I recently experienced my first domestic flight in Switzerland, which was like a walk down memory lane in terms of comfort and a showcase of stunning Swiss scenery.
SWISS operates mainline aircraft between Zurich and Geneva, but uses smaller aircraft for other SWISS domestic destinations. I had to fly into Lugano, in the southern, Italian-speaking part of Switzerland and found that flying via Zurich worked out better for my schedule than flying into Milan and taking a train north.
It was a warm summer day and Zurich Airport, normally one of my favorite, was sweltering hot and humid. I love saunas, but not when I am fully dressed and lugging baggage…
My short flight to Lugano was operated by…Adria, the national carrier of Slovenia. Yes, SWISS contracts out some shorthaul routes to Adria. Darwin Airline was bought by Adria in 2017 and planned to operate as Adria Airways Switzerland (a separate carrier), but Darwin folded and Adria took over the route.
The highlight of the flight was the aircraft, a Saab 2000. Not only had I never flown a Saab 2000 before, but it again reminded me of how much more comfortable an economy class seat used to be. I call the Saab 2000 a vintage aircraft, but it is not all that old. The aircraft were produced from 1992-1999, but if you step onboard you’d think the plane is much older. It reminded me of my experience flying the Fokker 100 a couple years ago, also on a flight operated for SWISS.
The seats were so well-padded they were comfortable!
We took off and I was treated not only to a bottle of water and chocolates (flight time was 30 minutes), but some stunning views of the beautiful Swiss landscape below.
CONCLUSION
Lugano itself, of course, is a very beautiful part of Switzerland, but I appreciated the beauty all the way from Zurich to Lugano. And I also appreciated the walk down memory lane. It reminded me how comfortable economy class seats used to be…
In temperate weather, I used to love the Saab 2000, but it’s a whole other story on warm/hot days. Had a flight some years ago out of IAH on a Saab and it was probably 100 degrees on that plane whilst boarding. Never got cooler than the mid 80s before landing.
Beautiful inflight shots of the Alps! Thank for sharing.
Are those ashtrays in the armrests?
My sister-in-law and her husband lived in Lugano for two years and we visited them once. Loved it, one particular walk along the lakeside through a cliff face was good enough to do 3 separate times. But we flew into Geneva and drove via Chamonix and the Mont-Blanc tunnel.
Yes, and they opened! I should have included that picture. I will in the trip report.
How was seat pitch? I can’t find any info on SeatGuru.
I’d guess 31″
Looking so beautiful with the scenery you captured, it was classic but still extremely luxurious.