Swiss International Airlines - rant about ZRH first class lounge

as many have pointed out, we don`t know why zrh lounge would deserve the`first` class reputation.

we transited many times through ZRH first class lounge, and below are our rants:

1. while efficient , the lounge ladies seems always to have some kind of attitude: not welcoming or friendly. the indirect `message` that we got was do not bother us, don`t ask questions, as we are always busy. There were no explanations or signs of services avaialable in the lounge. no menu available on the sit in restaurant when we were there at breakfast.

2. there is only 2 day room. while small, it is convenient. just don`t try to take a shower there, as the drain of the shower is so badly designed that water will splash and overflow into the room and sometimes the hallway. we personally experienced the bad design once, and have seen water overflow into the hallway many times in the past. after taking a shower, the floor of the shower / toilet / sink is wet and become a safety hazard. Seriously, who designed a shower/ toilet like that?

3. forget about your first class limousine mercedes transfer to the e gates. it will not happen, even if there is only 5 people in the lounge. why does swiss claims to provide first class services with limo transfer when it almost never happens?

Last time, fed up, we asked specifiacally if we can have the limo transfer this time as we always got the bus. Their reply was they are too busy today as there are 60 first class passengers in the lounge and they are unable to accomodate the limo transfer request, it will be a bus with others. (i doubt that there are all 60 passengers actually flying first class, especially for only a small number of F flights that sunday morning)

Once we go downstairs, we saw 3 limo parked there doing nothing, looking pretty with the swiss first class licence plate. We asked the driver about the limo trasnfer and was told since the lounge ladies usually arrange for 3-4 passengers to go to e gates at the same time, and if there are more than 2 persons, we have to take the bus. Further down near the e gates, we saw 3-4 more first class limos parked there, sitting pretty. we took pictures of the empty limos.

while we don`t care about the 5 min limo transfer. we felt the services provided of the lounge was sub par and not according to the claims. A lot of other lounges, even business star gold lounges, are better at services, hard products, and attitudes.

At least once we are on the air, the swiss F services were totally different and extremely good, making us forget the bad experiences we had with the lounge.

the impersonal service and indifferent attitude of the ZRH will struck you, especially once you have been to asia first lounges...

in zrh lounge you are left to yourself. they tell you to show up at the front desk at X time to get the Bus transfer to the gates. You really feel that if you don't pay attention and don't show up on time, then you might lose and up to you to walk.

ZRH first lounge only have 2 men washroom stand. if the lounge is busy, then too bad. it becomes like a zoo.

while thai BKK first lounge and ground services was spectacular different. from the moment you check in, they guide you through customs, security, then pick you up with a buggy for a 100 m ride to go to first class lounge entry. From the moment you sit down, you can just order all drinks, food etc and get it delivered quickly in a few minutes.

Even if you go for the massages at the thai spa lounge, and you came back dozed and take your time again in the longe, thai staff will come and remind you once of the flight time, without being rushed or intrusive. It seems like they all know who you are and when your flight leave. We ask one question, it seems like everybody know your requests and are in tune, no need to repeating yourself. You can ask the lady that bring you drinks about changing your flights and it is ok, no need to be told to go to another person at the fron desk. You can actually board like first class, no line, last one on the plane icognito, 5-10 minutes before the flight leave, unlike being dropped at the ZRH E gates 30-45 minutes before and wait inline...

a bus transfer to the 'E' terminal,when flying long-distance first-class? There is no such bus-transfer but a train.

I am always offered the limousine transfer, never ever had a problem. When I sit down for breakfast in the Restaurant part of the 1st-class lounge (facing the Bar) there is always a short list menu there (my choice is the Beefsteak tatare entrée).

a bus transfer to the 'E' terminal,when flying long-distance first-class? There is no such bus-transfer but a train.

