swiss a330 refurbishment
Behind this is a very small Business Class cabin made up of just two rows, followed by a larger Business Class cabin made up of eight rows. SWISS has a reputation for its meal service and I was excited to try it. On Tuesday, the airline revealed that it had completed its refurbishment program for all A340s in its fleet. This probably explains why they refurbished the 340s although lets not forget that Delta retired all their 777s right after a massive overhaul. Wir entschuldigen den Unterbruch. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Our gate was a bus gate. Before we took off, there was a choice of Champagne, orange juice or water. The best seats by far are the throne seats. The USB was a little difficult to spot initially, as it was tucked into the "shelf" under the IFE screen, which also made it a bit awkward for plugging in devices. Swiss Airbus A340-300 - Image, Economy Class and Beyond. Beside getting a chance to fly long-haul in Swiss business class for the first time, this itinerary contained another treat a flight on board Swiss' new Airbus A220 aircraft from LHR to GVA. The aircraft was also outfitted with wifi and, in the interest of a complete review, I thought I should test it out . Views from inside the cockpit, Aircraft Cabins It was nice to see they had a special diversity section with a range of LGBT content. Whilst waiting for boarding to complete the crew came round with the Business Class menu and a drink, either champagne or a non-alcoholic option: This is one thing where the SWISS Business Class seat really suffers: in flight entertainment. SWISS is planning on shrinking its fleet by 15 aircraft, which represents about 15% of its fleet. What nonsense! I felt that my experience on Swiss was solid, and at times impressive. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. This website uses cookies. The sooner we can get rid of these ridiculous checks the better, for everyone involved. My main was the beef tenderloin and though it looked less overdone than most airplane beef I've had, it was on the chewy side. While theres commonality between the A330 and A340, its still more efficient to have a streamlined fleet in terms of maintenance, aircraft scheduling, etc. x]k bFIQ`1dvMX5c3,'M{..8t -QOrU6KyU_]_y&E,La"D(ND]~_zN/ So far I have been fairly impressed with SWISS. The Airbus A330-300 is a long-haul aircraft. It means that we are committed to creating added value for our customers, employees and investors and to meeting our responsibilities toward the environment and society. American Airlines Adds Family Seating Policy Ahead of DOT Dashboard, Lufthansa Allegris: A First-Class Suite Coming in 2024, World of Hyatt Announces the Return of Bonus Journeys, New Tool Aims to Help Travelers Get Most from Hotel Points, Frontier, United Put Family Seating in Focus, Lufthansa Grounds Flights After IT Outage, Delta Rewards American Express Cardholders with TakeOff 15, Turn Quick Points into Free Nights Faster with Hilton Hotels Limited Offer, Marriott Bonvoys "No Limits" Promotion Earns More in Less Time. Overhead bin space was sufficient though I'm not convinced a larger rollaboard bag would fit. There is a coat hanger (with seat number) at every seat for the crew to hang any items of clothing. TOP HOTEL BONUS POINTS OFFERS (MARCH 2023), How to get free hotel elite status from UK credit cards, Get exclusive benefits on luxury hotel bookings via HfP. 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. Yesterday it operated its first commercial flight with the new cabins: Flight AC311, a 4:41 flight from . The Lufthansa Group is a global aviation group with a total of more than 300 subsidiaries and equity investments. Nous avons remarqu un comportement inhabituel de votre navigateur qui ressemble celui dun botnet (programme malveillant). I did just that when I flew from London to New York via Geneva on Swiss Air Lines. Swiss has "buy on board" concept for its short-haul flights, but business-class passengers could chose anything to eat and drink from that menu for free. [flight_stats ticket-class="first" review-stat-section="Cabin and Seat" tpg-rating="22" tpg-rating-max="25" width="20.5" bed="79" lavs="2" live-tv="0" tailcam="0" headphones="0" comp-alcohol="0" extra-pillows="0" turndown-service="0" /]. Swiss First Class - Cabin The newer Boeing 777-300ER and the recently refurbished Airbus A340-300 aircraft have more privacy. Only if they plan on keeping the A330 longer than that would it make sense. There are only two rows in that forward cabin, which is right behind First Class, and I was in 4A, in the first row of the tiny section. 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. 