After attending Aviation Week’s Routes conference in Frankfurt, I was supposed to reunite with Lufthansa’s venerable Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, which I last flew in 2012 on its inaugural flight. But a family emergency required me to return home to Miami immediately, and Lufthansa was sold out to every gateway.
Fortunately, the amazing Lufthansa team worked some magic, rerouting me from Frankfurt to Miami via Zurich (ZRH) on sister carrier SWISS.
It was an unexpected opportunity to revisit SWISS business class, which I first experienced in 2016 aboard an Airbus A330 when the product was new. A decade later, I was curious to see how it had aged, so I gave SWISS’s flagship Boeing 777-300ER the full Runway Girl Network nose-to-tail treatment.
Given my last experience and the airline’s precision and high-quality reputation, my expectations were high.
Ground experience: Swiss hospitality before departure
Check-in through the SWISS app was effortless, and my connection from Lufthansa in Frankfurt was seamless, though I had forgotten how spread-out ZRH is when connecting from Schengen to non-Schengen flights.
I headed to the bustling SWISS Business Lounge E, overlooking the international departure gates.
The spacious lounge features clean, albeit nondescript aesthetics, plus panoramic runway views on two sides.
There are also distinct areas for dining, working, or relaxing.
The buffet offers hot and cold selections, salads, breads and pastries, and is complemented by a live cooking station preparing warm dishes.
There was also a generous self-service selection of wines, spirits, beers, soft drinks and coffee. I opted to bypass this fare for the fare in the air.
One particularly interesting feature is the Breitling lounge space, which adds a distinctive Swiss luxury touch.
Unfortunately, rain had closed the outdoor observation terrace, which is normally a highlight for AvGeeks. On the positive side, I completed a document check inside the lounge, something I hadn’t experienced before and a welcome convenience.
Boarding and a quick cabin tour
Priority boarding in Group 2 was quick and orderly, with the Flight Information Display System (FIDS) displaying the boarding sequence. After strolling down the glass jetway, I was greeted by a friendly crew member and the SWISS branding at door L2.
SWISS’ cabin branding is truly on point with a illuminated welcome signage and backlit globe map.
Before settling in, I took a quick tour of the four cabins aboard this 320-seat Boeing 777-300ER.
First Class: The eight-seat cabin may be showing its age, much like Lufthansa’s older First Class product, but its generous proportions and elegant finishes still dazzle.
Business Class: The 62 seats are divided between two cabins, with a staggered layout alternating between 1-2-2 and 2-2-1 configurations.
The customized Thompson Vantage platform creates a mixture of paired seats and single window-side “thrones.”
Premium Economy: The 24 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration occupy the forward section of the economy cabin. Positioned immediately behind business class, they offer a noticeably more spacious alternative to standard economy, though the cabin is not partitioned off.
Economy Class: Behind Premium Economy, 226 economy seats complete the aircraft’s four-class configuration, with the familiar 10-abreast 777 layout. Well, let’s just say, there’s only so much one can do in Y.
Swiss-watch precision wasn’t quite in evidence on departure, as runway congestion caused a ten-minute delay to boarding completion and pushback. The extra time helped late-connecting passengers make this packed flight, however. Even the Swiss can’t always make an airport operate like clockwork.
The seat: a little retro, but still elegant
My seat, 17B, is an aisle seat in the last row of business class. Solo travelers can opt for the coveted single throne seats with considerably more personal space, but the $275 selection charge persuaded me to stick with my assigned seat.
The cabin’s warm wood finishes and attractive sconces have aged remarkably well, although the unusual peg-hole-style surfaces still strike me as an odd design choice.
Having a seatmate beside me felt decidedly retro, but a partial partition separates the seats if desired.
The generously sized dining table swings out from shoulder level and, before extended, almost acts as an additional divider between passengers.
I particularly liked the convenient side surface for drinks and personal belongings. The aisle armrest, however, doesn’t lower for easier access.
There are no privacy doors, which I personally prefer because I enjoy the openness of a traditional premium cabin. This seating arrangement left me feeling slightly exposed, though.
Entertainment and connectivity
The Panasonic eX2 entertainment system features a 16″ screen and is stocked with an extensive selection of movies, television programming, music and games.
There were hundreds of entertainment options, including Hollywood releases, international films, documentaries, comedy and drama, along with television series and individual episodes. Music selections included albums, playlists and audio programming, while games and children’s entertainment rounded out the offerings.
I watched the Michael Jackson movie, Michael; it was the perfect upbeat inflight flick, with apologies to my fellow passengers for the occasional seat karaoke. Audio quality was perfectly fine through the supplied, unbranded headphones. Bluetooth headphone pairing isn’t available. This is 2016 tech, after all.
