While I was planning to go onwards to Dubai, I originally bought this flight as an extended round trip originating in Istanbul to New York with a return to Dubai. I found a deal for $1,800 round trip business class that was too good to pass up.

I did consider bidding to upgrade to First Class on this flight but I decided against it even though Swiss Airlines makes it relatively easy.

I had a short layover but I still had time to check out the Swiss Lounge.

One of the best features of the Swiss Lounge in Zurich is definitely the viewing deck. A great large space to get some fresh air and take in some of the best airplane views possible.

I only had a short 1 hour layover in the airport and by the time I got to the lounge it was only for 15 minutes. This was enough time for a quick espresso and then I was onwards to my final flight to Dubai.

Flight Experience

I boarded the 777 and decided to book the couple seats by the window since I was flying with my wife. The throne seats are definitely the best option on this aircraft but given I already sat there on the A330 I thought it would be interesting to try different seats.

The boarding process was smooth and this was definitely a full flight. Lots of people throughout the business class cabin and I immediately noticed how much more modern it was compared to the A330.

This was definitely a newer plane and where you really notice it is the IFE.

The IFE on this plane was noticeable larger and much easier to control. The screen was more responsive and even though it had the same selection as the A330 it provided a much better experience.

As we were ready to go I did something I don’t usually do on airplanes – hang my coat. I always wear a blazer when traveling through an airport simply for the fact that there are so many pockets it makes it very convenient. That and it won’t wrinkle if in my bag but its been my go to for flights for a few years now.

As we sat we were served pre departure drinks and ready for a relaxing daytime flight to Dubai.

I really liked the design of Swiss even though some people think its a little bland. The use of wood really adds a nice touch to the cabin and I hope when they do consider a future design they can keep some elements of this.

Onto the menu, the meal served on this flight was lunch and I liked to see a vegetarian option as a default, even though I was going to go with the beef tenderloin. Its nice to see more airlines offering vegetarian options without a pre order and I do often select it as it’s sometimes the better option.

After takeoff, a bowl of nuts was served. I really think its makes a difference when the crew takes the time to warm them in advance, which they did here.

About 45 minutes into the flight the appetizer was served with a side of cheese that I believe would be dessert.

The appetizer I went with was a pumpkin, apple, kale salad that was served with a beetroot hummus. While the dish tasted good it just felt a bit odd on this large plate.

As mentioned the cheese was served with the appetizers and I got to pick at it while I waited for my main to arrive.

Swiss also served this bread roll that was also heated up and I filled a small bowl with olive oil for dipping.

Now onto the main course, a beef tenderloin served with potatoes and some sad looking veggies.

Upon first glass it didn’t look that great but that was until I cut it open.

The cook on this piece of beef was absolutely perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever been served a beef tenderloin dish on an airplane that was this well made.

If you take a closer look you can see its a perfect medium rare to medium and to accomplish that on a reheat is impressive.

While most of the food I had on Swiss was decently good – this beef tenderloin is up there in some of the best I’ve had while flying. I really did consider adding Swiss to my list of airlines with the best food in the sky for this dish alone but the sad state veggies may be keeping them off the list.

Summary & Takeaways

This was a pretty uneventful daytime flight that offered a smooth experience from take off to landing. After the flight, I was questioning if I should’ve taken Swiss up on bidding for a first class upgrade since this experience was very similar to that on the A330.

I would fly Swiss again, especially given the rate I got this flight for $1,800 round trip. Zurich Airport was smooth for transferring and offer plenty of onward options in Europe and Asia.

The post Review: Swiss 777 Business Class from Zurich to Dubai appeared first on Travel Season.

I purchased this flight as part of a roundtrip ticket that originated in Istanbul. The flight route went from Istanbul to New York and then returned to Dubai.

I did consider bidding to upgrade to First Class on this flight but I decided against it even though Swiss Airlines makes it relatively easy.

All in I paid about $1,800 round trip for a business class ticket that I think is a steal. Compared to the normal rate of $3,500+ or 180,000 points I was happy to pay cash for this fare.

Check In Experience

I arrived at Newark airport a few hours before departure but given I was in Terminal B I had no interest in going to the lackluster lounges. If this flight was out of Terminal C I would be happy to spend time in the United Polaris lounge but it didn’t make sense to visit on this trip.

Check in has no line what so ever for business class and given this was a late night flight there was another flight out to Frankfurt as well as the usual Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul departing soon after.

I made my way through security down the long hallway of Terminal B. I find this Terminal to be one of the most depressing out of any of the New York Airports.

Each of the gates are separated into these clusters of 5/6 with a few shops and lounges in the area. If you have extra time in a Terminal this is certainly not one you want to spend any in.

Luckily for me my flight was boarding soon after I arrived and security was a breeze.

Flight Experience

I had never flown Swiss before and I was lucky enough to actual snag a “throne” seat for free right before check in.

This particular aircraft was an older A330 as you can tell from the finishings and the screen size. I did like the way Swiss styled this cabin but it is starting to look a bit dated.

As I made my way to the seat I passed by the couple seats and while they didn’t look bad they were no match for the privacy of the throne seat.

