’t necessary, as I was already in the gate area.
Anyway, I saw the inbound Boeing 777-300ER arrive from Zurich around 6PM, pulling into gate J18. I’d be flying on HB-JNB, a plane that was delivered to the airline in 2018.
Boarding was scheduled to start at 7:15PM, and sure enough, that’s exactly when boarding started, with first class passengers being invited to board first.
SWISS 777 first class cabin & seats
Boarding took place through the second set of doors, where I was greeted by the maître de cabine, and pointed left into first class. On the 777-300ER, this first involves walking through two rows of SWISS’ staggered business class.
That then leads into the first class cabin, which consists of a total of eight seats, spread across two rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration. SWISS’ first class cabin feels understated yet elegant, in my opinion.
Those traveling with a companion may want to select one of the center pairs of seats. Many modern first class suites make it hard to enjoy the flight with someone else, though these seats are great for those purposes, as you can be right next to your companion. Note that if you’re traveling alone and end up in one of these seats, there’s a shield that can be raised for privacy.
Meanwhile solo travelers will no doubt prefer the window seats, offering both a window view and access to the aisle.
I assigned myself seat 2K, the window seat on the right side in the second row. There were a total of three people in first class. The other two people were seated on the left side of the cabin, so I had the entire right side of the cabin to myself — score!
First class consists of a spacious and well padded seat, which is 22″ wide. It’s easy to get comfortable in this seat.
Across from the seat is a 32″ personal television, as well as an ottoman that doubles as a buddy seat. You can use that buddy seat so that you can dine face-to-face with a companion, if you’d like.
The tray table folds out from the side of the seat, and is massive. It’s a single tray that’s also quite heavy, so taking it out and storing it is quite the ordeal (and is usually handled by the crew).
There’s a compartment to the side of the seat, containing an entertainment controller, all the seat controls, AC and USB-A charging ports, and the headphone jack (which has probably seen better days).
There’s also a large lamp at the back corner of the seat, with the lighting intensity easily controlled by a button next to it.
Privacy in SWISS’ 777 first class is sort of a funny topic. Nowadays it’s common for first class seats to have doors, and I guess that’s sort of what SWISS has? For one, the seat has a privacy shield that can be controlled with a button next to the seat, and that extends to about the halfway point of the seat.
The seat also has a wardrobe where you can hang clothes, and that can be pulled out.
When you extend both the shield and the wardrobe, that essentially gives you a door. So the privacy is nice when sleeping, but I generally wouldn’t plan on pulling the wardrobe out during the flight otherwise, since it’s a sort of awkward setup.
As you can see above, seat 2K has three windows, which is quite cool! Rather than having manual window shades that you can raise or lower, there are instead blinds that can be controlled with the push of a button. I think this is a classy touch, though it always makes it hard to take pictures out the window, since there’s an extra shield with this setup.
The only other thing worth mentioning is that SWISS doesn’t have individual air nozzles on its 777s, but rather the overhead console just has reading lights.
All-in-all, I think this is a great first class hard product. Is it the most cutting edge one on earth? No. But it’s significantly better than Lufthansa’s first class hard product, and makes for a very comfortable journey.
SWISS first class amenities
Within moments of settling in, both of the first class flight attendants stopped by my seat to introduce themselves, including the man working in the cabin and the woman working in the galley. I was offered a pre-departure drink of choice, and ordered a glass of champagne.
Currently SWISS is serving Pommery Cuvee Louise Millesime 2006, which I enjoyed immensely. This was served with an amuse bouche, consisting of a carrot panna cotta and some breadsticks, as well as a warm towel. It’s always a nice touch when airlines have a little snack with the pre-departure beverage, so high marks to SWISS on that.
Already waiting at my seat upon boarding was an amenity kit, stored in a second SWISS branded bag.
The amenity kit was well stocked, with a dental kit, earplugs, eyeshades, comb, shoehorn, and tissues. On top of that, there was a box of Ricola candies, as well as skincare products from Soeder.