I am always offered the limousine transfer, never ever had a problem.


i personally do not consider a ride in a 5-6 passenger VAN to the E gates with 3-4 other strangers a limousine first class transfer... It certainly does not look like the description on the swiss first when you hear or think about s class limousine...

for consolation at least with the VAN transfer, you get to use a fast track passport control compared to taking the train.

it just seemed there are smelly excuses not to provide proper limousine transfer, unless you are VIP? otherwise those first class s class mercedes is just for decoration.

the impersonal service and indifferent attitude of the ZRH will struck you, especially once you have been to asia first lounges...

in zrh lounge you are left to yourself. ..

Other continents other sensibilities.

Europe is a mature market and F travelers perhaps like to be "left alone". The ladies at the LX F lounge entrance in ZRH might seem cold and distant, but if needed I am sure they are 100 times more professional and capable than their poorly English speaking counterparts at the BKK TG F lounge.

Of course the marlet of the newly rich Asians needs more showtime and visible recogniton and therefore the lounge experiences are different.

I can adjust to both. It's nice that not everything is the same everywere in the world.

Other continents other sensibilities.

Europe is a mature market and F travelers perhaps like to be "left alone". The ladies at the LX F lounge entrance in ZRH might seem cold and distant, but if needed I am sure they are 100 times more professional and capable than their poorly English speaking counterparts at the BKK TG F lounge.

Of course the marlet of the newly rich Asians needs more showtime and visible recogniton and therefore the lounge experiences are different.

I can adjust to both. It's nice that not everything is the same everywere in the world.

Well said. :)

To each their own.

There's certainly quite a lot of generally accepted "good" or "bad" things that a loung can proivde. Many expectations and especially interaction with employees are a different thing for everyone.

Although I'm not a very frequent visitor in the ZRH FCL Lounge, I've been mostly happy, comfortable and at ease with the services provided.

No problem for me if I have to share a car either, or once with the kids we were even asked if we wouldn't mind taking the train. - I'm sharing the plane with strangers as well. And despite all the "suite-talk", the planes most of us fly with are still a form of public transport - nothing else.

The TG F Lounge in BKK on he other hand does, or rather did have some different appeal to it. But I'm not that impressed anymore with a dozen people standing around, not really knowing what to do or why they're there, and I do consider myself fit enough to walk 100m myself without buggy or "tourguide", and if I'm lost, I can ask or read the signs too to get me where I want.

Cutting thru the lines during boarding and getting the VIP treatment in front of everyone else is special, but it's embarassing for me, so I've stopped doing it.

as many have pointed out, we don`t know why zrh lounge would deserve the`first` class reputation.

we transited many times through ZRH first class lounge, and below are our rants:

1. while efficient , the lounge ladies seems always to have some kind of attitude: not welcoming or friendly. the indirect `message` that we got was do not bother us, don`t ask questions, as we are always busy. There were no explanations or signs of services avaialable in the lounge. no menu available on the sit in restaurant when we were there at breakfast.

Can you define "many times"? I always get greeted by name when I get there and they take care of me.

And what is up with internet voucher expiring in 2 hours? It sounds like something from united red carpet club! You have to ask again for another password for each if the devices you use...

I thought good first class services are supposed to be consistent private and personal...

It should not matter who you are, or how you know the staff, or how often you travel, you should receive similar treatment from the staff. For example, same limo transfer to all F passengers, or no limo to all F passengers, we don't care either way. But if you claims or advertise a service, then it is normal that service is to be expected. It does not matter if it seems frivolous, and unnessary, (like the 100 m thai buggy), but it should be consistently delivered.

I gave thai lounge as an example of how good they are of balancing privacy and personalized services, no matter who you are or how often you went there. They leave you alone, privately in your room, but seems to anticipate your needs at the right moment. That is usually the treatment we get when in flight first swiss...

I love swiss first in air but wish the ground services are a reflection of the image of the in air first swiss...

Maybe the zrh lounge was badly designed to accommodate the volume, or maybe it has just become another Too busy frequent travelers lounge to be called First.

everybody is different and expect different things but privacy, space, consistency, personalized services come in mind when i think about first class. Otherwise it is just business.... lounges

And what is up with internet voucher expiring in 2 hours? It sounds like something from united red carpet club! You have to ask again for another password for each if the devices you use...


