ZURICH, Switzerland - There are more than five cool things to do and see in Switzerland's largest city, to be sure. Nevertheless, this is my list - short, subjective, necessarily incomplete - but helpful, I hope, for visitors to this lovely place.
1. Bathhouses - According to the informed sources at Zurich Tourism, there are some 40 public bathhouses in Zurich. Arrayed along Lake Zurich and the city's rivers, they are favorites among the locals and accessible to the public for a fee. The covered baths are for swimming in the day time. When night falls, the structures are transformed into happening bars and spaces for art exhibits and musical performances.
2. Kunsthaus. This is Zurich's accomplished museum of fine art, located on a hillside, sprawling across several floors and built around open central staircases. The museum has a superb permanent collection of painting and sculpture, spanning the generations from Old Masters to edgy, contemporary art. The Kunsthaus' Buhrle Collection includes first-class Impressionist work by the likes of Monet, Cezanne, Manet and Van Gogh.
3. Bahnhofstrasse and the new district. Bahnhofstrasse, an urban boulevard maybe three-quarters of a mile long, is pedestrian-only along much of its length and lined with designer shops and speckled with top international brands. Running from lakeside to the Baahnhof main rail station, the Bahnhofstrasse, served by electric trams, is a great place to stroll and browse. The cavernous rail station is filled with travelers and perfumed by cigaret smoke from stressed commuters at the busiest times. In late November and December, the Bahnhof is magically transformed into a popular Christmas market complete with a towering evergreen tree dressed with crystal stars. The expansive construction site outside the station will give rise to a new city district, dubbed Europaallee, scheduled for completion by 2019.
4. Zurich West. This former industrial zone of warehouses and factories is morphing into concrete-floored, high-ceilinged spaces for galleries, performances, restaurants and bars. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but once you step into the interior spaces, all becomes more lively. Housing is also being built in the area. Additionally, cosy new shops are going in beneath the arches of an overhead rail line and a covered market 1600 feet long is being installed. This is an area where young Zurich hangs out.
5. Marc Chagall's stained glass windows. Installed by the artist in 1970 inside the 13th century Fraumunster, a landmark church beneath a soaring clock tower, Chagall designed five 30-foot-high stained glass windows with depictions of scriptural scenes. Get there on a sunny morning to see the full, glowing effect of these color-washed masterworks. The church's older interior frescos, made by other hands, are not too shabby, either.
Oh, here are two more cool things - or, rather, cool events.
Zurich Festival (Zurcher Festspiele). Running this year from Thursday, June 18 through July 11, this three-week festival is an exhibition and celebration of concerts, drama, dance, opera and theater, at venues around town.
Picasso Exhibit. At the aforementioned Kunsthaus, from Oct. 15 through January 30, 2011. A revived exhibition of 70 paintings by Pablo Picasso, chosen by the artist himself for a show in this museum in the 1930s, will go on display for the first time in nearly 80 years. This is THE big art event in art-rich Zurich this year, and sure to be a hot ticket.
Showing posts with label Switzerland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Switzerland. Show all posts
Monday, June 14, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The New Biz Class on Swiss
As domestic air travel in my part of the world - urban North America - grows more pinched and ever more tedious, it's good to know that flying can still be fun sometimes, somewhere. Generally, this means long-haul flights on well-run, profitable carriers, and even more specifically, it means flying in the front of the cabin on international routes.
Why? Well, this is where most major airlines make money. Catering to high-yield business and corporate travelers who can pay for good service is good business.
One of the very best premium services I've experienced recently is the new business class on Swiss International Air Lines. Swiss, a unit of the profit-making Lufthansa Group, has just started to reconfigure its business product. I flew the old business class from San Francisco to Zurich last week; it was far from bad, but the new product is better - an upgrade in the sky. This is in keeping with Swiss' recent track record. The airline, which carried 13.8 million passengers last year, is one of Europe's best upscale boutique carriers.
I flew the new business class on my way back to California from Zurich on board an Airbus A340, the biggest aircraft in Swiss' 77-strong fleet. The first thing I noticed was the unusual, and unusually attractive, seating arrangement: 2-2-2 or 2-2-1. Every seat in the cabin is either at a window or on an aisle. I had a window, which I always prefer, and did not have anyone sitting next to me, which gave me room to spread out. My seat, like all the others in biz class, was backed by a hard plastic shell; so, when the passengers in front of me inevitably put their seats back, then all the way down, on our 11.5 hour flight, there was no intrusion into my space. I was, of course, able to do the same.
