I flew Business Class in Swiss International Air Lines‘ oldest Airbus A340-300, registration number HB-JMJ (a former Canada Airlines plane that left the Airbus factory in Toulouse in 1996).
I flew from Zurich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Thailand. Swiss is part of the Lufthansa group and has the reputation of being one of Europe’s best airlines, offering a great onboard product.
I flew them a couple of years before, and I loved the experience (although this may be explained by the fact that it was my first Business Class flight ever). On this particular occasion, they failed to impress me.
Their Business Class product, albeit only a few years old, feels dated, the entertainment system (with tiny personal screens) is disappointing, the seat was very uncomfortable in the lie-flat position, and they ran out of food options immediately after takeoff.
Swiss Business Class Seat
Business Class on Swiss Airbus A340 is spread over two cabins. A small Business Class cabin with only nine seats (in 2 rows) is located behind the First Class cabin, and a large Business Class cabin with just 38 seats (in 8 rows) is situated in front of the Economy cabin. Both Business Class cabins are divided by the main boarding door, a galley, and two lavatories.
The Business Class seats are placed in a staggered configuration, a so-called Sogerma Solstys layout, whereby the foot compartment for each seat is located between and under the seats in front.
This is the same layout that can be found on Brussels Airlines’ A330, Finnair’s A330/A340, Austrian’s B767/B777, Delta’s B767, and American’s B767.
This configuration on the Swiss Airbus A340 means that the middle seats always come in pairs. The aisle seats on the right side of the plane are all single seats, while the seats on the left side of the plane alternate from one to two per row. All seats enjoy a lot of privacy, as none of the rows quite line up, so nobody is directly looking into the seat across the aisle. Most seats also have direct aisle access, except for the window seats on the plane’s left side, where you will have to jump over your neighbor’s legs.
The cabin feels spacious, airy, and very ‘Swiss”, with a sharp contrast between blond wood and cross-stitched, dark brown seats. But although the Business Class product was only introduced across the Swiss fleet a few years ago, it starts to feel a little dated. It definitely looks less trendy, luxurious, and fresh compared to the design aboard its Lufthansa Group sister company, Austrian Airlines, which uses the same layout. If you have a choice, fly Austrian, not Swiss.
I was seated in seat 8A. All Business Class seats have the same characteristics: 152 cm (60 inches) in pitch, a width of 52 cm (20,5 inches), and a 180-degree recline. All seats have at least one large work surface on the side (where you can set up your laptop), with some featuring a workspace on both sides (a so-called ‘throne seat’).
Within that work surface, you will find the seat controls to adjust the seat position (from takeoff position to fully flat) and the seat cushion. Yes, you read that right. Swiss Business Class seats are not made of the customary plastic foam. Still, instead, the seat cushions have air-filled chambers, and with one press of the button, you can either soften or firm up the seat cushion according to your liking, as well as activate its integrated massage function.
On the side of the seat is a power port with international adapters, a personal reading lamp (at eye level), and a meal tray (which is hard to get out). In front of the seat, you will find the disappointingly small entertainment screen (see below), with the foot compartment below.
The seat is comfortable when sitting upright, but it’s a different story in its lie-flat position. Although it’s a 180-degree recline, the seat (and your lower legs) descends into a space carved out for it in the seat(s) in front, below your entertainment screen. This foot compartment narrows to its end, and its ceiling is very low, so it’s impossible to switch position during your sleep as your legs do not have enough room to move (although the seats that do not have the ‘throne’ feature have a little more space for the feet).
In addition, in its lie-flat position, the seat is just 45 cm (17 inches) above the floor, making it feel like you are resting on the ground or in a coffin (because of the seat walls) and making it very uncomfortable getting in and out to go to the restroom. This is one of the most uncomfortable lie-flat seats in the sky, especially when compared to the lie-flat seats installed on its competitors, such as (the new) American Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Cathay Pacific.
Best Swiss Business Class Seat
I suggest avoiding the window seats in row 8 (8A & AK) since they are missing a window. Seats 14A, 14B & 14K, and 15D & 15G are directly in front of the Economy bassinet seats (so you may end up being close to young children).
The seats in the first cabin (rows 4 & 5) are preferable since this cabin feels more intimate. The single best seats for solo travelers are the throne seats 10A and 12A. Unfortunately, Swiss International Air Lines reserves these seats for its Miles & More Elite members, although you could always call the Swiss reservation center to request one of these seats (it worked for me).
If 10A or 12A is not available, then solo travelers should go for 4A or 6A (also throne seats, albeit with a less open view) or the seats on the right side of the plane, which are all solo seats: these come with less workspace but have a larger foot compartment.
Travel companions should go for the middle seats, which all have direct aisle access. There are also paired window seats in rows 5, 7, 9, 11, and 14, but the passenger in the window seat will have to jump over his/her neighbor’s feet to access the aisle.
Worst Swiss Business Class Seat
I suggest avoiding the window seats in row 8 (8A & AK) since they are missing a window. Seats 14A, 14B & 14K, as well as seats 15D & 15G, are directly in front of the Economy bassinet seats (so you may end up being close to young children).
Amenities
Each seat comes with a nice, somewhat firm blanket and comfortable pillow. The Business Class amenity kit, an environmentally-friendly bag, only contained essentials: lip balm, (bright red) socks, eyeshade, toothbrush, toothpaste, and earplugs. IMHO, this is one of the most basic – and thus most disappointing – amenity kits in the skies.
Food
Before takeoff, I was offered a choice of welcome drinks: orange juice, water, or Champagne. I had orange juice. A small, hot towel was offered after takeoff.
About 30 minutes later (6:30 pm local time), dinner was offered. Although the food was delicious and tasty, the crew, unfortunately, ran out of food options after taking orders from only a few passengers. I was seated in row 8 (Business Class starts in row 4 and ends in row 14), but fish was no longer available when they took the order (even though Business Class was only half full). Remarkably, I later learned that a friend seated in row 10 insisted on having the fish and got it.
The starter consisted of salmon trout tartare with horseradish cream, beetroot, and goat’s cheese. Delicious! While I would have preferred the fish as a main course, the only choice was corn-fed chicken with Sbrinz sauce, potato purée with truffle, gnocchi, and green asparagus. It was quite good. Dessert was a tiramisu Tentazioni with salted chocolate crumble. All in all, an excellent gastronomic experience at 40,000 feet!
90 minutes before landing, breakfast was served. The crew rolled a selection of cold and hot items through the cabin, and you could choose what you wanted: cold meats, several kinds of cheese, muesli, fruit salad, and/or eggs.
Entertainment
In front of your seat, you will find the adjustable personal entertainment screen. It is disappointingly small (10.4 inches) and, as such, feels very outdated as compared to Swiss competitors. In addition, the quality of the screen is quite poor. The entertainment program itself was ok: it did what it was supposed to do, keep me entertained with over 140 films and TV programs as well as 400 CDs to choose from. Unfortunately, the plane’s cameras did not work (or at least did not connect to the entertainment system). And to my disappointment, a favorite feature during a flight did not work: the flight map showed the plane located at Zurich airport for the duration of the flight.
Crew
The cabin crew on this flight was great and welcoming and served all of us with a smile.
Conclusion
Seat: 5/10, Food: 6/10, Inflight entertainment: 3/10, Service: 8/10, Cabin: 6/10. Overall experience average.
You can also read our Swiss Airlines long-haul First Class flight reviews and Swiss Airlines Business Class flight reviews.
Review by our friends at Luxury Travel Expert
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