The password is good for 3 devices. It works fine- I usually (if I have time) login my computer, my ipad, and my blackberry without any issue using the same password. Given the connections at ZRH, except in the event of IRROPS there would be no reason to be in the lounge for more than 2 hours in most cases. You can always ask for another card- I have never had them say no.

I actually quite like the staff at ZRH in general- they are also getting better at taking you to the gate closer to departure time now that there is not a need for additional security at E.

I do agree the design of the dayrooms is atrocious- just ask to use the showers adjacent to the restrooms and problem is solved.

FWIW, I really don't care if I am transferred to E in a van or a car- in fact were it not for the priority passport control I would just take the Heidi train.

Last year there was a security guard outside blocking acess to the dedicated ZRH First swiss checkin Room, asking people if they actually were flying first.. we did not see that the last few weeks, as maybe it was too cold, or maybe it was pulled?

just wondering where is the class in the first class with that and the practices described above (2 hour limit on internet, BS about limos, bad designs...)

Don`t get us wrong, with most of the ladies at the ZRH first lounge, we had good experiences with as they are professional and efficient. But when somemething seemed to be consistently `weird`, then it points to the system or the management...

Last year there was a security guard outside blocking acess to the dedicated ZRH First swiss checkin Room, asking people if they actually were flying first.. we did not see that the last few weeks, as maybe it was too cold, or maybe it was pulled?

I have never noticed this at ZRH- maybe it was a one-off?

'security guard outside blocking'

never experienced this myself.

i personally do not consider a ride in a 5-6 passenger VAN to the E gates with 3-4 other strangers a limousine first class transfer... It certainly does not look like the description on the swiss first when you hear or think about s class limousine...

for consolation at least with the VAN transfer, you get to use a fast track passport control compared to taking the train.

it just seemed there are smelly excuses not to provide proper limousine transfer, unless you are VIP? otherwise those first class s class mercedes is just for decoration.


Yes, we all dream of the wonderful transfers in Bentley limousines to the bonsai jets when flying in the USoA or Canada:D
In your case you should ask the next time for the special Chevy pick up truck ( albeit without gun rack ) which they always have available for (ranting without reason) people like you who never ever descend to mere mortals in a bus:mad: I am sensing a sort of attitude in your OP which will inevitably lead to more bus transfers for you personally. If you so gang-ho on Mercedes transfers I suggest that you follow next time two things:
a) take a taxi to the airport ( Mercedes Transfer 1 )
b) order VIP service from Zurich airport ( Mercedes Transfer 2 or BMW if you don't behave )
BTW I use the lounge quite often and have never seen waterfalls when visiting the toilets!:confused:

Yes, we all dream of the wonderful transfers in Bentley limousines to the bonsai jets when flying in the USoA or Canada:D
In your case you should ask the next time for the special Chevy pick up truck ( albeit without gun rack ) which they always have available for (ranting without reason) people like you who never ever descend to mere mortals in a bus:mad: I am sensing a sort of attitude in your OP which will inevitably lead to more bus transfers for you personally. If you so gang-ho on Mercedes transfers I suggest that you follow next time two things:
a) take a taxi to the airport ( Mercedes Transfer 1 )
b) order VIP service from Zurich airport ( Mercedes Transfer 2 or BMW if you don't behave )
BTW I use the lounge quite often and have never seen waterfalls when visiting the toilets!:confused:

it seems like you may have missed the point of the rants... if you actually read then you may know that we do not mind the bus or the train or walking, we prefer to stay incognito and be left alone and walk, but we do not appreciate being BS on...

if we do not care about making swiss better then we would not have said anything, and let it the way it is. We may be a small minority or maybe the only ones that noticed, but it does not mean it deserve an angry emotional sarcastic reply stuffed with prejudices...

based on your past posts, at least you have a consistent view on that subject. you seemed to like the chevy with guns analogy as well...

it seems like you may have missed the point of the rants... if you actually read then you may know that we do not mind the bus or the train or walking, we prefer to stay incognito and be left alone and walk, but we do not appreciate being BS on...

