In 2016, Swiss opened a new first class lounge at Zurich Airport, located in Terminal E. This lounge is spectacular, and it ranks number three on my list of the world’s 10 best first class airline lounges.
The lounge is incredibly elegant, features top notch a la carte dining, has a huge outdoor terrace with great plane spotting, and also has the most comfortable bedrooms available in any airline lounge.
Last March I wrote about how Swiss was planning on opening a second first class lounge at Zurich Airport, located in Terminal A. This is the Schengen area of the terminal, used for flights within Europe. Initially the new lounge was supposed to open by the end of 2017, but as is normal when it comes to airport construction, there have been some delays. However, we now have an opening date and more information on the lounge.
Swiss’ new first class lounge in Zurich will be opening on Monday, March 5, 2018. The lounge will be 650 square meters (~7,000 square feet), and will feature both a check-in area and dedicated security channel, so that eligible passengers can have a more seamless experience. The lounge will be open daily from 5:30AM until 10:30PM.
The lounge will be open to Swiss and Lufthansa first class passengers and HON Circle members. Since this lounge is a Schengen lounge, that means first class passengers would be those connecting off longhaul flights (like Hong Kong to Zurich to Frankfurt), or those first taking a short-haul flight in order to connect onto a longhaul flight (like Zurich to Frankfurt to Hong Kong), since other passengers would use the Terminal E lounge. Presumably most passengers using this will be HON Circle members, as they get access to these lounges even when traveling on short-haul flights.
Here’s how Swiss describes the features of the lounge:
The new 650-square-metre lounge has been designed in the style of the existing SWISS First Lounge in the airport’s Terminal E, and offers lounge suites, a lounge club with inviting leather sofas, a business zone and a meeting room with a view of the apron area. Further facilities include a relaxation room with two loungers, and a smokers’ lounge with its own outside section and a choice of fine whiskies. With its bright oiled-oak parquet floor, its Jura limestone walls and its elegant furnishings by Swiss designers such as Vitra and de Sede, the new lounge exudes an ambience of refined exclusivity.
The centrepiece of the new SWISS First Lounge A is its extensive barista bar, at which guests can sample various speciality coffees and choose from over 100 Swiss grappas and further fruit brandies. On the culinary front, the new lounge offers both an à la carte restaurant and a front cooking option. So every guest is free to decide whether they wish to be served their food and drinks or prefer to help themselves.
Here are some pictures of the new lounge:
On top of the great lounge, Swiss will also be offering a new service to passengers, which matches Lufthansa’s offering at their hub airports. Swiss will begin offering a new service this summer to first class passengers arriving in Terminal E, Terminal B, or at a remote stand. This service will collect passengers from the plane and take them directly to the relevant passport or security control in Terminal A or Terminal B. On top of that, those traveling on longhaul flights can check-in at Terminal A and then be transported directly to the lounge in Terminal E.
Swiss is considered the premium brand of the Lufthansa Group, so I’ve always found it strange that they didn’t offer this service when Lufthansa did. It will certainly make the ground experience more seamless for those coming off longhaul flights in first class.
Too bad Swiss doesn’t make first class award seats available to partner airlines (and is also incredibly arrogant).
So my wife and I are flying from ORD to ZRH to CDG this weekend, what do we do when we land in ZRH? Will we be picked up and brought to the lounge? Or should we make our way there on our own? And either way, are we going to the A lounge or the E lounge? Do we get to choose or we only have access to the one?
And then I...
So my wife and I are flying from ORD to ZRH to CDG this weekend, what do we do when we land in ZRH? Will we be picked up and brought to the lounge? Or should we make our way there on our own? And either way, are we going to the A lounge or the E lounge? Do we get to choose or we only have access to the one?
And then I guess I have those same exact questions for the return trip, CDG-ZRH-ORD, what happens/where do we go when we get to ZRH?
(neither the outbound nor the return are short connections, about 2 hours layover both ways)
Thanks a lot for any insight as I want to make sure we make the most out of this experience!
