Total Score: 18.1 / 20
Service 5 / 5
Food 4.8 / 5
Seat 4.3 / 5
Amenities and IFE 4 / 5
Flight Number LX 17
Departure from JFK at 6:10 PM
Seat 6K
Swiss business class is a great way to fly given their high level of service, excellent food, and spacious seats. They are my preferred European airline for transatlantic flights in business class and here’s why!
Seat
The business class cabin is located behind first class and features a small forward cabin with just 9 seats, and a back cabin with 36 seats. As you can see from the seat map, not all seats are the same, and some are certainly better than others. Ideally, you’ll want the bulkhead seat (has a much larger space for your feet) or a seat in the front cabin for more privacy.
The seats are otherwise very comfortable, both while sitting upright and in bed mode, and offer plenty of storage. Where the seats are lacking however, is in terms of privacy and size of the entertainment screens. These are among the least private seats I’ve flown in business class and the screen size is barely larger than those in economy class. Overall though, the seat is good enough for a 7 hour transatlantic flight.
Service and Food
Waiting on my seat upon boarding was a metallic Swiss amenity kit, pillow and blanket. Shortly after I was seated, I was offered a glass of champagne as well as menus. The crew were all quite pleasant and made the flight so enjoyable. The menus read as follows:
Both dinner and breakfast were served on this flight. Dinner service began minutes after takeoff and was excellent. The salad, main dish, and cheese plate were all served on a single tray – all delicious! Dessert and pralines were served after and were equally good. Though it doesn’t look so special, this was one of the best meals I’ve had in business class ever.
Bottom Line
Swiss business class is an very well executed product, and I very much enjoyed this flight. Had this flight been on Swiss’ newer 777-300ER’s where the seats are marginally better, it would have been a home run! While not as good as the big Middle Eastern or Asian airlines, Swiss is among the best airlines in Europe and Zurich is a much easier airport to transit than others like London Heathrow, Paris (CDG), or Frankfurt. On a transatlantic flight, I’d be happy to fly with Swiss again, no doubt!