Guy Fawks masks have become quite popular. Maybe they have some at the lounge that you can use to remain incognito :)

as many ???? have pointed out, we don`t know why zrh lounge would deserve the`first` class reputation.

1. while efficient , the lounge ladies seems always to have some kind of attitude: not welcoming or friendly. the indirect `message` that we got was do not bother us, don`t ask questions, as we are always busy.

You mean they didn't kneel down when you exited the elevator ?

@OP: dude, do us all a favour and stop transiting to ZRH. Period.

Btw. I am betting my last shirt that you are a DM maximiser that does those 100'000 miles USA-EU-Asia trips that will hopefully soon disappear.

Don`t get us wrong, with most of the ladies at the ZRH first lounge, we had good experiences with as they are professional and efficient.I'm a little confused about your repeated use of "ladies"... :confused:

In my experience at least, almost every time I have been there i've seen men manning the desks as well...

@OP: dude, do us all a favour and stop transiting to ZRH. Period.

Btw. I am betting my last shirt that you are a DM maximiser that does those 100'000 miles USA-EU-Asia trips that will hopefully soon disappear.


^^

@OP: dude, do us all a favour and stop transiting to ZRH. Period.

Btw. I am betting my last shirt that you are a DM maximiser that does those 100'000 miles USA-EU-Asia trips that will hopefully soon disappear.

What is dm maximizer?

What do you mean by "us all" ? I have no rants toward the travelers...

It will be hard to comply with your request as we really like first swiss, especially the past few times when we had the whole first cabin to ourselves. The two of us in a new first a333. The fa suggested we can do musical chairs, sit at one suite, set up the bed at another one, eat and recline at another one, which what we did. We had a blast and loved the service, which was repeated again on connection flights and back...

The indian menu was superb and the staff lovely and attentive.you really felt the purser and the staff on the zrh-del was genuinely professional that made us felt like family...

I'm a little confused about your repeated use of "ladies"... :confused:

In my experience at least, almost every time I have been there i've seen men manning the desks as well...

Yep sorry to use a generalized word. We did see man attending the desk as well, but usually it was more female.

I do not want to join the rant. I use the lounge several times a week (between 2 and 4 times) and I am very grateful that it exists.

Also, to the OP:


Usually the limos are used for transfers to planes parked on open stands. For those, I NEVER ever got a van, always a limo. For transfers to the E gates, it is ALWAYS the van because that is more practical when they have to transport a larger number of pax to the same flight
As said earlier on, there are cultural differences. Switzerland is probably the summit of understated sophistication, i.e. max on understatement and max on sophistication. So things need to work well, be of top quality, but anything flashy or eye catching is frowned upon. It seems to work, all the people with a wide gap between available budget and acquired taste (=nouveaux riches from Russia, Arab countries etc) still come to Switzerland. Thus less emphasis is put on which car you are being transported with, but it surely is clean and doesn't break down.


Having said that, I do have my quirks with the FCL in Zurich (and also Geneva, but let me concentrate on Zurich):


Welcome: I don't mind the calm and reservedness, but there is a discrepancy between what is going on on bord where I am greeted by name in a way as if the MdC knew me personally, and what is going on on the ground. I am going through the lounge several times a week since more than five years. It was only 5 weeks that for the first time that someone actually recognized me. It has happened that the same person asked me whether my card was an LX or a LH card within less than 24 hours.
Welcome 2: what's all the fuss about checking departure gates when I am checking into the lounge? I takes once glance on the departure display that is a mere 5 meters from the desk. So why make people wait to give them an information that they already have or that can be given in a splitsecond? If they insist on checking on their terminals, e.g. for delays or other info, fine. But then keep the BP and bring it to the guest later or hold it at the desk
Timing of limo transfer: this is where it is getting absurd. After having spent all the time checking departure gate and punctuality they send limos out irrespective of boarding status. In 80% of cases we leave too early, and I am spending my time waiting in the car watching the team of cleaners going on board and doing their job, etc. Why not do what other FCLs do (FRA, MUC): the gate should call the lounge and tell them that they're boarding, and the driver gets the pax from the lounge? Much more efficient
Restaurant and catering. Wow. This is a major major letdown. Where to start... First, staff: the difference in quality, hosting skills, language skills and training between the restaurant staff and the Swiss staff is palpalbe in a very painful way. It really feels that LX wants to save money. Again, comparison to the LH FCLs in FRA/MUC: way inferior.
Then, the service concept: why don't they serve people in the lounge area, only at the tables? Again, other FCLs in FRA/MUC can do it, why not ZRH/GVA?
Quality of what is offered: well, they hit the mark on understatement. But not at all on sophistication and quality. Whilst the à la carte is actually quite good, the buffet and especially the warm buffet is a major letdown when one is used to the FCLs in FRA/MUC.