I was also presented with both pajamas and slippers.
The pajamas are created in partnership with Zimmerli, and they’re very high quality, and quite stylish. I took these home, and have been wearing them around the house every so often.
The slippers are also pretty comfortable and sturdy, and I love how they have the SWISS branding on them.
Headphones were also at the seat, and were just okay, but nothing special.
Toward the end of the boarding process, the menu and beverage list were distributed.
The maître de cabine had great attention to detail. A few minutes before departure she walked by my seat and saw some plastic wrappers sitting there (from removing the packaging from some amenities), so she grabbed them and said she’d be back shortly to greet me. Indeed, she came by a couple of minutes later to welcome each first class passenger aboard, and provide them with a voucher for free Wi-Fi.
SWISS 777 first class entertainment & Wi-Fi
SWISS has a solid entertainment selection on its 777s, which is quite a contrast to what you’ll currently find on the carrier’s A330s. Interestingly the 32″ monitor isn’t touchscreen, but rather everything has to be controlled via the remote to the side of the seat.
The system contained a large selection of movies, and a more limited selection of TV shows. There were nearly 250 movies, including many recent titles, so it shouldn’t be too hard to stay entertained while onboard.
Some of the TV selection included airline specific programming, which I always love. For example, you could watch the below SWISS brand film, which I adore.
As you’d expect, there was also a selection of games and music.
As always, my favorite inflight entertainment feature is the moving map, so that’s what I had turned on for most of the flight.
One other quirk worth mentioning — SWISS doesn’t turn on its entertainment system until well after takeoff. Is this some sort of a safety regulation in Switzerland or at the company, or something else?
SWISS offers Wi-Fi on its 777s. 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 (in addition to the free Wi-Fi for first class):
- 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
SWISS lets you switch between devices with a single Wi-Fi plan, so that you could alternate between your laptop and smartphone, for example.
SWISS 777 departure from Miami
At 7:40PM, about 10 minutes before departure, the captain came to the first class cabin to personally greet each passenger, which was a nice touch. A minute later, he made an announcement over the PA, informing passengers of the flight time of 8hr20min, and an anticipated smooth ride.
At 7:45PM the main cabin door closed, so it looked like we might be about five minutes ahead of schedule. While the safety video was screened immediately, oddly we didn’t actually go anywhere for quite some time. We finally began our pushback at 8:05PM, and then 10 minutes after that we began our taxi.
Our taxi was short in terms of distance, though there was quite a queue at the runway, so we were only cleared for takeoff on runway 8R at around 8:35PM. That sure was a drawn out departure.
We rocketed off into the night sky and had a smooth climb out, and the seatbelt sign was turned off about five minutes after takeoff. The crew immediately closed the curtains around the cabin, and turned on the mood lighting.
SWISS first class dinner service
The crew working first class on this flight were seasoned professionals, and struck the perfect balance between providing a good dining experience and allowing passengers to maximize rest. The dinner service got started quickly after takeoff. You can find the SWISS first class dinner menu below.
You can find the SWISS first class drink list below.
Within 20 minutes of takeoff, I was offered my first drink. I decided to order a glass of the pinot blanc from Switzerland, which I enjoyed. This was poured at my seat — I was first offered a taste, and then the full glass was poured.
The first course was served just 25 minutes after takeoff, which is an impressive pace. SWISS has quite the table setup in first class, with a large tablecloth, salt and pepper mills, a bread basket, plates with butter and olive oil, etc.
There’s quite a bit of flexibility with the SWISS first class dining concept. With the first course option, you can have as much as you’d like, so you could try all the dishes, if you wanted to.
I started with the fillet of balik salmon (a staple offering in SWISS first class), as well as the yuzu marinated shrimp and scallop with cucumber and pear. While perhaps not as glam as the caviar service on some other airlines, the taste was great.
