sftrvlr

Goodbye Asia, hello Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and fellow FlyerTalkers . In a departure from my usual tales of Pacific Pampering, it’s time to relay the details of a brief but luxurious trip over the Atlantic last month for a Christmas visit to deepest, darkest Cornwall in England, and my UK family’s annual “Gentlemen’s Walk.” Now what in the world is the “Gentlemen’s Walk?” I hear you ask. A brief description will be included a bit later for clarity, but the focus, as usual, will be on the finer points of traveling the world in true comfort and style in the premium cabin of Swiss International Air Lines, and the relative comfort and style of the aging United First Suite. There will two brief interludes on low fare carriers Flybe and Air Southwest (to show that I do in fact know how the other half lives ), as well as a chance encounter and most a most pleasant journey with a fellow FlyerTalker in economy on Lufthansa ^. So sit back and relax, and refill your beverage of choice. Without further ado, I present to you the first installment of my Indulgent Atlantic Adventure.

I had originally called United about 300 days before Christmas to check award availability to the UK for the holiday week between Christmas and New Year, and all I could find was Air Canada in business class in and out of London. Being the holidays and all, I took what I could get, and kept calling back once a month or so to check for anything else that may have opened up. The trains from London to Truro were not running on December 26th (Boxing Day) when I planned to arrive, nor were the flights between Gatwick and Newquay, which left us with the rather unpalatable option of a 12 hour round trip drive for my brother to pick me up at Heathrow. Having all but resigned ourselves to this, I thought I’d give it one last attempt a couple of weeks before departure. As luck would have it, I connected with a superb, customer oriented agent at the United award desk. I explained my situation and what I was looking for, and joked about, “knowing nothing would be open over the holidays, but I was giving one last try, etc.”

“Mr. sftrvlr?”

“Yes.”

“How flexible are you?”

“Well, they always ask that, and it usually precedes an offer of some roundabout routing, in a class of service I don't want, two weeks before or after my requested travel dates. I really can’t be flexible on the outbound, but we can work with the return.”

“Would you mind traveling in first class on Swiss?”

“Now Kumar, don’t tease me like that!”

“Well Mr. sftrvlr, it just so happens that there is a seat available on Swiss in first class between Los Angeles and Zurich, with a connection to Paris in business class. You said Paris or Amsterdam were your first two choices in Europe. I don’t have anything coming home from London, but I can get you home from Frankfurt in first class on United on New Year’s Eve. Would that work for you?”

“Grab it! Grab it! Don’t you DARE let the space go!”

Tears of joy practically running down my face, I took down the booking locator, then checked “My Itineraries” at united.com to be sure the agent was correct. Sure enough, it was exactly as he stated. So I had a first class award ticket into Paris and out of Frankfurt. Not quite ideal on the return, but I could work with it. The outbound was perfect since there was a Flybe flight from Paris to Exeter, which would deposit me less than 90 minutes from my brother’s house. I had already planned to spend a night at Heathrow on the return since my Air Canada flight was at 9AM, so now all I needed was a flight from Heathrow to Frankfurt to connect with my United flight to San Francisco and onto San Diego. Lufthansa had a departure just before 10AM from Heathrow that would arrive in Frankfurt with an hour and forty minutes to connect to United. A little tight, but not too worrisome, and the price was right at 10 Pounds plus tax! A few mouse clicks and a phone call to United later, and I was emailing the good news to Merry Olde England.

UA 6082 / SAN-LAX
EMB120 Brasilia/ Seat 9C / First Class
Scheduled 1617-1707 / Actual 1654-1731

Yes, I consider seats 9B&C to be the first class section on a Skywest EMB120 Brasilia. It’s the rear exit row with about three feet of legroom between you and the seat in front of you. Of course the seat width is a little on the tight side, especially when each occupant is 6'2", but in this case my seat mate was cute enough to want to sit close to . Skywest operates out of the Commuter Terminal at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field, which has a convenient $12/day long term parking lot within walking distance. After having Christmas lunch with my US family, I made a leisurely drive to SAN where I had to wait about 20 minutes for a parking space to open up I had completely forgotten about how full the lots would be over the holidays! United.com had actually allowed me to check in online for my United Express flight up to LAX as well as the continuing flights to Zurich and Paris on Swiss. Rather than print actual boarding passes though, the printouts showed that I was checked in but needed to see an agent and show proper documentation to receive my boarding pass. I finally made it into the terminal at 1545 which was a little closer than I had planned to cut it! However, the flight was running about 30 minutes late so I actually had plenty of time. The gate agent checked my passport and handed me the United boarding pass, saying she was unable to print the Swiss boarding passes, but that I was checked in all the way to Paris. I had plenty of connecting time at LAX, so this was not an issue. I love Skywest! As usual, the service was warm and friendly and they even offered beverages on our short hop up the coast ^. I was outside strolling towards the Tom Bradley International Zoo in no time at all.

