For Swiss International Air Lines, Flight LX52 from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Thursday was not just any other flight.
LX52 was the long-haul debut of the carrier’s new Airbus A350-900 and Swiss Senses onboard product that, after years of work and delay, finally took place.
None of that apparently mattered to the ZRH ground crew.
After a dusting of snow shortly before departure, LX52 entered into the queue with the other evening departures from ZRH for its turn to de-ice. Finally, an hour and six minutes late at 6:36 p.m. local time, Swiss’ first long-haul A350 flight took to the skies over Switzerland bound for the U.S.
The routing of LX52 on Thursday, Nov. 20. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
The A350 is the new Swiss. The plane sports a complete nose-to-tail rethink of the airline’s onboard product from first class to business class, premium economy and economy. Out are decade-plus old lie-flat seats with little semblance of privacy and in are suites and seats that offer a range of privacy options and features to personalize the experience.
On top of that, Swiss upgraded its soft product — the food, beverage and other elements of the passenger experience — in September in anticipation of the A350.
All of this comes at a critical time for the airline. While profits remain high, Swiss is seen by many as having slipped in quality as its product aged and it waited behind corporate sibling Lufthansa for new planes and seats.
“This product took us more years than anticipated,” said Jens Fehlinger, CEO of Swiss, during an interview midflight to BOS. “Now, the pieces and puzzles, they come together.”
The inaugural flight certificate for Swiss’ first intercontinental Airbus A350 flight. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
That is, at least on the A350. A second plane is due to join the first at Swiss in December with the remaining eight on order arriving at a pace of two-a-year through the end of the decade.
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Swiss’ A350s will replace its older, four-engine Airbus A340s which will retire by 2027.
As for its other widebody jets — the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 — Swiss will retrofit those planes to include its Swiss Senses cabins beginning in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Spacious and private-ish in business class
The new Swiss Senses business class is really five different seats in one. The 45-seat cabin is subdivided into eight Business Suites with the balance Privacy, Extra Space, Classic and Extra Long Bed seats.
A business class Privacy Seat. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
The Privacy Seats, where this reporter was seated, are closest to the window but without the extra-tall dividers that define the Business Suites. The seat is spacious and comfortable with more features than were immediately obvious — or expected.
The cubby in business class features a hook for eye glasses. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
Beyond the usual cubby and shelf — both are located above the footwell of the seat behind — the seat really did surprise and delight. For one, the cubby featured a thoughtful hook to hang one’s glasses. There were both tactile and digital controls, the latter on a tablet-like interface on the side of the cubby, to adjust the seat. And, unexpectedly, it featured heating and cooling to further personalize the inflight experience.
A Swiss Senses business class seat with the shelf, cubby and tablet-like seat controller on the left. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUYSeat controls include personalized heating and cooling. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
For devices, there is a standard power outlet as well as both USB-A and USB-C ports, and the shelf includes wireless charging that worked intermittently on the inaugural flight to BOS.
An extra-long tray table extends from below the large entertainment screen with space to enjoy the meal and store a medium-sized laptop.
And, speaking of entertainment, AvGeeks will enjoy the five different exterior camera views where they can watch everything going on around the A350.
One downside of the new seats, which are a Swiss version of Lufthansa’s Allegris product that was first announced in 2017, is the lack of doors. These have become standard on new business classes in recent years, but due to the lengthy gestation period, are only featured in first class.
Elegant continental dining
Within an hour of takeoff, the crew on LX52 began the meal service. The new service, as the menu described it, was a “Swiss taste of Switzerland” that highlighted cuisine from both the German and Italian speaking regions of the country.
The Swiss Business menu. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUYThe beet carpaccio starter by Hiltl. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
Award-winning Swiss chefs Tanja Grandits and Lorenzo Albrici, along with Zurich vegetarian restaurant Hiltl, designed the menu items that included marinated salmon, beet carpaccio, a curry-like chicken ragout and a pumpkin chestnut goulash. A highlight of the new menu is the addition of a soup course; a delicious cream of celeriac with truffles was on offer on LX52.
The chicken ragout main by chef Tanja Grandits. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
The service flow was perhaps slower than usual for a transatlantic flight, something that Fehlinger attributed to the crew still familiarizing themselves with the new aircraft.
The cream of celeriac soup with truffles. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
Swiss only began flying the A350 on Oct. 25 on proving runs within Europe. During that, the longest flight undertaken was from ZRH to Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) on the southern coast of Spain only 1,000 miles — or about two-hours-and-45-minutes — from Switzerland.
The 3,745-mile flight from ZRH to BOS, by comparison, clocked in at seven-hours-and-52-minutes, according to tracking website FlightRadar24.
For the pre-arrival meal, business-class fliers had the choice of momo dumplings or a duck breast salad.
The momo dumplings arrival meal. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
Few grand moments, many refined details
The entire A350 intercontinental inaugural was an example of Swiss’ ethos: simple refinement without the ostentatious showiness of some other airlines.
​​Fehlinger, who sat in the last row of business class in a Classic seat, did not give a speech beyond a brief welcome at the gate before boarding. The crew complemented that with a few mentions of the notable nature of LX52 that day during their announcements.
Swiss printed a special one-time edition of Swiss Magazine for the A350. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
While there was no grand moment onboard, there were many refined details. A special commemorative print edition of Swiss Magazine, the airline’s inflight magazine that went digital during the COVID-19 pandemic, was in every seatback. An inaugural flight certificate and special boxes of Swiss Senses branded chocolates were distributed to all aboard. And Fehlinger helped with a special champagne service in economy.
Special Swiss Senses chocolates, a Victorinox amenity kit among other items marking the inaugural flight. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
First- and business-class fliers also received a commemorative Caran D’Ache writing implement to mark the “first intercontinental flight of the Swiss A350-900.”
The Caran D’Ache writing implement given to business class passengers on the inaugural flight. EDWARD RUSSELL FOR THE POINTS GUY
Travelers can find Swiss’ sole A350, and the new Swiss Senses product, daily on the ZRH-BOS route. The second aircraft will, depending on when it arrives from Airbus, fly between ZRH and Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL).
The carrier hopes to offer Swiss Senses on all of its long-haul aircraft by the end of the decade.
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