Next up, I had the tomato tortilla soup, which was served in a large bowl, and was surprisingly spicy for airplane food (which I love).
For the main course, I was initially tempted to order the fondue, which the flight attendant offered as a special. However, I ultimately decided against it when he described it as “a Florida take” on fondue. I appreciated his honesty, and decided I’d save my fondue desires for the SWISS First Lounge Zurich.
Instead, I ordered the salmon with Tuscan vegetable salsa, pearl couscous, and sautéed spinach and leeks. There was also a huge slab of butter on the salmon, which I removed. This was a phenomenal fish dish, one of the best I’ve had on a plane. I would’ve been happy with this in a restaurant, so that’s saying something, given the constraints of food preparation on planes.
Shortly after being presented with the main course, the flight attendant came around with a pan of vegetables and asked if I wanted any, which I declined.
Switzerland is known for its cheese, so I figured I had to order a cheese course. What a beautifully presented cheese selection!
Last but not least, it was time for dessert, where I selected the tiramisu.
At the conclusion of the meal, I was offered a selection of chocolates from Sprüngli.
This was a phenomenal meal from start to finish. Not only was the food well executed and beautifully presented, but the crew’s pace was also hard to beat, as the entire meal service was done within 90 minutes of takeoff. In every instance, the flight attendant was by my seat within a minute of me finishing my dish, and was already preparing for the next step.
SWISS 777 first class lavatories
SWISS has two lavatories in first class on the 777, both located right behind the cockpit (so they’re quite far from the cabin, and the lavatories shouldn’t be a reason to avoid row one). The lavatories were sufficient but basic.
The only noteworthy thing about the lavatories is that they had a couple of amenities from Soeder, including face serum and hand cream.
I’d say that a low point of this flight was lavatory cleanliness. That’s not to say that it was filthy, but it wasn’t clean at the end of the flight. That’s something I very much appreciate about many Asian airlines, as the first class lavatory is quite literally spotless with every single use.
SWISS 777 first class bed
Toward the end of the dinner service, the crew offered to prepare my bed in seat 1A, so that I could go right to sleep when I was ready, which was a nice offer. SWISS’ first class bed on the 777 is divine. Not only is the bed spacious and 80″ long, but the bedding is phenomenal, as it’s soft and cozy.
I ended up falling asleep with well over six hours remaining to Zurich, as we were approaching Bermuda…
…and I woke up around two hours before landing, as we were off the coast of Spain and Portugal. For me, well over four hours of uninterrupted sleep on a transatlantic flight is as good as it gets.
SWISS first class breakfast
Upon waking up, the crew was by my seat within a couple of minutes to ask if I wanted anything to drink. I ordered a cappuccino, which was served to me within a couple of minutes.
I wasn’t hungry but figured I should review the breakfast selection, so I asked to be served breakfast as late as possible. That was about 75 minutes before arrival. You can find the SWISS first class breakfast menu below.
To kick off the meal, I ordered an americano, served with a warm towel.
A few minutes later my table was set. To kick off the meal, I had some fresh fruit and muesli, and that was offered with quite the indulgent bread and pastry basket.
SWISS also offers custom eggs in first class, so I ordered a plain omelet, which was quite good for an airplane (though I’d be less happy with it on the ground).
SWISS first class service
The two flight attendants working first class on this flight were very professional. They weren’t necessarily the most over-the-top friendly (it wasn’t like Singapore Airlines in terms of smiles), but they were extremely efficient, had an eye for detail, and were friendly in a sort of distant way.
On an overnight transatlantic flight in first class, it’s all about offering a customized yet efficient service, and this crew nailed that.
SWISS 777 arrival in Zurich
At 10:10AM Zurich time, the first officer announced that we were near Paris, and would be landing in about 40 minutes. Sure enough, we started our descent around 10 minutes later, and 10 minutes after that, the crew was advised to prepare the cabin for landing.