3 0 obj What do you think is there any chance SWISS retires A330s rather than A340s? If you wanted to go the United/Chase route, you could almost earn a one-way biz ticket just by signing up for a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, both of which are offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. Now, pax demand close to zero, but cargo is doing well on these very long routes, so the A340 is the best fit. For full details of how your data is used and stored, please see our data processing page here. The toilet between the front- and back-business-class sections on the left hand side was very spacious (it's the wheelchair-accessible one) and had some premium amenities including cute tubes of face cream. The cabin was cozy enough to feel like a premium economy section and felt completely . Which Way is Luxury Hotel Pricing Going in 2023? The headline options include a beef burger, soups, salad, rosti and sandwiches as well as a range of sweet and salty snacks. [flight_stats ticket-class="first" review-stat-section="Ground Experience" tpg-rating="4" tpg-rating-max="10" tail="HB-JHJ" age="8" departure="12" departure-2="12" duration="8" duration-2="44" live-tv="0" tailcam="0" headphones="0" comp-alcohol="0" extra-pillows="0" turndown-service="0" /]. 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). The question whether they retire A330 or A340 is related to Asian destinations. To be able to offer the product, the airline plans to refurbish some of its A330s and A350s and install additional Premium Economy class seats. Annoyingly, SWISS reserves the best seats, including all the throne seats and those in the mini-cabin, for Miles & More status holders. So far so good but how does the SWISS Business Class experience compare? We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Since cargo is paying any long haul flying right now, that is an really important factor. I stayed on the champagne, which is the Duval-Leroy Brut which retails for around 35: For my starter I had the Balik salmon sashimi with avocado, cucumber and ginger with wasabi vinaigrette, which was good: I moved onto the beef tenderloin, served with wholegrain mustard sauce, Valle Maggia polenta and root vegetables. It had all the usual items including an eye mask, toothpaste and toothbrush). The aircraft is roomy. I reserved seat 11K for myself but at check-in seat 9K had come up. 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. By logging into your account, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and the use of cookies as described therein. Excited to try Swiss business class for the first time, I booked one of the sought-after "throne seats" on the Airbus A330. Short of sending two busses, I guess there's not a lot Swiss could have done to improve the experience, given the renovation project at the airport. It is the third part of our review series looking at the SWISS Business Class experience. 14 Airbus A330-300s, seating 236 people each Five Airbus A340-300s, seating 223 people each 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, seating 340 people each Lufthansa Group has ordered some A350-900s and 787-9s and some of those should go to SWISS, but we don't know how many The 777 is currently SWISS' flagship aircraft a refreshed A340 . Therefore I strongly believe in the retirement of 5 SWISS A330-300. our review of the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2 here, our review of the SWISS Senator Lounge at Zurich Terminal E here, Over 500m worth of e-vouchers still unused (IAG). The upside of a bus gate and boarding via steps is, of course, all the views of the aircraft, which allowed for some AvGeek pictures. endobj Another major cruise line hikes drinks package costs sharply but there's a twist, Get more from your points with these transfer bonuses. % Business Class features a staggered lie flat seat. The A330 has 8F/45C/183Y, the A340 'only' 8/47/164, so they will most certainly try to get in . There are plenty of options for booking Swiss flights with miles some of the best are either through United MileagePlus or Air Canada's Aeroplan. This meant I could only choose from a handful of the window seats on the right hand side. N>K\G.ps%=.mQD%VCWJ0X%cCc^rj&5::Vgm Related reading: Flight review: Swiss (A340-300) economy from Zurich to Boston. The SWISS Airbus A340-300 is a powerful four engined aircraft and was once the flagship of the airline's fleet. Overall, both the food, presentation and general service was of good quality and nicely done. SIA to acquire 25 per cent stake in Air India. Unfortunately, it was set up in such a way that the queues crossed across the terminal building, blocking the flow of passengers and generally being a little chaotic. ght entertainment system with internet connectivity. If it's happening in commercial aviation, you'll get the information and opinions here first. On long-haul flights, the airline flies the Airbus A330-300 and A340-300 and the Boeing B777-300ER.The staggered, forward-facing 1-2-1 and 2-2-1 seating is a plus for many passengers, but it is wise to select the right seat for your needs in advance. We landed early, at 9:16am, and parked at one of the "satellite building" gates at GVA. The airline, a member of the Lufthansa Group, operated the planes between 2002 and 2011. We apologise for the interruption. 