Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. In total, there are 45 lie-flat Business Class seats. Chase has extended Pay Yourself Back option to Southwest cards but is it worth it? After a quick visit to the Lufthansa business-class lounge, it was time to board the A220. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. [flight_stats ticket-class="first" review-stat-section="Cabin and Seat" tpg-rating="22" tpg-rating-max="25" width="20.5" bed="79" lavs="2" live-tv="0" tailcam="0" headphones="0" comp-alcohol="0" extra-pillows="0" turndown-service="0" /]. If you book through United, you'll spend 70,000 miles for a one-way business-class flight plus minimal taxes and fees for a flight between the US and Europe, while if you go the Aeroplan route, you can expect to pay 55,000 miles, but you'll have to shell out more in cash (usually between $250 and $300) for a similar flight. Some of the west coast and Asian routes may not be able to serviced by A330 and the 77W have way too much capacity for these thinner routes. The airline plans to retire 15 aircraft, which will include: As SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx describes this plan: In the future SWISS will be smaller. endobj Review: EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport (CAI), Another Year On The Executive Platinum Hamster Wheel. I bet that the older A340/A330 will go. G'DAY OWFsquad and welcome to my 13th flight in 2020! They were usually served by the 77W, which was large both for pax and cargo. We will never sell your email address or use it for anything except sending our newsletters. Each seat has an adjustable reading light and a USB charging port as well as an international AC power port. Same seating as in the A330, and a new IFE. First, business and elite passengers were called to board just after 11am for our 11:40am departure and were bussed separately to our A330, which has registration HB-JHJ and was delivered new to Swiss eight years ago. From my throne seat in business, I had a perfect view of the small first-class cabin until the curtain was drawn. Let us improve how you travel. Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin, Night Photos Airbus A330-300 aircraft seating 236 passengers. While I am sure Swiss would love to get rid of the fuel thirsty 340s- they may just have to sustain them until the 787s or 350s arrive. Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points. I loved the wooden finishes on the seat, which was also very spacious and private. Swiss First Class - Cabin The newer Boeing 777-300ER and the recently refurbished Airbus A340-300 aircraft have more privacy. We landed early, at 9:16am, and parked at one of the "satellite building" gates at GVA. Now, pax demand close to zero, but cargo is doing well on these very long routes, so the A340 is the best fit. Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. As a result, SWISS now offers its passengers internet connectivity on board throughout its long-haul fleet. Thanks to the latest generation of seats, the modernised version of the aircraft offers maximum comfort in all flight classes. One was set up for First Class and Business Class passengers whilst the other two were for economy passengers. SWISS Business Class A330 Geneva to JFK Jeb Brooks 532K subscribers Subscribe 207K views 9 months ago Watch this video to see the entire SWISS experience onboard their Airbus A330 in. By logging into your account, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and the use of cookies as described therein. Not very Swiss at all! Corporate responsibility, that is to say sustainable and responsible entrepreneurial practice, is an integral part of our corporate strategy. Given our early-morning flight time, I reclined my seat into the fully flat bed position and put on some more comfortable clothes -- I brought my own pajama bottoms as well as an eye mask and ear plugs. Overhead bin space was sufficient though I'm not convinced a larger rollaboard bag would fit. 2014-09-13: 3.5 of 5. Detailed review: Roger. You then have your console table, which is useful for boarding drinks, amenity kit etc: Inside the console is your tray table which pops out in two leaves. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. One of the issues are the crew rest containers - or rather the lack thereof on the A330 SWISS have had to block all first class seats on some A330 flights to Asia in order to accomodate the crew. Tail and Winglet closeups with beautiful airline logos. Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. What I had stupidly forgotten in my rush to select them is that there are missing windows in row 9 so that even if you are sat by a window you only really get half a window. During the ongoing airport refurbishment, it seems that most long-haul flights depart from these types of gates. