Review: SWISS Business Class 777-300ER San Francisco to Zurich (SFO-ZRH)
Review: SWISS Business Class A340-300 Zurich to Hong Kong (ZRH-HKG)
Review: Cathay Pacific The Wing Business Class Lounge Hong Kong HKG
Review: Cathay Pacific The Deck Business Class Lounge Hong Kong HKG
Review: Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Class Lounge Hong Kong HKG
Review: The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong HKG
Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class 777-300ER Hong Kong to Mumbai (HKG-BOM)
Review ANA Business Class 787-9 Mumbai to Tokyo Narita (BOM-NRT)
Review: ANA The Suite Lounge Tokyo Narita NRT
Review: ANA First Class Tokyo Narita to San Francisco | NRT-SFO

YOUTUBE: SWISS: San Francisco to Zurich
YOUTUBE: SWISS: Zurich to Hong Kong
YOUTUBE: Cathay Pacific: Hong Kong to Mumbai
YOUTUBE: ANA: Mumbai to Tokyo Narita
YOUTUBE: ANA: Tokyo Narita to San Francisco

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After spending some quality time in the SWISS Senator lounge here in Zurich, it was time to board our lovely 12 hour flight to Hong Kong.

Boarding eventually began with Group 1 for First Class and HON Circle Members. Then came group 2 which is Business Class and Star Alliance Gold Members at which point I boarded.

ZRH-HKG
Airbus A340-300

Swiss Business on the 340s are in a staggered layout. The middle sections have pair seats alternating.

And then on the window side you have some seats that are pair seats.

Other seats are the “throne” seats as they are called. We are sitting in 10A which is one of those seats.  my main complaint about these seats is that they do have a lot of privacy, but they don’t have as much personal space as it might seem like my main complaint about these seats is that they do have a lot of privacy, but they don’t have as much personal space as it might seem like.

the bedding was an incredibly basic setup of just a pillow and a blanket, and I think SWISS could have easily done more here.

One thing I will say was that the seat did definitely have a lot of different storage spaces for different items that you might have. I wish some of that storage could have been taken away and converted into more personal space.

Every seat came with a water bottle.

And now here’s some of that storage space we were talking about, although this is one of the smaller ones and could be used as a writing pad too.

The tray table also comes out of the side of your seat, and it folds over to extend into a full tray table that can be extended or retracted depending on how close you want it to be.

the foot cubby, however, was incredibly small and narrow. As you can see here, it was legitimately a coffin,

for our pre-departure beverage, the crew came around with either an elderberry drink or champagne, and of course, if you know me, you already know I went with the champagne.

The crew also came around with menus, and for overnight flights on any Lufthansa Group carrier, the menu follows a very interesting format. The idea is that you get a dinner menu and a drinks menu, but for breakfast you get a card that you fill out with all the options that you want. The crew will correct this card while you are still on the ground. When it comes time for breakfast, they will simply deliver to you everything you marked on the card. If you want to sleep through breakfast, there is an option for that on the card as well.

The crew also collected my jacket, which I had placed on a hanger at my seat, and we won’t see it until we get close to Hong Kong.

In the early stages of flight, it’s very interesting seeing this aircraft type trying to get lift because it has literally among the weakest engines of any widebody out there. In the initial phase of flight, this aircraft sees a very slow climb, but then the pace gradually picks up as we go higher.

SWISS has a cool menu concept where every quarter they rotate a partnership with a new chef from a different canton in Switzerland. I always like when airlines showcase their local country’s cuisine and culture, and SWISS tries their best to capture that. Now, I can’t say that every dish is super local and feels that way, but the attempt is there, and at least the menus rotate, unlike a lot of other airlines I know.

