Swiss introduces new Premium Economy

28^th Jun 2021

The airline Swiss has unveiled its new Premium Economy Class. The seat will be fitted to it's Boeing 777 aircraft. Unusually, Swiss has opted for a fixed backshell seat, and has not placed the seats in a separated cabin.

Swiss International Air Lines Premium Economy seats are to be rolled out the Swiss Boeing 777-300ER fleet by Mid 2022. The 12 aircraft will start to be retrofitted by the end of this year, and for a short time upgrade options are offered for a fee, particularly for top tier frequent flyers who will be able to switch to these seats before the class as a whole is for sale.

The cabin with three rows in a 2-4-2 configuration is unusually not separated from the rest of economy class, as most airlines lay out their Premium Economy offerings.

All 24 seats recline, into an integrated fixed back shell, which means there is no intrusion into the personal space of the passenger behind. However, this design of seat has been removed from other airlines, notably Cathay Pacific, as many passengers find they seem to be a little more cramp than the normal recliners.

The Swiss Premium Economy seats have an industry standard pitch of 38 inches: this is the distance from one seat to the next, compared to economy with a pitch of 32 inches, and is also equipped with a fold-out leg rest. The width also increases from 17 to 19 inches: in total the seats are about 10% wider and offer 22% more recline than the standard economy seats. They are produced by seat manufacturer ZIM.

The seat design looks very Swiss, with the usual matt gray fabric, being produced by Lantal of the Swiss city of Bern.

Amenity and entertainment are slightly uprated in this class, with Swiss Premium Economy gaining a complimentary amenity kit that is specifically manufactured using sustainable materials.

The seat has a 15.6-inch TV screen, and noise reducing headphones.

There is a small reading lamps built into the seat, and a standard USB charging port.

Other perks include priority boarding, and twice as much registered baggage. While lounge access is not given, unusually, it can be purchased, at a reduced-rate for access to the SWISS Business Lounge.

"We are delighted that, in introducing our new Premium Economy Class, we are meeting our customers' growing demand for more privacy, more comfort and more individuality," says SWISS Chief Executive Dieter Vranckx. "By introducing our new class of travel, we are also further strengthening our premium positioning in the growing leisure travel segment."

The new Premium Economy Class on Swiss will be sold in line with general market pricing, and the one-way fare for the new Premium Economy Class will be around CHF 250 to 350 (£280GBP) higher than its Economy Class equivalent.

SWISS's inflight cuisine has also been specially tailored to the new class of travel. Premium Economy travellers will be offered a refreshing elderberry welcome drink, and will be able to choose from three hot meals all served on china tableware.

The selection here will include a dish from the award-winning 'SWISS Taste of Switzerland' inflight culinary programme, together with a vegetarian option supplied by Hiltl, the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant.

"Our Premium Economy guests will be able to choose their inflight meal according to their personal wishes and tastes," CCO Goudarzi Pour explains. "And we'll also be able to count on our long-standing partnership with Hiltl for our vegetarian offerings, for which we're seeing an ever-growing demand."

Destinations served by SWISS with this aircraft type include Bangkok, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Singapore.

Swiss introduces new Premium Economy

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