Let’s talk about SWISS Air Economy class on the Airbus A330-300. I flew SWISS Air to Zurich, Switzerland as my layover on my way to Malta. This was not my first time flying SWISS Air in Economy class. Though it had been a long time, and I was curious to see how things had changed since 2009. They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. You’ll see what I mean.

SWISS Air Economy Class – Airbus A330-300

The plane itself was in good condition for its age. You could tell that the plane was not new. Neither had its interior been updated. Everything was very similar to the plane I took to Switzerland back in 2009.

The seatback area had lots of compartments. Each passenger was provided with a pillow and a blanket.

My one complaint was that the space between the seats, the pitch, was extremely small. I’m not a very tall person (5’7″/1.7018 M). However, I was so cramped that I could not sleep for any of the 8-hour flight.

In-flight Entertainment (IFE)

I wasn’t able to sleep, so I needed to keep myself entertained throughout the flight. The in-flight entertainment had a good variety of shows and movies. There was a USB charging port to charge your devices. This came in handy, since the majority of the flight I watched things that I had downloaded onto my tablet.

This was in part due to the age of the IFE system. You can see in my photos how small the screen was. The touch screen was not sensitive enough. Also, the controller was built into the armrest, so it was a pain to use. Again, I was reminded of the flight I took 15 years ago on SWISS Air.

Food

The food was very good. We started off with some olive crackers. They were very unique, and I liked them a lot. My main course was a dish with pasta and potatoes. It sounds a little unusual, but it was seasoned very well. Real silverware came with the meal.

Mini wine bottles were available with meals. These were offered free of charge. This is something I remember from my flight in 2009. It was a nice touch, as most airlines that serve wine pour it into a cup for each passenger. I chose a Merveilles dry white wine.

Blueberry muffins were served shortly before landing. The muffins were good and moist considering how dry airplane air is. Each passenger was also served a piece of signature SWISS chocolate.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms were well-maintained during the flight. I consider the size of the bathrooms small for a long-haul plane.

The hand lotion and facial spray in “Alpine Valley” scent were nice touches. These were a partnership between SWISS Air and the Swiss brand Soeder.

Flight Attendants

I have no complaints when I think about the flight attendants. They were all pleasant and spent enough time in the cabin.

Bonus

Business Class
I was able to catch a glimpse of the SWISS Air Business class. Again, the seats could use some updating. They were nothing like modern day business class seats that offer much more privacy. However, I did like the windowpane print of the seat fabric and the wood details.

Conclusion

I would fly SWISS Air Economy again. The food was good, and I enjoyed the inflight entertainment selection. However, I could not get over the dated plane interior. 

I hope in the future that SWISS is able to retrofit more of its older planes with new interiors. 2009 was 15 years ago but I felt like I was in a time warp. It was as if I had flown on the same plane. The photo below is from my first SWISS Air flight back in 2009.

A few years ago, I did a post previewing SWISS Air’s new Premium Economy. Check that out to see what SWISS Air is working on. Hopefully more planes in the future will have those newer cabins. Have you ever flown SWISS Air Economy class?