LX 41 / LAX-ZRH
Airbus A340-300 / Seat 2A / First Class
Scheduled 1925-1550+1 / Actual 1925-1541+1

There was a dedicated first class check-in at the TBIT for Swiss and the agent was assisting a customer, but I was the only person in line. There were 11 people in the business class line waiting for one of the two business class counters, but as soon as one of the agents became available, he called me over, checked my passport and handed me my boarding passes to Zurich and on to Paris, as well as an invitation to the temporary first class lounge, apologizing that the other premium lounges were under renovation. He also handed me a yellow card for priority security screening, and told me that I would be notified when the flight was ready for boarding. All this took less than two minutes, and I was duly impressed by the speediness and politeness; something I’ve found lacking on occasion at the Tom Bradley terminal.

The temporary lounge is located in the main terminal building on the mezzanine near the shops and food court, and is shared. It is enormous, clean and well furnished with plush looking tables, sofas and chairs, and has soft mood lighting provided by table lamps rather than glaring overhead ones. There were brighter lights in certain areas to facilitate reading, and a business center with four computers, along with a well stocked magazine and newspaper rack. Floor to ceiling windows allow for views over the taxiways connecting the north and south parts of the airport, as well as takeoffs from the active runways. The self service bar area contains a small selection of mid-shelf liquors, along with red and white wine and sake. In the refrigerator sit a variety of juices and soft drinks, as well as bottled water and splits of Cava sparkling wine. There is also a coffee and tea machine. The food offerings that day were meager but acceptable given the space constraints. Two large platters of assorted sushi, along with peanuts, potato chips, cheese and crackers, instant noodles and an assortment of cakes and cookies. I found a quiet spot near the windows and settled in with a gin and tonic for an hour or so.

Just as I was beginning to wonder whether they would indeed fulfill the promise to notify me when boarding was imminent (it was now 1900 straight up), an agent came around holding a sign that said LX 41 ZURICH NOW BOARDING. He reminded us that the gate this evening was gate 122, to use the priority line at security, then bid us a pleasant flight. I assume the agent had just checked whether there was a line for screening since 25 minutes did not seem to be very long if there was any type of delay. It turned out that there was absolutely nobody in line and the screeners were standing around chatting when I arrived at the x-ray machines. Something else I’ve never experienced at the TBIT! So all in all, it was a pleasant journey through the aging west coast gateway, and I was shortly welcomed at doorway L2 and shown to my inviting home for the next twelve hours.

I was in business class on Swiss in November between Singapore and Bangkok round trip, and had disembarked through the forward doorway on arrival into Singapore. As I passed through the first class cabin, I wasn’t all that impressed by what I saw. Whilst the seat pitch was generous, the seat design seemed not to offer much privacy, and the cabin was small with only two rows. I suppose that the mess left behind after such a long flight didn’t really help the appearance. Needless to say I approached tonight's flight with some trepidation. Do not judge a book by it's cover, as they say. Although I was sure that the service in Swiss first class would be of an exceptional standard, I wasn’t prepared for how comfortable the cabin turned out to be. The configuration is 1-2-1, and only the window seats were occupied, so there was a feeling of complete privacy for each of us that night. The seat is the size of an armchair, and the panel next to the window contains your seat and video controls, a flexible reading light, your video screen and tray table. The tray table is the largest I’ve ever seen on an airplane. There is an ottoman that moves back and forth at the push of a button, and this serves as a footrest or a “buddy seat” if you wish to chat and or dine with a companion. There are stowage areas for books, magazines, glasses, etc.

