Swiss Business Class In 2023: 777-300ER Zurich To Miami [Review]
How does Swiss Business Class stand in 2023? Welcome to this week’s trip report, in this opportunity from Zurich to Miami, on a Swiss Air Boeing 777-300ER. I was connecting from an earlier flight the same morning, so my trip originated in Copenhagen.
This was my first time flying Swiss outside Europe. I had read and seen a lot about Swiss business class on the 777-300ER, so I was really looking forward to living the experience firsthand. Let’s dive right in!
I paid 39.000 SAS EuroBonus points for this ticket and 1024 SEK in taxes (€100) per passenger. I used an American Express Fly 2-for-1 voucher to get that price. Otherwise, the standard price is 78.000 points.
Swiss Business Class In 2023 (Zurich to Miami)
Flight Details (LX64)
- Airline: Swiss International Air Lines, SWISS, LX
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER, HB-JNI
- Flight Number: LX64
- Seat: 17A
- Origin: Zurich (ZRH), Switzerland
- Destination: Miami (USA), Florida, United States
Transit
I arrived in Zurich from another incoming flight with Swiss, from Copenhagen. The previous flight was very early and arrived on time, but there was very little time to connect (<1h), so I had to rush to the international terminal.
Passport control was crowded and took a long (more than 20 mins); after that, a train moves you between the terminals.
Swiss Gold Lounge
I had very little time to check the lounge, and they didn’t allow me to record videos inside (that’s why you don’t see it in the YouTube video), but I could take pictures. Here are some shots from the lounge. It had great views of the platform.
Boarding, Seat, and Cabin
Boarding started on time, but there were two thorough document checks at the gate. I had seat 17A, towards the end of the business class cabin. The seat was fresh and clean. A pillow, blanket, bottle of water, headphones, hanger, and amenity kit was ready for each passenger.
The seat felt spacious and wide, with plenty of storage space. There is no direct access to the aisle, which is the main complaint factor of these seats.
The Business Class cabin is located after the First Class cabin and has plenty of seats in this configuration. As a result, almost half of the plane is used in these two cabins.
Amenity Kit
The amenity kit was made by Victorinox and had socks, toothpaste, earplugs, and a sleeping mask.
Lunch (Meal Service)
The meal service started right after takeoff (lunch). First, we were served a drink (champagne) and a snack (nuts). Then for the starter, there was beetroot hummus, and I had beef as the main course. The other option was chicken.
The dessert was a mango-lime cake, which I accompanied with chamomile tea. The crew was very friendly and nice, and all the options were available, even though we were in the last part of the cabin. The whole lunch service took two hours in total.
After lunch, the entire cabin was darkened, and almost everyone decided to sleep.
WI-FI
Wi-fi on board was VERY expensive. It didn’t make any sense. In some way, I’m already fed up with airlines trying to offer 20MB packages in 2023. SAS offers unlimited data for a fixed price and is even free for EuroBonus Gold members.
Flight
I slept for 6 hours straight and woke right before the pre-arrival service. I took some pictures of the darkened cabin, which looked sleeked and streamlined, but a bit crowded.
Pre-arrival Meal
The pre-arrival meal is always “on-demand” in SWISS. It means there is no specific time, and it is always optional. If you don’t order it, it will never come. You can also order as many items as you want from the selection. I chose the dumplings and the cheese sandwich.
Landing
Some final shots before landing. Check the full landing video and review it on YouTube.
LX64: Conclusion
Swiss Airlines made a lot of noise in recent years when they first introduced their 777-300ER with both a luxury first class and a solid business class product. But is it still solid in 2023?
On the soft product, the crew was excellent and one of the highlights. The meals, drink selection, and wifi access were sub-par against other airlines like Air France or KLM, I must say. They are more on par with Lufthansa’s and Iberia’s offerings (check full reviews below). The amenity kit is made by Victorinox, but it contains the very basics and bare minimum, closer to premium economy ones.
Regarding the hard product, the seats were comfortable, spacious, and with lots of storage options. Everything was prepared and ready when first coming onto the airplane, and the main complaint factor of passengers was the lack of direct access to the aisle on the sides. The cabin looked beautiful and stylish but also felt a bit cramped at times.
Overall, my flight was excellent! I had a nice time on board a nice plane, eating great food and sleeping. What else could I ask for? I’m mainly writing down all these notes because many readers like the details, and when buying a business class flight, you want to make it worth every penny. The two major drawbacks were: connecting at Zurich airport (which sucks) and the fact that there are cheaper options on the same routes with on-par or even better service.
Is it worth it?
If you pay cash, cheaper options have an on-par service (Iberia, LOT, Lufthansa) or even better cabins and soft products (Air France, KLM). If you are using miles or points, you get excellent value for what you pay for!