And as you can see here, you won’t find anything under the breakfast section on the menu because the card that you filled out earlier will already have this information. There’s nothing for you to look at for breakfast anymore.

with most of the major European carriers, I also feel like they do a pretty good job on the wine and alcohol selection, and this flight was definitely no exception to that. SWISS did a really good job with most of the major European carriers, I also feel like they do a pretty good job on the wine and alcohol selection, and this flight was definitely no exception to that. SWISS did a really good job.

once we got in the air, the crew came around with a drink service, and I went with champagne with this. They also asked if I wanted any water, and I went with sparkling water with some lemon.

shortly after that, the crew came around with the appetizers to start, and on these carriers, you are generally given the full tray. As you finish the different courses on the tray, they simply take the plate off and put your next course down. It’s not like they take the tray away and give you another tray, so oftentimes you’ll have your dessert or cheeses already plated with your original meal. It doesn’t mean you have to finish the desserts beforehand. Enjoy your appetizer in peace and enjoy the main course as it comes after.

That said, the smoked trout was absolutely delicious and flavorful, and the accompaniments that came with it were also really flavorful. I was offered bread alongside this and went with whole wheat bread.

In between my appetizers and my main, a crew member came around with another round of drinks, and I went with red wine because I had ordered beef for my main course. I have to say, on this particular flight, they were generous with the wine pours, and so I was certainly not complaining about that.

As for the beef, it was honestly perfectly cooked, tender, and quite flavorful. It’s rare that I have a perfectly cooked beef on a flight, as most airlines tend to overcook it in the ovens, but this one was really tender and perfectly well done. The carrots and mashed potatoes were also good, and the peppercorn sauce was really good.

Dessert was a tiramisu, and it was sinfully good. There’s not much more I can say on top of that.

To wrap up my meal, the crew asked if I wanted any hot beverage, and I went with mint tea here.

I went to check out the lavatories after, and they had basic amenities with a few refreshing towels and some soap and cream. It’s not like I was expecting anything crazy, but that’s what this lavatory had.

the crew eventually turned off the lights and had blue mood lighting throughout the cabin. I love my cool color, so I certainly didn’t complain, and it made for some nice cabin shots.

Now, the amenities for this flight were also sufficient for me. I’m not a very needy person, and all I really want is a toothbrush and toothpaste and maybe some creams because your skin can get dry in the sky. They definitely had the toothbrush and toothpaste, but they didn’t have the creams, and I think in business class that’s a fair thing to expect. A lot of other people do like the eye shades and socks, and it’s a good thing they had those in there as well.

the bed does go fully flat, and like I said earlier, the bedding offering was pathetic, with just a pillow and a light blanket. With these seats being used so regularly, there should at least be a mattress layer between the seat and where you sleep, but a flat bed seat is a flat bed seat.

The other complaint I will have is that, like I said earlier, the seat does not have much personal space, and so the bed might feel incredibly narrow for people with broader shoulders. If you don’t sleep on your side, this sometimes might force you to. For me, it was nearly a snug fit, so I was able to make it work out.

I woke up in the middle of the flight to a really warm cabin, and I asked the crew for some mint tea again. I also asked the crew if they could cool the cabin down, as one does.

with about two hours and 20 minutes left in the flight, the crew offered me breakfast if I wanted any or if I wanted some at a later time. It was all the same to me, so I went with having it right when they asked me. About ten minutes later, the tray came with all the food items that I had marked on my breakfast card.

the noodles were honestly pretty good. The garlic and salt flavor really came through the food, even at altitude, and the pork was also pretty good and had a slight sweet hint to it.

The croissant was warm but quite hard, but it was still pretty good

The birch or muesli was also good and had a nice berry tart flavor to it. I don’t really eat birch or muesli on the ground, so I always get a chance to appreciate it whenever I am flying.

The fruits were crisp and refreshing and included apples, oranges, grapes, and papaya.

there was also a round of pre-landing hot towels before we arrived in Hong Kong.

and of course, no Swiss flight is complete without Swiss’s signature Swiss chocolate offering.

The descent views were great as we made our way down into Hong Kong.

SWISS Business Class was mostly a pleasant experience. The throne seat is definitely nice and private, but it lacks personal space, and for people that are bigger, they might find it a lot more uncomfortable. The food was excellent, and I’m not sure whether to attribute this mainly to the hub or if I just had a good flight. My previous flight from San Francisco, the food was not as good as this flight.