SQ and LX: Geneva and London on 5 Aircraft Types

[icn.sg]

The flight was full, and the tight confines of the cabin made the 45min ATC delay out of LHR feel increasingly unbearable.



We finally took off an hour behind schedule. Service by the Helvetic crew was as professional and polite as their Swiss Counter Parts. The light snack served were had Swiss branded wrapper and was similar to the outbound snack I had. Other than the crew uniform and Helvetic safety card, I couldn’t tell that I was flying a different airline.



Arrival into ZRH





It had been a long day, and I was glad that this would be the final stretch. As a transit passenger, I had to clear immigration upon entering ZRH and again before boarding my flight to SIN. It was an odd process that I have never encountered before. I suppose this is necessary as there is no immigration once one enters the main transit area. I had 2 hours to go before my flight home. The airport was pretty quiet at this time of the evening, and many retail outlets were already closed for the day.



The last bank of flights out of ZRH to HKG, SIN, JNB, TLV would all depart at 22:45. With all the wide body flights departing at the same time, I expected the E gates at the satellite terminal to be crowded. The lounge hops in LHR and uncomfortable E190 flight drained me out considerably. I decided I’d make my way to the E gates only when it is time to board, and spent my evening in the Swiss Lounge.



The key to the lounge shower had to be requested from the reception. The shower facility was clean and basic.

[icn.sg]

Refreshed after my cold shower, I grabbed some dinner and headed to the smoker’s lounge a short flight of stairs above the second level. The smoker’s lounge houses the world’s longest airport bar! Beat that United Club@LHR!

[icn.sg]

ZRH – SIN

Headed to the E Gates via the “Heidi Express” and true enough, the place was a zoo! Boarding was about to begin and I couldn’t wait to get onboard to settle down for my 12 hour flight.

LX 178 to SIN is operated by an A343. It’s been a while since I last set foot on one ... 6 years ago on China Airlines from SGN to TPE to be exact. These birds are becoming increasingly rare in Asia. This may just be my last chance to fly on them before Swiss replaces them with the new 77Ws next year. Last I heard, LX’s 77W Y cabins will be 10 abreast! I pray that SQ fares to ZRH will be cheaper than LX’s when the time comes, but I am not keeping my fingers crossed.



The welcome by the crew was friendly but not warm. “Hello… good evening….*smile*… Hello… (in German or English)” compared to SQ’s “welcome aboard…*quick glance at your boarding pass*…Mr XYZ/Sir/Mdm, across the galley and turn right please… “.

Y seats are upholstered in brown fabric. The overall ambience is warm but not cozy, and it has to do with the white fluorescent lighting on the A340s. The cabin was in pristine condition despite its age. The seats feel a little wider than SQ’s 2007 Y seat and pitch was decent. Every alternate seat had a large metal IFE box under it, which restricts your leg space. The seat base felt slightly shorter than any SQ seat I’ve been on. There was an adjustable head rest but no footrest, and the seat base did not provide a cradle effect when reclined. On the positive side, I felt the seat recline to be more generous than SQ. However, when the person in front of me reclined his seat to the fullest, I had to do the same and slide my bottom forward to get a better view of my screen. I am only 5’9. Shorter passengers would probably not find this a problem.









Overall, the seat was acceptable, but not the most comfortable Y seat I’ve sat on.

The 9 inch seat back PTV is similar in size to the ones on SQ’s refurbished 777s. But unlike SQ, there is no means to switch off the monitor; so unless you have an eye mask on when you sleep, the light from the screen (in minimum brightness) can be glaring in the darkened cabin. The number of movies and TV channels was also limited, and does not even match what SQ used to offer in their first generation AVOD system 15 years ago! Nonetheless, the limited entertainment did not affect me as I just needed to sleep.

[icn.sg]

No hot towels, but menus were distributed before take-off. Bar service from the cart started when we reached cruising altitude, but no snacks or peanuts to go with drinks. I’ve seen Swiss offer packaged pretzels with their bar service, so it’s likely due to the timing of the flight.







There were 2 meal choices - chicken and vegetarian. I was impressed with the quantity and quality of the meal. I chose the chicken, and it was flavorful. The vegetarian option was designed by HILTL, apparently a renowned vegetarian restaurant in Zurich. Drinks and coffee/tea were offered again when the crew cleared the trays.









