Information on SWISS Flights

Part of the larger Lufthansa Group, Swiss International Air Lines – better known as SWISS – is the flag carrier of Switzerland. With a fleet of 87 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, SWISS serves 114 destinations from its hubs in Zurich and Geneva.

The airline continues to expand its network, and 2024 is no exception, with new routes to Washington D.C. Dulles, Seoul, and seasonal service to Toronto. Already a globally renowned carrier, SWISS is currently modernizing the interiors of its long-haul aircraft, preparing for the arrival of 10 new A350-900s, and revamping its global lounges, all part of a multi-billion-dollar investment.

Things to know about SWISS

I’m a fan of SWISS because it offers the most direct routes to one of my favorite countries – Switzerland! Its network is surprisingly extensive, with connections throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The onboard experience is consistently strong, with excellent service, great food and drinks, comfortable seating, and decent entertainment.

On connecting flights, layovers in Zurich are a breeze thanks to a top-tier branded lounge network, including a First Class lounge in Terminal E which was awarded the World’s Best Airline Lounge for Dining in October 2024 at the World Culinary Awards.

In addition, SWISS often provides competitive fares, and as a member of the Star Alliance, it offers great opportunities to earn and redeem miles. Unlike many other loyalty programs, even SWISS’s lowest fare, Economy Light, earns miles, which is a nice perk.

I also appreciate how SWISS embraces its Swiss heritage, from serving chocolate and cheese onboard to creating a stylish, polished setting that reflects its well-dressed clientele. However, it’s a bit surprising that, despite Switzerland’s reputation for punctuality, SWISS ranks among Europe’s least punctual airlines. That said, in my twenty years of flying with them, I’ve personally never experienced a delayed SWISS flight.

SWISS fare classes

When booking with SWISS, you can choose between economy and business class for European flights, and economy, premium economy, business, and first class for intercontinental routes.

Within Europe, economy passengers can select from Light, Classic, and Flex fares, each offering different levels of benefits, while business travelers choose between Saver and Flex. For long-haul flights, economy options include Light, Basic, Basic Plus, and Flex, while premium economy, business, and first class offer Basic, Basic Plus, and Flex.

SWISS long-haul economy class

SWISS’s long-haul economy fares differ in baggage allowances, rebooking flexibility, refundability, mileage earning, and more. All fares come with meal and beverage service and one carry-on bag. I recommend opting for the Basic fare rather than Light, as it includes one checked bag and allows rebooking for CHF 200 plus any fare difference (whereas the Light fare doesn’t permit any changes).

Regardless of whether you book economy or even premium economy, you'll need to pay extra to choose a seat in advance. This isn’t limited to seats with extra legroom or favorable locations. In fact, advance seat selection isn’t included in any fare class, which I find quite frustrating.

Standard economy seats on SWISS are similar in size to those of other legacy U.S. and European carriers, with a pitch of 31-32 inches and a width of 17 inches. It can feel a bit tight, especially on long-haul flights.

SWISS long-haul business and first class

While I’ve never had the opportunity to experience SWISS’s first class, I’ve flown business class with them numerous times. The current business class product is reasonably comfortable but feels outdated by today’s standards. With a 60-inch pitch and 20.5-inch width, the seats are narrower and shorter than I’d prefer. However, the exceptional service, food, and wine help offset the shortcomings of the seat itself (which, fortunately, are expected to improve soon!).

The dawn of new SWISS cabins

Change is on the horizon at SWISS, as the airline finally begins its long-awaited upgrades to its A330s and Boeing fleet starting in 2025, while also receiving 10 Airbus A350-900s that same year (and retiring its Airbus A340-300s). The revamped and new aircraft will feature reconfigured cabins, highlighting the airline's forthcoming SWISS Senses products, which blend high-tech features with a high-touch approach to first and business class.

The new first and business class seats will cater to modern travelers’ preferences: enhanced privacy, sleek design, extra long beds (measuring 2 meters), wireless charging stations, and guaranteed aisle access. First class will go even further, with sliding doors for complete privacy and a screen display that spans the full width of the suite.