Both of the first class flight attendants, as well as the maître de cabine, stopped by each first class passenger to thank them for flying with SWISS, and to wish them a nice day. It wasn’t a particularly nice day in Zurich, though the views on approach are still always lovely.
We touched down on runway 14 at 10:50AM.
From there we had a five minute taxi to our arrival gate, which was E43, and we pulled in at 10:55AM, just a few minutes behind schedule.
At the door, there was a SWISS representative who offered to drive first class passengers to Terminal A. However, I wanted to stay in Terminal E, since I was checking out the SWISS First Lounge there.
Bottom line
SWISS’ 777 first class was a pleasant surprise. The cabin was spacious, the amenities were great, the food and drinks were delicious, the service was friendly and efficient, and I appreciated the free Wi-Fi. I had a great flight, and this sure was a treat, though it’s a shame that there’s no practical way for most of us to redeem miles for SWISS first class.
While this flight was great and I’d highly recommend SWISS first class, I’d say it’s not quite in the league of Emirates’ 777 first class, Japan Airlines’ A350 first class, Singapore Airlines’ A380 Suites, etc.
What’s your take on SWISS’ 777 first class?
Swiss First is still my preferred travel partner going from Europe to the North America. As a small business owner, and a M&M Senator I have ample possibilities to upgrade from Business to First using either Partner Plus Benefit points, vouchers or miles. I prefer the first-mentioned option.
The A330-300 seats are getting rather long in the tooth. I was on one of them back in February. I actually think the small sub-fleet of refurbished...
Swiss First is still my preferred travel partner going from Europe to the North America. As a small business owner, and a M&M Senator I have ample possibilities to upgrade from Business to First using either Partner Plus Benefit points, vouchers or miles. I prefer the first-mentioned option.
The A330-300 seats are getting rather long in the tooth. I was on one of them back in February. I actually think the small sub-fleet of refurbished A340-300s provide the best First Class experience followed by the B777-300ERs.
I love the "theme weeks" and have unknowingly, picked the "Seafood Weeks" twice.
I do sorely miss the pre-Covid trolleys: first with all the starters, then later on with the cheeses.
Ben, what a great flight you've shared with us.
Flight is magical on its own, but with the comfort and luxury of flying 'up front', it's even more fun. Having just arrived in Tel Aviv, anything beats El Al's awkward business class seats.
General comment about Swiss. It has become a lot more of a German since LH bought them. People from Switzerland will understand what I mean. A lot more German FA’s with the gracious service that it comes with.
Have flown many F class segments on Swiss in the past 3 years. Service is definitely best for a European airline but only in F.
F class Catering is faultless on all flights departing Zurich...
General comment about Swiss. It has become a lot more of a German since LH bought them. People from Switzerland will understand what I mean. A lot more German FA’s with the gracious service that it comes with.
Have flown many F class segments on Swiss in the past 3 years. Service is definitely best for a European airline but only in F.
F class Catering is faultless on all flights departing Zurich but definitely sub standard departing US, especially SFO where it is quite bad.
Hard product on a330 is not as spacious as on 777. F cabins are showing signs of wear and tear and need refreshing/updating on all aircraft.
Most lounges they contract with outside Switzerland are terrible, especially ORD.
F lounges in Zurich are my favorites.
Nice touch in F class, FA’s usually also speak French, as well as German and English and address you in the language based on your miles and more profile. I tested this by switching language on the profile. Doesn’t work in J class though.
On a personal preference note, I am a huge fan of JL and NH premium cabin service. I don’t get the hype around SQ service as I find it a well rehearsed choreography of fake smiles.
In terms of service and catering my favorites F cabins are JL,NH,LX & AF.
SQ & EK are overrated in my view, whilst LH & BA are underwhelming.
I very much appreciate Ben’s reviews, although less restraint on his criticism of airlines, would be great, in the hope that airlines would up their game from harsher criticism in a larger public forum.
