Flight Report : LX 317 London Heathrow - Zurich
31 December 2022
With Europe's airport woes subsiding and schedules ramping up back to normal, I was surprised the price difference between the traditional and low-cost carriers was quite minimal for a New Year's trip to Switzerland. Granted there isn't much low-cost choice to this expensive country to begin with, I opted for a mainline carrier as it was easier for me to get to Heathrow than Gatwick.
Taking a page from Delta's Basic Economy, Swiss also has an Economy Light option that allows hand baggage only, which is all right for my 1 week trip. I would be wearing all the heavy gear onto the plane anyway, going from winter in London to winter in Zurich.
At just under 140 pounds all inclusive, I looked at the breakdown to see the base fare was only 50 pounds, coupled with a surcharge of almost 20 pounds, while various airport surcharges made up the other half. The price was reasonable considering it was the holiday period with a morning and evening flight combination.
Online check-in the day before was quite interesting. The other traditional airlines I've flown with always released the entire seat map for selection even if they charged for an advanced seat booking. However, Swiss had pre-allocated my seat and any alternative selection would cost 10 pounds. Luckily, I got the window that I wanted so I didn't fuss, not that I wanted to pay extra anyway.
I arrived bright and early before sunrise at 7:10am for my 8:50am departure. With hand baggage and a mobile boarding pass, I only had to worry about the security line. The airport was quite empty so early in the day, and there was nobody at the check-in kiosks, where I printed off a paper boarding pass before heading into security, which had a short wait only.
It was still dark when I emerged air-side.
My flight's gate number wasn't available yet, but the board showed what time it'll appear. There was also a half hour delay.
A little hungry, I scanned around the restaurant options, which were all open already, and ended up picking the Chinese restaurant for dim sum. Conveyer belt sushi seemed inappropriate for breakfast.
Our flight departed from one of the terminal's corners, and a line snaked out from the gate in advance of boarding. The cabin looked sleek with slim seats, the pocket embedded into the headrest and not at my knees to give a little more moving space. Knowing food wouldn't be free on board, it was a good thing I filled up on the ground.
Browsing the in-flight dining menu, prices were expensive, which are in-line with Switzerland's cost of living. I can't help but reflect back in Asia, we're used to getting a meal, sometimes a hot one even, for flights of an hour only. We've been spoiled. I also don't think there is much difference anymore flying a mainline carrier compared to a low-cost one with all the unbundled costs.
I noticed the flight map was quite detailed, showing our exact location at the airport.
We eventually took off an hour late into the grey London sky. There was no in-flight entertainment other than the flight map on the overhead screen. The crew first came to give a bottle of water each, followed by chocolates.
The hour and a little bit passed by uneventually and soon we started to descend into a sunnier sky. I could see snow-capped mountains in the distance, which suggests Switzerland is within grasp!
We approached Zurich from the north and landed about half hour late.
Zurich's airport was very busy but I quite liked its sleek design. After a long walk, I was stamped in quickly and emerged into a big shopping mall.
The shopping mall has everything you need, including a supermarket to pick up a cheaper bite for the train ride out.
The train station is right underneath all this and everything is so integrated, I didn't even notice the platform escalators amidst the restaurants and supermarket. After grabbing a sandwich, I was all set to take the train to Luzern. Like Geneva, Switzerland's main airports are quite close to the city. Zurich is under 15 minutes away!
Swiss offers a reliable experience although with the cost unbundling and additional surcharges for checked bags and even an online check-in seat, the traditional airline's travel experience is becoming increasingly like a low-cost one. Perhaps I paid a premium to fly out of Heathrow this morning, but I'm more than happy to try to fly a low-cost carrier out of Gatwick if I need to go to Zurich again.