These new products are expected to debut when SWISS receives its A350s in 2025, while existing aircraft will be gradually reconfigured through 2028. It’ll definitely be worth doing some research before booking tickets starting in 2025 to ensure you’re flying on one of the upgraded planes for an enhanced premium experience.

Food glorious food

SWISS takes great pride in its culinary offerings, often partnering with award-winning chefs to craft menus that highlight high-quality Swiss products on long haul flights. However, these gourmet experiences are largely reserved for passengers in upper cabins, while those in economy can still expect solid, though not quite as extravagant, meals.

Through its SWISS Taste of Switzerland inflight culinary program, the airline refreshes its menus every three months, featuring dishes designed by Michelin-starred Swiss chefs. Earlier this fall, the airline spotlighted the cuisine of Chef Manuel Steigmeier, head chef at the one Michelin-starred FAHR restaurant in Switzerland’s Canton of Aargau.

First-class passengers enjoyed dishes like sautéed cod with chimichurri, creamy fregola sarda, and roasted autumn vegetables, while business class featured a hearty Beef Stroganoff with spätzli, beetroot, and sour cream.

Upper-class cabins are also well-stocked with a variety of bubbles and European wines, and in my experience, much like in a fine restaurant, the cabin crew ensures my glass never stays empty. Another standout feature is SWISS’s vegetarian option. Created by Hiltl in Zurich – the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant – these tasty meals are available even for economy passengers.

Furthermore, passengers in all cabins can look forward to some Swiss cheese and chocolate on their flights. Most flights serve popular Swiss cheeses like Gruyere, Appenzeller or Tête de Moine and all flights, even European regional ones, passengers receive a tablet of SWISS chocolate (as well as a bottle of water).

Entertainment, wi-fi and in-flight magazine

All economy seats on SWISS’s long-haul Airbus A330, A340, and Boeing 777 aircraft come with individual screens for movies, music, games, and more. However, the screens on the A330 tend to be small and outdated, while other aircraft feature modern 11" touchscreens and personal USB connections. Entertainment is updated monthly, and passengers can preview current selections on the SWISS website.

The film library offers around 200 titles, ranging from new releases to documentaries and classics. There are also 250 TV programs, though this mostly includes full seasons of just a handful of series. Where SWISS really shines is its kid-friendly content. There's a solid collection of films and shows for children (expect plenty of cartoons!), which helps keep young travelers entertained on long-haul flights.

SWISS also offers Wi-Fi on its long-haul flights for a fee. Thankfully, they’ve moved away from data-based pricing to time-based packages, covering either four hours or the entire flight. The great news is that their “Messaging” Wi-Fi package is complementary and covers services like iMessage, WhatsApp, and WeChat for the entire flight.

For email, web browsing, or streaming, you’ll need to purchase a package, but based on my experience, don’t expect consistent streaming or smooth internet sessions. I’ve had to repeatedly refresh my connection, only to lose it again multiple times on several flights.

Finally, SWISS continues the tradition of the airline magazine (huzzah!), though it has now gone fully digital. While it’s meant to be enjoyed in the air, SWISS Magazine is also accessible through the airline’s website, and you can even download select stories to enjoy while flying high above the clouds. There’s always a surfeit of information about Switzerland, which I always find exciting to read.

A great use of miles

SWISS, a key member of Star Alliance – the world’s largest airline alliance – remains relatively generous with releasing economy award seats to its Star Alliance partners. However, business class award availability has become more limited compared to previous years. That said, they’re well worth the wait, as flying SWISS through Zurich typically incurs far lower taxes than other European hubs, and seats often come at a reasonable mileage cost.

While SWISS’s frequent flier program, Miles & More, isn’t a direct transfer partner with major U.S. credit cards, you can still leverage Star Alliance partners like Aeroplan, offering great opportunities to use credit card points for SWISS flights.

Over the years, I’ve had more success booking seats on SWISS than on any other European airline for my travels across the continent, primarily using United MileagePlus and Air Canada’s Aeroplan programs.

Most recently, I secured a one-way award seat from Zurich (ZRH) to Washington Dulles (IAD) in mid-January 2025 for 70,000 Aeroplan points and just tens of dollars in taxes. To snag these coveted award seats, I rely on e-alerts from the flight deal service Going.com, which offers award seat notifications for elite members.