Flight Review: SWISS Airbus A330-300 Business Class – ZRH-MIA

We flew SWISS back to Florida after our trip to Rome and Montenegro. The nonstop flight from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Miami International Airport (MIA) was around 10.5 hours. The Airbus A330-300 felt a bit dated, but it was plenty comfortable in Business Class for a daytime flight.

Anthony’s Take: Everything about this flight was average. The seat was fine, the food was okay, and the service was mediocre. I can’t think of anything that deserved praise or real complaints on this flight. It got the job done and I liked being able to fly nonstop to Florida. We stayed a few days at the St. Regis Bal Harbour on arrival (which is still one of my favorite hotels).

Booking

This flight was booked as a roundtrip ticket through Lufthansa with the routing YYZ-FRA-FCO | FCO-ZRH-MIA. I paid $1,760 per ticket. This was a great bargain as flying from Tampa or other US airports was twice the price. I have flown to Europe from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) several times now and while immigration and security can take a lot of time, the savings are well worth it. This is the second time that I have flown into Miami International Airport (MIA) and this time I encountered no wait for Global Entry. I was off the plane and on my way to the rental car center in minutes.

Zurich Airport (ZRH)

Zurich Airport (ZRH) has lots of shopping, restaurants, and several SWISS lounges. We went to the one near the E gates this trip. I reviewed it last summer and not much has changed. It’s a nice space with a large outdoor patio and plenty of room to work and relax. I checked in with my phone and were able to get boarding passes there. I liked that there was a space in the lounge to verify documents and that we did not have to do that at the gate.

Boarding

The flight boarded on time and we were near the front. Group 1 is HON Circle and First. This cabin was full and everyone boarded first. Group 2 is Business Class, Miles & More Senator members, and Star Alliance Gold. The announcements were clear and boarding was orderly.

On-Board

We selected seats 7A and 7B as the bulkhead was booked in Business Class. There is a smaller Business Class cabin behind First Class, but those seats were also full when I booked this trip.

Our seats were not very comfortable and lacked space. It would be awkward to travel with a stranger as you are essentially on top of each other with no divider. The cabin was warm and this was exacerbated by there not being air nozzles over each seat. These seats were fine for us as we were traveling together and the footwells were large. The cabin feels a bit dated and there is also nothing noteworthy about the design, but it got us to the US and we arrived on time. A pillow and blanket were on the seat when I arrived.

Headphones were also hanging at my seat and a bottle of water were tucked under the entertainment screen.

A button on the top of the seat controlled the tray table.

As mentioned, there were no air nozzles, but reading lights were over each seat and additional lights could be swiveled as needed.

I did not end up watching anything, but there were plenty of movies and TV shows to choose from. The screen is much smaller than the one on the Boeing 777-300ER that I flew last summer.

The screen was a touchscreen, but this controlled it as well.

Seat controls allowed it to turn into a lie-flat bed. There were two sets of controls.

The seatback pocket held the safety card and a hanger for coats.

An amenity kit was distributed. It contained a toothbrush and toothpaste, eye shield, socks, and earplugs.

Shortly after settling in, a flight attendant offered Champagne or an Elderflower soda. We went with the latter.

The menu outlined lunch as well as our arrival choices. I liked that the arrival choices were served a la carte.

Food

The food was decent, but I wouldn’t say it was great. It was better than what United serves in Polaris, but I have had better meals in flight. Nuts (not warmed) and a choice of beverage were brought out to start. I had apple juice mixed with sparkling water.

A tray appeared next with the appetizer, salad, and cheese course. I wish they would hold the cheese until the end. A bread basket was also brought around. I had the Vitello Salmone and it was tasty.

For my main, I selected the Chicken Breast with Casimir Curry Sauce.

After the dinner tray was cleared, flight attendants offered Lemon Cake. It was pretty dense and not very good.

Snacks were available in the galley.

Prior to landing, I had some Casarecce Pasta and a cup of ice cream.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi worked for the entire flight. It was speedy and reliable throughout the flight. The cost for the full flight was 35 CHF. This feels expensive, but at least it worked. If you want less time, four hours is 25 CHF and messaging is free.

Lavatory

There are two lavatories for Business Class. These are standard airplane bathrooms with a sink and toilet.

The lavatories were relatively clean.

Service

The flight attendants were not warm nor friendly. They quickly did what they had to do and then disappeared into the galley. There was no chit-chat and no attempt to be congenial. Their jobs were done and that was all they were looking to do.

Overall Impression:

We departed on time and arrived on time. The service was mediocre and the food was okay. I found the seat uncomfortable and the cabin hot. That said, I would fly SWISS again if the price was right.