From the moment I entered the cabin, to the moment I stepped foot in Switzerland at the other end, I was addressed by name without fail, no matter which crewmember was speaking to me; and without a manifest in their hand to boot ^. The crew appeared slightly more senior that the one I had flown with in Asia, but once again I noticed their well groomed appearance and snappy dark blue uniform with colorful scarves. The service was prompt and professional in a Lufthansa sort of way, but with a little more warmth. As I settled myself, a hot towel was proffered, and I was offered a pre-departure beverage. Naturally, I selected an exceptionally tasty glass of Jacquart Cuvee Allegra 1999 Champagne. This was accompanied by a small plate of appetizers, consisting of a toast round with smoked salmon and horseradish cream, some Feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and a phyllo pastry stuffed with spinach. Newspapers and magazines, amenity kits, noise reduction headsets and slippers were handed out, and drink refills were offered as we pushed back exactly on time. A short taxi to the active runway, and we were airborne at 1941, turning northeast and setting course for Europe.

The captain had announced an expected flight time of 11 hours, with an anticipated arrival a few minutes early into Zurich. The seatbelt sign went off almost immediately, and service began as the curtains were drawn tight between business and first class. Cocktails and other beverage orders were taken, and drinks were served with packages of mixed nuts. The Purser came around to personally introduce himself to each customer and offer the dinner menu, along with a recommendation about the signature beef dish. He also chatted briefly about where I was going and asked if any special assistance might be needed on arrival at Zurich. At the center front of the cabin, there is a display space that the flight attendants filled with assorted wines and bottled water, along with ice and glasses. The setting was complemented by a large flower arrangement with beautiful orchids. There were also extra packets of mixed nuts and some Swiss chocolates. Very classy.

A second beverage was offered as our tables were individually laid, not from a cart, but from a silver tray. The table setting included a red rose. The silverware was wrapped in the napkin and tied with a colorful Christmas bow. Main course orders were taken at this time:

North America – Switzerland

Gourmet Menu

Amuse bouche

First courses

Selection of hors d’oeuvres
Seafood platter with vegetarian choice

Cream of butternut squash and pear soup

Main Courses

Fillet of beef
Topped with chanterelle mushrooms, cranberries and herbs
Jus lie, mixed vegetables and maize galettes
*Signature dish created by our featured chefs - Swiss National Culinary Team

Coq au Vin
Red cabbage with apple and egg noodles

Three coloured cheese tortellini
Creamy pesto sauce, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts

Catch of the Day

Choice of vegetables

Cheeses

Selection of Swiss cheeses

Dessert

Apple tart with vanilla ice cream

Swiss chocolates

Espresso and a selection of coffee and teas

Supplementary choices available at your request

Selection of soups (Cream of tomato, Oxtail clair, Miso)
Seasonal salads
Swiss cheeses
Fresh fruits

The white wine list included Champagne Jacquart Cuvee Allegra 1999, Heida Valais AOC 2005 Maitre de Chais (Switzerland), Montagny AC Permier Cru 2003 JM Boillot (Chardonnay, France) and La Reserva L. Bosca 2005 Mendoza (Sauvignon Blanc, Argentina.) Reds included Kloster Sion AOC 2004 Reserve Klingnau (Pinot Noir, Switzerland), Chateau Latour-Martillac Grand Cru Classe 2003 (Bordeaux, France), Cavas de Weinert 2000 Mendoza (Malbec, Argentina.) There was also a Sauternes AC Les Sables d’Or 2003 and a port (Porto Calem, 20 year old.)

The hors d’oeuvres selection was spectacular. A cart was rolled down the aisle containing chilled crab claws, scallops and jumbo shrimp, served with aioli and cocktail sauce. In addition, there was a vegetable torte and cherry tomatoes stuffed with rice salad. The butternut squash and pear soup was excellent. A freshly tossed salad was offered after the soup. I took the advice of the Purser and ordered the beef, which was cooked medium rare as requested, although it was rather mushy with no crust from being seared or grilled as it should have been, and not particularly tasty. The chanterelle/cranberry/herb mixture was delicious though, as were the corn cakes. Bread and wine were continually offered, and the flight attendant came around bearing a silver tray with extra vegetables to those who wanted them. I tried some of the red cabbage and it turned out to be superb.

