globetraveler

Swiss Flight Number 9
ORD-ZRH, May 2010
A330-300
First Class

I was eagerly awaiting our SWISS First Class flight aboard their newest member of the fleet, the Airbus A330-300. We were fortunate to be flying on one of the few days that LX was operating the A333 out of ORD.

Our journey started at SNA, and there was some fear that we might miss our connection in ORD because of mechanical issues on our United flight. At the time I was rather panicked, as I was quite excited about trying SWISS' newest first class product. Fortunately we arrived with plenty of time in ORD, however the inbound LX flight was delayed due to the President's departure out of Chicago. The inbound aircraft was diverted to MKE of all places (probably a real joy for plane spotters; I'm quite certain they've never seen an A330 at MKE let alone a SWISS aircraft!) Our SWISS flight was delayed just over an hour with many apologies from the ground staff at Chicago.



SWISS A330-300 parked at the gate

SWISS ORD Experience:

As many other FTers have noted, SWISS' lounge at ORD isn't too impressive, but understandable since they only operate one daily flight. The First Class section of the lounge is quite small but offers a small variety of snacks and drinks. We only spent about 30 minutes in the lounge until we decided to just walk around the airport before our 8 hour flight. F passengers are escorted to the gate by request, which turned out to work to our disadvantage since we left the lounge early. Because we were waiting at the gate, we boarded with the FIRST/BUSINESS Class group, somewhat disorganized boarding process which I will discuss in greater detail below. For those of you who want a slightly larger lounge experience (particularly for *G and Business Class passengers) I would suggest visiting the SAS lounge which is just a short walk from the LX gate.

Boarding and Seats:

SWISS' boarding process is rather confusing, and they don't seem to strictly enforce the boarding order at ORD. Nonetheless we boarded quickly, and were very pleasantly greeted upon entering the First Class Cabin. We both had been expecting the very best from what we had read and seen on FT as well as the SWISS website, but we were truly blown away by the caliber of finish work and detail in the First Class Cabin. Quite simply, SWISS has done a spectacular job! I've had the opportunity to experience numerous First Class cabins including SQ,LH,OZ,UA,TG etc., but SWISS has really outdone themselves. I'm partial to BMW's automotive design, particularly their interiors, and this might be the best comparison to SWISS' First Class experience. The seats are meticulously thought out and finished in a way that no other carrier has done, at least that I have seen. While SQ, TG etc. are all nice, SWISS' more contemporary approach seemed to be more tasteful than anything else I've experienced. Yes, perhaps carriers such as Emirates provide a full "suite" experience, but IMO they're a tad on the gaudy side (just my personal opinion). SWISS's F seat design is also very practical, offering an extremely private seating experience while preserving the "open" feeling that we sometimes miss these days with newer seat products.



On the Ground Amuse Bouche



Photo of the seat next to ours, 2K



IFE, taken from Seats 2D/2G



F Beds

SWISS' beds are heavenly (not to steal that term from Westin!) The F/A graciously made our beds when we were ready, and they were by far the most comfortable beds I've ever experience in the air. Beds include a small mattress, duvet and amazing pillows.

For individual travelers, I would say that any of the single seats would be most desirable, but candidly the middle seats are probably equally as private as they have full privacy dividers which gives the impression of a single seat. The in flight entertainment system is wonderful (while some say its slightly more limited in movie selections etc.) and I found it to work well, and offer everything I wanted to watch. On night flights, there's not much time to watch movies anyway, particularly after a lengthy meal service!

Having sat in several different styles of F seats, LX takes first place for just about every seating position. These seats are extremely comfortable in the upright position, casual lounging position and divine in the sleeping position. I've found that other seats (perhaps more so in some Business Class configurations) sometimes feel awkward in some upright positions. The seat cushion on LX F was just right, and I probably could have gone another few hours in-flight and been more than content!

As mentioned above, LX has opted for a more modern approach with the use of solid contemporary wood choices, extremely luxurious finishes and an overall airy feel to the cabin. While the F cabin lacks a second bathroom and bar area, the cabin feels large and truly "First Class". The in-seat tray tables are fantastic, and are suitable for dining with a companion, something we took advantage of for the morning breakfast.

Dining:

In keeping with SWISS' impressive new F product, the in-flight dining experience was equally extraordinary! I was expecting a similar experience to LH's F dining service, but I think that LX is a notch above. While they don't offer perks such as Caviar service, they offer other small details which make for an altogether better presentation.

The food was outstanding in every respect, and the presentation for each service was nothing short of spectacular. I really admired the small touches such as the restaurant sized salt & pepper shakers, large formal table settings and separate glasses for Champagne, wines (red & white) and desserts wines and Port.

We enjoyed the beef fillet and halibut, and while we were probably full by the second course, we continued to try just about everything! All the while, our flight attendant delivered impeccable service which I will discuss more below.

Champagne selections these days can be hit or miss, as some airlines are moving to less expensive selections (ie. my recent LH F flight served a Laurent Perrier selection that retails for around $50-60, a surprising selection for international F) SWISS was serving Laurent Perrier's finest, the Grand Siecle. While not a vintage Champagne, Laurent Perrier uses the very best years and makes a blend, one of the best Champagnes I've had!