Swiss has a true flatbed, reclining to 180 degrees, not one of those inclined seats that makes you feel you'll slide right out onto the floor if you don't wear your seatbelt the whole time. That said, a seat is not a mattress. Passengers are able to tweak the hardness and softness of the aircushion seat, which helps a lot, though you can feel, slightly, the component parts of the seat. Movement in the cabin, aircraft noise and anticipation of arrival usually prevent me from sleeping on all but the most exhausting, middle-of-the-night flights. This was an afternoon flight. So, I didn't sleep. My fellow passengers didn't seem to have that problem; they were off in dreamland. Everyone I talked to afterward said they loved the new seats, and I found them decidedly better than what you usually find in the sky, even onboard top international carriers.
Then, there was the food. Airline food has long been the butt of complaints and jokes. In my days as a newspaper comedy critic, I heard comedians crack wise about airline food in nearly every stand-up show I reviewed. But, surprise. The food on Swiss is good. True, the airline ran out of my first choice on both flights, a minor annoyance that has happened on many airlines I have traveled with. Shouldn't customer surveys alert airlines about which of their main courses are most likely to be most popular, so they can order more? I missed the veal in cream sauce created for the airline by a Swiss celebrity chef. This was not entirely tragic. The moist salmon that I did have was more than acceptable, and I liked the emphasis the airline puts on fruity, fragrant Swiss Pinot Noir and mild Swiss Chardonnay. For dessert, there was good cheese and fruit salad but I, of course, also went for the fine Swiss chocolate, as who wouldn't?
The amenity kit came in smart, zippered Navyboot fabric bags and included the basics: eyeshade, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste. An enclosed card told male passengers that a shaving kit is available on request, as are other items such as a shoehorn and sewing kit.
The in-flight entertainment system was very good, offering a wide range of choices for video on demand, TV, games, movies, many genres of music, a changing electronic map showing the progress of our journey - in short, the long menu of electronic distractions international business- and first-class passengers have come to expect. Creature comforts are, as always, nice, but I especially appreciated the work of the flight crew. The pilots often shared information - not a given at many airlines - and the seasoned flight attendants were friendly without sacrificing efficiency; there wasn't a grump in the bunch. That stands in sharp contrast to the attitude of too many FAs on U.S. carriers, where a sense of resentment mingled with a sense of entitlement has replaced hospitality; United Airlines, I'm looking at you.
Swiss is a member of Star Alliance, the largest of the three global alliances of airlines. Travelers on the twentysomething Star member-carriers can not only use airline code-shares to extend their routes, but also use other members' airport lounges. In Zurich, that's a good thing, as the sparkling, two-level Swiss lounge is a lovely, spacious place to unwind before or between flights. One suggestion: If the airport agrees, the lounge should be moved from before security to beyond security; travelers never know how much time they will spend in screening lines, and this would ease anxieties.
Swiss International Air Lines is based in Basel, Switzerland. More information can be found online at http://www.swiss.com/ or by toll-free telephone in the U.S. at 1-877-FLY-SWISS.
Why? Well, this is where most major airlines make money. Catering to high-yield business and corporate travelers who can pay for good service is good business.
One of the very best premium services I've experienced recently is the new business class on Swiss International Air Lines. Swiss, a unit of the profit-making Lufthansa Group, has just started to reconfigure its business product. I flew the old business class from San Francisco to Zurich last week; it was far from bad, but the new product is better - an upgrade in the sky. This is in keeping with Swiss' recent track record. The airline, which carried 13.8 million passengers last year, is one of Europe's best upscale boutique carriers.
I flew the new business class on my way back to California from Zurich on board an Airbus A340, the biggest aircraft in Swiss' 77-strong fleet. The first thing I noticed was the unusual, and unusually attractive, seating arrangement: 2-2-2 or 2-2-1. Every seat in the cabin is either at a window or on an aisle. I had a window, which I always prefer, and did not have anyone sitting next to me, which gave me room to spread out. My seat, like all the others in biz class, was backed by a hard plastic shell; so, when the passengers in front of me inevitably put their seats back, then all the way down, on our 11.5 hour flight, there was no intrusion into my space. I was, of course, able to do the same.
