Business Class on the SWISS A330: Montreal to Zurich
Comfortable bed, solid service, and a free hotel room on arrival partially compensate for some outdated technology, mediocre food, and cheap touches.
Introduction
SWISS offers excellent last-minute award seat availability to its Star Alliance partners. So when I put together a month-long Europe trip on short notice, they topped my list for the trans-Atlantic hop. Overall I found SWISS business class to be a solid option: good service, long bed, and industry-leading arrivals lounge (if you can snag one of the two nap rooms). The badly dated IFE screen and lumpy seat will hopefully be fixed with the ongoing SWISS Senses modernisation. The bad food…well that might sadly need a separate fix.
The Good:
- Seat comfortable in bed mode
- Polished, unintrusive service
- Excellent arrivals experience
The Bad:
- Seat uncomfortable as a seat
- Poor food
- Clunky, outdated IFE
- Cheap touches: minimal bedding, too few lavatories, no air vents, poorly stocked amenity kit
Check-In and Security
I arrived at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport around five hours before my SWISS flight was scheduled to depart owing to an unexpected on-time arrival with my train from Toronto. Not wanting to wait around for two hours for check-in desks to open and travelling with only cabin bags, I checked in through the app so I could get through security and into the lounge. Had I not done so, as a business class passenger I would have had access to a dedicated check-in lane, shared with Star Alliance Gold members.
SWISS business class passengers have access to the YUL Express security lane—though if you have it, Nexus is quicker and less intrusive.
SWISS also offers business and first class passengers expedited security at Montreal, branded as “YUL Express”. This bumps you to the front of the regular security line; just follow the lime-green signs. I opted instead to use the Nexus lane, which is directly beside the priority security entrance. Neither line was busy, though regular security looked like a 10-15 minute wait. I was through in under a minute.
Lounge and Boarding
This seating area greets guests immediately after climbing the stairs/elevator up from the reception desk.
SWISS business and first class passengers have access to Air Canada’s international Maple Leaf Lounge in Montreal, which is a fine space to spend a few hours. The 16:50 SWISS departure is one of the first international Star Alliance flights to leave Montreal, meaning you won’t be faced with the lengthy lines to get in that start to form later in the evening ahead of most long-haul departures.
Being one of the first long-haul Star Alliance departures means SWISS passengers will not have to fight for space in the international Maple Leaf Lounge at Montreal.
This is one of Air Canada’s nicer lounges: since Air Canada does not operate one of its flagship Signature Suites in Montreal, the Maple Leaf Lounge is much nicer than its international counterpart in Toronto (where top-paying passengers would be invited instead to the Signature Suite, and the MLL is intended primarily for status-holding passengers flying economy or short-haul business class passengers). It offers diverse seating options, a full-service bar with hand-made cocktails, and excellent ramp views through floor-to-ceiling windows that also give the lounge a bright, open atmosphere. It also features my favourite lounge amenity: shower suites. These get busy later in the evening but I had no wait when I asked for one to be opened.
All you need to freshen up before an overnight flight.
Food options include two live cooking stations (one of which has been dishing up Quebec’s famous export, poutine, during my last two visits) and a buffet with hot and cold options. Plates were cleared regularly and the lounge was generally clean, though some furniture was more scuff than paint.
The natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows make up for the dark decor, and provide excellent ramp views.
Mostly though, I enjoyed watching the snow fall from one of the comfortable lounge chairs tucked away near the back of the lounge. Airport staff were hard at work keeping the airport running through this weather.
A draft Guinness, watching planes taxi through the snow...not a bad way to relax before a flight.
I ended up spending around five hours in the Maple Leaf Lounge, between my early arrival and a two-hour delay on our inbound plane. Boarding started around fifteen minutes after we were scheduled to depart, though even this proved premature: a SWISS first or business ticket entitles you to priority boarding, which turned out to be having the privilege to stand in a jet bridge for ten minutes. Business class passengers board in zone two, behind first class and HON Circle status holders in zone one, and those who need to pre-board.
This does not count as "priority boarding".
Just under half an hour after having my boarding pass scanned, I was on board and invited to turn left into my seat, 5K, a true window seat in the forward two-row business class mini-cabin.
On the “Throne”
SWISS operates an unusual 2-2-1/1-2-1 configuration on its long-haul aircraft, with alternating rows on the left being “Throne” seats: single seats in a space designed for two seats, resulting in a generous amount of personal space although the dimensions of the seat itself are unchanged. I had been watching the app regularly in the days leading up to my flight, seeing if the coveted Throne seats would open up for free. SWISS used to let anyone book these seats for free at check-in 23-hours before departure, though that seems to have changed: right up until I finalised check in through the app (around five hours before departure), the seats were still marked as “Extra Space” and cost $255 CAD to reserve. They were unavailable even to purchase around two hours before departure.
