It is always fun to fly on “vintage” airliner, even on a very short route. This flight review review gives you an idea of what to expect on a SWISS domestic flight.
It was a hot summer day in Zurich and the air conditioning was off (or perhaps non-existent). When boarding was called from a sweltering bus gate, it was almost a relief to step out into the sweltering heat, where at least the air was a bit fresher. Nevertheless, I do appreciate that SWISS tries to treat their customers not just as passengers, but as guests:
SWISS 2906
Zurich (ZRH) – Lugano (LUG)
Friday, June 28, 2019
Depart: 12:35 PM
Arrive: 1:20 PM
Duration: 0hr, 45min
Aircraft: Saab 2000
Distance: 102 miles
Seat: 12A (Economy Class)
We all climbed into a bus which took us across the tarmac and to an awaiting Saab 2000…bearing Adria livery, the flag carrier of Slovenia. I explained the situation in my earlier post on this flight.
Onboard, you could instantly recognize this plane was from yesteryear. I’m not just talking about the ashtrays in every seat, but the plush leather seats that were reminescent of economy class from a past era in a 1-2 configuration.
This aircraft is equipped with business class, but that simply means one of the seats in the section of two is blocked.
Legroom is not great, but was sufficient.
The aircraft also had air vents…and ash trays.
Flight attendants were friendly and spoke Italian as their primary language, with a heavy Italio-Swiss accent when announcements were made in German and English. They were lovely too, friendly and kind.
With a flight time of only 25 minutes, I’ve chosen to write a “full” trip report primarily because of the beautiful scenery outside, which I only partially shared in my teaser post. Indeed, this was one of the most beautiful flights I have ever been on in terms of the granduer of the space below, here the Swiss Alps.
Even on a short flight, FA still managed to offer each passenger a bottle of water and piece of chocolate.
We landed on time to an unseasonably warm day (blistering actually). Lugano is a cool little airport with a short runway in the middle of a picturesque valley. Just outside baggage claim is a wonderful coffee shop.
CONCLUSION
I’m sharing about a 25-minute domestic flight because 1.) it was my first domestic flight in Switzerland, 2.) it was my first flight on a Saab 2000, and 3.) because the flight was so beautiful.
Lugano is a short distance from Milan (about an hour by train), so my return was from Milan rather than via Lugano.
> Read More: My First Domestic Flight In Switzerland On A “Vintage” Prop
Hi Matthew,
Great trip report! I always really enjoy reading liveandletsfly!
Just two typos though, about your flight information being to Rome instead of Lugano, and in your last paragraph you mentioned flying on an F100 instead of a Saab 2000
Thanks Rayray! Fixed.
Might want to correct the intro in which you note this flight is from Zurich (ZRH) to Rome (FCO).
Rayray beat me to the punch.
Took SAAB flights on Swissair subsidiaries often, ZRH to Lugano or LIN as well as LIN to BSL.
You did not mention the noise, I found it substantial.. Really loud.
I chose to avoid after a fatal crash of a SAAB at ZRH that was kept out of the news.
Crash kept out of news? Do you have link?
Funny, the flight was certainly noisy, but it did not bother me. Maybe I’m going hard of hearing already!
Crossair LX 498. The crash is deemed to have been pilot error.
Crossair operated many smaller aircraft flights that supported swissair, the current SWISS uses the code LX.
Sadly, things happen. My concern was that there was minimal reporting in the international press.
One of my Saab flights to BSL was a last minute boarding (aircraft stopped during Taxiing) to board a few pax that just missed a flight to ZRH. I felt fortunate to get a first row seat. I later understood that the first row was feet from the prop and was the noisiest. EVER.
Crossair really treated passengers well, a 55 minute flight (LIN to ZRH) include sandwiches, drinks and good bye chocolate. I saved the chocolate in my pocket with my passport and , 8 hours later, had to cross passport control at EWR with a passport covered in brown slime.
Those are some great photos of the Alps.
I see the interior hasn’t changed at all from the Air Berlin flagged/Darwin operated Saab 2000 my wife and I flew back in 2015. It’s seriously like a time capsule!
Hello all
Just a small correction
Cross Air LX 498 was not Saab 2000… It was Saab 340
Saab 2000 has an exceptional safety record.. zero fatality.. although it had a few accidents, but zero fatality/ injuries