So my wife and I are flying from ORD to ZRH to CDG this weekend, what do we do when we land in ZRH? Will we be picked up and brought to the lounge? Or should we make our way there on our own? And either way, are we going to the A lounge or the E lounge? Do we get to choose or we only have access to the one?
And then I...
So my wife and I are flying from ORD to ZRH to CDG this weekend, what do we do when we land in ZRH? Will we be picked up and brought to the lounge? Or should we make our way there on our own? And either way, are we going to the A lounge or the E lounge? Do we get to choose or we only have access to the one?
And then I guess I have those same exact questions for the return trip, CDG-ZRH-ORD, what happens/where do we go when we get to ZRH?
(neither the outbound nor the return are short connections, about 2 hours layover both ways)
Thanks a lot for any insight as I want to make sure we make the most out of this experience!
Just back from a roundtrip via Zurich. The new lounge looks nice though it's not that big and can't compete with the one in concourse E. Food is ok, showers are nice but small, similar to those outside Senator&Business lounges in E. Transfer to E and to all aircrafts parked outside are both already active. Transfer from E is done for the time being only for short connections.
@ your last remark..Swiss FC is almost always fully booked so why would they want to upset their own customers over other airlines?
The last sentence/paragraph is totally uncalled for!!!!
@Tom
The new FCL A is in a different part of the terminal to the old FCL A which is still open until he new lounge launches. This isn’t the old lounge just renovated
Lucky
Didn't you sour with swiss???
My how things change and now they are also arrogant.
Don't you ever worry that the airline will eventually ban you for being an agitator?
@CB it's not sure which two weeks of the months and they seem to be reluctant to openly tell it. Btw it's only ex Zurich as far as I know.
By coincidence i'll fly with them on monday to India and i'll try to sneak in the lounge for a couple of pics. Wonder whether the transfer to E is already active...
@BrooklynBoy I just sleep the best on it
@CB - Why A380 on the overnight flight? I've flown F on LH's A380 JFK-FRA and loved it but would much rather do the A380 so I could enjoy it rather than sleep through most of it!
@Super I wasnt clear. I meant I wish the A380 had the same product as their 777 La Premiere. Then that would be my preferred way to go to Europe. Recently I've been doing the Lufthansa-Swiss thing because it's nice to do 2 different products and you get A380 on the overnight flight
"Quick reminder that Swiss cheated people out of bought and paid for tickets. Don’t fly them. The service sucks, too."
Moron. The service is just fine. Sorry you couldn't scam them for a first-class ticket.
@CB I would think you would want to avoid AF La Premiere on the A380 since it is an inferior product to that on the 777. A380 has a glorified armchair whilst the 777 has an enclosed suite.
@Jackie LOL
Is this lounge accessible for priority pass members?
Lucky - It's called the SWISS Connoisseur Experience. It's the first 2 weeks of the months listed on the website. They really don't seem to promote it much...
https://www.swiss.com/US/EN/fly/on-board/food-and-beverage/food-and-beverage-first.html
PS Lucky: I would love to see you review their flights the first 2 weeks of May that have Caviar tasting. I've done the Seafood in January and the Steakhouse in August but have not tried the Caviar experience or the Truffle one in November.
@ CB -- Wasn't aware of the caviar tasting, that's interesting. Is there anything out there about that?
Haha everyone is so mad at SWISS about this award ticket issue.
I love them. As an east coaster I love flying to Europe on Lufthansa A380 and then back on SWISS First (recently the 777 with temporary flights to Miami and Chicago). Decent rates round trip if you book far enough in advance. I really think it's the best way to fly roundtrip to Europe. Although I enjoy La Premiere out of JFK too... I just wish it was on the A380.
Quick reminder that Swiss cheated people out of bought and paid for tickets. Don't fly them. The service sucks, too.
Any word on the day room/shower set up? Also, you already get transfered from A to E by car. Also, you would ofthen get picked up from a long haul flight to be brought directly to the lounge, it just seems that they are going to do it all the time now.
The big news is the seperate security.
Juste one small correction: Swiss isn't opening a lounge in A, they renovated the existing lounge and will be re-opening it.
I thought we were all boycotting Swiss