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LAX to Morocco Via Zurich
Part I of VI: Swiss International LAX to ZHR
Part II: Zurich (Post Production) Part III: Edelweiss ZHR to RAK \ Part IV: Marrakesh, Sahara, Essaouira Part V: British Airways RAK to LGW Part VI: Virgin Atlantic LHW to LAX via SFO LAX-Zurich October 9, 2019 Swiss Air Business Class Seat: 9A So this will be my first trip review on flyertalk and like many great reviews this starts off at LAX. My favorite airport is John Wayne as it is compact and efficient but alas, no trans-Atlantic service and I always wanted to visit the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fa5e771711.jpg I arrived at 1400 PST for my 1915 PST flight, plenty early to take full advantage of the many lounges and to get some photos. Being at the airport that early meant I avoided many of the crazy lines LAX is known for. Upon arriving at the Business Class queue, I was promptly assisted by a gate agent manning the first-class desk as no one else was there. She was polite and professional, advising me of the Star Alliance lounge and asked if I wanted my bags checked directly to Marrakech. As I had an overnight layover in Zurich, I declined. TSA Pre-Check was operational and there was only five people in line. (Note, Pre-Check is available at TBIT at the LEFT side of the terminal.) https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4f10feefc3.jpg TBIT before it gets crowded https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e87532d4a2.jpg What difference a few hours makes. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7996f2ff71.jpg TSA Pre-Check is on your left hand side. Onward ho to the lounge! Going through the beautiful TBIT I arrived at the Star Alliance Lounge. In addition to the better quality of food, the LAX Star Alliance lounge is known for its terrace where you can people watch. Food-wise, they had the noodle bar, soups, three hot options, some crackers with hummus, a cheese station, desserts, and a large selection of drinks. Now, I will utter Flyertalk heresy and state that I found the fried rice and soggy buffalo wings at the KAL Lounge more filling than options available at Star Alliance though the latter did have much better quality. As to the noodle bar, Little Saigon has pho that is light years ahead of what is offered at the Star Alliance Lounge so if you have more than a few hours at LAX travel down to experience some real pho. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...07d07c5e94.jpg Something from the noodle bar. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...66fc15e629.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7af2202869.jpg Some sort of curry, brown rice, olive Mariana pasta, and some green peas. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...73d5ce8d96.jpg Some of the available desserts. With more that three house to spare, I decided to do a LAX walkabout. First, I went to the aforementioned Priority Pass lounge around 1530 PST. Lounge crowding was not that big of an issue around that time and I got my carb fix in for the day with the fired rice and had some protein with the buffalo chicken. While I was enjoying the food, I took a short time-lapse of the TBIT. After wolfing down the foodstuffs at the KAL lounge, I decided to make the long walk to Terminal 7 to utilize the United Lounge. Unfortunately, the Alaska lounge was closed. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4edc70fb42.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c84e696115.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2aa4e098c6.jpg After visiting the two lounges I managed to get some good shots of planes: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9243e74e35.jpg My ride to Zurich https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3c52cdfb68.jpg After walking to the TBIT lounge in Terminal 7, I headed back to the TBIT Star Alliance Lounge for a shower. The facilities there are well maintained but the hot water consistency is variable in the showers. Afterwards, I had an https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5b8ccdd3e3.jpg As previously mentioned, I am flying business class from LAX to Zurich, however I decided to splurge on a throne seat, mine was 9A. With this being my first international long haul, I think the seat was excellent for those wanting privacy. Paralleling what others have written, the seat has a large amount of storage space and is very comfortable except for a somewhat narrow cubbyhole for your feet. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fcd497929e.jpg Moving onto in-flight service, I found the food excellent, but the service was a little slow…for an American. Pre-departure beverages consisted of orange juice, water, or champagne. The flight attendant crew was extremely professional. Approximately, 30 minutes after takeoff, we were served a nice collection of warm nuts. Looking into West Coast to Zurich services by Swiss International, the slower service seemed to be consistent, so I brought along additional snacks from Petrossian Caviar at LAX. Appetizer was smoked salmon with a collection of Swiss cheese. I choose the beef as my main course and it was surprisingly tender and flavorful. The only hiccup in the flight was when my in-seat power shorted out and disabled my IFE sound system. I guess it was my fault trying to plug in a gaming laptop into my seat. That being said, the flight attendants did honor my request for a seat change to an empty business class seat in the same row. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...804c46b7dc.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...db26db0d38.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c57352ad7f.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dcbd67e297.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7fa961c00a.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7f9bf1bd08.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b701f33505.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1656c94966.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...107a79a308.jpg Coming Up Zurich! |
That caviar looks good! Was that bought at LAX?
