Review of SWISS flight from Zurich to Vienna in Business

getting to the airport

I'm on my way to a conference where I will be presenting a paper. I will first be making a brief stop in Vienna. I finish teaching my last class at 15h35. I then make a quick dash back to my office to collect my suitcase, and then I head out to catch the 15h56 train that gets me into Zürich Flughafen just after 16h00.

Being the middle of the afternoon, the First Class carriage is deserted.

check-in

I've already checked in online, but I'd like to drop off my suitcase, a) because it's quite heavy and b) because storage space in the overhead lockers is rather limited on the A 220s.

There is a large dedicated SWISS baggage drop area one floor up from the railway platforms at Zürich Airport. The dedicated Business Class counters are on the right, on the corner. It's rather quiet here this afternoon.

airside

Given that the passage to Terminal A has now been closed off more or less permanently, I take the escalators two floors up and then access Terminal B via the foot bridge, and then from there I head for security.

Security is a complete mess this afternoon. I really don't know how they manage. There is a wait in the queue of over ten minutes. But it's not as though the queue is cause because there are so many people, but because the staff are just taking so long to process every individual passenger.

By the time I'm through, it's already gone 16h30. I figure I won't bother with the Senator lounge, especially seeing as the sportbar's outdoor view terrace is open again.

As it turns out, I would have plenty of time: soon after I order myself a coffee using the table's QR code, I receive a message from SWISS informing me that the flight has been delayed and will not be leaving until 18h15

The views from the outdoor deck are really great.

Although I must admit that it's getting a bit too hot for me in the sun.

Boarding

Boarding eventually starts at 18h00 with a delay of twenty minutes. We're boarding from gate B 34. I wait to board last, mainly because I'm seated on 1A anyway, but also because I want to avoid having to wait in the airbirdge, which is made of glass and therefore tends to heat up considerable.

The cabin & seat

The flight time is just over an hour today, which is a good thing, because even on row 1 the seat pitch is quite tight. Actually, I think it may be more comfortable to sit on row 2, because at least then you can tuck your feet under the seat in front of you.

Service & cabin crew

A bottle of still water and a packaged towel are already at my seat. I'm guessing these were handed out to passengers, but as I was last to board, they were merely placed on the seat. Which works just as well.

The maître de is a bit frost with the passengers, which is kind of entertaining because otherwise she's quite the chatterbox and won't stop talking with her coleage on the jump seat as we taxi out, line up and then take off.

We take off from runway 28 and make a wide sweeping left turn that brings us back over the field and takes us on an easterly track past Lake Constance.

The meal service

The cabin crew are soon released, probably the only way for the pilot to finally stop the maître de from japping all the way to Vienna. And then the meal service begins. And what a dreadful meal it is too.

I mean, some people like meat, and others don't. No big deal. But was there really no better way to smear the curry mayo over it than make it look like somebody just had a really big sneeze?

At least there's also a plate of cheese, which is served with warm bread rolls. Can't go wrong there, I guess.

And for dessert it's the usual foam/mousse. I don't try it, but it dawns on me that maybe I was being a bit too harsh on KLM in one of my recent posts…

On a positive note, SWISS provides Sirocco tea on its flight. I think it's a Swiss brand, and their mint tea is a delight!

With that, of course, I receive a perfectly sized piece of chocolate.

arrival

Not long after we begin our descent and the pilot informs us we have only twenty minutes left to run to Vienna.

Our approach is spectacular and brings us in right over the city.

And then we taxi to our stand on the F pier.

Getting into town

My luggage takes an eternity to arrive. Eventually I manage to catch the 20h38 CAT train to Landstrasse/Wien Mitte. Trains run at 08 and 38 past the hour.

The journey is nonstop and takes 16 minutes.