I arrived at my seat and immediately noticed why these are so coveted on Swiss Airlines. In this cabin not all seats are created equally and the throne seat often comes with a $150 up charge to select.

It does make sense if you see you get about double the amount of table space and complete privacy, although no door.

When you settle in you will notice on this plane the IFE could definitely use updating but what you want this seat for is the privacy, especially if you are traveling alone. I was traveling with my partner on this flight but we actually both got throne seats to enjoy some rest on the red eye.

When I hung my jacket you can notice just how much space there is here. I almost never hang my jacket on these hooks but Swiss provided a hanger and it clearly didn’t get in my way this time so I thought why not.

I took a quick look at the seat controls and it had all the standard buttons including an adjustment to the seat cushion. I never really use many of these except for the recline but I often find them to be finicky.

I did like the wood design on the panels as well as the location of the outlet. Sometimes airlines tuck the outlet into the hardest to reach of places making it almost impossible to plug your charger in. These were easily accessable and did not get in the way even when sleeping.

As I settled in the flight attendants came around with champagne. I have to say there is nothing better than drinking a glass of champagne with so much space to yourself as you see others boarding the plane.

The amenity kit on Swiss was pretty basic but I liked the simple design and hard cover. I find most airlines are going with flimsy cloth amenity kits that don’t really hold much together.

Inside the amenity kit was nothing too interesting and was actually pretty light. I find I never really use most of the items, except for the socks, so this was welcome.

Then it was time for one of my favorite parts of any flight. Checking out the menu and having a hoping for decent meal. I hadn’t heard much about Swiss food offering so I didn’t really know what to expect.

I actually really liked the design of the Swiss menu. It sure beats airlines that have pulled back on menus and just rush you through a 2 choice offering – United I’m looking at you.

The menu was pretty extensive and similar to what I experience on my many Lufthansa Business class flights in the past.

There were three main selections on this flight – a braised beef short rib, seared shrimps, or a vegetarian potato gnocchi. I can appreciate Swiss has made one vegetarian dish standard on their menu, eliminating the needs to preorder if you don’t want meat.

The wine list was also pretty decent with a local option as well as a few foreign ones as well. I tend to try to lookup each wine before I depart but on this trip just decided to stick with the Swiss options.

One feature I did really like was the attendants came around with this breakfast card as well. They ask you to fill it out and they collect it so you can have a customized breakfast when you wake up before landing.

The breakfast selection of food was pretty light but they did have plenty of drink options.

Once my selections were made we were off for me to checkout the rest of my seat before food was being served.

As seen in the earlier pictures of the seat the IFE on these planes are definitely old and a bit small. Surprisingly the remote was pretty responsive so I had no issues navigating the screens but as Swiss updates their aircrafts they can definitely do much better than this IFE.

The headphones they provided were not bad and got the job done. These days I’ve been using airline headphones less and less, often opting to use my Airfly Pros to connect my bluetooth headset.

After we took off I pulled out the tray table to see how much space I had. With the added features of the two side table it really feels like you have one huge table space, which is great for when you have to handle drinks with meal plates in front of you.

Another feature I enjoyed was being able to partially pull out the tray table so I can still get in and out of my seat.

Meal service started with drinks and I went with a coke as well as a glass of red wine. I drink red wine on late night flights mostly to put me to bed but nothing beats a coke with a meal.

Soon after the meal service came out, all on a single tray. I went with the poached halibut as well as the short rib for main.

After a quick glance at my food it didn’t look the most appetizing. Everything had a bit of a blob like look to it especially the short rib and polenta.

I mean if you were served this anywhere but an airplane would you find it appetizing? It looks like Swiss can really use some help on the presentation piece since it actually didn’t end up tasting too bad.

For my starter I went with the poached halibut with veggies. Not going to lie as soon as I saw this I thought “why did I not order the beets”.

I ended up picking at this but definitely wouldn’t order it again.

Lastly was the cheese, which wasn’t half bad but also a pretty small serving for business class.

I chalk a lot of this up to being catering out of EWR since I know the food quality would be way better if we were flying out of Switzerland.

After the meal I immediately needed to get some sleep and caught a few hours before it was time to wake up again for another meal.

I don’t often eat breakfast so having a light option wasn’t bad for me here. I ordered some fruit, a yogurt, and an espresso which was just ok.

I did connect to wifi on this flight but the pricing was pretty absurd.

I dislike that airlines put wifi caps on using and Swiss doesn’t offer anything special for business class passengers. $66 USD for 220mb is painfully expensive for wifi and in my opinion not at all worth it.

Before landing I took a quick look at the bathrooms and I found it to be kept pretty clean.

I did consider bidding for first class before this flight for $1,200 but decided not to in the end. As I was walking out of the plane I got to check out what I missed out on.

The first class cabin definitely offered better seats and IFE for each of the seats. It also appeared that all seats were relatively the same size unlike in business class where there are huge differences.

I would like to try Swiss first class one day and I think purchasing an upgrade from business is the most reasonable way to get a ticket. However, I might save it for a flight out of Switzerland to not have to experience Newark catering again.