Looking forward to the continuation of your report. Thanks for sharing! |
Originally Posted by 757
(Post 31628535)
That caviar looks good! Was that bought at LAX?
Looking forward to the rest of your TR ^ |
Nice report thank you!
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Looking forward to your "Part IV: Marrakesh, Sahara, Essaouira".
Thanks. |
Originally Posted by JustGo
(Post 31631740)
Looking forward to your "Part IV: Marrakesh, Sahara, Essaouira".
Thanks. |
Originally Posted by 757
(Post 31628535)
That caviar looks good! Was that bought at LAX?
Looking forward to the continuation of your report. Thanks for sharing! |
Part II: Zurich
Part I of VI: Swiss International LAX to ZHR
Part II: Zurich Part III: Edelweiss ZHR to RAK \ Part IV: Marrakesh, Sahara, Essaouira Part V: British Airways RAK to LGW Part VI: Virgin Atlantic LHW to LAX via SFO October 10, 2019 Zurich, Switzerland Renaissance Tower Hotel Sadly, I was only in Zurich for an overnight transfer with my flight departing the in the mid-afternoon on October 11, 2019. I stayed at the Renaissance Tower Hotel. Being that this was just a layover and I was new to the city, I opted for an taxi from the airport ($50 USD) but I suggest the transit system as it is highly efficient and safe even at night. Regarding the Renaissance, it was perfect for the stay and has lovely views of the area. Check in was smooth and efficient, my Titanium status was acknowledged and I was upgraded to a suite. The hard product was great, clean rooms and good facilities. Wish they had a pool but the hotel does have a sauna and gym on the top floor. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c0b222ffd4.jpg The card did welcome me by name, however I removed it. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...161df0bf22.jpg Junior Suite Office https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2940acba21.jpg Renaissance Tower Room https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f9c07cb7f4.jpg Did a little bit of gay bar hopping in Zurich. For LGBT Travellers, Cranberry seems to be more of a local establishment than Predigerhof Bistro Bar, which catered to persons seeking (Twink-ish) escorts. My visit to Predigerhof, had a twink come sit by me and order a drink for himself and put it on my tab. (Personally, I would have bought him a drink but I felt him just doing so was rude and imposing.)\ https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1a282aeed5.jpg Renaissance Room Service: Expensive but pretty good after a night drinking. |
Part I of VI: Swiss International LAX to ZHR
Part II: Zurich Part III: Edelweiss ZHR to RAK Part IV: Marrakesh, Sahara, Essaouira Part V: British Airways RAK to LGW Part VI: Virgin Atlantic LHW to LAX via SFO October 11, 2019 Edelweiss First Class After the morning photo stroll, I was a little sad to leave the wonderful city of Zurich. My current plan is to visit the rest of Europe, including Zurich in 2021. After a nice jog on the treadmill on the top floor of the Renaissance and a shower I left for the airport. The only hiccup at the Renaissance was the luggage service, more on that later, which took 15-20 minutes to arrive. While I am not an invalid, I usually travel with two large Pelican cases and I wanted to take it easy. Check in was fairly straight forward and I was advised that I could use the Swiss Air lounges by the attendant. With that I went to security, which consisted of a priority line that fed into a general check in area. Based on the lack of crowds and a few business class travelers, it was actually faster in the general security line. After a short walk, I arrived at the Swiss Senator Lounge in the main terminal. This was the stronger lounge of the two, the other is located in at the E gates. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cd3cf2d99a.jpg The pasta was a bit watery but the cream of pea soup was excellent along with their spicy cheesy bread! The rice and Indian lentils was just okay. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d82e8a897b.jpg Standard hummus and salad station https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b8ac1fef17.jpg My good ole friend, carbs! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...06607b53dc.jpg A la carte beverage station. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ae60e3b36b.jpg Coffee, the breakfast of champions. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...60d45d21ab.jpg Swiss Senator Lounge Fresh Cooking |
After the Senator Lounge in the main terminal, I cleared passport control and ended up at the E gates. The passport control officer was pretty friendly and we have a short discussion about photography. A much smaller Swiss First and Senator Lounge exists but is much smaller and has no restroom. Food options are on the level of a domestic US lounge except with good liquor. No matter where, I cannot seem to avoid gate lice.
On this flight, the in flight dining options were excellent. I believe it was beef stroganoff. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...39aa64c3a5.jpg Holy Gate Lice, Batman! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...38030b1c76.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1c81230382.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c024ff1005.jpg The circular black thing is not part of the lunch but my lens cap. |
Originally Posted by OUTraveling
(Post 31717933)
After the Senator Lounge in the main terminal, I cleared passport control and ended up at the E gates. The passport control officer was pretty friendly and we have a short discussion about photography. A much smaller Swiss First and Senator Lounge exists but is much smaller and has no restroom. Food options are on the level of a domestic US lounge except with good liquor.