Thus, if the FCL in Zurich was brought up the level of the FCLs of its sister company in FRA/MUC in terms of "welcome", the way they organize transfers, and the restaurant then I'd be a very very happy camper.

Again, I love that lounge, but I just love the Lufthansa ones so much more. It's surprising to see that Swiss which is an overall higher quality carrier than LH doesn't come close to LH when it comes to the FCL lounges.

Again, I love that loungeI have to say it doesn't sound like it... ;)

So what do you love about the lounge?

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Usually the limos are used for transfers to planes parked on open stands. For those, I NEVER ever got a van, always a limo.

Well, today I got the van from FCL to an open stand parked Avro, too. I was the only pax in the van. The limos were all parked :)

I have to say it doesn't sound like it... ;)

So what do you love about the lounge?


The fact that there is a First Class lounge accessible to HON Circle pax also traveling on shorthaul routes
Access rules that suit me very well
Very competent Swiss staff
A real restaurant that gives me the opportunity to get a real meal
Very pleasant interior design
No need to take buses to open stand gates
Eat-as-much-as-you-like Lindor chocolates all over the lounge
All the newspapers that I'm interested in
Free WiFi (I don't mind the vouchers)
And plenty of other things...

The fact that there is a First Class lounge accessible to HON Circle pax also traveling on shorthaul routes
The location of the FCL certainly suits passengers departing on shorthaul European flights better than those on longhaul flights in F.

Eat-as-much-as-you-like Lindor chocolates all over the lounge
I'm not sure if I love or hate this. But I definitely take advantage of it. :D

The location of the FCL certainly suits passengers departing on shorthaul European flights better than those on longhaul flights in F.

While I agree, they drive you to your intercontinental plane, so it is not a problem.
If it was the other way round and HONs had to take the train, when flying within Europe, to visit the FCL, it would be a major headache for them.

While I agree, they drive you to your intercontinental plane, so it is not a problem.
If it was the other way round and HONs had to take the train, when flying within Europe, to visit the FCL, it would be a major headache for them.
Another anomaly of the FCL is that it is in Schengen. Convenient for those departing on Schengen flights, but some connecting F passengers have to clear passport control just to visit the lounge or have no access at all without a Schengen visa.

Oh, and whilst I am at "improvement suggestions", there is another one:


No car pickup from E gates, only if continuing to GVA. Which leads to absurd situations: I arrived with 30 minutes left for my connecting flights -> no pickup. However, another pax with a connecting flight to GVA three hours later got picked up. What's the logic...?
Also, would be nice to have the limo pickup from open stands (just like LH does it in FRA/MUC). The Business bus is a step in the right direction, but doesn't help HONs in Eco

You mean First Class passengers without a Schengen viSa cannot use the FCL? Please confirm this, somebody?

You mean First Class passengers without a Schengen viSa cannot use the FCL? Please confirm this, somebody?

Not possible to access the FCL without clearing passport control- so without a Schengen Visa the options are:

1) Panorama Lounge in Dock E

2) Senator Lounge in Dock D

As long as the transfer is less than 3 hours it is no big deal- longer than that I would want to leave the airport (which of course is not possible without a Schengen Visa).

