Swiss Business Class

I yawned, stretched and then turned over once more, slipping back into a deep slumber... only to be awakened a few moments later by the captain’s announcement that we were a only minutes away from landing in Zurich.

I sat up grudgingly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. No, I wasn’t in bed at home as I had imagined... I was on board the Swiss International Airlines flight from Mumbai to Zurich, business class, and boy, did I feel the difference!!

As I prepared to disembark at Zurich airport to take a connecting flight on to Germany, I felt refreshed and raring to go after a good night’s rest and the pampering that is part and parcel of business class entitlements when you fly one of Europe’s top legacy carriers.

There was none of that haziness that accompanies you after a long-haul economy class flight... in fact, fatigue was farthest from my mind as I cast my mind back on what had been a truly remarkable Swiss experience.

Right from the check-in and handling at the Mumbai airport on departure, the famed Swiss precision and efficiency was on display.

After an on-time departure, I was ready to partake my share of the good life. Being technically inclined (hazard of the profession I guess), I made my enquires on the aircraft specification and learnt that Swiss generally operates only their Airbus A330-200 on the Mumbai-Zurich route which sports only business (48 seats) and economy class (182 seats), not many takers for first class on this route I guess...

Never mind the absence of a first class, but what hits you at the outset is the spacious interiors of the cabin as you walk into the business class section directly behind the cockpit.

Arranged in rows of six (2-2-2), each seat has over five feet of open space in front while in the upright position, combined with a width of 20 inches and a seat pitch of 55 inches, so space is definitely not at a premium.

As I slid into the comfortable seat, the first thing I did was test out the mechanics. I discovered that the back rest and foot rest were electronically adjustable, and although it did not transform into a completely flat bed, the recline coupled with the lumbar support system was more than adequate to lull you into a sound sleep (as I discovered later). This business class also boasts of the largest (10.4 inch foldable) individual television screen with excellent in-flight entertainment options. Alas, I am not much of a movie buff.

However, a good meal is definitely something I look forward to before my beauty sleep and I wasn’t disappointed. For business class passengers, Swiss has an ongoing food festival from the different regions of Switzerland.

A master chef is picked from each region to plan and design the menu for a complete three-course meal.

This particular night, the meal theme was from the Lake Geneva region, thoroughly enjoyable, extremely tasty and washed down with some delectable appertitifs (liquors, liqueurs et al). How much more Swiss can you get?

The only downside to this experience... I wonder if I will ever be able to fly economy again?!

- Sheldon Santwan