Tables were cleared after the main course, then the cart rolled down the aisle again with a cheese board containing five cheeses from Switzerland. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the selection, but the three varieties I tried were lovely (a soft, a hard and a goat), as was the fruit-bread and the 20 year old port they served them with. There was also a basket of fresh fruit on the cart. After that came dessert, which I politely declined as I loosened my belt a notch. I was unable to resist a freshly brewed espresso and a Swiss chocolate to cap off one of the best meals I can remember in the air. Individual water bottles were distributed and I settled in with a post-dinner Rusty Nail (Scotch with a splash of Drambuie) and played with the AVOD system for a little while. When I was ready to retire for the evening, the flight attendant made up the bed for me. The seat reclines flat, and the ottoman moves towards the seat to make the 6½ foot bed, which is then covered with a soft sleeping pad, and topped with a full sized feather pillow and fluffy down comforter. My slippers were placed next to my “bed.” The flight attendant asked what time I would like to be awakened, and said that breakfast would be offered until 30 minutes prior to arrival. I asked for a wakeup call one hour before landing, switched off the light, and slept soundly for six hours.

I woke up about 90 minutes before arrival and the flight attendant eased me into the day with some tomato juice and a freshly brewed cappuccino. My table was once again laid and the breakfast cart brought to my seat. I was the first person awake in the cabin, and this was all accomplished near silently, with hushed voices so as not to disturb those still a slumber. I chose some Muesli and yogurt, along with some toasted fruit-bread and some cheese. An egg soufflé was available as a warm dish if you wanted it. The breakfast menu:

Before Landing

Swiss breakfast

Selection of juices

Assortment of breakfast breads, preserves and honey
Fresh fruits
Assortment of yoghurts
Muesli and cereals
Egg dish

Selection of coffees and teas

The Purser made an announcement 45 minutes prior to arrival so that passengers could prepare themselves. Landing cards were handed out to those who needed them, and connecting gate information was shown on the main cabin screens. The Purser then came around to personally thank each customer in first class and double check their onward connections and gate information, inviting us to use the first class lounge between flights. He also presented each of us with a bag of Christmas cookies tied with a Christmas bow, and wished us a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. One of the best flights of my life was rapidly coming to an end. As we began our final approach, the main cabin screens changed from gate information to the outside camera, showing us a birds eye view of our touchdown and rollout. Arrival into Zurich was about 10 minutes ahead of schedule and after bidding farewell to my fabulous crew, I was soon relaxing in the first class lounge for a few minutes before proceeding to my connecting flight bound for Paris.

When you enter the business class lounge, they swipe your onward boarding pass and can see that you arrived into Zurich in international first class, so you are directed to the first class part of the lounge. If only the Asian carriers would make a habit of this at their hub airports. Are you listening Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines? The Swiss first class lounge at Zurich is a stylish haven of calm and quiet. It is separated from the business class lounge with a private entrance, and is decorated in muted reds, browns and oranges, with Asian accent pieces and mood lighting. There is a soaring cathedral ceiling with wood beams. A concierge is available to assist you as necessary, and there are four computers if needed, as well a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, along with brochures promoting Switzerland. The bar was well stocked with fairly decent brands, and there was a generous selection of finger sandwiches, canapés, cheese and crackers, assorted bar snacks, cakes and cookies. A hot plate contained lamb and chicken satays with peanut sauce and mini spring rolls. There were also plates of sliced cured meat and assorted salads in a refrigerated display case. I could not even think about eating anything, but settled in with a bottle of water and a cup of tea for about twenty minutes.

There are separate security lines for premium passengers, and I zipped right through. For some reason I set off the metal detector and was escorted into a curtained off area for additional screening by a strapping young Germanic looking gentleman who proceeded to give me just about the most thorough “screening” I’ve had in an airport . I think he knew what religion I was by the end of it . I’m pretty sure I’ve seen movies that start off with things like this, but that’s a very different forum, and certainly not a G-rated one . I made it to the gate as they were making the final call, where the agent said my rollerboard was too large for the overhead bin space. I told him that I travel well in excess of 100,000 miles a year, all over the world, with this very case, and it fits in the overhead compartments of all but the smallest regional aircraft. He tutted and frowned and said I could try if I wanted to, but would have to come “all the way back” to see him “when” I found it was too big. I thanked him and hurried on my way before he changed his mind and forced me to gate check the bag. Boarding was through the forward doorway on the A319, where I was greeted by the Purser, quickly stowed by bag wheels first, handle out in the overhead bin and took my seat. Mr Power Trip Gate Agent came to prove himself correct a few moments later, grimaced at me once again, spoke German to the Purser and closed the door. A lovely send off from Zurich!