SWISS remains my favourite First product. Right along with Lufthansa. Obviously, these are always very subjective preferences. I've tried others in First - Emirates, Asiana, Korean, and BA. For me, there is just something both comfortable and approachable about LX/LH rather than the glitz and stiffness of the others. That said, I'm looking forward to LH's upcoming First product.
I’ve flown those twice in the past several due to my Lufthansa flights being cancelled (also got EU261 comp on both which was nice).
Once on the 330 (ZRH - ORD) and once on the 777 (SFO - ZRH). I found the service and food to be excellent, but it would be nice if they would do caviar the full year round like other airlines (I don’t like salmon). Also, I found the lounges...
I’ve flown those twice in the past several due to my Lufthansa flights being cancelled (also got EU261 comp on both which was nice).
Once on the 330 (ZRH - ORD) and once on the 777 (SFO - ZRH). I found the service and food to be excellent, but it would be nice if they would do caviar the full year round like other airlines (I don’t like salmon). Also, I found the lounges in Zurich are exclusive, but are crowded at peak times (I had to wait for a seat in the E gates lounge). Happy to fly it if offered for a good price, but the cash copay keeps it out of most “influencers” bookings (which is a good thing).
Was the F/C Upgrade for $1900 really worth it. I looked that the menu and the alcohol selection was "meh" to quote you. I have flown Swiss Business class and it is in the middle of the pack.
A little bit of history. I think that that the reason that IFE is turned on well after passing 10,000 feet during climb out is that an overheated IFE taking off from Canada caused the plane to...
Was the F/C Upgrade for $1900 really worth it. I looked that the menu and the alcohol selection was "meh" to quote you. I have flown Swiss Business class and it is in the middle of the pack.
A little bit of history. I think that that the reason that IFE is turned on well after passing 10,000 feet during climb out is that an overheated IFE taking off from Canada caused the plane to crash (was it a 777, can't remember?). There is an Air Disasters episode that documented the incident.
@ Anthony Joseph -- I definitely wouldn't pay this price for the upgrade regularly, as it's a lot of money to spend, especially for an overnight flight. As I'm sure you can understand, my motivation here was to be able to try the product once again, so that I'm up to date on what the world's best first class products are. So I thought it was worth it in this situation, but I wouldn't pay it regularly.
I mean, I keep barking on about you eating fish because it's funny and annoying, but srsly why wouldn't you take a 'special' fondue on offer, when flying Swiss, and eat a piece of salmon? Come on. Lurrrve your work ;)
@ Nate Dyer -- I knew fondue would be on the menu in the lounge, so I figured that made a more interesting order there. But I hear you. :-)
Totally agree, you want the real Swiss fondue not the “Florida fondue”.
I do not even order a cheese platter in Business from LAX to ZRH because they only offer US cheeses.
On the way back to the US I sure eat the Swiss cheese.
So much fish.
Troplong Mondot is excellent. Last time I flew Swiss F I was the only one in the cabin and they just left the whole bottle of 2012 Pontet Canet at my seat!
So I wonder how do they keep fondue pot warm on the plane? Surely not candle?
Is it electric or do they just pre-heat it?
@ polarbear -- I suspect the pot is just heated up in the galley, and then doesn't stay warm for very long. I could be wrong, though.
"I ultimately decided against it when he described it as “a Florida take” on fondue."
Was it an off-menu item?
Missed opportunity imo for the sake of a piece of salmon.
True...and being in FC, he could have ordered both.
@ Julia -- It was an off-menu item. And while I perhaps could have ordered both, I honestly couldn't bring myself to order any more food, as I already had a five course meal.
"Boarding took place through the second set of doors, where I was greeted by the maître de cabine, and pointed left into first class". Anybody remember a time when F class passengers were walked to their seats? Yes I am that many years old.
What’s age got to do with this? It’s the airline! Jal, SQ and QR will do this even in business. And even BA does that in First. Its the German- Swiss culture - devoid of polite niceties.