Summary & Takeaways

My first experience on Swiss was a rather decent one and given the price I paid for this ticket I had nothing to complain about. Swiss has a decent product and have been updating their planes to be more modern.

I would say flying out of EWR is not the best experience and I can see a similarity in United’s poor food quality. Luckily Swiss made up for it in its service as the flight attendants on my route were excellent.

The post Review: Swiss A330 Business Class from Newark to Zurich appeared first on Travel Season.

Even more difficult is that many airlines no longer offer first class, especially European carriers.

While there is almost never an option to book Swiss Air First Class with points, there is a process that is somewhat attainable. If you are dreaming of flying first class, here’s how you can do it for the cheapest price.

First of all, you need to be booked on a business class ticket. This is not great news since business class is not cheap but the good news is this can be either a cash or award ticket.

If you are paying cash we’ve found trips like the one below nonstop to New York for under $2,000 round trip. Noting that this flight can often be $4,000+ we would say this is a great deal.

If you are paying with points you can get an even better deal, especially through a Star Alliance Partner. In this case we recommend Air Canada Aeroplan since they offer business class tickets on Swiss for 60k points and minimal taxes.

Have a points and miles balance is a great way to give you access to elevated luxury travel. If you are looking to boost your points balance check out the best credit card rewards for every type of traveler.

Ok now that you have a business class ticket you are eligible for a bid upgrade to Swiss First Class.

A bid upgrade is when you can submit an amount you are willing to pay 48 hours in advance to fly first class. This is great because you can now decide how much the upgrade is worth to you an it certainly will be significantly cheaper than buying it directly.

For the same flight going for less than $2,000 business class, a first class seat was a whopping $6,273!

Swiss first class offers a number of priority access to lounges and through the airport. However, the real highlight is the seat.

Also, as expected the food is incredible as well and First Class will give you a multi course offering not seen in Business class.

Now that you are all ready to attain first class, here is the official process.

Requirements for Bid Upgrade

Bid Upgrade is available for all SWISS long-haul flights. In order to be eligible to place a bid, a ticket must be issued at least 132 hours before departure.

There are a few exclusions due to local laws including bids from Brazil, India, and flights to and From Tel Aviv.

How To Bid Upgrade To Swiss First

You can also place your bid directly within Manage booking on Swiss website.

Towards the top of the page you will see a section for “Place your offer for an upgrade!”. This will bring you to the biddable section.

Note, you may also see a selection below it that allows you to book the upgrade outright. Here it is charging, $2,130 per passenger to confirm an upgrade to first. While this is a steep price it does guarantee you into First where the biddable section is not guaranteed.

Once you click through the Bid for upgrade you will be brought to a screen to see your options. You will notice that depending on your flights not everyone will be eligible for a first class upgrade and not all will be the same price.

On this itinerary we flew from Frankfurt to New York on Lufthansa, which was obviously not eligible, but on our return we are going from EWR to DXB via Zurich. There are two segments available for upgrade on two different aircraft types, the Airbus 330-300 and Boeing 777-300.

When you start looking into the minimum and maximum bid you will notice SWISS charges based on distance flown, with the EWR to ZRH leg being slightly more expensive than the ZRH to DXB leg.

We decided to see what the lowest we could offer was – which was 720 CHF from EWR to ZRH and 630 CHF from ZRH to DXB.

If we look at the maximum bid it is actually more expensive than the offer we received on the previous page.

You can see the maximum bids are 2,400 CHF from EWR to ZRH and 2,220 CHF from ZRH to DXB.

How to successfully enter your bid is as follows:

1. Enter your bid per route, and follow the further instructions on the website. As soon as your bid is received, you will get a email confirmation.
2. You can change or withdraw your bid at any time up to 132 hours before the planned departure.
3. Between 132 and 48 hours before the planned departure time we will inform you by email whether your bid has been successful or not.

If your bid is successful, the amount will be debited to your indicated credit card. They will then send you new e-tickets and your SWISS First boarding passes at check-in. Once your bid is accepted there is no way to revert back to business class and get a refund.

If your bid is not accepted, the ticket you originally ordered and received will remain valid, unchanged.

How to get a bid accepted

Just because you are bidding on a first class upgrade doesn’t mean you will get it. Here are some tips to take into consideration to increase your odds.

• Check the first class seat map on ExpertFlyer to see how many seats are open
• Bid at least 100-200 CHF over the minimum bid
• Consider the outright bookable offer if you really want to secure first class
• Check at the airport checkin for any last minute deals

These above will increase your odds of getting first but it’s up to you to determine the value of it.

Is Bidding For First Class Worth It?

So the ultimate decision is if SWISS First Class if worth it for you or is a business class ticket almost as good.

For this trip if we paid cash and got our one way of EWR to DXB for about $1,100 USD. This means if we were to take first class upgrades on both routes that one way would come to about $2,400 USD each or about $1,800 each with First Class for one leg.

Given how much first class tickets go for I think it’s worth it for one of the legs, especially given the cash price we paid.

Ultimately it is up to you to decide but if you want to have an experience of the highest tier cabin you can fly, SWISS is a great airline to give you that.

The post How To Upgrade To Business and First Class on Swiss Air Lines appeared first on Travel Season.