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Home » SWISS » No Lounge? No Problem! A Creative Solution from SWISS
Airport LoungesSWISS

No Lounge? No Problem! A Creative Solution from SWISS

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 6, 2018November 14, 2023 10 Comments

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 eligible passengers with a SWISS Coffee to Fly Voucher, which can be redeemed at six different bars/cafes/resturants in Zurich Airport for one drink and one snack.

Simply go to the (closed) lounge entrance, where you will find a pair of SWISS representatives. Present your boarding pass and you will be given two choices: visit the nearby ASPIRE Lounge (also a Priority Pass Lounge) or receive a voucher.

I’m not a fan of the ASPIRE Lounge (poor coffee and overcrowding issues), but note you can certainly take the voucher and still visit the lounge with your boarding pass later on.

I just skipped the lounge, preferring to work in the more tranquil cafe. Airport wi-fi is free.

a box on a table

a paper with text on it

My criteria was simple: find a café with barista-made coffee, not machine-made coffee.

I found that in Walter, a beautiful café just past security (to the right). I enjoyed an excellent cappuccino and bircher muesli…a nice pre-breakfast to the breakfast served onboard my flight to Rome.

a restaurant with a glass wall and a large window

a sign in front of a restaurant

a bar with wine glasses and a group of people in the background

a bowl of food on a plate

There are even great tarmac views from Walter:

a bowl of food on a plate and a cup of coffee

Certainly SWISS is not the first airline to offer vouchers when its lounge is closed. I’ve received similar vouchers from British Airways before. Even so, it is a nice solution in Zurich, where a coffee and sandwich will set you back $15.

Limitations

There are limits, though. I visited Panapolis (in the B-Gate area) and asked for a smoothie and a nice looking sandwich. Nope. Water, soft drink, beer, wine or coffee only. And my preferred sandwich was not available. Only the smaller ones with inferior bread…

But even so, I preferred that to the crowded ASPIRE lounge. It made for a more relaxing experience.

CONCLUSION

Ask for a SWISS Coffee to Fly Voucher next time you’re passing through ZRH. It’s a nice interim solution to no lounge.

If you’re so inclined, you can also visit the beautiful SWISS lounges in the E-Gate area, which are open. It will require going through passport control.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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10 Comments

  1. Veronique Mosquita Reply
    April 6, 2018 at 10:55 am

    ** There’s even great tarmac views **

    There are. Not there is.

    • Matthew Reply
      April 6, 2018 at 12:41 pm

      sorry for the typo Veronique………

  2. MHA Reply
    April 6, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    One of the best cappuccinos I’ve ever had was in the Venice airport after a long night of travel! The barista even told me she thought my Italian was great. I’m skeptical, but I took the compliment! And the cornetta.

  3. Andy K Reply
    April 6, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Great policy. Works uniquely well at ZRH — I find that airport to be so relaxing and quiet, not to mention stunningly beautiful from an architectural perspective. I will be flying business with them in about a month and will probably take advantage of this.

    I wish American airports could offer a nice sit-down coffee and lite/healthy breakfast like this. All you get at Newark is a loud terminal while you eat everything out of plastic containers.

  4. Jerry Reply
    April 6, 2018 at 9:37 pm

    @Matthew if you’re on a Schengen-Schengen itinerary at ZRH, and don’t have a non-schengen BP, would you actually be permitted to clear passport control in order to access the E-Gates lounge?

    • Christoph Dreher Reply
      April 7, 2018 at 2:07 am

      Yes, that’s no problem at all.

    • Matthew Reply
      April 7, 2018 at 2:34 am

      You would. I’ve done it before (three times at least in the last year).

    • Sean M. Reply
      April 8, 2018 at 6:57 pm

      SWISS staff actually recommend that you do this if you have a fairly long period before your flight. The lady handing out vouchers told us that the Aspire Lounge is “not so nice” compared to the E-lounge.

  5. SinoSoul Reply
    April 9, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    Sorry for being pleb, but we just recently had some relatively tasty snacks at the Zurich Aspire (butter chicken + rice in Switzerland lounge? SURE I’ll try that) and there was prosecco + fresh juice for mimosas. I mean.. geesh.

    • Matthew Reply
      April 9, 2018 at 4:45 pm

      It’s not a bad lounge…I’ll post a review of it soon. I just find the coffee is horrible and it is often crowded.

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