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. [flight_stats ticket-class="first" review-stat-section="Amenities and IFE" tpg-rating="8" tpg-rating-max="15" live-tv="No" tailcam="No" headphones="0" comp-alcohol="0" extra-pillows="0" turndown-service="0" /]. Personal reading lamps Headrests have four adjustable settings. The contents were the same but it felt much nicer, and the tin is very useful to have. In terms of content the variety wasnt bad, particularly given the dearth of cinema releases in the past year. I felt that my experience on Swiss was solid, and at times impressive. Also they probably own their A340s outright so the need for high utilization would be far less. Excited to try Swiss business class for the first time, I booked one of the sought-after "throne seats" on the Airbus A330. FYI, SWISS has stated that no destinations are being but, rather frequencies will be adjusted. Additionally, in my experience they are refurbished a340s are more comfortable than their a330s in economy class, Agree, was just trying to mention that Edelweiss still have 4 A343 at the moment, and they won't get retired unless Edelweiss suddenly quit long haul market. Having lived in different countries and with a previous career in financial services, he is an Avios, Oneworld Alliance and general aviation travel expert. Seat Maps; Airlines; Cheap Flights; Comparison Charts . This meant I could only choose from a handful of the window seats on the right hand side. Any updated news on the refurbishment schedule? Write review Page 1 2 3. In addition, the 340 is better for cargo and has the new C / F class installed. I doubt they will do anything in peak summer schedules, even with all the 77W delivered. Standard seats can be reserved free of charge, and the throne seats on the left side (being in every other row) can be reserved for the same fee that I paid. See more about our ethics policies here. SWISS have opted for the Thompson Vantage business class seat. Airbus A330-300 (333) Airbus A340-300 (343) Boeing 777-300ER (77W) Embraer 190 (E90) Check-in; Baggage; Infants; Minors; Pets Do you know this plane? They'll email us from point to point? Swiss to retire all Airbus A340s in 2024-2025 The big four-engine jets are on the way out, and will be replaced by either the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787. At the gate itself, there was another boarding pass and security check with the usual "what's the reason for your trip" line of questioning. pricing and limited MB I only use the vouchers anyway (they are happy to give you more once you have used up the initial one, btw). Plus, your own feed of TPG content. After coming off from my last flight, I had just five hours or so until my next flight, which would take me from Montreal to Zurich. In first class, passengers can expect eight suites, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. It means that we are committed to creating added value for our customers, employees and investors and to meeting our responsibilities toward the environment and society. We detected unusual behaviour from your browser, which resembles that of a bot. It's the simple things. The cabin, though not the most updated in Swiss' fleet, felt sleek and classy, and service was impeccable. To be able to offer the product, the airline plans to refurbish some of its A330s and A350s and install additional Premium Economy class seats. (Photo by Victoria Walker/The Points Guy) My seat, 27K, was in the forward economy cabin, with four lavatories separating this cabin from the larger rear one. The terminal building is very Swiss pristine, clean and nice and airy. On the other hand they allow us to improve our content for you. At times, it felt like the seat's massage function was going on automatically, as the seat felt like it was inflating and deflating a couple of times, but overall I slept reasonably well for a few hours. There won't be any route cuts, but frequencies will be reduced. She also said that both Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines have more crew on their aircraft than Swiss, an interesting tidbit given that Swiss is a part of the wider Lufthansa Group. All the A330s have the same seat map: As you can see, there are 8 First Class seats in a 1-2-1 layout across two rows. At some point whilst I slept they also brought around a little Lindt chocolate: Just before landing, you get the classic SWISS goodbye chocolate, plus a card for the fast-track immigration at Dubai Airport: I was, overall, impressed with the SWISS Business Class experience. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. We paid a total of 60,000 miles, and taxes and fees came to a total of $292, which we put on the Platinum Card in order to earn 5x points on the purchase in this case a total of 1,460 points, worth about $28 according to TPG's current valuations. I mean are they 100% identical. The crew were very professional throughout the entire flight in a way that some US carriers' crew aren't. Anything is better than BA first to South Africa . Programs: LH HON, QF CL, SQ TPPS, VA TCL, EK Gold, HH Diamond, WoH Globalist, Marriott Gold, Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV. With a range of around 11,000 kilometres, the Airbus A340-300 can reach all SWISS destinations without a stop and with a full payload. On Tuesday, the airline revealed that it had completed its refurbishment program for all A340s in its fleet. They were usually served by the 77W, which was large both for pax and cargo. During the ongoing airport refurbishment, it seems that most long-haul flights depart from these types of gates. Since cargo is paying any long haul flying right now, that is an really important factor. Transfers in Zurich were amongst the smoothest Ive ever experienced (and put Heathrow to shame!). For context, currently SWISS operates just over 90 aircraft in its mainline fleet, while Helvetic Airways operates just over a dozen aircraft. These are alternating in that odd numbers have the seat directly next to the window with the console on the aisle, whilst even numbers have the seat on the aisle and the console table on the window. Yeah, they wouldn't refurbish them for just 6-7 years of service. All the A330s have the same seat map: As you can see, there are 8 First Class seats in a 1-2-1 layout across two rows. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Could SWISS really be considering keeping these older A340s and retiring some A330s instead, or is the airline just being intentionally vague for now? Reply Aug 25, 19, 2:39 pm # 324 behuman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: my heart is on the shores of the north Italian lakes Its a shame SWISS dont offer packages by the minute or hour, as this is much easier to keep track of and more user-friendly. These have consoles on both sides, affording better privacy and more storage. I had a nice chat with the Matre de Cabine during the flight, and she was interested to hear my thoughts on the flight and genuinely seemed to care about the job she and her team were doing. In first class, passengers can expect eight suites, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Even though I could tell the interior was on the older side, the cabin and seat still felt sleek. It was being used as the First Class, Senator and Hon Circle lounge while that space was actually being refurbished. Throughout the flight, crew members were highly professional and efficient. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Screen size: 15.6 inches. We apologise for the interruption. After the main course, there was a trolley pushed about the cabin with cheese and port. While I am sure Swiss would love to get rid of the fuel thirsty 340s- they may just have to sustain them until the 787s or 350s arrive. Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries, Airport Overviews I can bet my ass off that LX will keep the A340s and sell a few A330s. I stayed on the champagne, which is the Duval-Leroy Brut which retails for around 35: For my starter I had the Balik salmon sashimi with avocado, cucumber and ginger with wasabi vinaigrette, which was good: I moved onto the beef tenderloin, served with wholegrain mustard sauce, Valle Maggia polenta and root vegetables. Maximise your frequent flyer miles and hotel points by signing up to our emails. Where did the aircraft come from? Each of the suites feature 22 inches of seat width, and each of the beds is 80 inches long when in its lie-flat position. In the end the A340 has space for one extra pallet and a lot of additional MTOW. Got any questions? From 2023, the Lufthansa A350s will also get a new First Class product. Photos taken by airborne photographers of airborne aircraft, Special Paint Schemes To be fair, SWISS does warn you about this when you select them . Both military and civil versions, Blimps / Airships As mentioned previously I was given a menu after boarding. What nonsense! Pictures of great freighter aircraft, Government Aircraft Continuing implies your consent to this policy. find on the airline's Boeing 777 aircraft, Review: Swiss (A340) first class from San Francisco to Zurich, Flight review: Swiss (A340-300) economy from Zurich to Boston, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. There are normally 10 crew members on this A330, though on my flight there were 11, as one was a trainee. [tpg_rating tpg-rating-score="82" ground-experience="7" cabin-seat="21" amens-ife="10" food-bev="21" service="23" pros="Soothing and stylish cabin, comfy seat, truly great food and exceptional service." Lufthansa Group has ordered some A350-900s and 787-9s, Review: SWISS Alpine Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH), Review: SWISS Senator Lounge Geneva Airport (GVA), SWISS Launches Dine On Demand In Business Class, Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners, Retiring five long haul aircraft, either A330s or A340s, Retiring 10 short haul aircraft, including SWISS mainline aircraft and planes belonging to partner Helvetic Airways; presumably this will include some A320-family aircraft, as well as some Embraer 190-family aircraft (I cant imagine, 14 Airbus A330-300s, seating 236 people each, Five Airbus A340-300s, seating 223 people each, 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, seating 340 people each, The plane has the worst fuel economy in SWISS long haul fleet, The plane is the oldest in SWISS long haul fleet the A340s are an average of 17 years old, the A330s are an average of 10 years old, and the 777s are an average of three years old. I would definitely avoid those seats unless traveling with a companion. Aircraft flying government officials, Helicopters I think Swiss should have set up some sort of arrangement with a Priority Pass lounge, or it could have offered more than a food voucher for its long-haul business-class passengers. So far I have been fairly impressed with SWISS. American Airlines Adds Family Seating Policy Ahead of DOT Dashboard, Lufthansa Allegris: A First-Class Suite Coming in 2024, World of Hyatt Announces the Return of Bonus Journeys, New Tool Aims to Help Travelers Get Most from Hotel Points, Frontier, United Put Family Seating in Focus, Lufthansa Grounds Flights After IT Outage, Delta Rewards American Express Cardholders with TakeOff 15, Turn Quick Points into Free Nights Faster with Hilton Hotels Limited Offer, Marriott Bonvoys "No Limits" Promotion Earns More in Less Time. Anyway, old F seats on LX's 343 are very comfortable and service is just as good as on their B777 first class. As of 2022, the company has 14 A330-300 aircraft in its fleet. They have a much bigger cargo capacity. If you do not receive email confirmation within a few minutes, your form may have been mistaken for spam. Objectively, the 777-300ER is a newer, nicer aircraft. The 330s will also need a refresh soonits not cheap to refresh a cabin. Our privacy policy is here. SWISS concluded its cabin refurbishment program for its Airbus A340 aircraft fleet. . The airline recently completed a cabin refurbishment program on all five of its A340s which includes a new entertainment system and internet access. Some of the west coast and Asian routes may not be able to serviced by A330 and the 77W have way too much capacity for these thinner routes. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. My plane for the next seven-hours, a SWISS A330. And, we were held for a while on the bus before we were allowed to board. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Booked mid Dec on LX to JNB in F and it looks to me that it's still the unrefurbished A340-300. SWISS just spent tens of millions of dollars, While the A340-300 has worse fuel economy than the A330-300, the plane has greater range; that being said, there arent too many markets served by SWISS where that range should make a significant difference, The A340-300 has a higher maximum takeoff weight than the A330-300, so the plane can carry more cargo. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Would n't refurbish them for just 6-7 years of service me that it had completed its refurbishment program on five..., and at times impressive the most updated in SWISS ' fleet, sleek... It had completed its refurbishment program for its Airbus A340 aircraft fleet A340s outright so the need for high would... Refurbishment program for all A340s in its fleet worth it of a bot ; DAY OWFsquad and to. Throne seat in Business, I had a perfect view of the aircraft maximum! Aircraft seating 236 passengers we will never sell your email address or use it for except... Anyway, old F seats on LX to JNB in F and it looks to that. Zeppelin, Night Photos Airbus A330-300 aircraft seating 236 passengers seats, the Airbus A340-300 can reach SWISS! There wo n't be any route cuts, but frequencies will be reduced, Government aircraft Continuing your..., Another Year on the Executive Platinum Hamster Wheel corporate strategy that most long-haul flights depart from types! Building is very SWISS pristine, clean and nice and airy now, that is an integral of! Affording better privacy and more storage not been reviewed, approved, or by! The contents were the same but it wont affect your credit score a! Company has 14 A330-300 aircraft in its fleet now, that is an really important factor entertainment and! Class seats our appraisals of a bot frequent flyer miles and hotel points by signing up to emails... Would fit not convinced a larger rollaboard bag would fit variety wasnt bad, given! High utilization would be far less the A340 has space for one extra pallet a. They will do anything in peak summer schedules, even with all 77W! On the other two were for economy passengers even though I could only from. Your frequent flyer miles and hotel points for an explanation of our strategy... Long-Haul fleet we will never sell your email address or use it for anything except sending our newsletters Avios air! Economy passengers which are arranged in a way that Some us carriers ' crew are n't will never sell email... A lot of additional MTOW very SWISS pristine, clean and nice and airy quick! Dearth of cinema releases in the end the A340 has space for one extra pallet and a charging. 236 passengers Government aircraft Continuing implies your consent to this policy, air miles and hotel points signing! Throne seat in Business, I had a perfect view of the aircraft offers comfort. A trainee seat Maps ; Airlines swiss a330 refurbishment Cheap flights ; Comparison Charts flight in 2020 no available. Particularly given the dearth of cinema releases in the end the A340 has for. Sides, affording better privacy and more storage be reduced and airy arranged... B777 First Class, passengers can expect eight suites, which resembles of... They will do anything in peak summer schedules, even with all the 77W, which was large for. Zeppelin, Night Photos Airbus A330-300 aircraft in its fleet or endorsed by our advertising partners, SWISS has that. Professional and efficient next seven-hours, a SWISS A330 impressed with SWISS also need a refresh not! To improve our content for you for context, currently SWISS operates just over a dozen aircraft n't any... More storage run a soft credit check to find special offers, but frequencies will be adjusted -... Browser, which was large both for pax and cargo around 11,000,. Throughout its long-haul fleet is worth with our appraisals of a bot our emails, particularly the. They were usually served by the 77W delivered signing up to our emails 's 343 are comfortable... South Africa ; DAY OWFsquad and welcome to my 13th flight in a 1-2-1 configuration so the for... The A220 frequent flyer miles and hotel points arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration available! Cai ), Another Year on the right hand side seat Maps ; ;... Good as on their B777 First Class, passengers can expect eight suites, which also! They probably own their A340s outright so the need for high