Tete de Moine – This is an airline that takes its cheeses very seriously!



Meal service was over within an hour, and cabin lights were dimmed for the remainder of the flight. There would always be one crew in the galley throughout the night, attending to passengers needs. An announcement was also made after dinner service informing passengers to help themselves to the snacks in the galley. I didn’t take any pictures, but I recall there were instant soup, bread sticks, chocolate and cereal bars. You had to pour your own drink from the juice carton.

[icn.sg]

Lavatories were well maintained, and I particularly appreciated the hydrating facial spray on such a long flight.



Breakfast was served 2 hours before arrival in SIN. There was only 1 option. Again, very decent taste and the same quantity as what SQ offers on their breakfast tray… fruits, main, yoghurt, breakfast roll with butter and marmalade and orange juice/coffee/tea.







The first, and only hot towel made its appearance after the breakfast service was completed. It was a small fabric towel, unlike the thick and large ones handed out on SQ. It’s better than the wet wipes that some airlines hand out, I suppose.





As on all Swiss flights, chocolates were distributed before landing – to thank passengers for their patronage, and to mark the end of another flight.

The forward camera – something SQ never had



Overall Thoughts on LX

For sure, Swiss is not Singapore Airlines, but that’s not to say that the former offers an inferior Y product. In terms of hardware, it’s an older aircraft, and the seats were probably ahead of its time when the A343 aircraft first joined their fleet. I am pretty sure the introduction of the 77W next year will herald more current and state of the art hardware and entertainment system.

The meals on Swiss impressed me. They simply managed to cramp the same amount of food SQ serves onto a smaller tray. Metal cutleries were a nice touch, but the paper cups made the whole experience seem rather low cost. The menu card was a nice item to have, not many airlines see the need for them nowadays. Among the European carriers, only TK, LH (on selected long haul routes) and AF bother with printed menus. Did I miss any?

An amenity kit and fabric pillow covers would have made Swiss’ Y product almost on par with SQ!

Finally the cabin crew - friendly and engaging during meal service, lots of smiles before disappearing into the galley until the next meal service. Perfectly fine by me on an overnight flight. There was always one crew quietly manning the galley, keeping the snack counter clean and replenishing when drinks ran low. Competent and professional. They got the job done, but lacked the service finesse SQ’s crew bring to the overall inflight experience.

I am accustomed to seeing SQ crew surveying the aisles, picking up trash, serving drinks every 30 minutes on their long haul flights. Perhaps it’s unfair of me to apply the same service procedure and standards to every airline I fly on. That aside, I would still rate the Swiss Y product highly. Service was consistent on every single sector, and what you get is definitely not the bare minimum Y product you see on any U.S. and Canadian carrier.

I would not hesitate to fly Swiss again… that is until the much dreaded 3 x 4 x 3 77Ws make their appearance on the SIN-ZRH route!

You’ve come to the end of this lengthy trip report. I hope you are not exhausted! Thanks for reading.

[CarbonMan]

Thanks icn.sg for the TR. Hope to do ZRH-SIN in May next year on SQ.

Agree with you, the hardware on the a343 does look dated.

[yflyer]

Great TR, icn.sg! I really enjoyed reading it!

You and I have very similar strategies when it comes to securing that elusive Y-flat bed

I would fly Swiss just to try the RJ100...the Embraer looks really cool too. Have never tried any of these. Still on my to-do list.

Yes, Les Miserables live in London is an amazing experience. One of the best musicals to watch live, if not the best. I watched Wicked live in Sydney -- that is another one worth catching live.

In London, if you are Hilton person, try the Hilton Hyde Park. Tiny rooms and few facilities (No Gym! But Hyde Park is just across the road), but most of the rooms should be newly refurbished by now, and I quite like them. Close to some great roast duck in Bayswater, and the rates are less expensive than the other Hiltons in London.

Thanks for the great tour of all the LHR T2 lounges. Of all those lounges, I am inclined to visit the UA one the next time I am there. The SQ one looks ok, but the design just doesn't excite me...

I wouldn't mind flying on the LX A343's...the seats look fine, even if the IFE is quite dated. Food looks quite decent in Y.

Thanks again for posting!

[ycp81]

Nice TR! Great to be able to try out different aircraft types on a trip! LX seems not bad. Guess they have to try very hard on the ZRH-SIN route with their competitor being SQ.

