SWISS New First class???
 

I heard from someone working in a travel agency that SWISS was going to introduce a new First Class product. Supposed to be the best one in the world. Has anyone heard anything about that?

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SR introduced some years ago a new F-Class product (MD11, A330) on transcontinental routes: http://www.swissair.com/service/first/index.htm
In my opinion SWISS would be better of to improve it´s business class cabin.

I have been several times in the Swissair's New First class. BUt someone told me that SWISS was going to change the Swissair FC product to a new one that will be even better. I am perplexed that they could do much better...we will see.


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I think Patron is right. Business Class on Swissair has lagged behind for quite some time now. Anybody remember how long it took until they introduced DVD players in C after the Halifax crash ? Swissair was pretty much the only airline during that time that didn't have individual entertainment in C. Still, the C seats suck. I had a sore rear end every time I flew C to the USA.

I don't know about First though. Never flew it, but hope to soon with my 240k miles http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I've heard from many FTers that F is absolutely fantastic on Swissair. If they make it even better: hey, suits me right. Maybe they reintroduce the caviar...

I remember reading an interview in the "Züricher" with Tyler Brulé, the brains behind the re-branding and inventor of "Wallpaper*" magazine. This connection alone explains a lot. It sounded very much like he saw SWISS as his personal toy, and he wanted to turn it (and especially First class) into something so über-cool and stylish that the "elite" would not want to fly with anything else. (Just like his magazine is so über-cool you could burn your fingers reading it... yawn! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ) He wasn't very interested in making it attractive to the "common" man/woman though... I remeber BA having a similar idea back in the days of Ayling, and we can see where that led them...

Swissair’s first class product can be fantastic as it can be terribly bad.
I flew with them las summer from ZRH to LAX and return. ZRH-LAX was outstanding. The crew was very efficient and polite, food very good and best of all, I was invited (after asking the captain while visiting the cockpit) in the cockpit for the landing at LAX.
LAX-ZRH was completely different. Unfriendly crew who was not even speaking French to me (they must speak at least German, French and English). The food was nothing to be crazy about.

Overall, I would hesitate flying with them again, as you never know whether it’s going to be a good or bad flight. If flying First, Air France is very good regarding service and food.



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(they must speak at least German, French and English)

when Gisela's sister was with Swissair it had to be (for any FA) english plus two out of German/French/Iatalian; in add they tried to make sure, for longhaule flights only, that all of these 4 languages were 'represented' ovrall.

Huegli wrote: Maybe they reintroduce the caviar...
I strongly recommend you to try SWISS F-Class when flying to US (if you are at least TC you can buy a C-Class ticket, earn miles and upgrade to F for 30.000 miles one way). In my opinion, food is much better out of ZRH, but don´t expect caviar, because SR discontinued that service last year.

Hungrytraveller wrote: I was invited (after asking the captain while visiting the cockpit) in the cockpit for the landing at LAX.
Congratulations, hungrytraveller. I asked once – on my flight to HKG this month – and was refused. I had the impression that most of the time this is a privilege to relatives of SR-Crew-members.

Hungrytraveller wrote: LAX-ZRH was completely different. Unfriendly crew … The food was nothing to be crazy about.
I agree with you that food out of LAX in F is nothing special, and you should not call this room as a F-Class lounge. This is SR´s big disadvantage that they are not a member of a big alliance. Unfriedly crew, that happens, but is very rare.

Actually, I asked the captain undirectly while I was visiting the cockpit. I asked " If one day, on one flight, I would like to stay in the cockpit for landing, is there any procedure to do? I smiled and told me that normally they are allowed to accept 2-3 people a year (I am not exactly sure). He said they will think about it (he was again smiling). I did not bother them with the subject anymore. Stood there for about 30 more minutes as we were approaching Greenland and the view was absolutely fantastic, with Icebergs, glaciers, mountains, etc...
When we began our descent to LAX, the copilot came up to me and told me the captain was inviting me to join them for the landing. WWAAAAOOOOOWWWW!!!!
I was so excited (how could I refuse was I had been dreaming about...). The approach into LAX is impressive. Big Bear, Downtown, and then the runway. The landing was manual and about 30 seconds before touchdown, the ATC told us to change of runway asap, as there was another plane on our runway which was taking time to get out of it.
The pilot had such good reflex. He changed the track even before I understood what the ATC had said...
IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!


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THAT would NEVER happen on a US carrier!

Agreed. I've had the pleasure of cockpit visits on BA (twice) and QF (once)... but NEVER on a US based carrier.

And seeing that most European carriers now (after revised security measures) have a "sealed" cockpit policy throughout the flight, I doubt many people will be allowed anywhere near the cockpit in the near future http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Just (and I do mean just, I'm typing this in the ZRH F Lounge!) got off a flight on SR in F.

Two quick points (hopefully I'll finish the trip repoort soon):

The cabin crew seem pretty sure that Crossair/Swiss will keep longhaul F-Class after the transition, and given the cabin was full (one non-rev and us two Qualiflyer freeloaders, I assume the rest were paying PAX) I can see why. Crew were also very unhappy about the lack of information coming from the new management - many of them do not even know if they have jobs yet! I'm happy to say that even with this hanging over them, they are still doing the same wonderful service.

My girlfriend talked her way into a cockpit visit, though this is now very much discouraged, and spent some time talking to the cockpit crew. Sitting in on a landing was a major no-no (Captain pointed out that MD-11 landings at ZRH are not automatic, so they have a lot of work to do). He confirmed that usually only staff members or close relations are accorded the honour of sitting in for landing.

Now, can I stay awake for my european connection <YAWN>...

Ken.

"One life, one arrow, short journey from bow to target" - Zen saying, via Walter John Williams, Voice of the Whirlwind.

[Edited to obscure flight details for the sake of the crew we talked to]

[This message has been edited by KenF (edited 03-08-2002).]

Although many here have tried to explain the absence of caviar from First as being due merely to cost cutting I had been told by people at AA as well as people at SR that caviar had been dropped because of a ban on harvesting caviar imposed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a United Nations agency, on all Caspian nations other than Iran. It was explained to me, then, that this ban would adversely affect price and quality as well as create an appearance that the respective airlines were not environment friendly. The news article from today's New York Times reprinted below, might suggest hope that caviar service will resume.
CAVIAR HARVEST CAN RESUME The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a United Nations agency, said four countries on the Caspian Sea can resume harvesting caviar from sturgeon because they have made progress in protecting the endangered fish. Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were allowed to proceed after surveying their stocks, setting quotas and taking steps to stop poaching. Iran, the other country on the Caspian, has not been under restrictions because it controls the sturgeon catch in its waters. Elizabeth Olson (NYT)

Indeed, they stopped serving caviar about 2 years ago. They spend less on food, but they are not reducing the prices of the tickets...

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