Swiss has a true flatbed, reclining to 180 degrees, not one of those inclined seats that makes you feel you'll slide right out onto the floor if you don't wear your seatbelt the whole time. That said, a seat is not a mattress. Passengers are able to tweak the hardness and softness of the aircushion seat, which helps a lot, though you can feel, slightly, the component parts of the seat. Movement in the cabin, aircraft noise and anticipation of arrival usually prevent me from sleeping on all but the most exhausting, middle-of-the-night flights. This was an afternoon flight. So, I didn't sleep. My fellow passengers didn't seem to have that problem; they were off in dreamland. Everyone I talked to afterward said they loved the new seats, and I found them decidedly better than what you usually find in the sky, even onboard top international carriers.
Then, there was the food. Airline food has long been the butt of complaints and jokes. In my days as a newspaper comedy critic, I heard comedians crack wise about airline food in nearly every stand-up show I reviewed. But, surprise. The food on Swiss is good. True, the airline ran out of my first choice on both flights, a minor annoyance that has happened on many airlines I have traveled with. Shouldn't customer surveys alert airlines about which of their main courses are most likely to be most popular, so they can order more? I missed the veal in cream sauce created for the airline by a Swiss celebrity chef. This was not entirely tragic. The moist salmon that I did have was more than acceptable, and I liked the emphasis the airline puts on fruity, fragrant Swiss Pinot Noir and mild Swiss Chardonnay. For dessert, there was good cheese and fruit salad but I, of course, also went for the fine Swiss chocolate, as who wouldn't?
The amenity kit came in smart, zippered Navyboot fabric bags and included the basics: eyeshade, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste. An enclosed card told male passengers that a shaving kit is available on request, as are other items such as a shoehorn and sewing kit.
The in-flight entertainment system was very good, offering a wide range of choices for video on demand, TV, games, movies, many genres of music, a changing electronic map showing the progress of our journey - in short, the long menu of electronic distractions international business- and first-class passengers have come to expect. Creature comforts are, as always, nice, but I especially appreciated the work of the flight crew. The pilots often shared information - not a given at many airlines - and the seasoned flight attendants were friendly without sacrificing efficiency; there wasn't a grump in the bunch. That stands in sharp contrast to the attitude of too many FAs on U.S. carriers, where a sense of resentment mingled with a sense of entitlement has replaced hospitality; United Airlines, I'm looking at you.
Swiss is a member of Star Alliance, the largest of the three global alliances of airlines. Travelers on the twentysomething Star member-carriers can not only use airline code-shares to extend their routes, but also use other members' airport lounges. In Zurich, that's a good thing, as the sparkling, two-level Swiss lounge is a lovely, spacious place to unwind before or between flights. One suggestion: If the airport agrees, the lounge should be moved from before security to beyond security; travelers never know how much time they will spend in screening lines, and this would ease anxieties.
Swiss International Air Lines is based in Basel, Switzerland. More information can be found online at http://www.swiss.com/ or by toll-free telephone in the U.S. at 1-877-FLY-SWISS.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Baur au Lac Hotel, Zurich
ZURICH, Switzerland - Back in 1844, the Baur family opened a newly built grand hotel on the shores of Lake Zurich. It was criticized at the time by local burghers because it was far from the center of the city - today's Old Town - and because it faced the lake; they couldn't figure out why a hotel would turn its back on the city just to provide views of some water.
Today, the Baur au Lac Hotel is 166 years old, still on the lake and still operated by the same family - now in the sixth generation. But what is most notable about the venerable Swiss property is not its longevity but its quality. The Baur au Lac, renovated in 2009 and featuring amenities like WiFi and a 24-hour business center, is unlike some heritage hotels in that it still has a palpable sense of history without looking or feeling worn. The multilingual staff is first rate, the hotel is lovely - especially inside - it has a great location near the shopping-mad Bahnhofstrasse and a classical concert hall, and the green expanse in front of the hotel is beautifully landscaped and manicured. There has been no shortage of celebrity guests at this Zurich landmark, from King Ludwig I of Bavaria, to Richard Wagner, Thomas Mann, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Actors Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere and Daniel Craig are regulars. I didn't spy any stars, but I am not an enthusiastic celebrity-spotter, so I wasn't disappointed.
Oh, and the hotel serves up awfully good food, too, both in its canalside Rive Gauche restaurant and bar, and in the fine-dining Pavillon, with its beautiful, circular main room. The restaurant lays out a sumptuous breakfast buffet from 6:30 a.m. and pours light, fruity Swiss and international wines at dinner. Pavillon also features toothsome menu creations such as a slightly sweet-fleshed monkfish entree that I dined on the first night of my two-night stay. There are no fewer than 700,000 bottles of wine stored off-site for use by the hotel, which distributes vintages from 60 producers throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein. There is no wine - but there is good beer - in the guest room minibars. And in an unusual twist, the minibars are free; that may be unique in my hotel experience.
