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As mentioned here, I’m headed to Puglia for the next 10 days. We visited the Swissport Lounge (review here) and SAS Lounge (review here) before departing Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on SWISS. I booked the outbound flights using United MileagePlus miles and was happy to find two seats that will get us to Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI) with just a single connection.
Anthony’s Take: My seat was uncomfortable and didn’t fully work. There are no individual air nozzles and the cabin was warm. The food was decent and I was impressed that my beef was cooked medium rare. The flight arrived early and the service was efficient (and a little bit cold). SWISS Business Class gets the job done, but it’s nothing too exciting.
Booking
This flight was booked as a oneway award ticket on United.com. We flew to Zurich Airport (ZRH)
on SWISS and will head home on Delta Air Lines. The one-way tickets in Business Class cost 88,000 United MileagePlus miles each (including our connection to Bari).
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
We departed from Terminal 5. As mentioned above, we checked out the two lounges that are accessible to Star Alliance Gold and SWISS Business Class passengers. Terminal 5 holds both Delta Air Lines as well as almost all international carriers operating at the airport. I checked in online and we were not checking bags, so it was easy to just get to the lounges and gate.
Boarding
The flight boarded early and we were among the first on the plane. One of the gate agents was making announcement and he essentially called those needing assistance, families, Group 1, and Group 2 all at once. Group 1 is HON Circle and First. Group 2 is Business, Senators, and Star Alliance Gold. The announcements were hard to hear and another gate agent told us to board.
On-Board
We selected seats 6D and 6G in the bulkhead of the larger Business Class cabin. There is a smaller Business Class cabin behind First Class, but those seats were full when I booked this trip.
Our seats were not very comfortable and mine (6D) particularly lacked space. My seat would not fully recline using the seat controls. The flight attendants needed to adjust it manually. The cabin was warm and this was exacerbated by there not being air nozzles over each seat. These seats were good for traveling together and the footwell was large. The cabin feels a bit dated and there is nothing noteworthy, but it got us to Europe and arrived early.
A pillow and blanket were on the seat when I arrived.
Headphones were also hanging at my seat and a bottle of water was nearby.
A button on the side of the seat controlled the tray table.
The table was a good size.
An amenity kit was also at each seat. It’s currently Victorinox branded.
The contents were rather basic with lip balm, hand lotion, socks, earplugs, an eye shade, a toothbrush, and toothpaste inside.
The screen was adequate and there was a storage compartment under it.
The storage compartment was a good space for my laptop when not in use.
My seat had issues, so most of these controls did not fully work.
A remote control did work for the entertainment system, but the massage functions were broken.
My outlet was a bit hard to find as it was tucked inside another cabinet.
Shortly after settling in, a flight attendant offered Champagne or an Elderflower soda.
We had one of each.
Menus were then distributed.
Here are the food and beverage options.
We were also handed a breakfast menu and asked to mark our selections.
Food
The food was decent, but I wouldn’t say it was great. It was better than what United serves, but I have had better meals in flight. Nuts (not warmed) and a choice of beverage were brought out to start. Along with a second hot towel (one was provided before we took off).
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.
For a main, I selected the Beef Tenderloin with Thyme and Black Pepper Demi-Glace with Rutabaga Gratin, Roasted Baby Turnips, Yellow Beets, and Bell Pepper.
I was impressed that the beef was cooked medium rare.
My husband had the Grilled Chicken Breast with Piri-Piri Sauce, Roasted Potato Wedges, and Smashed Peas. He liked it, overall.
Dessert was brought out quickly after. This flight offered Lemon Meringue Shortbread. I didn’t care for the crust.
To end the meal, each passenger was given a Lindt LINDOR truffle.
Halfway through the flight I wandered into the galley and noticed that a cart of snacks was set up.
Soon enough, it was breakfast time. The quality of the baked goods was poor. The yogurt was fine.
More chocolate was distributed prior to landing.
Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi worked on and off for the entire flight. It was speedy but not reliable throughout. The cost for the full flight was 35 CHF. This feels expensive and with it not being totally reliable should be less. If you want less time, four hours is 25 CHF and messaging is free.
Lavatory
There are three lavatories for Business Class. These are standard airplane bathrooms with a sink and toilet. The lavatories were relatively clean.
The bathroom was tight, but all airplane lavatories generally are compact.
Lotion and moist towelettes were available.
Many people went in wearing socks, which is gross. One guy went in at least three times with bare feet. This is so disgusting.
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 friendly. Their jobs were done and that was all they were looking to do.
Overall Impression:
We departed on time and arrived early. The service was mediocre and the food was okay. I found the seat uncomfortable, the cabin hot, and the Wi-Fi spotty. We got to Europe, but nothing was memorable.
Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: The Platinum Card® from American Express is my go-to for booking airfare from the airlines to earn 5x points (up to $500,000 per calendar year booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel). The card has an annual fee of $695, but it provides many travel benefits and will always be my go-to for lounge access (both Delta Sky Clubs® and Centurion Lounges) and taking advantage of all that the Fine Hotels & Resorts program offers. Learn more. Rates & Fees. Terms apply.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