Glad you enjoyed your time in Zürich! bawm |
Thanks for the report. I did LAX-ZRH in J a couple months ago and didn't find the service to be annoyingly slow, though I was seated in the mini cabin (row 5). Couple additional pointers:
1. For future reference, you were entitled to use the UA Polaris lounge at LAX, which is far superior to the UA Club. Polaris lounge access is granted to UA Polaris customers at any point along their itinerary, or *A long-haul F/J customers at the departure airport of their long-haul flight. 2. Could you clarify whether you accessed the Senator lounge or the Business lounge in ZRH? Based on your profile (UA Silver) and class of service (J), you should not have had Senator lounge access, only Business lounge access. |
Originally Posted by bawm
(Post 31720970)
Nice report; however, you are definitely not in the E gates here, but rather the D gates. There is both a Business and a Senator lounge here, but no First. The SEN lounge in the actual E gates is quite large and is the best of all the current SEN lounges (getting to the E gates involves a train ride or a transfer from the F lounge). A bit more nitpick-y, but WK doesn't offer F (only C) and the IATA code for Zürich is ZRH (not ZHR).
Glad you enjoyed your time in Zürich! bawm |
Originally Posted by dkc192
(Post 31721049)
Thanks for the report. I did LAX-ZRH in J a couple months ago and didn't find the service to be annoyingly slow, though I was seated in the mini cabin (row 5). Couple additional pointers:
1. For future reference, you were entitled to use the UA Polaris lounge at LAX, which is far superior to the UA Club. Polaris lounge access is granted to UA Polaris customers at any point along their itinerary, or *A long-haul F/J customers at the departure airport of their long-haul flight. 2. Could you clarify whether you accessed the Senator lounge or the Business lounge in ZRH? Based on your profile (UA Silver) and class of service (J), you should not have had Senator lounge access, only Business lounge access. II. I got confused to the difference between Senator, First, and Business. |
Marrakesh
Part I of VI: Swiss International LAX to ZHR
Part II: Zurich Part III: Edelweiss ZHR to RAK Part IV: Marrakesh, Sahara, Essaouira Part V: British Airways RAK to LGW Part VI: Virgin Atlantic LHW to LAX via SFO October 11, 2019 I arrived in Marrakesh in the mid-afternoon and went through customs. While I did not have my drone with me (which are illegal and will result in their seizure until you depart), a female customs agent questioned me after screening my suitcases. Apparently, Pelican brand headcases peak their suspicion. After a brief questioning for about a minute or so, I was permitted to leave. Once cleared, I was greeted by the driver for the hotel, Les Villa des Orangers. After a short drive, I arrived and was taken to the seating area where I was provided refreshments and checked in. Overall, the hotel is excellent but was geared more towards middle to older age couples instead of a single traveler in their early 30's. I booked through the Visa Signature Hotel Program but I did not receive any special recognition, as opposed to most AMEX FHR properties. Nevertheless, the room, food, staff, and accommodations were excellent. As seen below, the manager provided some light snacks and refreshments when I arrived to my room. A great benefit is that the hotel is only about a 1/4 mile from the Jemaa el-Fna and is i a very safe area as it is directly opposite of one on many royal palaces. A plus about the terrace rooms is that they come with an outdoor shower, which I loved. One last thing is that while the hotel is near the hustle and bustle of the city, the location itself is quite private, relaxing, and intimate. Regarding the photos, given that this is a Muslim culture where modesty and shyness to photography exists, I tried to only photograph city-spaces, objects, performers, and those that want to be photographed. My opinion is that we are all people on this planet and not some circus animals to serve as cheap amusement. Additionally, I have to apologize for the slow nature updates. Between work, jet lag, and daylight savings time I am have been on a weird funk once I got home. Now that I am back to normal, I should get this report done before Thanksgiving. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c09267ef9d.jpg Marrakesh Traffic https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9ec41828b3.jpg Les Villa Des Orangers Terrace Bedroom https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2a7c8a4e50.jpg Villa De Orangers Rooftop Terrace https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...da43e0c549.jpg Les Villa Des Orangers Bathroom https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...69844b756e.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...972209878c.jpg Les Villa des Orangers Courtyard https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5b0ecc30f0.jpg Les Villa des Orangers Courtyard NEXT: Marrakesh City |
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Originally Posted by OUTraveling
(Post 31752796)
Overall, the hotel is excellent but was geared more towards middle to older age couples instead of a single traveler in their early 30's.
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