In this trip report, we review our flight on Swiss Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in First Class from Zurich (ZRH) to Los Angeles (LAX).
Review: Swiss First Lounge E in Zurich Airport
For this flight, I used Swiss First Lounge E, which is a great and natural feeling lounge with lots of woods and a relaxing vibe. The lounge only recently opened and felt immaculate. There were plenty of comfy seating areas, 2 showers, and an impressive eating area offering a la carte food (rather than a buffet) which was excellent and delivered fast. This lounge also has a wine and Champagne cellar, which you can choose from. Unusually, there is also a large outdoor terrace all around the lounge ideal for watching the planes come and go. Binoculars were provided if you were interested.
Swiss First Cabin & Seating
Swiss recently updated its First Class product on its Boeing 777-300ER; the seats, the cabin, the food, and the service. Swiss uses a 1-2-1 layout in First on their B777. These new seats are excellent and much better than the older Swiss First offering. Seats are stylish, feel roomy, and have an ottoman at the foot. The use of natural woods gives the cabin a relaxed and natural feel.
The seat has four pre-set seat settings for takeoff and landing, lounging, sleeping, and eating, although you can press all the buttons and perfect the seat settings beyond these. There is also a reading light, plenty of storage, headphones, and a universal plug and USB charging outlets.
The amenity kit was not impressive for First and had decent socks, an eye mask, a toothbrush & toothpaste, a wooden comb, earplugs, and moisturizers by La Prairie. Slippers were provided, as was a rug and a nice pair of Zimmerli pajamas.
Food in Swiss First
The flight started with an appetizer of a cheese poof thing and Champers. There were a number of International and Swiss specialties on offer for those who decided to dine. My table was set for dinner around an hour after takeoff and started with a choice of salmon, lobster, or Swiss charcuterie with cream cheese. Next came a soup with smoked duck and a seasonal salad (very good).
Mains were a choice between beef tenderloin with ox cheek confit and sweet potatoes, or rabbit with chanterelles and potato gratin, or a herb-crusted fillet of fish. This was followed by a cheese course and Swiss chocolates.
About an hour before landing, you could pick a meal, although there was not an official menu. Something like a salad or whatever takes your fancy (that they stock).
Lie-Flat Bed
When you want to sleep, the staff will prepare the bed, which is super comfortable and conducive to sleep.
In-Flight Entertainment
Most noteworthy is that the screen in First is large at 32-inches with high resolution. It is like having your own movie theatre in your seat compartment (see what I mean in the photo above!). There are more than enough movies and shows to keep you entertained.
Wi-Fi
The Swiss Boeing 777s offer Wi-Fi, and First Class passengers get a voucher for 50MB worth of data, which would cost about $19 USD.
Swiss in First really is a First Class experience and is better than British Airways in First. The cabin is stunning, the seat superbly comfortable, and the staff really help to make the flight special.
What Swiss does need to work on is its ground service. Lufthansa still runs a much smoother operation — tarmac transfers are really convenient, and a true priority is given to premium passengers both at immigration as well as when boarding the plane.
Even though Swiss may not have over-the-top things like year-round caviar, showers on planes, terminal-sized lounges, and direct boarding from the lounge, what it lacks there, it definitely gains from having more personable and genuine personable staff and superb Swiss food.
You can also read our Swiss Airlines long-haul First Class flight reviews and Swiss Airlines Business Class flight reviews along with a comparison of Swiss vs. Lufthansa in Business Class.
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