Review: SWISS Airbus A320 business class (Zurich-London)
By Chris C., February 18 2019
Route
Zurich - London (Heathrow)
Aircraft Type
Airbus A320
Airline
SWISS
Flight
LX338
Cabin Class
Business
Seat
2A (window)
Notes
The Good
- A guaranteed empty seat next to you for extra elbow room
- Choice of lounges at Zurich Airport
The Bad
- You're still travelling in an economy seat
- No charging ports
X-Factor
- You're flying from Switzerland, so save room for the Swiss chocolate (with Champagne, of course)
Introduction
With most parts of Europe a good 24 hours of flying time from Australia's east coast, it's very common for Aussie travellers to visit more than one city when they've made such a journey, which can often mean a short flight in 'EuroBusiness' business class.
Found aboard SWISS' Airbus A320s and like most other European airlines, the EuroBusiness experience here includes just about everything you'd expect in 'normal' business class, except for an actual business class seat!
Australian Business Traveller took to the skies to put SWISS' Airbus A320 European business class to the test on a flight between two global financial hubs: Zurich and London.
Check-in
- Frequent flyer program: Miles & More, Star Alliance – a great frequent flyer program for European travellers given the unlimited lounge access perks offered at the Frequent Traveller (Silver) tier.
- Carry-on baggage allowance: 2x8kg bags up to 118cm each, or 126cm for foldable garment bags.
- Checked baggage allowance: 2x32kg for all passengers.
- Priority airport services: I found no queue at priority check-in, and priority security was a breeze. However, priority boarding was shambolic and not enforced (or laid out) particularly well, and although London's Heathrow Airport offers a fast-track facility for participating airlines, SWISS doesn't distribute passes for this, resulting in a 45-minute wait at UK passport control – prompting me to later enrol in the UK Registered Traveller scheme.
Lounge
With a multitude of lounges at Zurich Airport, the most conveniently-located for business class passengers is SWISS Business Lounge D, found after passport control for passengers jetting to the UK.
AusBT review: SWISS Business Lounge D, Zurich Airport
Unfortunately though, it's quite a small and hot space with limited dining options compared to the airline's other lounges here, so if you've arrived early, I'd instead suggest using the SWISS Business Lounge A, found after security screening but before outbound passport control.
While more commonly used by passengers travelling within the Schengen Area, London flyers – and other passengers departing from the D gates – can still stop by to enjoy the market hall food area...
... make use of the many working desks, or simply relax in a modern space, given the lounge was revamped in 2018.
Just leave Lounge A early enough to have your passport stamped, and either make a quick stop in Business Lounge D if there's still time, or proceed straight to your boarding gate.
AusBT review: SWISS Business Lounge A, Zurich Airport
Flight
SWISS operates seven daily non-stop return flights between Zurich and London Heathrow, scheduled throughout the day and with a travel time of just under two hours.
If you'd prefer to fly into London City Airport as opposed to Heathrow, the airline also offers 3-6 daily return flights from Zurich, including codeshare flights operated by Helvetic Airways.
Finally, if you have a burning desire to fly into London Gatwick, you can also connect with SWISS via Geneva, but we suspect most passengers from Zurich would simply take a non-stop option.
Seat
As with business class aboard SWISS' similar Airbus A321 jets, the A320 experience is much the same, which places business class passengers in what are otherwise economy class seats in a 3-3 layout...
... but with the middle seat blocked from sale in each group so that you don't have to sit directly next to anybody, making the layout more like 2-2. The extra space affords a little more elbow room...
... but given the chaos that was priority boarding – and arriving on the aircraft to find the overhead lockers in business class already full – the vacant middle seat proved a good place to store my cabin bag, without compromising my own legroom or having to gate-check it for collection after the flight:
Being a journey of just 110 minutes from gate to gate, I found the legroom and knee room ample, although the absence of USB or AC charging outlets was unfortunate...
... and as for storage beyond the empty middle seat and the pouch pictured above, there's a slot suited to reading material in the seatback...
... and below that, a standard tray table:
Don't fret if any of your personal items accidentally become stuck within the literature pocket – when you open the table, there's easy access to everything inside, even if you can't reach it via the opening at the top:
While Australian travellers are certainly spoiled when it comes to domestic business class, in Europe, SWISS' offering here matches the experience of most other airlines – such as Air France and Lufthansa, to name just a couple, and British Airways which is much the same but with the simple addition of a cocktail table over the empty seat.
Meal
Welcoming travellers on board was a bottle of water and a refresher towelette...
... with dinner served after take-off, being a chilled salad with bread, cheeses, and a 'strawberries and cream' dessert, with brownie bits:
On the side, a glass of Champagne – Duval-Leroy Brut NV...