LX 656 / ZRH-CDG
Airbus A319 / Seat 2F / Business Class
Scheduled 1640-1755 / Actual 1700-1806

No sooner had the door closed, than the captain announced that there were air traffic delays into Charles de Gaulle, and he anticipated that we would push back in about 20 minutes for a takeoff time of 1715. He added that the flying time would only be 41 minutes once airborne, so barring further delays, we should arrive fairly close to schedule. Swiss has a 3-X-3 arrangement throughout the cabin on the A319, and a moveable curtain to separate business from economy. The center seat is left open in business. Seat pitch is 32 inches in both cabins. Just as the captain had predicted, we pushed back at 1700 on the dot, taxied slowly to the runway, and were airborne for the land of the Gauls.

With such a short flying time, the flight attendants were out of their seats during climb out, preparing the service for business class. Both FAs loaded the carts, then one went back to help in economy, while the Purser manned the business class cabin by himself. Since there were only four dedicated rows and 9 passengers in business, and close to a full load in the back, this seemed fair. I imagine the staffing level changes when the business cabin is larger. Service was from back to front. Yet again I’m amazed at what is offered on such a short flight. A small tray contained a cheese and a ham sandwich, along with a little piece of cake. Cocktails, wine (including the sparkling variety) and beer were all offered to accompany the snack, with a second round after the trays had been cleared, and a third round for those who could manage, prior to landing. I noted that announcements were made in German, French and English on all of the Swiss flights. I enjoyed a couple of gin and tonics, and a lovely sunset as we jetted west that evening, touching down at 1753 in a chilly zero degrees celsius. We then proceeded to take an interminable tour of Charles de Gaulle as we taxied for fifteen minutes, with a couple of stops along the way, to our gate in Aerogare 2, Terminal B, finally blocking in eleven minutes late at 1806. Another enjoyable flight with Swiss had come to an end.

So there we are folks, safely arrived into Paris. Thanks for tagging along thus far. Stay tuned for the long trek to Aerogare 1, my first time on Flybe, and more …

SanDiego1K

It's a pleasure to read your report on SWISS. I haven't had success yet in finding availability on an award flight - but now I know what to expect when I do.

CHC Kiwi

Wow! Looking forward to more, sftrvlr.

harryhv

Nicely written, looking forward to the less distinguished LCCs of the next episode

tomashi

Great report! Looking forward to the next part and your lowcost-experiences!

-Thomas

Kiwi Flyer

Excellent start sftrvlr ^

I too have wondered about LX F longhaul. Somehow I never seem to get past SQ and LH.

sftrvlr

The last time I flew them in first class was back when they were called Swissair, and it was between Hong Kong and Bombay on a 747-300(?) I remember superb service back then, too. Specifically the crystal ashtrays that each smoker used, rather than the one in the armrest. The crew emptied the ashtrays constantly. Gosh, that was long, long ago!

das

Great report, I've always been curious about Swiss long haul F service.

As far as your experience being asked to gate check your bag in ZRH, the same thing happened to me a few years ago when connecting to MXP. I think I played dumb, and they said they would only make an exception because the flight was empty. My rollaboard is tiny so I have no idea what their problem was.

BTW, I think Swiss short haul business only has the "B" seat empty, not the "E" seat. At least this was what was explained to me (by both the purser and my neighbor) when I flew them in Business on LHR-ZRH sitting in "F" with someone sitting next to me - I felt cheated because I was on a FRTW.

Basically LX sounds interesting to try long haul, but I think I'd only select them if LH/NH/SQ weren't options.

aw

Magnificent report and thanks for sharing. It seems that you had some "excitement" going through security in ZRH. Swiss F is a superb way to fly and the level of service you encountered mirrored my experience with them from MIA. The only nuisance that I find is the offering of only one dessert for F. I like desserts and love to have a choice. In that regard AF J is better by offering 3-4 choices from a cart and when they ask me I love to say "all of the above, please."

More Champagne Sir?

Great report sftrvlr! Thanks ^^

FlyingOnceMore

Nice Report, Thanks


Hopefully not for much longer. Swiss did retrofit their A320's with the new Recaro seating so business class is now 2-2 with the middle seat on both sides turned into a table (Photo). They announced in the autumn that they will now do likeswise with the 319's and 321's

ua_to_ord

Exceptionally written report thus far, sftrvlr! ^

I look forward to reading the remainder.

lucky9876coins

Excellent report! Makes me really want to try LX in F!^

TrayflowInUK

I don't know... after hearing sftvlr's account and that of jacob_m, it sounds like a "don't miss" to me!

Great report so far!

1P

Excellent, excellent report, sftrvlr. Swiss First sounds just like the kind of thing I should try!