[ek&sq]

Thanks for the trip report - an enjoyable read. The hard product on LX A340s look dated and could do with a refresh, though the renderings of the cabin on the upcoming 77W's look very promising (barring the 3-4-3 configuration). I haven't seen ZRH-SIN on the schedule for the new aircraft, though I suspect LX will eventually up gauge the route. What was the load like on your flight home?

[icn.sg]

Thanks icn.sg for the TR. Hope to do ZRH-SIN in May next year on SQ.

Thanks CarbonMan, Will that be in Suites or Business?

Great TR, icn.sg! I really enjoyed reading it!

You and I have very similar strategies when it comes to securing that elusive Y-flat bed

Glad you enjoyed the TR, yflyer. I think many of us whose default class of travel is Y have learnt a trick or two to make each flight as painless as possible. You won't believe the number of seat changes I make online starting -72hrs to -8hrs to secure that coveted Y seat on long haul flights. It's almost like a game of chess!

I would fly Swiss just to try the RJ100...the Embraer looks really cool too. Have never tried any of these. Still on my to-do list.

It's a rickety plane. Lots of creaks and noises when the plane is on the ground. The Embraer by contrast feels and sounds more refined.

In London, if you are Hilton person, try the Hilton Hyde Park.

I read your review on the Hilton Hyde Park, and really liked how the refurbished room looked. Unfortunately I did not have corporate rates for this property.

Nice TR! Great to be able to try out different aircraft types on a trip! LX seems not bad. Guess they have to try very hard on the ZRH-SIN route with their competitor being SQ.

Thank you, ycp81. I notice that you travel almost every other month....FOR LEISURE! Can I have your job?!

You are probably right about LX upping their game on the ZRH-SIN route. Their catering on flights across the Atlantic appears to be more watered down. So I was pleasantly surprised to find proper appetizers and dessert on my flight.

Thanks for the trip report - an enjoyable read. The hard product on LX A340s look dated and could do with a refresh, though the renderings of the cabin on the upcoming 77W's look very promising (barring the 3-4-3 configuration). I haven't seen ZRH-SIN on the schedule for the new aircraft, though I suspect LX will eventually up gauge the route. What was the load like on your flight home?

Glad you enjoyed the TR, ek&sq. Agree that their 77W renderings look really good and classy, but it's still 3 x 4 x 3 in Y. The new seats appear to be semi-slim seats (a.k.a thin cushions). I am sure the 77W will eventually replace the A343 routes. If it doesn't fly to SIN next year, it will definitely do so the year after.

The flight was approx. 70% load in Y. Several passengers (me included) had empty seats beside us.

[CarbonMan]

Thanks CarbonMan, Will that be in Suites or Business?

Booked suites on redemption ... hopefully my wife is agreeable to the trip. It'll be a holiday starting in MXP, a drive around northern Italy and ending up in ZRH.

[yflyer]

Booked suites on redemption ... hopefully my wife is agreeable to the trip. It'll be a holiday starting in MXP, a drive around northern Italy and ending up in ZRH.

Great use of miles, CarbonMan! I am sure the spouse will be ecstatic with a plan like that!

[ycp81]

Thank you, ycp81. I notice that you travel almost every other month....FOR LEISURE! Can I have your job?!

You are probably right about LX upping their game on the ZRH-SIN route. Their catering on flights across the Atlantic appears to be more watered down. So I was pleasantly surprised to find proper appetizers and dessert on my flight.

Haha, just that I used almost all my annual vacation leave for travelling, plus with proper planning taking into account weekends and public holidays, it is really doable.

My only experiences with LX are when they flew the 5th freedom SIN-BKK-SIN route about 8-9 yrs ago. The economy seats on the A340 are exactly the same as those I flew on then, as well as the yummy pre-landing swiss chocolates!

[icn.sg]

Booked suites on redemption ... hopefully my wife is agreeable to the trip. It'll be a holiday starting in MXP, a drive around northern Italy and ending up in ZRH.

Do tell the Mrs that if she is disagreeable, there is a long queue of SQTalk members waiting to go in her place.

[icn.sg]

Haha, just that I used almost all my annual vacation leave for travelling, plus with proper planning taking into account weekends and public holidays, it is really doable.

You are lucky to be able to fully utilize your annual leave.