Bretteee

I flew the same route in reverse on a Swissair Metropolitan as a kid in 1960. In those days they gave you a Sugus candy and the hostess gave me a whole bag with about 100 of them. I still remember the smoke when the engines were put on.

Interestingly while there are flights Zurich to Milan, there are no more flights Geneva to Milan. Swissair stopped them years ago and AZ just discontinued them.

Bretteee

I used to fly the same route on the BEA (later the Vanguard, Trident and Comet 4) and Alitalia Viscounts, later the Caravelle.

In those days there were times when there was only one aircraft on the tarmac at Malpensa. Later European flights were transferred from MXP to Linate and recently back to the new MXP.

Thanks for your great and amusing reports.

Bretteee

MY first flight on Swissair was in 1956 and I remember it very vaguely. A DC-6 from Cairo to Geneva via Athens. Breakfast was served at Athens Airport in the restaurant. On the plane there were no tray tables. They gave you a pillow and the tray was put on the pillow.

Until the late 80s economy class passengers on Swissair were spoilt. There were 9 seats across on the 747 compared to 10 on other carriers. The meal was always the same but delicious. A steak with croquette potatoes, smoked salmon and a pear pudding.

The moment they introduced Business Class it started going downhill gradually. And they were among the last to do so. Even the crews became less friendly.

I have flown many times transatlantic on narrow bodies; the Boeing 707 and it was really not that bad at all.

Thanks again for a wonderful amusing report.

Jedi Master

Thanks for writing, your trip reports are so addictive.

I am not a morning person and like you, I much prefer evening flights to morning ones, especially when they are really early. Last year, I had a long haul midday departure and planned to rise extra early and do several hours of work from home before leaving for the airport. Sadly, I woke late and despite rushing through my work, eventually accepted I was not going to finish it and still make my flight so I conceded defeat and called the office and asked them to re-book me for the next day. Luckily, my ticket remained valid and I was only charged the usual change fee but readers should be warned that many semi-flexible fares these days permit changes only up to the day before the flight so late risers may well have to buy a new ticket.

What a good idea to try the Swiss First Class Lounge despite not departing that day. Clearly, the dinner you enjoyed was far superior to anything an airport hotel can offer. You were very lucky to be admitted airside and into the lounge when your flight was on the following day. I would not even have thought of trying, maybe I should! I have been admitted to lounges upon arrival but only where arriving and departing passengers are not segregated. I have often persuaded lounge receptionists to interpret rules in my favor but I suspect airport staff are rarely open to negotiation. Of course, if it had been necessary to pass an immigration check, you would not have been able to reach the lounge.

I agree that a freshly cooked meal is better quality than a buffet but when I am in an airline lounge, I rarely want to linger so I prefer to serve myself, eat and then go do something else. I enjoy meals cooked to order restaurant style much more when I have a travelling companion.

BTW your housemate is wrong, white port is often served as an aperitif and it is very palatable. I am sure I would not enjoy a ruby or tawny port before or with a savoury dish.

Anyway, thanks again for travelling and writing.

stargold

Glad to hear you're still enjoying it, some 16,000 words later! And yes, indeed they rivalled the best. Frankly I was surprised that a non-Asian airline could provide such incredible service.

Thank you - hope you like the final instalment too, when I upload it soon

Glad to hear that you enjoy my writing and photography! It was with a new camera so I hoped I could get used to using it before going on the flights...

Was it still LX when you flew them in F, or was it SR? I could only imagine they must have been even more impressive when the product was first launched, when all the airlines really went all out on their F service.

Thank you - you should definitely try to fly them if your route/schedule allows. It was truly a very special experience.

Thank you for your kind comment, and also for the fascinating insight into even older times on Swissair! You mention some aircraft types that I have absolutely no idea about, so I can't even imagine what it must have been like inside them, etc...!

I was expecting another dressing down for some food wastage like on my previous TR, so I was pleasantly surprised to read your comments Glad you're enjoying my reports so far - one left to go and hope you enjoy the next one too.