The Airshow moving map was a favorite, particularly its command-center-style display of altitude, speed, and heading.
My USB-A port and 110V power outlet didn’t become operational until after takeoff.
Complimentary messaging worked seamlessly, but Panasonic’s full Wi-Fi was super expensive, and given my prior experiences, slow, so I passed. It was actually glorious to be disconnected for a change.
SWISS is replacing its existing inflight connectivity with SpaceX’s Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satcom solution, as part of an upgrade of Lufthansa Group’s fleet.
Dining: where SWISS really shines
Hot towels and a welcome drink set the tone before departure.
I tried the SWISS Alpine Essence signature cocktail, a refreshing blend of white vermouth, elderflower, white cacao, citrus and herbal notes.
SWISS provided an attractive printed menu, although the selections were also accessible digitally through the app. The airline offers advance meal preselection, but my last-minute booking prevented me from ordering ahead.
The menu featured two appetizers, soup, four main courses and two desserts, with four additional mains available through advance preselection. The beverage selection is equally extensive, including Champagne, two white wines, one rosé, three reds, Swiss spirits and several whiskies.
Service began promptly at around 20,000 feet with beverages, nuts and appetizers. I chose the smoked salmon tartare with Andalusian gazpacho, kimchi mayonnaise, quail egg and toasted almonds, which was accompanied by a seasonal salad. It was beautifully presented and delicious, and the crew thoughtfully addressed my garlic, lactose, and onion allergies.
My main course was beef short rib with mustard jus, mojo verde, Potatoes Anna and sautéed baby zucchini. The beef was tender and moist, with excellent flavor and a restaurant-quality presentation. Artisanal bread from Bertschi Bakery was another welcome touch. I admit to licking the butter dish clean.
For dessert, I selected the dark Toblerone mousse with poached pear over the pistachio tartlet. Despite being lactose intolerant, I decided to risk it, and the spectacular mousse was worth the gamble.
The leisurely pacing suited a daytime transatlantic flight, although SWISS also offers an expedited dining option for passengers who prefer to maximize their rest. Naturally, Swiss chocolates followed.
Between meals: a little sleep and more Swiss touches
After dining, I converted the seat into its fully flat bed. It sits surprisingly low to the floor, and the sleeping space isn’t particularly wide, but I managed a comfortable rest.
SWISS has introduced upgraded SWISS Senses soft-product touches, including enhanced bedding and VIU amenity kits. Regrettably, I didn’t unpack my amenity kit to explore its contents.
A snack basket near door L2 offered cookies and assorted sweet and savory treats throughout the flight. And, of course, there was chocolate. With SWISS, there’s always chocolate.
The lavatories required a longer walk from my seat but remained impressively clean throughout the ten-hour journey. The finishes were nothing special, however.
Arrival dining: a proper second meal
About 90 minutes before landing, the crew offered two choices: barley salad with roasted vegetables and traditional onion quiche, or a spätzli bowl with herb cream sauce, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, veal bacon and Sbrinz cheese.
I chose the spätzli, served with fresh fruit. It was hearty, flavorful and substantial enough to feel like a proper second meal rather than the token pre-arrival offering found on some airlines.
Another Swiss chocolate appeared before landing, which seemed entirely appropriate.
Final verdict: hospitality at a higher altitude
SWISS’ original business class seat is ready for its next chapter. The airline’s new SWISS Senses cabin is already flying on its Airbus A350-900s, with the redesigned product eventually reaching the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 fleets, bringing direct aisle access and more contemporary amenities.
Yet this older cabin still exudes considerable charm, and the dining was among the finest I’ve experienced in business class.
What truly distinguished this flight was the crew. Five flight attendants served business class, supported by the purser, with two crew members assigned to first class and six to economy.
Purser David was particularly memorable, with super aviation knowledge and a passion for his job that will stick with me. His rather cool purser station at door L2 also caught my attention, providing a dedicated workspace at the heart of the service area. David was very fond of his cabin cubicle!
This was unquestionably one of the very best cabin crews I’ve ever experienced. Their combination of elegance, warmth, attentiveness and perfectly judged service was extraordinary.
This flight of SWISS was anything but a miss!
Related Articles:
- American versus British Airways on the mighty 777-300ER
- United Premium Plus aboard the 787: the pluses and minuses
- Inside American Airlines’ new 777-300ER Flagship widebody: Review
- SWISS A330 enters retrofit for Senses interiors at HAECO
All images credited to the author, Chris Sloan