... and later in the flight, a local chocolate, as you'd expect when flying from Switzerland!
Just be aware that no meal choices are provided – you simply give a yes/no to the meal service when asked – so vegetarians are best-advised to pre-order a special meal, otherwise there won't be a suitable main course on board.
Entertainment & Service
On short flights within Europe, most full service airlines don't provide any form of fixed inflight entertainment – although on this leg, SWISS at least had something on the screen...
... but not finding children's cartoons particularly interesting, I reverted to my own device, and stored it on the tray table in the vacant middle seat, keeping my own tray vacant for the meal:
Service on this flight was friendly and prompt, with passengers addressed by name and cabin announcements made in both German and English.
However, I would have appreciated the crew keeping the business class overhead lockers closed at boarding time – as I've experienced on other SWISS flights – to avoid those lockers becoming full of other passengers' belongings when many business class travellers were still to arrive, on what was a full flight.
Also read: SWISS Airbus A321 business class (Rome-Zurich)
Also read: Your 2022 Guide to SWISS premium economy
Chris Chamberlin travelled to London as a guest of Star Alliance and SWISS.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
02 Aug 2018
Total posts 15
That meat in the salad .... looks like devon
17 Jan 2018
Total posts 7
I don't think I would give that meal 3.5 stars for a business class fare... even if the champagne was decent (not sure if it is or not).
12 Feb 2014
Total posts 228
Looks like Jetstar with a glass of bubbles.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Nov 2017
Total posts 49
This comment made me laugh out loud at my work desk...
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 416
Sadly this is the reality of 'business class' on most European flights, when you look at what we have in Australia you have to admit we have it pretty good!
03 May 2012
Total posts 120
Sigh...If an airline is so concerned with flexibility in the ratio of J to Y, what is so hard about a half decent convertible seat? Not as good as a dedicated business seat, but much better than this rubbish.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Nov 2017
Total posts 49
I'll be taking this flight in the back of the plane this coming Easter, looks like I won't be missing out on much for a two hour flight. Will still get lounge access with A* gold.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
I didn't see any cabin baggage enforcement at the boarding gate, but this could well be undertaken at check-in.
Instead, they were focused on double-checking that the passengers boarding this London-bound flight were admissible for entry into the UK before reaching the aerobridge, by checking the type of passport against a long list of passports eligible for visa-free entry, for those who were neither UK/EU/EEA citizens and who didn't have a UK visa.
Took them about a minute to confirm my Australian passport was eligible for UK entry (as perhaps they don't see a lot of them for that flight), but no problems boarding.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 439
It certainly looks like maintaining a gold status in Europe for the lounges, service on the ground etc, but certainly not worth forking out for "business" class across any of the carriers.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
08 Jun 2018
Total posts 91
Completely agree. I fly a fair bit intra Europe and unless someone else is paying I would never bother with Biz. Same seat as economy and the prices on biz to Zurich and Geneva can be very high. Status gets you lounges and priority boarding so that’s ok for me. Interestingly a couple of times flying BA to Geneva I’ve actually found biz class seats being sold at the same price as economy. Here’s hoping that Aer Lingus new biz seats intra Europe may start a step up in quality. But for flights of 2-3 hours it’s not the end of the world.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 May 2011
Total posts 35
The only note worthy point here is to BYO device with The Cleveland Show pre loaded
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
14 Feb 2014
Total posts 33
why bother, really?
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
Looks rather unimpressive. Not much better than JQ.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Sep 2018
Total posts 153
If this style of business class is adopted with relative success in Europe, why isn't other continents following suit? Surprised the short-haul business class lasted this long, not that I'm unhappy about this.
29 Aug 2017
Total posts 18
I’ve flown Finnair business (Melbourne-Singapore/HK-Helsinki-London/Rome/Vienna) on their A320/321’s and the flights have been great. The first 3 rowss are reserved in business and you receive a hot meal (lunch) and booze, not a cold meat salad! Also or a majority of European business class seats are set up this way.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Aug 2011
Total posts 165
sq
07 Aug 2015
Total posts 15
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 190
nearly all EU- carriers using the same seating for economy and business which is a disgrace but seems that people are put up with it the other day there was an article about S7 a Russian airline which have proper business class seatings and food to match even for domestic flights between DME-LED all eu carriers should be ashamed!
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 190
I flew this swiss as they sometimes offer an upgrade for around a 100 dollars for a one way in Europe destination-waste of money for sure The Kloten lounges were under reno so crammed into some other which had to walk miles and was mediocre to say the best-but bought a BUD-LIS-IST both ways via FRA on LH for around 800 dollars on business which is not much more than Y for the upcoming trip in October-better than elbowed by an another pax for sure
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