Since the seat itself is the same, I didn’t see the value in spending hundreds of dollars for, essentially, a second small table, and was perfectly happy to secure a window seat in the forward mini-cabin. It seems my fellow passengers felt the same: we took off with every one of these Throne seats unoccupied.
In-Flight: Amenity Kit, Seat, Service, and Meals
My home for the next seven hours, seat 5K in the forward mini-cabin, right behind first class.
Waiting at my seat were a thin blanket, pillow, and amenity kit in the form of a metallic box by Swiss brand Victorinox, best known for manufacturing the Swiss Army Knife. The kit looked better on the outside than in, containing only a pair of red socks, unbranded eye mask, lip balm, and dental kit, by far the most basic kit I have received on an overnight flight from any major carrier. A few other amenities were stocked in the two business class bathrooms, including facial mist and moisturiser.
Nice box, underwhelming contents. Hidden under the unbranded eye mask: red socks.
A flight attendant came by shortly after I sat down and introduced herself, offering a pre-departure beverage of champagne or a non-alcoholic mocktail. I chose the former, and the same flight attendant soon returned to take my jacket—a nice touch for this winter departure, when every passenger was sporting some bulky outerwear. Each business class seat comes with a hanger displaying the seat number; flight attendants store your jacket in a cupboard behind the forward mini-cabin, and return them shortly before landing.
Seat controls were clunky, and the adjustable seat cushion kept collapsing.
The seat itself was not the most comfortable. There was minimal padding, with the seat instead inflating to, in theory, one’s desired level of firmness; in practice, it inflated and deflated at will several times throughout the flight which became deeply annoying. There was also a distinct lack of storage, with only a small cubby under the IFE screen and the table surface beside each seat. There were no enclosed compartments for storing phones, passports, and the like, nor anywhere for shoes (mine ended up in the overhead compartment once I donned some slippers from a previous LATAM flight).
Deicing added about 20 minutes to our delay—time well spent, considering the weather.
Pre-departure service concluded with a (very) hot towel shortly before we pushed back. After a 20 minute stop at the deicing pad, we took off around 90 minutes delayed.
Service started with a gin and tonic and packaged nuts. The tray table deploys by pressing the button shown above, bottom left.
Fifteen minutes after takeoff, I was addressed by name and asked if I would like a drink from the bar while also taking my dinner order. I went for a gin and tonic, which came with a package of cashews and walnuts, and chose the beef tenderloin for my meal.
On-Board Menu
The food was without a doubt the low point of the flight. The beef was tough and chewy, overcooked to the point of being flavourless and colourless. The radishes and peas by contrast were hard and undercooked. SWISS couldn’t even get a salad right: the provided dressing was still semi-congealed. I paired this disappointing meal with a glass of Swiss merlot, which was fine.
The salad dressing was congealed, the cheese was stale, the beef overcooked, the vegetables undercooked...but the sparkling water was just right. Note the difficulty/impossibility of getting out of the seat with the table deployed.
The dessert, a chocolate tart, was incredibly rich; I left most of it, which is unusual for me but it was just too much. The purser then came around offering Lindt chocolates, and I finished with a glass of seven-year-old Swiss single malt whiskey—the only part of the meal I would describe as “good”.
I left most of this incredibly rich tart.
I then made up the bed, which didn’t take long: no bedding other than a blanket and pillow is provided, meaning you sleep directly on the seat fabric. The bed itself is comfortable, as far as business class lie-flat seats go: I’m 6’ 3” and was able to stretch out fully, though both my head and feet touched the seat shell when I did so. Still, better than most carriers where I’m forced to curl up. I also found the foot space to be wider than other carriers. Due to their unique seat layout business class passengers on SWISS can lie straight, avoiding the need to find the right angle when flying on more common reverse herringbone layouts that angle the bed under the seat in front of you.
SWISS cheaped out (this is becoming a theme) and did not install individual air vents on its A330s, making it more difficult to regulate your sleeping temperature. I found the cabin warm, and the air vents were missed.
I managed over three hours of uninterrupted sleep on this seven-hour flight, which is excellent for me on a short trans-Atlantic hop. I woke up with just over an hour to go before landing in Zurich, and within seconds a flight attendant noticed I was awake and offered to bring me breakfast. SWISS takes breakfast orders prior to takeoff, a practice I dislike; what and whether I have breakfast depends on how well and long I sleep. On this occasion it wasn’t a problem to change my selections and I just had a glass of orange juice, preferring to linger in a half-awake daze a little longer. SWISS also invites premium passengers to maximise sleep and take breakfast in the arrivals lounge—more on that below.
