Swiss International Air Lines is Switzerland’s flag carrier and also a member of Star Alliance. It was formed after the collapse of Swissair in 2002. Today, SWISS is a member airline of the Lufthansa Group.
I took this flight back in April of this year, but procrastination meant I’m only getting around to writing the review now. Since SWISS does not have many other aircraft available for long-haul flying, this flight was operated by the aging Airbus A340-300. In the future, Swiss International Air Lines subsidiary Swiss Global Air Lines was set to take delivery of several 777s for long-haul routes between Europe and North America, so it’s hard not to wonder when these old birds will finally be retired.
I booked this flight using United MileagePlus miles, and it was one segment of a U.S.-China itinerary.
Check-in
I took an SBB train from Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zurich HB) to Zurich Airport ZRH. My flight was in the afternoon local time, but what surprised me was how crowded the train was. Zurich is not exactly a huge city, and its population is not that large, yet the train was packed with people and luggage heading to the airport. Since the ride only took 10 minutes, the conductor really had no chance to check tickets. As soon as we arrived at Flughafen Zürich station, everyone poured out at once.
I first tried my luck at one of the self-service check-in kiosks, but after struggling with it for quite a while, I got nowhere and had to go to the check-in counter instead. At the counter, the SWISS ground staff spent a long time working at the computer, then even called over a colleague from the next counter to try. Eventually they told me they could not find my record and sent me over to the ticketing desk across the hall. After waiting in line there for 10 minutes, the agent finally managed to locate my reservation, printed out the itinerary, and sent me back to check in. Only then was the check-in counter able to find my booking using the ticket number and print my boarding pass.
Boarding
This flight departed from Concourse E. To get there, you first have to clear Schengen exit immigration and then take the airport train. Unfortunately, the immigration line stretched from downstairs all the way up the escalator, with another roughly 30 meters of line behind it. It was even busier than outbound immigration at many Chinese airports. I had no choice but to get in line right away. Fortunately, the Swiss immigration officers worked efficiently, and the line kept moving little by little. In total, it took about 25 minutes to clear exit control and officially leave Switzerland. As you might expect, the airport train after immigration was also absolutely packed, about as crowded as the Shanghai Metro at rush hour.
By the time all of that was over, about an hour had passed. After stopping by the lounge for some food and drinks, I finally dragged myself to the gate, where—unsurprisingly—the Shanghai flight was filled mostly with Chinese passengers.
And there was my ride.
I hurried on board and snapped a photo first.
Cabin
This is the business class layout. The center section has pairs of seats, the right side has single seats, and the left side alternates between single seats and pairs. Here’s a closer look.
Naturally, the single seats offer better privacy. I was seated in 12K. All seats in the K row are single seats.
After settling in, we were on our way. Zurich Airport is off to the left.
Food and drinks
As usual, the meal service started with drinks (alcohol was available too) and some nuts. The nuts were served warm.
Then the appetizer arrived. I chose the tuna, which tasted fairly fresh.
For the main course, I chose the beef tenderloin, and it was quite good.
I finished things off with a little dessert.
In addition, you could order ice cream during the flight, which was a nice way to pass the time if you weren’t sleeping.
Seat
After the meal, let’s take a look at the seat features. There was only one power outlet.
The seat massage controls were pretty similar to what you find on other airlines.
Since SWISS’s A340 is an old aircraft, expectations for the inflight entertainment system should be kept low. The screen was smaller than what many airlines offer in economy class. The resolution was predictably poor, and a touchscreen was out of the question. I basically used it only to display the moving map.
Once I was full and comfortable, it was time to sleep. I made up the bed myself.
I’m not built as large as some Americans, so I didn’t really have any complaints about the footwell. At least both of my feet fit in there.
Amenity kit
I thought SWISS’s amenity kit was one of the most questionable parts of the experience. You can tell just from the packaging: it claims to be multipurpose, but in practice it really just felt like a plastic bag.
Breakfast
When I woke up, it was time for breakfast.
Breakfast was not particularly impressive—really, it was very basic—so there’s not much to say about it.
Arrival
About an hour after breakfast, we crossed the Yangtze River and arrived at Pudong. The weather looked pretty good that day.
The aircraft parked at Terminal 2.
Overall, I thought SWISS’s main meal service was quite good, though breakfast felt a bit lazy by comparison. Because the aircraft was fairly old, the entertainment hardware was not especially modern, so if that matters to you, it’s best to bring your own entertainment.
Finally, here’s a look at the onboard menu.
