After scheduling an trip around the opportunity to sample the new long-haul business class from SWIS

After scheduling airline schedules and fares an trip around the opportunity to sample the new long-haul business class from SWISS, then being thwarted on the outward airline schedules and fares leg, I was excited about the return - an overnight flight to Geneva that had just been converted airline schedules and fares to the new product. airline schedules and fares In truth, it was perhaps a better opportunity to take advantage of the service - I didn t have to worry about finishing work as I had on the way out.
I tried to check-in airline schedules and fares on-line several times during airline schedules and fares the 24 hours preceding departure, always to be faced with a cryptic message about my booking no longer airline schedules and fares being eligible for on-line check-in. The eternal optimist within me wondered if, miraculously, I was being upgraded to First Class, by way of an apology for the catalogue of errors that marred my outbound journey. It goes without saying that this was mere fantasy - on arrival at JFK I was quickly checked into a middle seat, all the good spots having been snagged by passengers who were allowed to select seats the day before.
The SWISS lounge at Terminal 4 is an attractive place to spend an hour or so, the seats are comfortable and there s a great view of the runway. For a facility that seems to have been recently refurbished, I would have expected more power sockets - other airlines should visit BA s Galleries lounges and take note; most seats have power supplied airline schedules and fares in a variety of socket formats. The food and beverage offering is also a far from stellar - some congealed ravioli does not constitute pre-flight dining .
The flight was called for boarding well ahead of departure, since the lounge is before security (another curious decision for a recently constructed terminal), I cleared security and was able to board quickly. Settling into the aircraft, two things shocked me. The first was the behaviour of the four children seated behind me - I have no problem with kids in business class, airline schedules and fares but these four were monsters. Their parents airline schedules and fares seemed to think that a business class fare includes the services of a nanny - they left the crew to control the brats, one of who was determined to use the bathroom during take-off.
airline schedules and fares The second shock was the multiple realities that constitute airline schedules and fares the new SWISS business class. Sipping the glass of Champagne that welcomed me aboard and sitting in 7G, it become apparent that some seats are substantially better than others. All of them are rather narrow, tapering up the back, but some look spacious and private, compared to the cramped and public nature of mine. The seats placed against the aisle feel very exposed, particularly to the passing shoulder bags of boarding passengers. As far as I could see, there are five distinct seating styles in the one cabin...
Division B are all single seats - 5K, 7K, 9K, 11K and 14K. These are next to the window, with a large side table to the left that provides some distance, and so privacy, from the aisle. They are placed close to the fuselage though, so tall people may feel a little cramped when sat upright.
Division D covers the seats which are in pairs, but protected from the aisle. 5A, 7A, 9A, 11A and 14A have windows, while the D seats in the same rows are between the aisles. These seats have the side table to the left, distancing them from either the fuselage or the aisle.
Aside from the proximity to people airline schedules and fares walking up and down, the seats directly on the aisle feel particularly exposed when in the sleeping position. The shell of the seat doesn t seem to wrap around far enough (to save weight?), so it can feel as if your face is in the aisle, with feet passing too close for comfort. While discussing the sleeping position, I should say that I m not a fan of the narrow foot-space, although this criticism is common to many of the new business class products.
It s going to be interesting to see how SWISS manage this situation - some seats are, without doubt, far more desirable than others and frequent flyers are soon going to start complaining about being allocated 7G, or one of its brethren.
Mixed-feelings about the seats aside, airline schedules and fares the flight was pleasant. The attendants did their best to silence the vile children and the service was friendly. The food, fillet steak, was tasty and not too tough for having been microwaved. I don t often watch films on flights, but if you do, beware, the AVOD system had a very limited selection - another bizzarre decision. Why install AVOD if you re only going to offer twenty choices?
Landing punctually in Geneva, I underwent another security screening at flight connections (what could I possibly pick up in the 50 meters between the plane and flight connections?), before being directed to a connecting gate. Within a few minutes, four of us were waiting and a minibus arrived to drive us to the appropriate gate for our onward connection to London.
The Geneva London flight was being operated by BMI on behalf of SWISS. It wasn t a code-share, the aircraft and crew were BMI, but the on-board offering was SWISS. This created a rather odd mixture of the good and bad. The aircraft itself looked long-overdue for a refurbishment - business class was almost empty, but that s not surprising given that the seating was as cramped as any economy airline schedules and fares class I ve ever experienced. On the other hand, the crew were very friendly and refreshed drinks continually until just before landing.
Flying to New York via Switzerland is not, perhaps, the most sensible route, but given the price and the chance to try something new, it was a worthwhile exercise. Was the new SWISS product good enough to make me think about using them again? Probably not, particularly airline schedules and fares given how badly the cancellation of one segment was handled. I have to book flights to Brazil, Japan and China in the coming months and would only consider SWISS if they were significantly cheaper.