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Review: Swiss Business Class 777-300ER Los Angeles to Zurich – THRONE SEAT!
I booked this flight roughly a week before I flew it. If you’re aware of United’s Close-in booking fee ( booked less than 21 days to take-off) you should know that I should have been charged $75. I wasn’t – I did this little TRICK. Saving $75 got me PRETTY PUMPED my Swiss Business Class 777-300ER Los Angeles to Zurich flight. What made it EVEN SWEETER? Locking down a THRONE SEAT prior to take off REALLY GOT those little hairs on my arms to stand up. Aside from flying First Class, locking down a Throne seat is the best you’re gonna get. Of all the Throne seats there are two in particular that I think are THE BEST – 4A and 5K. They are in the mini-cabin. If you aren’t aware of mini-cabins they are the 2 rows set between First Class and the main business class that get a quasi first class service, but are actually in business class. You will not have carts bumping up and down the aisle, no one traipsing to the bathroom, they’re far quieter, and are absolutely my favorite place to sit in business class. I was able to lock down the mini-cabin as well as a Throne seat by doing THIS TRICK. Ok…let’s cut to the chase and see what Swiss has to offer from Los Angeles to Zurich.
The Deets:
- When – May 2017
- Route – LAX-ZRH
- Plane – 777-300ER
- Class – Business, Mini Cabin
- Seat – 5k “Throne Seat”
- How – United Mileage Plus – transferred instantly from Chase’s Ultimate Reward program
- Cost – 70k + ~$20
Swiss cabins are like cashmere sweaters, maybe not practical, but damn handsome and luxurious.
Both the main cabin and the mini cabin are very attractive: luxurious, effortless, classic. Think scotch and a cigar. You may hate the taste, but they’re damn sexy.
The flight crew is VERY attentive and friendly. I tell you…my last flight on Lufthansa First Class had an outstanding crew and so has Swiss. The Lufthansa group is outstanding. I can totally see why people opt to go Star Alliance – what an amazing way to redeem points.
If Traveling Alone – you must Have the Throne.
Make sure you’re utilizing this little trick to secure the Throne http://monkeymiles.boardingarea.com/uniteds-close-booking-fee-sucks-luckily-trick-still-works-avoid/
Both cabins are configured 1-2-2 and then 2-2-1. Not only are the “1’s or Thrones” BY FAR THE BEST. As you can see…this is the row ahead of me. My seat took up the same room as both of their seats.
Because of the product design, your experience is seat dependent – pick the wrong one and you’ll feel like you got the short end of the stick.
There is a big difference not just between paired seats and the THRONES, but even between the seats that are paired. Look in this photo and you can see the difference between aisle seats. At the bottom of the picture you can see the aisle seat has a buffer with a storage compartment while the seat behind is completely exposed to the aisle. The alternate every other row…be aware of this when picking seats.
Swiss Business Class Seat: 5K – Throne
The best is 4A. Bulkhead, multiple windows, but why on earth people have dissed on 5k on seatguru is beyond me. It’s a throne seat in the mini cabin with a single window. Seeing as tho this is an overnight flight across the Atlantic I’m not sure why you’d complain about not having a window next to your head. In fact…I think there is an argument for 5K being the best seat…certainly if you want the best of both worlds: a view and darkness.
Storage is great with the Throne. I can’t attest for the other seats, but I’m guessing it’s a bit lacking. I had two compartments down and to my right that held my shoes, Miles, my glasses, amenity kit, and plenty of room to spare. Higher to my right I had a compartment that held my laptop. I’m roughly 6′ and 170lbs. The seat doesn’t provide a TON of space. I maybe had a 3-4 inches on either side of me. I wear an 11.5 shoe and the footwell is a bit cumbersome.
To my left I had a slide in/out drawer with two levels. Miles JUST HAD TO STEAL THE SHOW 😉
The Bed was long enough, but kind of narrow. Compared to Cathay and AA I’d say it’s not quite as soft. Miles really griped with me about how I was holding him for the shot…a little too “personal” he said. OOPS!
Swiss Business Class – Service: Impeccable
Service can often feel obligatory, even in premium cabins, but Swiss nailed it. I was very fortunate to interact with multiple flight attendants that really took value in providing impeccable service, and prided themselves on making the experience just that…an experience.
Swiss Business Class – Food: Good
I had the Shrimp and Sea Bass. Shrimp was very tasty and if I wasn’t trying to get straight to sleep I’d have eaten all of it; however, it was seasoned with cilantro and it always gives me terrible heartburn. The salad was fresh and I liked that they served some cheese with the appetizer.Sea Bass was ok, but as good as I’ve had fish in flight…Breakfast was the best part.
Swiss Business Class – Entertainment/IFE: Ok
Competitors like AA are offering Bose noise-cancelling headphones and a plethora of viewing options. Swiss offers decent headphones and an OK selection of movies, tv, etc. I was looking to sleep after dinner so it wasn’t really a huge deal for me. If you’re looking to stay awake the entire flight…it’s not the best selection at 35k ft.
Swiss Business Class – Overall:
I’d fly this again in a heartbeat. However, without a Throne seat I’m not sure I’d have the same experience. The Throne gives SO MUCH room, privacy, and a totally different experience than if you were in a middle seat like 5G. The two seats in front of me create a situation where the passenger in 4K actually has to step overHowever, as sad as it is to say, if given the option of a great product to great service…in business class….I’d take the product.
Business Class Comparisons across the Atlantic
- British Airways Club World A380 – Swiss Wins on product and service
- American Airlines Business Class 777-300ER – AA wins product, Swiss Service (Although THRONE IS DOPE)
- American Airlines Business Class 777-200 Retrofit – AA wins product ( unless throne then tie), Swiss Service
- Air Berlin – Swiss wins on product and service
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class 747-400 – Virgin wins Product, Tie on Service
- KLM 777-200 – Tie on Product unless Throne – Swiss wins Service
- Etihad Business Studio 787 – Business Studio wins product, Tie on Service
A little Peek at Swiss First. LOOKS INCRED.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.