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Home  >  Award Travel • SWISS  >  My Derailed SWISS First Class Journey To Kick Off 2023
Award TravelSWISS

My Derailed SWISS First Class Journey To Kick Off 2023

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 6, 2023January 5, 2023 20 Comments

I mentioned yesterday that SWISS First Class space is again bookable using United miles. I took advantage of this rare opening to book our family trip to Germany, but it was not meant to be…

SWISS First Class 2023 Trip Booked, Then Cancelled. By Me, Not SWISS…

I first noticed the award space on united.com on December 29th for travel on December 31st. While my first instinct was that this was phantom space, it does appear that SWISS is loosening up on award space and was happy to book a ticket (for my wife Heidi) in SWISS First Class from Los Angeles to Zurich with a connection to Germany. I figured it would be a nice treat for her and I could take the kids in business or economy class.

Recall that she came down with COVID-19 just before Christmas (along with the rest of my family) and had been placed on COVID leave at her hospital and taken off the schedule for 10 days, per protocol.

I was admittedly delighted by this, because it meant we could go to Germany early. I was even more delighted to get the SWISS First Class seat.

Then three more awards seats opened! Yes, the whole family in SWISS First!

But sadly the trip was not meant to be.

By day five, she had tested negative, though she was still feeling bad. Her hospital, chronically understaffed, told her that they needed her and that she would be put back on the schedule. There were no “ifs, ands, or buts” because she already has arranged two weeks off this month for our trip to Germany.

And so, we had to cancel.

Honestly, I was less sad about missing SWISS First Class than about Heidi having to go to work when she was still exhausted from having COVID.

But ironic, isn’t it? This time, there was no canceled flight. No antics by SWISS. No threatened lawsuit. This time, work got in the way.

CONCLUSION

A family trip in SWISS First Class (after our family trip in Lufthansa First Class) would have been a lot of fun. But it wasn’t meant to be. Beyond the disappointment over the chance to fly SWISS First again, I actually think it was for the best…and will explain why tomorrow.

Previous Article Booking An Aisle And Window Seat And Hoping The Middle Remains Open
Next Article Review: Finnair A330-300 Business Class (New Seat)

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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20 Comments

  1. Alan Brint Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 1:41 pm

    Did you decide to let the Aeroplan saga from a few years ago go? I haven’t heard anything since then, so is it safe to assume that there was no lawsuit and no concession, you just let it go?

    • Lukas Reply
      January 6, 2023 at 10:27 pm

      There was a lawsuit, outcome of which Matt cannot discuss.

      • Aaron Reply
        January 7, 2023 at 1:25 am

        Can’t, or won’t?

        • Alan Brint Reply
          January 7, 2023 at 1:21 pm

          @Aaron: I am the first person to ever make that same question. I consider it flagrant lying when someone says they “can’t” do something that they can do, but simply won’t do. I’ve even reported a support agent for that exact lie one time. And you also know that if I think Matthew is behaving inappropriately, being dishonest, or treating others in a way I don’t approve of, I will not hesitate to call him out.

          I really do think that Matthew “can’t” talk about it. No, I don’t know the details of the lawsuit, but I suspect that he actually, truly cannot talk about it. I can’t say I know this for certain, but he did tell us that he’d give us the “play. By play” and he hasn’t. That’s probably not because he chose not to, but maybe someone joined onto a group or class action that doesn’t want this being public. I have to respect that.

          It is also possible that they settled with an agreement to not talk about it. Matthew wants to fight for all of his clients, as well as himself and his family, and if he were to break an agreement like that, whether signed or not, that would mean that he is a less effective fighter and couldn’t be trusted to make agreements like this.

          All of this is hypothetical, but I can feasibly see multiple situations where he really “can’t” talk about the lawsuit, or at the very leastt, where doing so yields significant consequences that no person in the right mind would pay. I choose to give Matthew the benefit of the doubt as there’s no way I can prove that he CAN but just WON’T talk about it.

          • Matthew Klint
            January 7, 2023 at 1:23 pm

            Thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt.

  2. Sam Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 2:46 pm

    Did you book LAX to ZRH? or LAX to ZRH to Germany on United Mileage’s site? Thanks!

    • Lukas Reply
      January 6, 2023 at 10:28 pm

      LAX – ZRH – FRA (my guess).

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        January 7, 2023 at 4:19 am

        Correct. Nonstop not available. Married segment availability only.

  3. Jimmy Gottfredson Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 3:24 pm

    Sending good thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery.

  4. viapanam Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 4:29 pm

    Literally I will never understand your obsession with flying First Class and Business Class.

    • Interested Traveler Reply
      January 6, 2023 at 5:21 pm

      I get it, flying in Premium cabins is aspirational for many people.

      I know for myself it is an aspiration, not one I always achieve, but one that I always try for.

      I don’t think anyone would say flying in coach is a nice or special experience.

      Flying in Premium cabins can be.

    • OneAlphaTwo Reply
      January 6, 2023 at 5:23 pm

      “Literally” perhaps you should find a different blog to read then because that’s kind of the whole point of this and other travel blogs….maximizing miles and points to treat yourself and enjoy the ride.

    • Jerry Reply
      January 8, 2023 at 5:13 am

      I’m obsessed with flying first and business class. It’s one of my favorite things.

  5. OneAlphaTwo Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 5:27 pm

    Matt…forgot to add…I hope your wife feels better soon. That stinks to have to work when feeling lousy. Plus, missed trips are always such a disappointment, but I’m sure everyone will enjoy it later on.

  6. David O Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 6:42 pm

    I also don’t quite get your obsession with flying your sick wife around? If she’s not feeling well enough to go to work isn’t she not feeling well enough to travel?

  7. Dave Edwards Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 7:04 pm

    So fuck protocol because they “needed” her.

    That’s the story here and you probably should be going to the cable news networks with her story.

    Where is her union on this?

    And do the hospitals know something we don’t ?

  8. Maryland Reply
    January 6, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    Nurse neighbor was also called back after a neg follow up test. She also was still unwell. Hopefully the Klint’s will have good news in his next post. Looking forward to the update

    • Dave Edwards Reply
      January 6, 2023 at 8:21 pm

      I agree, no slight to the Klint’s but I would love to know how someone sick (with or without Covid) can be required to come to work.

      This issue is way above travel and points at this time. And appears to be an issue way above this blog.

      Either Covid is a risk to patients or it isn’t. Personally I feel this situation is a national story and should be shared with the media to determine if they care or not.

      • Maryland Reply
        January 6, 2023 at 8:46 pm

        Beats me too. And remember I am the masker because I’ve got my own issues. Bringing back to travel her kids actually made a dfw bwi flight before she got sick! Merry Christmas that was her southwest gift

  9. rich Reply
    January 7, 2023 at 8:01 am

    Hope your wife is feeling better. My wife is recovering from it now. She originally had it in 2020 and was fairly sick but not hospitalized. At that time her work required a negative test to return and while she recovered, it still took 6 weeks to get a negative test. This time my wife only had minor symptoms. We are temporarily living in a small apartment and I’m not sure how I didn’t catch it.

    Testing positive doesn’t mean you are still contagious. Generally after about 10 days you aren’t considered contagious so that may be why some places require you to come back to work. Although you’d rather not have an employee who is still frequently tired/exhausted come to work since mistakes can be costly, especially in a hospital but I guess they figure an employee less than 100% is better than no employee at all.

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