The IFE screen resolution was abysmal, I didn't even bother watching anything but this outdated map.
I browsed the in-flight entertainment selection, which was slow and unintuitive; the touch screen responded poorly, and the system as a whole was clearly at least a decade old. I ended up just watching the moving map until landing, which was annoyingly interrupted by an ad for Breitling watches every minute or so.
Shortly before landing I went to change back out of my pajamas (not provided) and, as had been the case every time I went to use the lavatory, found a line. Despite operating a premium-heavy layout, SWISS has only two washrooms for 45 business class passengers on its A330s. Our flight was only around two-thirds full in business, and still I had to wait every time I stood up. Compare this to Singapore Airlines, which offers one extra washroom for three or five (depending on layout) fewer business class passengers on its A350s. SWISS got greedy with space, and unfortunately it shows.
One advantage of our delayed departure: our descent and landing wasn't in total darkness.
We touched down after a seven-hour flight cruising at 41,000 feet, making up some time in the air and landing with a delay of just over an hour. After a short taxi we pulled up to gate E35.
Arrivals Lounge and Free Hotel Room
If you know what to ask for, the SWISS arrivals experience can be unrivalled. Arrivals lounges are common at hub airports of most European flag carriers, and SWISS is no exception offering an arrivals lounge in Zurich. Make a left immediately after exiting customs, and an elevator will take you upstairs.
Compared to the more well-known pre-departure airline lounges, which have increasingly suffered from overcrowding in recent years, I have found arrivals lounges to be consistently calm and quiet. Maybe it’s because most people don’t know about them. Maybe most other passengers just want to get home, or to their first meeting of the day. Whatever the reason I’m not complaining, since I was able to secure what (partially) led me to connect through Zurich: an arrival nap room.
Arrivals lounges are common at major European hubs, open from early morning to around noon. They usually offer showers and breakfast—but not full bedrooms.
Rest areas aren’t uncommon in lounges. Usually these are darker spaces with dividing walls and either a recliner or near-flat chair. You’re allowed to sleep there, though I’ve never been able to; they’re not fully separate from the main lounge, not private, and just overall not comfortable for sleeping.
SWISS though…they are the first airline I’ve flown to offer incoming passengers what is, essentially, a free hotel room. The SWISS Zurich arrivals lounge has three “rest rooms”, each with a bed. An actual bed, mattress and everything. In a locked room. There is also a small desk and TV for passengers who want a quiet space to relax. Washrooms and showers are located in the main lounge.
The rest rooms in the SWISS Zurich arrivals lounge feature a television, small desk (not pictured), garment rack, and most important of all: a twin bed.
There is no charge, and the rooms are given on a first-come, first-served basis. You can stay in the room until 12:30, half an hour before the lounge closes.
Which is exactly what I did. Between three hours of sleep on the flight and another three hours in the lounge, I got a passable night’s rest despite moving ahead six time zones and had no problem at all heading out to explore Zurich before my onward flight to Milan. This was the first time I have ever flown from eastern North America to western Europe and experienced no jetlag the next day.
Aside from these havens of sleep, the SWISS arrivals lounge also offers numerous shower suites and a breakfast buffet. By the time I left just before the lounge closed at 1pm, I had slept in a bed, had a shower, and eaten a full breakfast - and still had the entire afternoon to explore Zurich wide-eyed and refreshed.
Between three hours on the plane and three hours in the arrivals lounge, I got a passable night's sleep and experienced no jetlag whatsoever.
Arriving in Europe early in the morning and having to stumble through half a day before you can check in to your hotel (or having to pay an extortionate amount for a few hours’ rest at a transit hotel) is the worst part of westbound trans-Atlantic travel, and these rest rooms certainly set SWISS apart for travellers with a bit more time looking to combat jetlag.
Cost
I booked this flight through Air Canada’s Aeroplan program as part of a six-leg itinerary from Montreal to Vilnius, for a total of 75,000 points plus $336.80 CAD in taxes and fees. The Montreal-Zurich flight on its own can be booked for 60,000 points plus $120 in taxes and fees.
Final Thoughts
I like SWISS. They’re not the most glamorous, don’t have the best hard product, but I have found them to be consistently above-average in most respects. On this flight the crew were attentive, the bed (despite the lack of bedding) was comfortable thanks to its length and the ability to lie straight, and the lounges, both on departure and arrival, were excellent. Ultimately I’ll overlook a confused boarding process, ancient IFE, self-deflating seat, and bad food from any airline that gives its passengers a free bedroom on arrival.
This positive impression continued on my connecting flight down to Milan later that day.