The F Menu for May, 2010: (Abbreviated for simplicity)

SWISS Taste of Switzerland

Gourmet Dinner Menu:

First Course

Smoked Salmon Fillet, Seafood, Meat and Vegetarian Platter





Salad Service





Main Courses

Grilled Beef Tenderloin



Roast Cornish Chicken

Seared Halibut



Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi


Cheese

Cheese Selection





Dessert

Vanilla Ice Crea Sundae, Sprungli Chocolates, Espresso, Coffees, Teas




Wine List

Champagne
Laurent-Perrier, Grand Siecle

White Wine

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc & Chablis, Burgundy

Red Wine

Swiss Blend (Le Rouge, Luzerner Cuvee), Tempranillo (Spain) Bordeaux

Dessert Wines, Port

Breakfast:

Assortment of breakfast breads, preserves, fresh fruits, Egg Dish

The Service:

In addition to a truly stellar in-flight product and dining experience, our service could not have been better. Our head flight attendant (who was serving only 4 in the F Cabin) was perhaps one of the best I've had in international F. He was extremely attentive, but also never imposing. We were both in awe of the personalized attention we received, and this made for an incredibly memorable flight. While LH service can sometimes be robotic and impersonal, I found the LX service to be more tailored to the passengers' personality. I think we gave the impression that we were a bit more casual, and our F/A seemed to customize his service for us, by being perhaps a little less formal but also extremely professional. Despite our casual attitude, he would still pour tastings if we tried a new wine and always present the bottle for our viewing.

The Verdict:

As you've probably gathered by this point, our flight was one of the best we've ever experienced. While the product itself (seat, ife etc.) are only half of the experience, it certainly made for an incredible first impression. The spectacular dining experience and impeccable service made it an all around memorable flight that we'll talk about for years to come.

SWISS' newest A330-300 F product demonstrates their ability to be an industry leader. The new F product coupled with other amazing highlights make me a new loyal follower of SWISS, and I hope that my next European trip includes LX.

synd

thanks for taking the time to write a great trip report. ^ I loved the pictures, and the descriptions.

I did this flight in dec in F, and I have to agree with most of your comments.

Swiss service is surely one of, if not the best there is in the air right now, and the cabin is really elegant.

But I have found that I sleep much better in the old LH F seats rather than the LX' one. A lot people complain about LH F seats, but imo they are the most confortable to sleep in. Yes they are not as fancy as LX, TG, OZ, NH and you can add almost every carrier to the list but their padding is amazing. I have gotten my routine pretty good by now, I eat like I haven't eaten in 5 days, I drink like a drunk, and I start snoring as a baby!

belynch

Thanks for the TR and photos.

Booked on LX F between ZRH and DXB in August on the 333. Hopefully our experience equals yours. :-:

roadwarriorafrica

Thanks for the report. Was actually considering Swiss F from Nairobi. This report might be the clincher.

aw

Thanks for the informative and enjoyable report. Love the pics, especially of the FA plating the meals from the cart which gave the service a more personal and professional touch.

Last November I had the opportunity to experience LH F and I too concluded that LX had a slight edge over LH. While my FA's on LH were good and quite professional, I have found a couple to be a bit too strict by the book lacking some flexibility. On the other hand, LX's crew in F are the epitome of flair and service. I have often felt that LX is often overlooked in most survey's rankings, especially as far as F is concerned.

time2go1st

Very lovely report, thanks very much. May try them ZRH-LAX later this year, won't be in F unless my rich aunt die first , but it does seem they have the service thing down, would rather spend 12 hrs. with them than anybody I think.

wtjulianchan

Absolutely stunning. A333 is my favourite type, and LX is certainly among my top 3 airlines. They're really fantastic in every single sense, and reflects European hospitality, service and comfort at its best. Well done for a nice flight report and well done LX!

bangkokiscool

This is by far, the best looking First class cabin I have ever seen. I took four segments in EK F on the A380 last year, and you are absolutely right about the gaudy trimming. This Swiss product beats it by a mile.

Genius1

Thanks for the very good trip report ^

I have yet to try Swiss, but they look excellent.

The design of Swiss's new F cabins really appeals to my taste - understated elegance, and none of the gaudiness of EK, as you say.

I have to say that the food does not look as good from your photos as I had expected from Swiss F, but I'm sure in reality it was excellent.

globetraveler

Agreed ^

I'm glad that you've all enjoyed my trip report; also stay tuned for my return on LH.

Flyingfox

Thanks for the report - well done.

They have a great new F cabin - very elegant and sleek. However (and this is just an OPINION here, let's not get defensive and I'll play devil's advocate), Swiss really need to overhaul their F meals out of their non-Swiss stations. They've been doing just about the same thing for years now. The starter is always a combination of the same things - salmon, italian ham, and various vegetables. The salad is pretty bland, as can be seen by the very few choices available on the cart (3 things other than the greens and dressings? Yellow tomato, radishes, and cheese plus croutons?). They could do better. They usually carry a tomato soup out of the states as well. The mains are usually not bad, just not very inspired. They do a good cheese service, though.
Sad to see an ice cream dish as their F dessert choice - quite "cheap".
They need to bring it up a notch ex-USA with a cake or pastry (used to have a tart with fruit).
The same old thing flight after flight can become a tad monotonous for people. Time for a menu change of sorts.

Bretteee

They seem to be copying the US airlines with the ice cream in F. They copied the US airlines also with the lettuce starter in Y. Let's hope they don't start serving cookies as a desert like the US airlines tend to do. I prefer the tiny fruit cake.

Moomba

Great report of the new LX F globetraveler. Those seats look like a real step up from the old F, although they are not a bad way to fly.

blueline7

Wonderful trip report!! Many thanks!

Was it just luck that you got the 330, or did you plan it out that way somehow?

globetraveler

Thanks blueline7!

Yes, I did plan the trip knowing the flight was scheduled with the A333. It just so happened to work out with the timing of our trip, but I was surprised that it was one of the only days offering the A333, all other days were being serviced by the A343.

Honestly, I was a bit worried that there might be a last minute equipment swap!