Here’s an interesting data point for an airline that very closely guards its first class cabin. When available, SWISS offers reasonably-priced paid upgrades to first class. You just have to ask… I recently booked an Aeroplan (Air Canada-issued) award...
Review: SWISS A340-300 First Class Shanghai To Zurich
Here’s a classic report from 2011, but published for the first time and for good reason. I recently flew the A340 on Lufthansa in first class and am compiling a series of comparison posts from the four European airlines (Air...
SWISS Unveils Beautiful New Check-In Experience In Zurich
Zurich Airport is one of my favorite in the world. And it is getting even better if you fly SWISS. I see ZRH a lot when visiting my in-laws and appreciate that there never seems to be too much...
Case Closed: Sweet Victory Over SWISS!
When it comes to actually honoring EU261/2004 obligations, it seems that most airlines will initially stonewall you, hoping that you will just give up. In the case of SWISS, a sharply-worded letter to the CEO did the trick. A...
SWISS Will Offer Cheese Fondue, Other Gourmet Treats In Economy Class
SWISS has switched to a buy-on-board concept for short and mid-haul economy class flights out of Geneva (with the exception of Zurich). And while the loss of free sandwiches is to be mourned, the a la carte menu is...
SWISS Delays Refresh Of A340 Fleet, Blames First Class
SWISS has delayed (yet again) the refurbishment of its aging A340-300 fleet. But the plane will not be retired anytime soon. In an era of efficient, twin-engine 787s and A350s, four engine aircraft are on the decline. But after...
An Award Ticket Horror Story On SWISS
Let’s call this Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Award Ticket. Perhaps, with our collective deductive reasoning, we can get to the bottom of this. An Award Expert client was traveling from San Francisco to Milan with...
First Look At Beautiful New SWISS “Lounge Center A” In Zurich
SWISS has unveiled beautiful new Business Class and Senator lounges for short-haul passengers at Zurich Airport. The new Lounge Center A opened earlier this month and is intended to make passengers feel “genuinely” at home. The design and interior of both...
SWISS Giving Away Business Class “Throne” Seats for Free
I noticed something odd after completing my wife’s business class reservation on SWISS from Los Angeles to Zurich. Seat assignments that should have been complimentary were not…and seats that should have incurred a charge were complimentary. Heidi was traveling...
Review: SWISS A320 Business Class Zurich to Rome
This flight review is more about the journey than the flight itself. I was treated to incredible views of the Alps that made this one of the most beautiful flights I’ve ever taken. After an early departure from the...
Review: SWISS First Class Lounge Zurich (A Gates)
SWISS recently opened a beautiful new lounge in the A Gates area of Zurich Airport (ZRH). Here’s a detailed review. For questions on access, read this. The lounge is open daily from 5:30a to 10:30p and seats 86 people....
Accessing Lufthansa or SWISS First Class Lounge With a Double Connection
Can you access a Lufthansa or SWISS First Class lounge with a double connection? Depends upon whom you ask. I was traveling on a Lufthansa First Class ticket (LAX-MUC-ZRH-FCO) and had reached Zurich. Per Lufthansa’s lounge access guidelines, first...
Introduction: A First Class Business Trip
My next trip report will chart my recent trip to Italy and France. As I explained here, I took a rather circuitous route to reach Rome. All for you. All so I could review two first class lounges I...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 08, 2018
Buona sera from Milano. I’m in the midst of a fast-paced business trip through Italy. I’ll provide some detail on it in the days ahead…it will not be a typical trip report. It was a fairly light week of...
No Lounge? No Problem! A Creative Solution from SWISS
SWISS is currently remodeling its Business Class and Senator Schengen lounges near the A-Gates in Zurich. As a result, these lounges will be closed until at least July. But that’s actually a GOOD thing. In the interim, SWISS provides...
Stunning: Pictures from the New SWISS First Class Lounge in Zurich
Leave it to SWISS to create a sophisticated, beautiful new first class lounge now open in the A Gates (Schengen) area of Zurich Airport. Like the E-Gates First Class Lounge, the bar design resembles a plane fuselage–made of beautiful...
A SWISS First Class Settlement
I wasn’t the only one who took advantage of the incredible SWISS First Class award space made briefly available last fall. Hundreds did, including many other bloggers. Robert from Milenomics shares of his settlement reached with Aeroplan. He had...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: February 11, 2018
A pleasant Sunday evening to you from Los Angeles. It was a quiet week on the blog, but a busy week in life. I’m looking forward to the week ahead, but especially looking forward to a special family trip...
First Class: Lufthansa vs. SWISS
I’ve recently flown both SWISS and Lufthansa First Class. Which product is better? Certainly there is subjectivity in what I value and how I compare the two products, but I’d like to think this is not an arbitrary comparison....
Review: SWISS 777-300ER First Class Zurich to Los Angeles
After a nice meal in the first class lounge, it was time to board our SWISS First Class flight to Los Angeles. Unlike my usual reviews, where I line up to board well before announced boarding time, this time...