A few things annoyed me too:

1) I asked for a coffee, and the waiter said "you can go make it at the machine".
2) I too was annoyed by the van instead of the limo. I saw lot and lots of empty S classes with Swiss First number plates just sitting there. What is the point of having them sit empty?
3) The dragons are pretty chatty with one another. There was a customer standing for a good minute (which is a fairly long time if you think about it) and they just ignored him.
4) The dragons never reminded me that the van was ready for me. I almost missed it.

The lounge is really nothing special. The product in the air is far better.

Brief annecdote from memory about the restaurant:

1. After the first visit at zrh first lounge, went home then found out: wwhaatt there was a restaurant? No one told us or showed us...

2. Second visit: we asked the front staff in the morning,

Us: do you have a restaurant in the first class lounge, to get something to eat ?
Staff: (looking perplexed) you can get food at the buffet.
Us: i heard there was a sit down restaurant in the lounge, where we can order food, is there one?
Staff : (looking annoyed) no, (then bring us in the back to show) the buffet is here and you get the food here.
Us: ?????

3. Third visit. The staff, a very friendly lady asked if we had been in the lounge before, which we said yes. But she still take a quick few minutes to show us personally the lounge, the day room functions, and point to us the restaurant, buffet and the bar...

4. 4th visit and after: stop bothering with the restaurant as it is always packed.

Brief annecdote from memory about the restaurant:

1. After the first visit at zrh first lounge, went home then found out: wwhaatt there was a restaurant? No one told us or showed us...
.

Are you sure you went to the First Class Lounge? Unless you were standing to the extreme right hand side of the welcome desk and then turned right you cannot have missed it, you can even see the restaurant from the welcome desk coming out of the elevators.



2. Second visit: we asked the front staff in the morning,

Us: do you have a restaurant in the first class lounge, to get something to eat ?
Staff: (looking perplexed) you can get food at the buffet.
Us: i heard there was a sit down restaurant in the lounge, where we can order food, is there one?
Staff : (looking annoyed) no, (then bring us in the back to show) the buffet is here and you get the food here.
Us: ?????


Now it's starts getting surreal. If you were shown the buffet, you must have passed the restaurant area, either directly through it or at least 10 centimeters close to it in case you were led behind the white wall that separates the restaurant from the restrooms.

Maybe just to clarify:


A "restaurant" in Switzerland is an area with tables and chairs. Often there are plates, glasses and cutlery on the tables. Usually easy to recognize, which is why there is no big signpost saying "Restaurant here"
There is no limo transfer from the welcome desk to the restaurant

Oh, and whilst I am at "improvement suggestions", there is another one:


No car pickup from E gates, only if continuing to GVA. Which leads to absurd situations: I arrived with 30 minutes left for my connecting flights -> no pickup. However, another pax with a connecting flight to GVA three hours later got picked up. What's the logic...?
Also, would be nice to have the limo pickup from open stands (just like LH does it in FRA/MUC). The Business bus is a step in the right direction, but doesn't help HONs in Eco


I think most people's points on here are rather petty however I agree entirely with the above poster that this is a major gap in the F ground service!

I have had similar tight connections where I have had to run and arrive sweaty, breathless and stressed. A limo picking me up from my F arrival would have solved all this and made it an enjoyable, stress-free journey.

OP is spot on . LX is fantastic in air . The ZRH FCL and it's service is not even close to FCT or FCL's FRA & MUC . Unfortunately this is what it is , but a lounge is a lounge , people watching in the " open " area of the airport has its merits as well ;)

Maybe just to clarify:


A "restaurant" in Switzerland is an area with tables and chairs. Often there are plates, glasses and cutlery on the tables. Usually easy to recognize, which is why there is no big signpost saying "Restaurant here"
There is no limo transfer from the welcome desk to the restaurant


:)

Oh, and whilst I am at "improvement suggestions", there is another one:


No car pickup from E gates, only if continuing to GVA. Which leads to absurd situations: I arrived with 30 minutes left for my connecting flights -> no pickup. However, another pax with a connecting flight to GVA three hours later got picked up. What's the logic...?
Also, would be nice to have the limo pickup from open stands (just like LH does it in FRA/MUC). The Business bus is a step in the right direction, but doesn't help HONs in Eco


I think most people's points on here are rather petty however I agree entirely with the above poster that this is a major gap in the F ground service!