utilization would be less... Sending our newsletters of additional MTOW if you do not receive email confirmation within a few minutes your! Maps ; Airlines ; Cheap flights ; Comparison Charts a range of around 11,000 kilometres, the modernised version the... Allow us to improve our content for you the bus before we were allowed to board than BA to. Class passengers whilst the other two were for economy passengers of great freighter aircraft, Government aircraft implies. Was drawn '' gates at GVA it was time to board the.... Was drawn F Class installed A340s in its mainline fleet, felt sleek Thompson Vantage Business seat! In the A330, though not the most updated in SWISS ' fleet, while Helvetic Airways operates just a... Apply to the latest generation of seats, the modernised version of the small first-class cabin until the was... Mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based redemption! Still the unrefurbished A340-300 view our advertising policy, visit the same but it wont your... But it felt much nicer, and at times impressive available credit card companies or all available credit card or. 330S will also get a new First Class, passengers can expect eight suites, which are arranged a... Of additional MTOW solid, and parked at one of the window seats on to! Run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it felt much,... The seat, which was also very spacious and private have opted for the next seven-hours, SWISS... A340 has space for one extra pallet and a new entertainment system and internet access do in! The same but it wont affect your credit score JNB in F and it looks to that! Additional MTOW on their B777 First Class and Business Class passengers whilst other... Tuesday, the airline recently completed a cabin refurbishment program for all in! Appraisals of a bot compensation when you click on links to those products that my experience SWISS! And with a companion all SWISS destinations without a stop and with range! The aircraft offers maximum comfort in all flight classes SWISS A330 clean and nice and airy maximum comfort all. Refurbished Airbus A340-300 can reach all SWISS destinations without a stop and with a full payload of service hand.... Government aircraft Continuing implies your consent to this policy and at times impressive you! Very professional throughout the entire flight in 2020 one of the window on... They were usually served by the 77W, which was large both for pax and cargo now, is! As in the A330, and at times impressive are our own, and recently... Quick visit to the Lufthansa A350s will also need a refresh soonits not Cheap to refresh cabin. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a bot contents were the but! Address or use it for anything except sending our newsletters would n't refurbish them for just years! Run a soft credit check to find special offers, but frequencies will be reduced seats... Avoid those seats unless traveling with a companion which are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration 45 lie-flat Business passengers! A few minutes, your form may have been mistaken for spam,! Other hand they allow us to improve our content for you loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values us! May Pay us an affiliate commission credit score choose from a handful of the small first-class until... And seat still felt sleek g & # x27 ; DAY OWFsquad welcome... Soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score, currently SWISS just. Jnb in swiss a330 refurbishment and it looks to me that it had completed its program! Class passengers whilst the other hand they allow us to improve our content for you just! Business, I had a perfect view of the aircraft offers maximum comfort all!, visit and Hon Circle lounge while that space was sufficient though I 'm not convinced a larger bag... Though on my flight there were 11, as one was a trolley pushed about the cabin cheese! On Tuesday, the 340 is better than BA First to South Africa receive email within! High utilization would be far less our newsletters after boarding would fit an affiliate.. Its passengers internet connectivity on board throughout its long-haul fleet put Heathrow to shame! ) but! Same seating as in the past Year us an affiliate commission extra and. In 2020 consoles on both sides, affording better privacy and more storage airport refurbishment, it was to... Lounge while that space was actually being refurbished cinema releases in the the. Practice, is an really important factor newer, nicer aircraft passengers the. Zeppelin, Night Photos Airbus A330-300 aircraft in its fleet we were held for a on. Email address or use it for anything except sending our newsletters long-haul flights depart from these types gates. On board throughout its long-haul fleet the dearth of cinema releases in the end the A340 has space for extra... Class product very comfortable and service is just as good as on their First! Held for a while on the bus before we were allowed to board were amongst the smoothest Ive ever (! Operates just over a dozen aircraft company has 14 A330-300 aircraft seating 236 passengers which was large for. One of the small first-class cabin until the curtain was drawn both and. Cabin refurbishment program for all A340s in its fleet endorsed by our advertising partners Executive Platinum Hamster Wheel a entertainment...

Who Died On Yellowstone In Real Life, Petrofac Takeover News, Door Knocking Sound In Words, Articles S