Agree, it was lucky for me to gain lounge access a day early but - I only asked, and they said yes. Must be due to my charming handsome good looks (yeah, who am I kidding?! )

And glad I'm not the only person not a morning person, nor a person who loves to drink port anytime

aw

It was right after they declared bankruptcy and emerged as LX. Traces of the old SR were evident by the glasses and some other items still with the old logo. However, F did not offer pyjamas but when I inquired if the meals were still created by Philippe Rochat the purser assured me that was the case.

ORDnHKG

Nice report on LX F, I think my next F trip to HKG will definately try to get on LX F at least one way, probably a LH and LX combination !

I think OZ should really take a look of what kind of shower amenities offer in other airlines F lounge. The Body Shop vs Bvlgari, uncomparable !

El_Duderito

This is the kind of report I show friends to illustrate why I do all those weird things. You hit the right amount of pictures and text. The small bits of unusual information are great as well. Keep it up and enjoy your flights!

IndyDavid

A breathtakingly fabulous report. Seriously, thanks a million for investing your time and energy in allowing us to live vicariously.

I'm especially grateful for the bits of your personality that shine through, since it allows us to think "Oh, maybe that flight attendant would have flirted with me, too!"

Fondly,
David

Teacherflyer

Nice report. Thanks very much.

Jedi Master

It was not meant to be a dressing down, I tried to emphasize that and I really hope it was not mis-interpreted. I only wanted to remind all readers that it is important to avoid waste and how easy it is to do so - if you don't want to eat something, just ask the server not to put it on your plate.

Some people think it's too late to stop climate change and others deny that it is real but surely we all accept that population growth, coupled with improving standards of living in developing countries means increasing pressures on food and water supply, energy and even landfill space for garbage. US politicians refuse to set limits on emissions until China and India do so but their governments, quite understandably, refuse to accept that their people cannot drive huge SUVs and have home theaters, air-conditioning and spa baths which many of us take for granted. I don't blame the Chinese for their position but until both sides (especially US Senators) budge, we all suffer. Even within the US, water supply in Southern California and the states along the Mississippi are all under threat. It may be an achievement to build in the desert city of Las Vegas lots of resort hotels with golf courses and swimming pools but what will they eat after the farms run dry?

As individuals, we can make small differences by turning off lights and unplugging appliances when not using them, not flooring the gas pedal when the traffic light turns green and not ordering large meals which we know we can't finish. I have no use for airline amenity kits so I usually decline them when offered. Unless we change our habits, our grandchildren will be able to enjoy travel only through the archives of Flyertalk.

MrSydney

Fantastic .......a really good read.

Cannot wait to hear about OZ as I will be flying them in December.

FLYGVA

Great report and nice pictures.

I have been frequently been in ZRH in the last couple of years and I really like this airport. However, so far I have preferred the old LH lounge, esp. the F section where I got access as LH SEN. Unfortunately this lounge is no longer a LH lounge and the offerings are not that good anymore.

I have never tried LX F, but that's on my list, too.

Looking forward to the OZ part of your report.

stargold

Sorry for the delay in the next instalment - it's been a crazy few weeks lately and I just haven't had the time to sit down and write! But I hope to get it done soon for your enjoyment

Thanks. You should definitely give LX F a go.

Thank you two for your very kind comments - sometimes I wonder to myself "Will they really want to read about that?" or "Should I really put this in here?" when contemplating some of the tangential comments, so it's nice to hear that you enjoy reading those.

PS. I love flirty flight attendants - they make the flight go so much faster

Glad you're enjoying it - more to come

OZ is really, really excellent. I had a truly fantastic flight (as you'll see) where the service really was top notch and arguably First Class standard. Hoping you also enjoy your flight in Dec.

I quite liked the Schengen SEN lounge on my brief visit, but naturally the F lounge is miles better in terms of space and food/beverages as well as the amenities.

As for LX F, it's a must in my opinion - no need to torture yourself on the ancient LH F seats with a stranger neighbour snoring 1ft away from you!

UnitedEF

Any chance of posting the OZ portion? I am flying them next month and am very curious about the trip