I have had similar tight connections where I have had to run and arrive sweaty, breathless and stressed. A limo picking me up from my F arrival would have solved all this and made it an enjoyable, stress-free journey.

You are asking the f zrh ground services to check, communicate and anticipate the late flights arrival and go the extra mile?

Reading this thread I get a little nervous. Have never visited FCL in ZRH before but will do it twice beginning of March. However, reading all the posts here I wonder if it is better to stick to the SEN lounge? I understand it is not up to the standards of FCT or FCL at MUC/FRA, but is the FCL in ZRH really THAT BAD??? How do you rank it compared to the new SEN lounge in FRA at B gates?

A "restaurant" in Switzerland is an area with tables and chairs. Often there are plates, glasses and cutlery on the tables. Usually easy to recognize, which is why there is no big signpost saying "Restaurant here"
There is no limo transfer from the welcome desk to the restaurant



By that definition then most of the lounges biz and first in the world that have tables and cutlery, and have food / buffet, can claim to have a restaurant in lounge... But only a few where you can order hot food from a proper menu. At first view, looks like a bar like any other lounges.

It was not obvious to a newbie for the first time in zrh, that the little area next to the bar, without wait staff, without menu, is considered a restaurant and that you can order food from the bar staff... Especially considering if you go to the lounge at a time when they are not serving customers yet.

Reading this thread I get a little nervous. Have never visited FCL in ZRH before but will do it twice beginning of March. However, reading all the posts here I wonder if it is better to stick to the SEN lounge? I understand it is not up to the standards of FCT or FCL at MUC/FRA, but is the FCL in ZRH really THAT BAD??? How do you rank it compared to the new SEN lounge in FRA at B gates?

Hi A380*G,

As you have mentioned, the FCL at ZRH is not like the FCT or FCL in MUC/FRA but by no means it is bad. I quite like the SEN lounge in FRA B gates but consider the FCL at ZRH frankly superior.

It was not obvious to a newbie for the first time in zrh, that the little area next to the bar, without wait staff, without menu, is considered a restaurant and that you can order food from the bar staff... Especially considering if you go to the lounge at a time when they are not serving customers yet.

The waiters come when customers arrive. They give you the menu when you sit down. If you want the menu before, McD has that, the menu hangs over the counter.

To be honest I am a bit lost as to what you are actually looking for. Either something I don't comprehend or there simply is a cultural gap between how the lounge is set up and how you expect to discover it. Maybe it's just the latter.

Hi;

I have noticed a lot of "coldness" in Zurich in the last months, around the time the expanded the airport. It might be they are just ramping up their "intelligent scanning" ala the TSA. Meaning, I have noticed a lot of people standing around staring at you, and picking people out to ask them questions. I also had a frisk down the other day on the way to SFO in the new section that was pretty aggressive.

Personally, I try to fit in and not complain too much, holding a USA passport. But, I would agree the level of quality has dropped with Swiss and I try to stick to LH whenever possible. Swiss just has god flight times up to Zurich for me and its only a 50 min ride.

Yes, a combined Schengen/non-Schengen lounge like MUC would be ideal but I suppose ZRH does not have as many F or HON passengers to make it viable.

BTW the first time I went to the ZRH FCL I turned right at the reception and didn't even notice the rest of the lounge. :eek: Every time I go to the FCT in FRA (which is not every week ;)) I'm asked if I've been there before. No such offer to show passengers around the lounge in ZRH.

1. the zrh f lounge looks usually quite busy and full on times that we went there. swiss can / should open another f lounge at the international area no?

2. that is the main problem with the ZRH welcoming committee. Most of the other F lounges will ask if you have been there before, and they will show you around and quickly tell you of services available. That simple gesture can make a great impression and make the passengers feel welcome. Not in zrh first lounge.

The staff can easily spot who is the newbie, the ones that come up the elevator loooking lost, carrying shopping bags from the shopping area, dazed from a long flight... or they can just ask like one of the zrh staff already do. (see my post on restaurant)

First impression is important and zrh f swiss lounge usually blew it. It does not take much more time from the staff. Seriously, that is usually the only interaction that passengers have with them, and that 1 minute can leave a lasting impression.