@ Robert J Fahr -- Hah, yes, it's still very common on many airlines. I was a bit surprised that it wasn't offered on SWISS (though selfishly I like when it's not offered, since it makes it easier to snap pictures quickly).
HB-JNB, like most of the initial 777 batch delivered to SWISS, was delivered to SWISS Global Airlines, operating for SWISS, before being transferred to SWISS ownership in 2018. HB-JNA, -JNB, -JNC, -JND, -JNE and -JNF were delivered in 2016.
I have used the LATAM lounge at Miami when flying Air France business-class to Paris. Air France now sends its customers to LATAM, not Delta. I think LATAM's lounge is better than any Delta Sky Club. At least wine. LATAM serves Chandon sparkling wine for free. While not an actual champagne, it's better than the complimentary sparkling wine served by Delta in the Sky Club and certainly better than the complimentary sparkling wine served at...
I have used the LATAM lounge at Miami when flying Air France business-class to Paris. Air France now sends its customers to LATAM, not Delta. I think LATAM's lounge is better than any Delta Sky Club. At least wine. LATAM serves Chandon sparkling wine for free. While not an actual champagne, it's better than the complimentary sparkling wine served by Delta in the Sky Club and certainly better than the complimentary sparkling wine served at several of the Air France and KLM lounges in North America. I can't speak to the Turkish lounge. But it is odd that they don't at least have a reserved area for first-class passengers in the LATAM lounge.
@ FNT Delta Diamond -- Happy you had a good experience! The food and drink selection definitely isn't bad, as you note. My bigger issue is that almost every seat was taken, and this is Miami, so every other person was on a phone call using speakerphone, or was watching a video on their phone without headphones.
Had it been me, I would have complained to Swiss. It's absurd they don't at least have a private area for first-class passengers. Delta used to rope off a section of the small Miami Sky Club for Air France La Première passengers. But I think it's odd that Star Alliance member Swiss is not using the Miami lounge of Star Alliance member Turkish.
I love your site but it’s becoming beyond annoying to navigate. The ads pop up and I can’t click off them. Please accept my advice and try to find a way we can easily enjoy your content.
Literally as I was writing this advice, an ad popped up and I couldn’t click off it to post this comment and had to refresh and rewrite it all. All the best.
@ SMC4222 -- I appreciate the feedback, and hear you. We're working on making some changes there, so please stay tuned.
Bring back the old design. This new design has been a disaster.
hey Ben, your not alone. We did the same thing and waited at the gate. No La Prarie anymore :-(
was the best experience in F Swiss otherwise. liked the lamp :-)
It's insulting they take you to the LATAM or Turkish (priority pass) lounges! Why cant Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP, etc create a small Star Alliance lounge with at least one dish instead of eating a croissant at those nasty lounges?
The LATAM lounge in Miami is actually very nice.
No air nozzles... cannot be world class or great.
This is awesome! $1920 upgrade is not that bad. It's roughly the same cost of staying in a Four Seasons yacht suite for 1 night. The last time I flew Swiss First class was back in summer 2014. I booked it right before Swiss implemented the rule requiring elite status. Can't believe it's been almost 10 years.
@ Joey -- Ah, those were the good old days. I remember flying SWISS first class constantly back in the day using Air Canada Aeroplan miles and US Airways Dividend Miles. Fun times!
3 windows - hah! Just flew JAL business 777 and I was shocked to have 4 windows! Never a plastic wrap around as the moment I opened a package , barely before it reached a surface - FA picked it up with a warm smile. The food - insanely good Japanese. Wines - meh. Even higher cost Asian carriers best American and European carries. QR, SQ, JAL - literally unbeatable.
@ Deepak -- Love Japan Airlines!
God, the lounge situation in Miami's South Terminal is just bleak. The Turkish Lounge is always heaving with passengers and the LATAM lounge is only marginally better. I can't believe Star Alliance, or Lufthansa - or anyone - hasn't stepped up to offer something better; there's dead retail space in Concourse H and J that could be converted to more lounge space.
