SWISS First Class

SWISS reintroduced First Class on the B777-300ER in 2016, eight enclosed suites at the front of the cabin with sliding doors that fully separate the seat from the aisle. The product runs on six routes from Zurich (JFK, EWR, LAX, NRT, HKG, SIN) and a seasonal seventh (BKK in northern winter). The current A340-300 fleet still carries the legacy open-suite product; the retrofit programme to align A340s with the 777 hardware is scheduled through 2027. Book the 777 routes explicitly — the legacy A340 product is a meaningfully different experience.

The defining differentiator versus Lufthansa First (the obvious peer) is the ground experience at Zurich. The SWISS First Lounge in Terminal A's E-gates building covers two floors with a rooftop terrace, a private dining room, a dedicated cigar lounge, and a quiet wing — but the headline is the Mercedes S-Class transfer from the lounge to the aircraft door on the apron, which removes the need to board through the gate entirely. The transfer is included for all SWISS First passengers and the experience is the closest European equivalent to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt. Aeroplan at 80,000 points one-way ZRH-JFK remains the genre-leading award redemption; Miles & More at 110,000 carries CHF 800 fuel surcharges that push the cash-equivalent above paid Business in many cases.