Flight report: Tokyo – Zurich with SWISS in Premium Economy (Boeing 777-300ER)

Disclaimer: In order to ensure that our experience would be as authentic as possible, we personally paid for the full fare and the airline was not informed that any content regarding this flight would be produced.

Tokyo-Narita, Premium Economy

Scheduled Departure Time: 10:45; ETA: 18:10; Estimated Flight Time: 14h25m – Boeing 777-300

Check-in in Tokyo:

Since we already had our digital boarding passes on us, we didn’t waste any time and headed straight to security. However, we couldn’t help but notice that SWISS had four different check-in counters available: one of which exclusively for business class and “premium” passengers, and the other three for economy class passengers. This setup probably ensures a relatively quick and efficient check-in and bag drop process for everyone.

As for Narita Airport, it’s no wonder that it gets consistently talked about as one of the best airports in the world, as it was incredibly clean, well-organized and easy to navigate.

Boarding in Tokyo:

We experienced a slight delay due to the late arrival of the Boeing 777-300ER from Zurich. As a result, boarding took place about 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. However, the airline handled it well by organizing passengers into four groups (1, 2, 3 and 4), with priority given to those in First/Business Class, passengers with special needs and clients traveling with children. We were part of group 3 and boarded the plane about 10-12 minutes after the first passenger in group 1.

Flight LX161:

Just like Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8 on the outbound flight, Swiss’ Boeing 777-300 was organized in four different classes: First Class, Business, Premium Economy and Economy. Swiss’ Premium Economy has a 2-4-2 layout and was located immediately behind the Business Class seats. During check-in, we chose seats 20J and 20K, which, just like on the outbound flight, offered virtually infinite legroom. This time, however, we didn’t have to worry about being too close to the bathrooms, as we had learned on our Lufthansa Frankfurt – Tokyo flight that this could be a bit of a double-edged sword.

As we were seated at the front, the tray table and the in-flight entertainment screen were inserted into the armrest.

When we arrived at our seats, we found a pillow, a blanket, full-size headphones, a water bottle and a small amenity kit containing a recycled plastic toothbrush, toothpaste, a high-quality sleep mask and earplugs.

The Swiss Premium Economy seat clearly emphasized the “premium” part of its name, and it felt nothing like “economy.” Besides the leg rest, our seat had a maximum recline angle of 31 degrees, a generous 46cm width (3cm wider than Economy) and a legroom that stretched to a whopping 99cm, which is 21cm more than the average Economy seat. Furthermore, the seats had what I call a rigid (or fixed) structure. This means that the seats didn’t recline backward, but passengers could rather slide the seat forward in order to get more comfortable. This ensured that our personal space remained the same, regardless of whether the passenger in front of us had their seat in the upright position or fully reclined.

Visually, this is also a pretty sleek product, and we could only really point out a couple of downsides to it. The first one is related to the flight attendant call button, which is located on the inner side of the seat – right next to the passenger’s thigh – making it incredibly easy to accidentally press it. Secondly, we struggled a little bit to recline our seats, since the spring mechanism automatically creates a counter-tension in the opposite direction. Although it’s much easier to return the seat to a fully upright position, it’s considerably more difficult to achieve maximum recline.

These seats are equipped with a universal socket and two USB ports: one next to the socket and another hidden between the armrest and the back of the seat.

Unlike Lufthansa, the onboard entertainment system is excellent. The interface was clean and perfectly adjusted for the touch screen, which was the typical size you would find in business class. Although the library wasn’t the largest, there were plenty of recent movies and TV shows to choose from.

Shortly before takeoff, the flight attendant warmly offered us a welcome drink along with a paper menu.

About 50 minutes after takeoff, our friendly flight attendant returned to offer us new drinks. I went with a gin and tonic, which was served with some snacks, while my travel companion chose water.

After about 1h45m into the flight, lunch was served. Unlike Lufthansa, which offered a “classic” dish and a vegetarian option, Swiss Air provided passengers with three choices.

Both me and my partner went for the same option: beef tenderloin, potato gratin, glazed carrots and red peppers. It was delicious, and once again, the “premium” in premium economy stood out. The meal menus are actually different from those in economy class, making it easier to differentiate between the two and convince passengers to pay the extra fare (which can often be quite substantial). In addition to the main course, the meal was served with a pack of butter, two bread rolls, two slices of cheese and an orange cake with berry compote that was quite tasty. As for the drinks, passengers could choose from a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

After offering the customary “tea or coffee”, the flight attendant passed by with some Lindt chocolate balls, which goes to show just how serious Swiss Air takes their service. A second bottle of water was also given to passengers, which made perfect sense considering how long the flight was. Since we still had about 10 hours of flying time ahead of us, the cabin lights were then dimmed.

After dozing off in my very comfortable seat for a few hours (though I struggled a bit with the seat’s spring mechanism, I eventually managed to recline it to its maximum angle), I woke up to my travel companion bringing me something to eat.

On longer flights, it’s not uncommon for some of the top airlines to provide passengers with snacks and drinks. However, and once again, SWISS goes above and beyond. In addition to the typical snacks and sweets, passengers could also pick up breaded chicken sandwiches, regardless of their seat class. You’re free to get up, grab a sandwich, a chocolate bar or some snacks along with a glass of water, and return to your seat whenever you want.

When traveling between Japan and Europe, or vice versa, your meal times can often be out of sync with the timing of the food service, so having the option to eat something more filling than just a chocolate bar once hunger strikes without having to wait for the airline’s service is great.

Aside from all the snacks, SWISS apparently wasn’t quite ready to settle yet and we were treated to an ice cream mid-flight (plus another bottle of water).

Afterwards, we assumed that no more hot meals would be served until the end of the flight. But we were wrong. About 90 minutes before landing, we were served a gratin eggplant and a matcha cake. I skipped the eggplant, but my partner said it was pretty good, as was the matcha cake.

When it comes to onboard wi-fi, SWISS’s pricing is a far cry from Lufthansa’s reasonable rates (starting from €3). Paying more than €9 for 20MB of data just doesn’t make any sense in this day and age, especially when some airlines are already offering passengers the possibility to use messaging apps for free.

The crew was incredibly friendly and professional throughout the entire flight.

Despite leaving with a 30-minute delay, flight LX161 landed in Zurich at 17:56 local time, 14 minutes earlier than the scheduled arrival time.

Summary/Findings:

I‘ve always thought SWISS to be the best airline for intra-European flights, but I had never flown long-haul with them before to confidently say that they are the best European airline overall. However, now I can say with some certainty that they are. Apart from the seat recline mechanism being a bit too clanky and the ridiculously expensive wi-fi, there are no other inconveniences to declare. The hard product is excellent, with impeccable cabins on both Economy and Premium Economy, and a great in-flight entertainment system. The soft product is also outstanding, with fantastic catering and an ultra-professional and friendly crew. Extra points for service and for those little details that help enhance the flying experience, like the chocolates, the ice cream and those readily available food items (and water) for passengers at any time. After flying with Lufthansa and SWISS, it’s no surprise that Lufthansa is soon basically “copying” SWISS’s Premium Economy cabin.