Being a ZRH FCL user myself I can say in own experience that overall the experience is good: it's generally clean and the furniture is in good condition, tables get cleared, buffet gets refreshed and cleaned. I noticed with the restaurant staff that there are 2types, the older experienced 30+ and the younger staff around my ages 25-30. I find when I talk to the older staff in English,they reply correct and reserved as doing their duty the younger ones even so. But as soon as I talk in German or try my Swiss German the older staff get more unfrozen, relaxed, willing to suggest in for a chat about travel or the news, smiling wheras with the younger staff they become informal even so that we just talked about the ipad2 etc. i asked if they could make an irish coffee once and he apologised that he never made one but he was going to try. It was presented to me with a " tadaa i made one especially for you, with extra cream and extra whiskey" giving the impression that he was willing to try and go the extra mile. Even so i say it could be the language barrier and a cultural barrier as they don't want to intrude because they don't know in what kind of mood you are and what type of in/formal service you expect.

As with the reception staff I find them usually surly especially the men. They can see me approaching but don't look up, never greet me first, don't mention the offer of the use of a shower or day room, when they can see I'm arriving from an overnighter or am long in transit. I know these facilities exist but it would be nice if the gesture was offered. They usually grumble and you can see that have that look "where did I put that damn shower key". When I used to work in the service industry I got brainwashed into learning always to per-empt the customer by greeting first as to foster a welcoming atmosphere of attention.

So overall ZRH's FCL is good but it's not a destination going out of the way for like the FRA FCT/FCL MUC/FCL

I have to say I had a great experience on my one and only visit so far( i will visit again shortly). The reception staff were efficient and informative. Just very businesslike.

The restraunt wasn't open for al a carte until maybe 11 am? ( i had arroved at 6am) so maybe this is the confusion with the op? The young waiter explained to me that I could get stuff from the buffet and eat it at the restaurant area or in the lounge area, but that at 11am I could have a full a la carte meal( it may have been earlier).

The staff were constantly cleaning the lounge. The lounge was busy for an hour say , between 10 am and 11am then quiet again.

I then sampled the al a carte offerings and enjoyed the food and the service was great.

I don't, sadly, get to visit the FCL at ZRH that often (and probably a lot less now with the recent MM changes).

On the 7 or 8 times times I've been through it I would agree with one rant form he above thread - that it is too crowded. On a couple of occasions where I've had more than 1 hour in ZRH I've decamped to the smokers bar as its generally more convivial and the staff there are quite charming (although I totally appreciate that being in a smoking environment is not for most people).

I would agree though that LX really does have it right in the air. I haven't to date had a bad experience.

Oh, and whilst I am at "improvement suggestions", there is another one:


No car pickup from E gates, only if continuing to GVA. Which leads to absurd situations: I arrived with 30 minutes left for my connecting flights -> no pickup. However, another pax with a connecting flight to GVA three hours later got picked up. What's the logic...?


From what I've heard once this is kind of a secret agreement with GVA. Swiss took away several intercontinental flights from GVA and consolidated them in ZRH. As concession they promised to give HON and First Class to/from GVA the pick up service but not to HON to/from ZRH.

Politics over customer friendliness.

Personally I'm quite happy with the FCL in ZRH. It's definitely not comparable to the ones in BKK or MUC/FRA but still nice and modern.

Funny to read the comments about the welcome desk people. It never really disturbed me that much but I have to agree, they are kind of cold and behave somehow stressed as they would manage the whole airport from there.

Agree with the cold welcome deak staff, especially the male staff is often grumpy ( sometimes outright unfriendly ), does not look up when you approach the desk and sometimes they not even greet you:mad:

This was definitively better when Mr. Brandenberger ran the lounge^

I often use the lounge for a quick breakfast, when I have to leave at unholy hours. The planned traffic chaos by the ruling Zurich socialists makes time planning a hit and miss even early morning.