Up early again the next morning. I thought about walking (or taxiing) to the airport as the first shuttle is barely early enough to make close off of check in for the flight. However, from previous experience I know check in to be quick and painless with very few passengers taking this Singapore flight from Zurich to Manchester.

I had chosen the Zurich to Manchester return flights, not only for the easy PPS sectors, but also it is one of the few very nice intra-europe flights remaining and service is fantastic. This flight is only twice a week (on the other days flights between Manchester and Singapore are nonstop) and requires an overnight stay in Zurich due to the early departure - a good excuse to revisit.

We get to the airport right on closure of the flight and the agent is looking very bored and lonely (few other flights so early and these all seem to have check-in in different part of the terminal). I check in for the return flight as well to save hassles at transfer in Manchester. Unfortunately it takes a few goes for the agent to correctly apply the double dip of PPS credits and mileage to another account. I ask to check in also for my onward Lufthansa flight this afternoon, but am told this is impossible and please try the Swissport desk a few aisles over. Of course at this desk they merely redirect me to Swiss check-in who also handle Lufthansa.

Since my connection back through ZRH was a bit tight I decided to go to the Swiss check-in, in the other building, to get checked in for my Lufthansa flight. It was quite busy but the elite/business line was quiet enough. The agent checked me in quickly and also for tomorrow's first flight without me asking for it.

I headed back to the main terminal and through immigration. With not much time until scheduled boarding I decided against visiting the *A lounge or the LX lounge, and instead took the airtrain to terminal E from which the flight departs.

There is a long queue at security entering the terminal. I tried to pick the line with more business traveller types - figuring they would be quicker removing coats etc, but it was still quite slow. When I get to the gate the monitor shows as boarding but there are a few people sitting nearby showing no sign of boarding. I ask the gate agent and boarding hasnt started but will do so soon. I decided not to visit the Bellevue lounge upstairs in the E terminal which first/business/elite passengers can use, figuring there's no point if we are boarding in a minute. Well it turns out soon means more than 20 minutes and I could have grabbed a coffee in the lounge after all

When boarding eventually starts the 7 passengers (including me) are quickly on the aircraft. Passengers travelling through from Singapore to Manchester are not allowed to deplane. It is only when boarding that I notice I have lost the seat I had pre-selected. I asked if I could change to be told not possible When on board my spirits sank when I saw I was seated in the middle of a large family group (kids, parents and I think grandparents on all 4 sides)