by Lufthansa Flyer | Oct 16, 2016 | A330, A340, Featured, On Board Experience, Passenger Experience, Swiss |
SWISS has announced that over the next 2 years, it will roll out upgrades and enhancements to the long haul fleet, focusing on their A330 and A340 aircraft.
WiFi!
Beginning in December, SWISS will begin to retrofit their 14 Airbus A330 aircraft with Wifi connectivity. Obviously this will not happen overnight, but SWISS anticipates that all of their A330s will have the retrofit complete by the end of 2017. Math suggests that approximately one aircraft per month will be taken out of circulation for a few days to complete the work. WiFi is currently available only on SWISS 777 aircraft.
The A340….
SWISS has also stated that their A340s will receive the same First Class cabin as the Airbus A330. The big advantage of the newer F product is the increased size of the television screen and an enhanced IFE system. The fact that the seats will be brand new will also go a long way to refresh the cabins and give them a brand new look and feel. WiFi is also planned during this upgrade. SWISS expects that it will take through 2018 to complete this retrofit on their 10 A340 aircraft.
Related: First Class Aboard SWISS A330
by Lufthansa Flyer | Oct 12, 2016 | Featured, First Class, Lounges, Passenger Experience, Swiss |
As part of our travel back from a Safari trip to Africa and the fact that I was booked in First Class for our flight from Zurich to the States, we had the ability to visit SWISS’ new First Class Lounge in Terminal E at Zurich. Typically lounge access is restricted only to SWISS First Class passengers and Miles & More HON Circle members and since the lounge is located in Terminal E which serves only International long-haul flights, its even more exclusive than most First Class Lounges.
Just as I had the good fortune to have the entire First Class cabin to myself for the flight from Zurich, we were also the only visitors to the First Class Lounge during our 3 hour layover in ZRH. This gave us the opportunity to explore the entire lounge without the risk of violating the privacy of other passengers and since we were the only ones in the lounge our attendant, Bjorn, was extremely happy to give us a tour of the entire facility.
The lounge opened to passengers in February of this year and offers a few unique features not found in most First Class Lounges. For example, the lounge is almost entirely wrapped by an outdoor terrace that provides an OUTSTANDING view of the airport, making it nirvana for ‘avgeeks’. I spent most of my time on the terrace taking photos of aircraft while nursing a 20-year old Scotch….not a bad way to pass a lay over.
The lounge also offers private rooms that remind me of a high quality hotel accommodations instead of just a room with a cot in it thats designed for short naps.
Additionally, the lounge of course offers a 5-star al-a-carte dining experience along with a wine selection that can be measured in hundreds of bottles.
What struck me most about the lounge is simply how spotless and perfect it is. Nothing is out of place, not even the cocktail napkins at the bar. Magazines and newspapers were piled perfectly, even the flowers seemed to be set into a template. Really impressive.
Being the only passengers gave us a great opportunity to explore the nooks and crannies, and I hope that the photos below give you a sense of how special this lounge is.
You know you’re in for a treat when you see signage like this!
This is the first impression that you get when entering the lounge. As I mentioned, see how everything is absolutely perfect??
Several Champagne choices……
Magazines and Newspapers in several languages
Hundreds of bottles of wine will satisfy any palette…..
Several seating areas fill the lounge, each with their own large flat-screen TV.
Another example of a seating area
A Leica Spotting Scope is available to zoom in on the aircraft. Another nice touch is the placement of several pairs of Leica binoculars on the terrace.
The Bar offers nothing but top-shelf beverages…..
The Dining Room overlooks the terrace, providing wonderful views of the airport….
The Dining Room offers a 5-star culinary experience, but unfortunately neither one of us had an appetite to eat at 7am!
But I did have room for a dram of 20 year old Scotch while plane spotting…..
A private conference room is available and thanks to the modular design of the lounge can be adjusted to accommodate small or large groups, as well as being tied directly to one of the ‘Hotel Rooms’.
A look inside the ‘Hotel Room’, notice the proximity to the observation terrace. Privacy can be an issue but light blocking shades and draperies take care of any concerns.
The private bath in the ‘Hotel Room’
So as you can hopefully tell, this lounge is quite the place and should be on the list to visit for anyone that enjoys experiencing a premium product. Though its not necessarily easy to create the strategy to gain entry, I promise you that the effort is worth it!
by Lufthansa Flyer | Oct 10, 2016 | A330, Featured, First Class, On Board Experience, Passenger Experience, Swiss |
Lighting has struck twice in my travel ‘career’.
Back in 2012, when Lufthansa received their first 747-8i (D-ABYA), I was in Frankfurt to participate in the delivery events and had the good fortune to fly her back to Washington DC a few days later and was the only passenger in First Class. Now I can add a SWISS flight to the list where I was the only passenger to sit in First Class.