There definetly is potential for a Star Alliance Lounge at MIA in the South Terminal. The Turkish Lounge is way to crowded during peak times, even if you take all of the Priority Pass folks out.
There is definetly demand, and plenty of airlines who would use it. and if such a Lounge opens, maybe LOT would move their flight from Concourse E to J.
@ James S -- Yeah, I agree 100000%. The lounge situation is really, really bad, and I end up just sitting in the gate area in the afternoons, regardless of which airline I'm flying. And unfortunately unlike when flying out of Concourse D, I can't cut it too tight, because security in the South Terminal is unpredictable.
$1920 is not too bad to upgrade to Swiss F.
Per comparison, I had booked a J award on AF (JFK-CDG) and the offer to upgrade to "La Première " was over $3000.
I'm not a fan of Swiss J but $1920 J-->F seems excessive (to me). BA (yeah, I know - not the same) is only 18,000 Avios J-->F if there is award space, which seems much more reasonable.
All that said, the Champagne / Food premium for Swiss, and the wonderful seat, may justify it for some...
Ben that is the worst redemption I’ve ever seen . 70k plus $2000 (remember the original $74) for F when already in J.
I actually think the redemption is fine at $2K and 70K. This is Bens business. Everything is deductible. Simply a cost of doing business. I actually admire OMAT as I have been following this blog since the start and Ben could easily get the airlines to comp him tickets - but he chooses to remain independent. Good for him.
Not if all of it is a tax write off. lol!
@ D3kingg -- The worst redemption you've ever seen? Have you seen Delta SkyMiles award pricing? ;-)
@ seanp78 -- British Airways first class upgrades with Avios are a phenomenal value, as you not, but the challenge is that I find that award availability is really tough to come by. In this case, SWISS first class upgrades have near last seat availability, so it's definitely more accessible, though also much more expensive.
For those who are able to book SWISS first ahead of time, they offer first class passengers entrees that aren't on the menu, and I have found these to be quite good.
For sleeping, SWISS also does a nice job at keeping the first cabin cool, which makes all the difference between a good night's sleep and tossing and turning trying to cool off.
Thanks for the great report!
@ TravelinWilly -- Wasn't aware of that, that's good to know. Thank you!
Great review - how does this rank vis-a-vis Air France La Premiere?
Well, he considers La Premiere to be one of the top first class products, and this, not so much (though still a good overall first class).
@ Jason -- That's a great question! I definitely think La Premiere has the edge, though I'm not sure the difference is necessarily that huge. In fairness, I think I got lucky on this flight, with a total of only three passengers. If first class had been full, I imagine service wouldn't have been quite as attentive.
You can't beat La Premiere in terms of the combination of the small cabin, the attentive service, and...
@ Jason -- That's a great question! I definitely think La Premiere has the edge, though I'm not sure the difference is necessarily that huge. In fairness, I think I got lucky on this flight, with a total of only three passengers. If first class had been full, I imagine service wouldn't have been quite as attentive.
You can't beat La Premiere in terms of the combination of the small cabin, the attentive service, and the privacy (though the small cabin is a double edged sword in terms of actually being able to snag a seat).
Swiss business is dire. First class looks decent. Sadly priced out at a 2k upgrade cost though.
20 (!) ads popped up by the time I reached your conclusion to this (nice) tripreport.
It honestly ruins the experience reading your blog.
Get Ad Blocker!
Ad blocked deprives site owner of all (or most) revenue. Not fair for sites one enjoys and uses often.
At the same time, ads do need to be kept at reasonable level (in general. I did not get 20 on this page)
Total l’y agrée: Ben your site has be come lately almost unreadable with so much ads poping up… please do smth or i believe you will loose Reader’s…
@ Nico -- Understood, and I appreciate the feedback (which I've heard on a widespread basis). Working on getting this back to a more manageable level. :-)