The A359 will replace the A340 superbly and the 789 the same with the A333.. although I think the best airplane to replace the A333 would be definitely the A339neo. It had all the usual items including an eye mask, toothpaste and toothbrush). As part of the refurbishment, each of the first-class suites also features a 32-inch inflight entertainment screen. Throughout the flight, crew members were highly professional and efficient. The 330s will also need a refresh soonits not cheap to refresh a cabin. While most airlines have retired the A340, SWISS seems quite committed to the aircraft, having just spent so much money refreshing the planes. Despite recent complications, the aircraft have been finished on time. ght entertainment system with internet connectivity. Overall, both the food, presentation and general service was of good quality and nicely done. Write review Page 1 2 3. Im normally quite sceptical about having steak on flights because Ive had some pretty bad ones in the past but the cabin crew assured me this was their favourite. So which long haul routes will be disappearing?? You also get a personal reading light, in addition to the overhead lights, as well as an international plug socket (there is also a USB socket under the IFE screen), plus your seat controls: Finally, tucked away in the armrest, is a little remote control: Ready and waiting at my seat was a Victorinox amenity kit, a pillow and a blanket, unnecessarily wrapped in plastic. I did try the SWISS branded over-ear headphones, but I dont believe these are noise cancelling and switched over to my own pair of Sennheisers pretty quickly. Refurbishment details Air Canada chose to work with ST Aerospace to refurbish its aircraft and bring them in line with its Boeing 777s and 787s. The Boeing 777 comes with a private wardrobe equipped with hangers that also functions as a door, completely separating you from the aisle. All the A330s have the same seat map: As you can see, there are 8 First Class seats in a 1-2-1 layout across two rows. /]. x]k bFIQ`1dvMX5c3,'M{..8t -QOrU6KyU_]_y&E,La"D(ND]~_zN/ Any updated news on the refurbishment schedule? I think Swiss will keep the A340 around for a while longer having made that recent investment. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. As an AvGeek, I was pretty much as excited for the short intra-Europe flight (it would be my first on an A220) as I was for the almost-nine-hour transatlantic flight. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. Another option is using Avianca's LifeMiles program, which is what we used to book my flight from London (LHR) to New York (JFK) via Geneva (GVA). Orders seemed to be taken in order of elite status as the crew were moving all around the cabin to take orders rather than moving down the rows. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 842.04] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> So far so good but how does the SWISS Business Class experience compare? Ihr Browser verhlt sich ungewhnlich und hnelt somit einem Bot. What let this flight down was the ground experience in Geneva, which shouldn't even be an issue now that the lounge is complete. Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin, Night Photos SWISS is planning on shrinking its fleet by 15 aircraft, which represents about 15% of its fleet. The Lufthansa Group is a global aviation group with a total of more than 300 subsidiaries and equity investments. Views from inside the cockpit, Aircraft Cabins <> Given our early-morning flight time, I reclined my seat into the fully flat bed position and put on some more comfortable clothes -- I brought my own pajama bottoms as well as an eye mask and ear plugs. Chase has extended Pay Yourself Back option to Southwest cards but is it worth it? Luckily, though, thanks to my Amex Platinum, I do have a Priority Pass membership, which I used to access the nearby Horizon lounge. I think for business class Swiss beats Lufthansa on ground and in the air, for first class Lufthansa is much better on the ground and possibly in the air. Additionally fuel is really cheap right now. Photo: Thomas J. Hayden-Lefebvre. All of Swiss' long-haul aircraft, including these refurbished A340 aircraft, feature Wi-Fi connectivity. Sorry - just a stylistic point ( the content is really good as always). The airline, a member of the Lufthansa Group, operated the planes between 2002 and 2011. Same seating as in the A330, and a new IFE. Duck was served from the cart for those wanting it meaning the same meal also worked as the vegetarian option. Once I succeded in sending an SMS. Oddly the airline isnt saying which aircraft it will retire, even though youd think the choice would be obvious. (Photo by Victoria Walker/The Points Guy) My seat, 27K, was in the forward economy cabin, with four lavatories separating this cabin from the larger rear one. /], [tpg_rating tpg-rating-score="80" ground-experience="4" cabin-seat="22" amens-ife="8" food-bev="22" service="24" pros="Smart-looking cabin, comfortable throne seat and fantastic service." Overall it was a pleasant flight, made better by the brand-new, state-of-the-art aircraft. Check here before booking an award fare. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). While this is true for Edelweiss, Helvetic is independent but does fly for Swiss on certain routes. Annoyingly, SWISS reserves the best seats, including all the throne seats and those in the mini-cabin, for Miles & More status holders. This cookie is associated with Akamai. Since I'd eaten already in the Lufthansa lounge, I chose a lighter meal of muesli and tea, which was nicely presented on real china. Again, a full bar was on offer. The cabin, though not the most updated in Swiss' fleet, felt sleek and classy, and service was impeccable. This guy is full of more BS than Calgary following the stampede. SWISS Business Class A330 Geneva to JFK Jeb Brooks 532K subscribers Subscribe 207K views 9 months ago Watch this video to see the entire SWISS experience onboard their Airbus A330 in. Swiss International Airlines A330 Swiss Air Business Class NBO-ZRH (Jomo Kenyatta Nairobi - Zurich International Airport) LX293 - Business Class (I) 12:20 AM - 6:25 AM November 26, 2013 Booked: Airbus 330-200 Flown: Airbus 330-200 On Board Swiss Business Class Long Haul: On board, we turned left to the Swiss Mini Cabin. Veuillez nous excuser pour cette interruption momentane. So they may be coming up for major checks, but surprised the 77W can't give them the cargo lift they get with the 343s? SWISS has a reputation for its meal service and I was excited to try it. I did just that when I flew from London to New York via Geneva on Swiss Air Lines. Since they are keeping A340s anyway, a big chunk of the economics of scale for selling A340s is gone anyway. The range of the 333 is limited and it also has no crew rest, unlike the 340, which means F class has to be blocked for resting purposes on some routes. Tail and Winglet closeups with beautiful airline logos. Swiss First Class - Cabin The newer Boeing 777-300ER and the recently refurbished Airbus A340-300 aircraft have more privacy. Aircraft flying government officials, Helicopters Since cargo is paying any long haul flying right now, that is an really important factor. The bus was completely packed, though, so it didn't feel like a premium experience. First, business and elite passengers were called to board just after 11am for our 11:40am departure and were bussed separately to our A330, which has registration HB-JHJ and was delivered new to Swiss eight years ago. They have a much bigger cargo capacity. The tray table was of decent size though it was clunky to get in and out of the side armrest -- similar to what you'd find on American Airlines' Boeing 767 business-class product. Traveler photos (1) . If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. It is used to analyse traffic to determine if it is automated traffic generated by bots or a human user. The A330 doesnt make it with full payload and the 77W is way too big for pax demand. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Booked mid Dec on LX to JNB in F and it looks to me that it's still the unrefurbished A340-300. The reasons could be the following: You have a browser plugin installed that blocks JavaScript, you are using a VPN or privacy software often used by bots, or you are navigating through the website at an unusually high speed. The A330-300 reflects Swiss' newest First, Business and Economy Class products. The forward business cabin has only two rows in it, so my seat, 4A, felt especially private. I bet that the older A340/A330 will go. Next to the 777, the A340 has proven to be a workhorse during the crisis. 70,000 bonus points taken away due to refund, get back? All of Swiss' Airbus A340-300 aircraft have gotten some new life. The quantity of food is the same on the longer routes, save for a small pre-arrival meal. Farther back, economy passengers can expect a total of 164 seats spread across a preferable 2-4-2 configuration. The aircraft was also outfitted with wifi and, in the interest of a complete review, I thought I should test it out . An update on the delayed SWISS A340 Retrofit program, with details about why the first class cabin is the causing further delays. Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries, Airport Overviews Business Class features a staggered lie flat seat. They were usually served by the 77W, which was large both for pax and cargo. On another we had seats in the minicabin but the moving parts were dysfunctional so had to move elsewhere in cabin. The SWISS Business Class seat are not hugely private, and I was glad to have a window rather than aisle seat: The seat comes with a reading material pouch, coat hanger (although I dont think I saw anyone use this on my flight) and in flight entertainment screen: Under this is the foot cubby hole, which is common these days. Certain a343s do not have belts on the ottomans, and the crew would not allow face to face dining on these. I can bet my ass off that LX will keep the A340s and sell a few A330s. Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, Brussels, LOT and Other Partners | Miles & More, FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides. Does anyone has any update on progress of A340 refurbishment? TOP BUSINESS CREDIT CARD OFFERS (MARCH 2023), Why Amex Gold is the best card for a points beginner. One of the issues are the crew rest containers - or rather the lack thereof on the A330 SWISS have had to block all first class seats on some A330 flights to Asia in order to accomodate the crew. Swiss International Air Lines dankt Ihnen fr Ihr Verstndnis. The A330s are in storage right now. Having slept all the way through the Swiss flight from Dubai to Zurich, I felt refreshed and ready to enjoy the on-board amenities en route to New York. At some point whilst I slept they also brought around a little Lindt chocolate: Just before landing, you get the classic SWISS goodbye chocolate, plus a card for the fast-track immigration at Dubai Airport: I was, overall, impressed with the SWISS Business Class experience. A refurbishment program focused on new seats, new entertainment systems and new internet access systems. Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR, Military Aircraft But the plane will not be retired anytime soon. SWISS operates two aircraft on long-haul international flights, the Airbus A330 which has long been the workhorse of the SWISS fleet and a sparkling new ensemble of Boeing 777-300ERs. Meanwhile, the IFE screen measures 16 inches. Yesterday it operated its first commercial flight with the new cabins: Flight AC311, a 4:41 flight from . Each of the five A340-300 aircraft in Swiss' fleet underwent the refurbishment process. 2023 Head for Points. Les causes du problme peuvent tre les suivantes : Un module dextension de navigateur install bloque JavaScript, vous utilisez une connexion VPN ou un logiciel Internet de confidentialit qui sont souvent la cible des botnets, ou la latence de votre rseau pour accder notre site Internet est anormalement leve. I can bet my ass off that LX will keep the A340s and sell a few A330s. Review: EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport (CAI), Another Year On The Executive Platinum Hamster Wheel. The A330 forms the backbone of the SWISS long haul fleet with fourteen aircraft. I decided to head to our gate about an hour before departure to get some pictures of our plane probably a smart move anyway, as there was another passport check for all C gates, which is where many long-haul international flights were departing from. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. The A340 will also be deployed on Swisss new Zurich-Osaka (Japan) route, on which service will commence on March 1. In first class, passengers can expect eight suites, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. What do you think is there any chance SWISS retires A330s rather than A340s? Sister airline Lufthansa is in the process of retiring its entire A340 fleet, while the airline continues to fly all of its A330s. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. They'll email us from point to point? Swiss operates its Airbus A340s on services between Zurich and Boston, Johannesburg and Shanghai. Each of the IFE screens at the seats measures 11 inches. Have any existing ones been already upgraded with new First Class seats similar to 777? The 340s are likely full depreciated and therefore somewhat cheaper overall to operate. Connections: USB A Seat Pitch: 99 centimeters. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Swiss has finally finished upgrading its Airbus A340s. Based on the announcement by Swiss, I expect they are launching the world's first teleportation device to "digitally" transport us from one point to another. Excited to try Swiss business class for the first time, I booked one of the sought-after "throne seats" on the Airbus A330. Related reading: Review: Swiss (A340) first class from San Francisco to Zurich. 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