Swiss A330 business class ORD-ZRH
Aug 30, 2014, 12:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 252
Swiss A330 business class ORD-ZRH
LX2609 ORD-ZRH
2:50 pm - 6:25 am
4D
I was excited to try Swiss business class for the first time as a part of the $1500 *A business class sale to Europe. Business class *A award availability is tighter on Swiss than most other carriers, so I haven't had the opportunity to try the product until now.
The Swiss lounge at ORD was nothing special. Small, few food options, and no in-lounge bathroom. The lounge dragon was very friendly, though. It seems that ORD is cramped for space in this terminal -- the SAS lounge also didn't have in-lounge bathrooms. The Swiss lounge at JFK is much nicer -- warm food, larger drink selection, in-lounge bathrooms and showers. I had expected something like that, and was a bit disappointed.
As *Gs, we headed to SAS lounge to check out the other *A lounge in this terminal. That lounge was much less crowded, had better cold food options, and a marginally better drink selection. It's no Lufthansa Senator lounge, but it was a step above the cramped ORD Swiss lounge.
We showed up for boarding about 10 minutes after boarding was supposed to start and found an empty gate. Apparently everyone had already boarded. Not sure if they jumped the gun on the boarding time or just boarded really quickly.
We settled into our seats, and the mini business cabin (rows 4 and 5), was really intimate. I'd definitely recommend it if you can grab a seat there. My totally unscientific theory is that service also improves the smaller the cabin looks to the FAs (upper deck vs. lower deck on United 747s, Lufthansa A380 vs. A330, etc.).
My understanding is that legroom and seat layout vary pretty significantly seat-to-seat in Swiss business class. If you're flying Swiss C, do your homework before picking a seat. Some seats are better for some preferences than others. For me, leg room was really important as I'm 6'2".
4D worked out well for me. Here's a picture of my legs fully outstretched in this seat, which was so much better than most United and Lufthansa seats. I can fully stretch my legs laying down in United and Lufthansa seats but they have to be contained in the small cubbie. Here I had plenty of room on the horizontal axis, which I was really happy about.
Menu
First course
Main
Desert
Overall, there wasn't any wow-factor in this meal, but everything was tasty. From what I hear, Swiss is near the top in food quality consistency among the *A, which I'd consider important as a frequent flier.
IFE was better than I expected. There's a larger selection than Lufthansa, and the screen on the A330s is pretty high-resolution. It's no United, but definitely a solid offering.
I slept really well in my seat, probably due to the great leg room and comfortable cushioning.
There were no hot food options for breakfast, but that's not super-important for me since I'm not a fan of huge breakfasts on planes. Swiss allows you to order your breakfast shortly after takeoff, and you can decide whether the FAs wake you up for breakfast. This seems like a great feature for the frequent flyer. They also have espresso machines and smoothies. Although Lufthansa now also offers espresso in their new business class, Swiss has had this feature before them.
The transfer experience in ZRH was fine. I wouldn't recommend extending your layover there if you're planning on staying at the airport. The breakfast food options at the senator lounge were limited, and the business lounge was pretty dirty, with finished food, plates, and glasses strewn across the tables. The showers were tiny. Compared to the Senator lounges in FRA, which have nap rooms, warm food, good drink options, and spacious shower rooms, there's no contest. That being said, getting into the city is a 10 minute train ride, so that's a great option for a long layover.
Maybe I got in at the right time of day, but it felt like the security and transfer experience was easier in ZRH compared to FRA, which can become a zoo, even for business class pax, at peak periods.
I'd fly them again -- I liked the leg room, the comfortable seat, and the warm design touches.
2:50 pm - 6:25 am
4D
I was excited to try Swiss business class for the first time as a part of the $1500 *A business class sale to Europe. Business class *A award availability is tighter on Swiss than most other carriers, so I haven't had the opportunity to try the product until now.
The Swiss lounge at ORD was nothing special. Small, few food options, and no in-lounge bathroom. The lounge dragon was very friendly, though. It seems that ORD is cramped for space in this terminal -- the SAS lounge also didn't have in-lounge bathrooms. The Swiss lounge at JFK is much nicer -- warm food, larger drink selection, in-lounge bathrooms and showers. I had expected something like that, and was a bit disappointed.
As *Gs, we headed to SAS lounge to check out the other *A lounge in this terminal. That lounge was much less crowded, had better cold food options, and a marginally better drink selection. It's no Lufthansa Senator lounge, but it was a step above the cramped ORD Swiss lounge.
We showed up for boarding about 10 minutes after boarding was supposed to start and found an empty gate. Apparently everyone had already boarded. Not sure if they jumped the gun on the boarding time or just boarded really quickly.
We settled into our seats, and the mini business cabin (rows 4 and 5), was really intimate. I'd definitely recommend it if you can grab a seat there. My totally unscientific theory is that service also improves the smaller the cabin looks to the FAs (upper deck vs. lower deck on United 747s, Lufthansa A380 vs. A330, etc.).
My understanding is that legroom and seat layout vary pretty significantly seat-to-seat in Swiss business class. If you're flying Swiss C, do your homework before picking a seat. Some seats are better for some preferences than others. For me, leg room was really important as I'm 6'2".
4D worked out well for me. Here's a picture of my legs fully outstretched in this seat, which was so much better than most United and Lufthansa seats. I can fully stretch my legs laying down in United and Lufthansa seats but they have to be contained in the small cubbie. Here I had plenty of room on the horizontal axis, which I was really happy about.
Menu
First course
Main
Desert
Overall, there wasn't any wow-factor in this meal, but everything was tasty. From what I hear, Swiss is near the top in food quality consistency among the *A, which I'd consider important as a frequent flier.
IFE was better than I expected. There's a larger selection than Lufthansa, and the screen on the A330s is pretty high-resolution. It's no United, but definitely a solid offering.
I slept really well in my seat, probably due to the great leg room and comfortable cushioning.
There were no hot food options for breakfast, but that's not super-important for me since I'm not a fan of huge breakfasts on planes. Swiss allows you to order your breakfast shortly after takeoff, and you can decide whether the FAs wake you up for breakfast. This seems like a great feature for the frequent flyer. They also have espresso machines and smoothies. Although Lufthansa now also offers espresso in their new business class, Swiss has had this feature before them.
The transfer experience in ZRH was fine. I wouldn't recommend extending your layover there if you're planning on staying at the airport. The breakfast food options at the senator lounge were limited, and the business lounge was pretty dirty, with finished food, plates, and glasses strewn across the tables. The showers were tiny. Compared to the Senator lounges in FRA, which have nap rooms, warm food, good drink options, and spacious shower rooms, there's no contest. That being said, getting into the city is a 10 minute train ride, so that's a great option for a long layover.
Maybe I got in at the right time of day, but it felt like the security and transfer experience was easier in ZRH compared to FRA, which can become a zoo, even for business class pax, at peak periods.
I'd fly them again -- I liked the leg room, the comfortable seat, and the warm design touches.