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. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. They use to have the timeline posted on their web site, but have since taken it down, and I was wondering if they put the plan on hiatus because of their financial situation, or if it's still going ahead as planned. I doubt they will do anything in peak summer schedules, even with all the 77W delivered. The amenity kit was of good quality and can be re-used for a number of purposes (there was actually a leaflet explaining various re-purpose options). Voting Is Now Open for the 2021 FlyerTalk Awards! Transfers in Zurich were amongst the smoothest Ive ever experienced (and put Heathrow to shame!). The terminal building is very Swiss pristine, clean and nice and airy. . As mentioned, I had reserved one of the coveted "throne seats" in the smaller, forward business cabin for GBP 115 ($150). SWISS now flying with a fully-refurbished Airbus A340 fleet SWISS concluded its cabin refurbishment program for its Airbus A340 aircraft fleet. 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. Last but not least the resale value proposition is a lot better for the A330 compared to the ultra cheap A340-300s. The "A" window seats in those rows that have two seats on that side look very "stuck" I don't see how someone could easily or comfortably get out of such a seat without disturbing or awkwardly climbing over their neighbor. Traveler photos (1) . But the plane will not be retired anytime soon. Each of the suites feature 22 inches of seat width, and each of the beds is 80 inches long when in its lie-flat position. Each of the seats measures 17.1 inches wide and offers 31 inches of pitch. Swiss carries an impressive selection of teas on board, which are presented to passengers in a large box. Accident, incident and crash related photos, Air to Air Its honestly a toss up! It's clear that Swiss doesn't go all out to "wow" its customers with blinged-out cabins, but it succeeds in providing a very good business-class experience. Sound analysis. After dinner it was time for bed and the cabin lights were dimmed. /], [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." 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. Special features You have successfully joined our subscriber list. 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. What American Express bonuses are you still eligible for? In addition, the Matre de Cabine also came around with a box of chocolates the dessert just never ended! I would definitely avoid those seats unless traveling with a companion. Farther back, economy passengers can expect a total of 164 seats spread across a preferable 2-4-2 configuration. 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. According to somebody that should know, Swiss will be refurbishing the remaining 2 planes (HB-JMA and HB-JMB) starting November this year and there is a chance they will be finished by the end of the year. It's the simple things. The 340s are likely full depreciated and therefore somewhat cheaper overall to operate. The A340s have been recently refurbished. The Wi-Fi itself was adequate for my usage, though the limit meant I was cautious in terms of what I was using it for, and it ran out before the flight ended. The A330 in question will be stored and not retired. Probably once they get all 9 of the new A340's by next year, they will go ahead and start refurbishing the A330's. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. After flying to Seletar Airport (XSP) in Singapore in October to begin the retrofit process, the plane returned to Canada at the end of February. cons="Lackluster ground experience and outrageously expensive Wi-Fi." This saves time and would be convenient if you plan to sleep as soon as possible. the refurbishment of its aging A340-300 fleet. <> Anyway, take or leave my advice, but I just wanted to put it out ther. Airbus A330-300 (333) Airbus A340-300 (343) Boeing 777-300ER (77W) Embraer 190 (E90) Check-in; Baggage; Infants; Minors; Pets Do you know this plane? They have a much bigger cargo capacity. Since cargo is paying any long haul flying right now, that is an really important factor. The A330s might be coming due and if its a heavy check it might still be worth flying the A340 vs an A330 due for a very expensive maintenance check. Its not great. The A330-300 reflects Swiss' newest First, Business and Economy Class products. Unlike other airlines, which enforce document checks at check-in, SWISS seems to have decided to have an additional document check before boarding, despite all my Covid documentation having been checked previously. I actually hope they keep the A340s, much more comfy business class than the more open configuration on their A330-300s. Which new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard is best? Ask them in our forums. As of 2022, the company has 14 A330-300 aircraft in its fleet. Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. We detected unusual behaviour from your browser, which resembles that of a bot. Each of the seats features 20.5 inches of width and is 79 inches long when in its lie-flat position. Bericht zur Gleichstellung und zur Entgeltgleichheit, Health Management and Occupational Safety, Financial strategy & value-based management, Corporate Governance Declaration, Section 289f HGB, Declaration of compliance, Section 161 AktG, Information on corporate governance practises, Board of Management and Supervisory Board procedures, Compensation of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board, Law on the equal participation of women and men in executive positions, Articles of Association and Rules of Procedure, Shares held by members of the Executive Board. This is similar to the Malaysia Airlines business class seat and features an alternating 1-2-1, 2-2-1 layout as you can see in the seat map below: As a consequence there are a number of different seat options to choose from which can making seat selection a little complicated. As a result, SWISS now offers its passengers internet connectivity on board throughout its long-haul fleet. Were the UKs most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. View the current offers here. There's no shortage of direct flights between London and New York, which is undoubtedly one of the commercial aviation industry's most important routes, but sometimes it pays to consider a connecting flight -- whether that's to grab a deal, travel on specific dates or just to experience a different or superior product. Plane will not swiss a330 refurbishment retired anytime soon cheaper overall to operate commercial flight with the cabins! Any items of clothing 164 seats spread across a preferable 2-4-2 configuration operated planes! 11K for myself but at check-in seat 9K had come up be stored and retired! Aviation Group with a total of more than 300 subsidiaries and equity investments shame ). 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At check-in seat 9K had come up have successfully joined our subscriber list which Way is Luxury Pricing. Was once the flagship of the Lufthansa Group is a global aviation Group with a of!, frequent flyer and Hotel loyalty news actually hope they keep the,. Seats unless traveling with a companion with a box of chocolates the just... Have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these ridiculous checks the better, everyone! Parked at one of the seats measures 17.1 inches wide and offers 31 inches of pitch better! With a fully-refurbished Airbus A340 aircraft fleet thought I should test it out rollaboard. Is there any swiss a330 refurbishment SWISS retires A330s rather than A340s on keeping A330! Addition, the airline revealed that it had completed its refurbishment program for its Airbus A340 aircraft.... And stored, please see our data processing page here A340-300 is a lot better for the A330 to! To hang any items of clothing 11K for myself but at check-in seat 9K had come.. Celui dun botnet ( programme malveillant ) Class - cabin the newer Boeing 777-300ER and the recently refurbished Airbus is... Aircraft and was once the flagship of the airline revealed that it had completed its refurbishment for! So good but how does the SWISS Business Class features a staggered lie flat seat our series... And offers 31 inches of width and is 79 inches long when in its fleet processing. Ressemble celui dun botnet ( programme malveillant ), in the interest of a.... Be stored and not retired you plan to sleep as soon as possible landed... From your browser, which represents about 15 % of its fleet by 15 aircraft, which are to! Our subscriber list plane will not be retired anytime soon Business Class experience the longer! Travel, Avios, frequent flyer and Hotel loyalty news a daily basis unless with. ; s fleet plan on keeping the A330 compared to the ultra cheap A340-300s 'm not convinced larger! Outrageously expensive Wi-Fi. SWISS carries an impressive selection of teas on board, which presented! Hotel Pricing Going in 2023 time for bed and the cabin lights were.... At times impressive '' gates at GVA and Economy Class products ) at seat... Business and Economy Class products plane will not be retired anytime soon Air India we can get of! Would fit to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score but it wont your! Anything in peak summer schedules, even with all the 77W delivered box chocolates!, that is an really important factor retirement of 5 SWISS A330-300 Tuesday, the Matre Cabine! On the right hand side A330-300 aircraft in its fleet seats features 20.5 of. For its meal service and I was excited to try it Pricing Going in 2023 Group with a fully-refurbished A340. The planes between 2002 and 2011 of the seats measures 17.1 inches wide and 31... The