The particular flight was aboard SWISS LX6 from Zurich To Chicago. My wife and I were homebound to GRR after spending 10 days in Africa on a Safari trip. You may ask why would I sit in First and not my wife but the answer is simple: She had sat in Lufthansa First for the flights to Frankfurt and then on to Johannesburg and she insisted that I take the final leg home in First.
Our tickets for the trip were a combination of paid fares, some miles, and a couple of Miles & More eVouchers. Once all of that was mixed together, my wife enjoyed the trip from Chicago to Johannesburg in Lufthansa First while I ‘sucked it up’ in Business Class for the flights. On the return, we both flew SWISS business from Jo’burg and then my wife made the sacrifice to sit in Business while I took in the LX First Class experience from Zurich to Chicago.
I became cautiously optimistic about being the only passenger in First when I checked in for our flights a day earlier and saw that the cabin was empty. I assumed there would be at least some last minute upgrades by passengers but that never came to pass. When we boarded, my suspicions were confirmed when I was greeted by the Flight Manager who told me I was the only passenger in the cabin for the flight and thanked me for being a Miles & More ‘Senator’.
Knowing that I had a SWISS A330 (HB-JHE / delivered Jan 29, 2010) to serve practically as my private jet for the 9.5 hour flight, I imagined things would go well. I underestimated!
The 2 flight attendants working in the F cabin were wonderful and saw that I thoroughly enjoyed the ride home. After the initial formalities where they referred to me as Mr. and sir, I asked that the drop the fancy-speak and just treat me as if I were a friend or family member aboard the flight. I know they have to follow a certain standard of service, but I don’t deserve or enjoy being treated with the ‘formal’ approach. I’ll leave that to the maximizers who enjoy squeezing out everything they feel they are entitled to, including being talked to like royalty 😉 …but wait, Maximizers can’t find their way easily into a SWISS First cabin, but I digress.
After I had settled in, the pilot came to introduce himself and thanked me for being a SWISS customer. He spent a few minutes talking about the flight time, routing, and anticipated trouble spots for turbulence. It’s always interesting to receive a personal briefing from the person in charge of bringing you safely to your destination. I asked if we can fly via HKG as a technical stop, but we didn’t have enough relief pilots on board.
With all the verbiage aside, here are the photos from the flight. First will be the hard product and then the meals. I suspect the photos will replace the need for words.
A view from 1K across to the port side of the aircraft
Row 2
View of seat 1K
View from seated position. The Ottoman moves out via electric motor which allows for a guest to sit across from you.
Another look at 1K….
Seat control pad and remote control for the IFE system. USB power as well as the headphone jack is installed in this compartment. The IFE System was excellent. Over 80 movies and dozens of TV shows ensure there’s something for everyone on board. WiFi will be introduced aboard the A330s beginning in January 2017. I only watched one movie since I was busy sorting through nearly 13,000 photos that came back with me from Safari.
Storage for the large table. It’s a nice size especially when a guest sits in the Ottoman. The small panel in front of the tray table storage area contains the 110/220v power outlet.
A dedicated control pad for your seat provides you with complete control. The remote control allows you to adjust every angle of the seat, as well as lighting settings and seat cushion adjustment. The SWISS First Class and Business Class seats have adjustable air-filled cushions for complete control of your seat’s comfort.
The larger IFE screen is found on SWISS’ newer A330 aircraft…..
The Amenity Kit was full of useful items. Separate kits are available for male and female passengers. Pajamas are also provided and are made from a high quality cotton blend similar to high quality T-shirts.
The food aboard the flight was just as excellent as the hard product. The multi-course experience featured some outstanding options and were healthy sized portions. So well sized that I had to take a break between the Salad and Main Course to recover from a bit of a food coma.
The pre-departure snack consisted of a fresh fruit cup and almond pastry.
The Balik Salmon appetizer is a signature dish in the SWISS First Class cabin. This style of Salmon traces its roots to the Tsars of Russia and today the recipe is trusted to only a handful of individuals. Phenomenal!
Click here to learn more about the history of Balik Salmon.
Another excellent appetizer. A combination of cold cuts from some of Switzerland’s finest butchers…..
The beet and greens salad is delicious. Complimented perfectly by a Balsamic dressing.
The main course of Veal Filet literally melted in your mouth. There was no need to use a knife. Cooked and seasoned to perfection, and a nice sized portion.
I forgot to take a photo of dessert, but it was a choice of Mövenpick ice cream served either in a waffle cone or in a bowl. Other desert choices included fresh tarts, fruits, and cheeses.
Approximately 90 minutes before landing, a light lunch was served. The grilled chicken club sandwich was excellent.
Now that you’ve had a glimpse at life aboard SWISS’ First Class cabin, take a look closer look at SWISS’ beautiful new First Class lounge that opened earlier this year in Zurich.