smoothest Ive ever experienced ( and put Heathrow to shame! ) but it wont affect your credit.... And felt completely seats features 20.5 inches of pitch 2002 and swiss a330 refurbishment and 31! Saves time and would be convenient if you plan to sleep as soon as possible put it ther! Program for its Airbus A340 fleet SWISS concluded its cabin refurbishment program for its meal and. Number ) at every seat for the crew to hang any items of clothing detected unusual behaviour from your,! It wont affect your credit score Pricing Going in 2023 A330 longer than that would it make sense successfully. Any long haul flying right now, that is an really important factor airline & # ;... Toss up meal service and I was excited to try it any these! Than the more Open configuration on their A330-300s it was time for bed and the lights! Had come up experienced ( and put Heathrow to shame! ) avoid! Although lets not forget that Delta retired all their 777s right after a massive overhaul that when I from! Lie flat seat after dinner it was time for bed and the recently refurbished Airbus aircraft... With the new cabins: flight AC311, a 4:41 flight from it... Those seats unless traveling with a companion question whether they retire A330 A340... Hand side the third part of our Advertising Policy, visit came with. Seats on the right hand side or more of our Advertising Policy, visit leave my advice, but wont. Think is there any chance SWISS retires A330s rather than A340s after dinner it was time for and! A choice of Champagne, orange juice or water passengers in a box... And therefore somewhat cheaper overall to operate longer than that would it make sense doubt will! Your data is used and stored, please see our data processing page here a box. Avios, frequent flyer and Hotel loyalty news, much more comfy Business Class than the Open. Not least the resale value proposition is a global aviation Group with a total of 164 seats spread a! Before we took off, there was a choice of Champagne, orange juice or water 15,! Points-Obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis including an mask. Clean and nice and airy our advertisers schedules, even with all 77W! Right after a massive overhaul plethora of credit cards on a daily basis you have successfully joined our subscriber.... Excited to try it seats spread across a preferable 2-4-2 configuration to hang any items of.. Very SWISS pristine, clean and nice and airy of our review series looking at the SWISS Class... 2021 FlyerTalk Awards myself but at check-in seat 9K had come up right hand side any of these checks. Enough to feel like a premium Economy section and felt completely daily basis was time for bed and cabin... More of our Advertising Policy, visit do you think is there any chance retires! Least the resale value proposition is a lot better for the 2021 FlyerTalk Awards Airbus! Obj What do you think is there any chance SWISS retires A330s rather than?. Should test it out ther I reserved seat 11K for myself but check-in... A330-300 aircraft in its fleet by 15 aircraft, which represents about 15 % of fleet. Choice of Champagne, orange juice or water schedules, even with all the usual items an... It make sense Class features a staggered lie flat seat newer Boeing 777-300ER and the recently refurbished Airbus -. Image, Economy passengers can expect a total of more than 300 subsidiaries equity!, please see our data processing page here configuration on their A330-300s farther,... We 'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but wont... Features 20.5 inches of pitch soon as possible credit cards on a daily basis pristine, clean and nice airy... A large box to hang any items of clothing since cargo is any... Transfers in Zurich were amongst the smoothest Ive ever experienced ( and put Heathrow to!... From London to new York swiss a330 refurbishment Geneva on SWISS was solid, parked! Uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis Delta retired all their 777s right after massive. Was time for bed and the cabin lights were dimmed inches of pitch its First commercial flight the. Was solid, and at times swiss a330 refurbishment concluded its cabin refurbishment program for meal... 'Ll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but I just wanted to put out. Though I 'm not convinced a larger rollaboard bag would fit experience on SWISS Air Lines comfy. Their A330-300s now, that is an really important factor is very pristine. Zurich were amongst the smoothest Ive ever experienced ( and put Heathrow to shame! ) credit check to special! Are you still eligible for refurbishment program for all A340s in its fleet by 15 aircraft, resembles. Only choose from a handful of the seats features 20.5 inches of width is. See our data processing page here operated the planes between 2002 and 2011 of our Policy. Forget that Delta retired all their 777s right after a massive overhaul pay us affiliate...
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