One of the best things in this upmarket, tradition-rich hotel is also free - namely, walking around the sumptuous public spaces and just looking at things. Hotel stairwells feature lovely stained glass windows, public rooms are graced with period furnishings, and a majestic black Rolls Royce owned by the hotel sits outdoors by the compact, well-appointed main lobby. The top-floor fitness center has an outdoor terrace with views of Zurich and the lake.
Just before I checked out to head for ultra-modern, spotless Zurich International Airport and my return flight, I heard peppy brass band music emanating from a vestpocket park across the street and saw a bandshell and people sitting in rows of chairs, listening to the music in the June warmth. It was a sunny morning in Switzerland, and a more serene scene would be hard to find.
The Baur au Lac Hotel is located at 1 Talstrasse, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland, tel. 41 (0)44 220 50 20, fax 41 (0)44 220 50 44, Web: http://www.bauraulac.ch/.
Today, the Baur au Lac Hotel is 166 years old, still on the lake and still operated by the same family - now in the sixth generation. But what is most notable about the venerable Swiss property is not its longevity but its quality. The Baur au Lac, renovated in 2009 and featuring amenities like WiFi and a 24-hour business center, is unlike some heritage hotels in that it still has a palpable sense of history without looking or feeling worn. The multilingual staff is first rate, the hotel is lovely - especially inside - it has a great location near the shopping-mad Bahnhofstrasse and a classical concert hall, and the green expanse in front of the hotel is beautifully landscaped and manicured. There has been no shortage of celebrity guests at this Zurich landmark, from King Ludwig I of Bavaria, to Richard Wagner, Thomas Mann, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Actors Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere and Daniel Craig are regulars. I didn't spy any stars, but I am not an enthusiastic celebrity-spotter, so I wasn't disappointed.
Oh, and the hotel serves up awfully good food, too, both in its canalside Rive Gauche restaurant and bar, and in the fine-dining Pavillon, with its beautiful, circular main room. The restaurant lays out a sumptuous breakfast buffet from 6:30 a.m. and pours light, fruity Swiss and international wines at dinner. Pavillon also features toothsome menu creations such as a slightly sweet-fleshed monkfish entree that I dined on the first night of my two-night stay. There are no fewer than 700,000 bottles of wine stored off-site for use by the hotel, which distributes vintages from 60 producers throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein. There is no wine - but there is good beer - in the guest room minibars. And in an unusual twist, the minibars are free; that may be unique in my hotel experience.
One of the best things in this upmarket, tradition-rich hotel is also free - namely, walking around the sumptuous public spaces and just looking at things. Hotel stairwells feature lovely stained glass windows, public rooms are graced with period furnishings, and a majestic black Rolls Royce owned by the hotel sits outdoors by the compact, well-appointed main lobby. The top-floor fitness center has an outdoor terrace with views of Zurich and the lake.
Just before I checked out to head for ultra-modern, spotless Zurich International Airport and my return flight, I heard peppy brass band music emanating from a vestpocket park across the street and saw a bandshell and people sitting in rows of chairs, listening to the music in the June warmth. It was a sunny morning in Switzerland, and a more serene scene would be hard to find.
The Baur au Lac Hotel is located at 1 Talstrasse, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland, tel. 41 (0)44 220 50 20, fax 41 (0)44 220 50 44, Web: http://www.bauraulac.ch/.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
A Talk With Swiss Air CEO Harry Hohmeister
EN ROUTE TO ZURICH - Aboard Swiss International Air Lines' flight 039 en route to Zurich from San Francisco, the first order of business after the pre-take-off flute of Champagne is a tete a tete with the carrier's CEO. For this I moved up to first class where, Harry Hohmeister, a tall, lanky 46 year old, was sitting.
This LX 039 was the first-ever Swiss flight to Zurich, the Swiss financial and technology center, from San Francisco, the titular capital of California's Silicon Valley high-tech whirl. Hohmeister made it clear that business travelers are driving the new, six-day-a-week, nonstop service.
"Ideally, what percentage of business and corporate travel would you like to see on this route?" I asked.
"100 percent,'' Hohmeister shot back, smiling. Realistically, he added, it will probably be about 35 percent. But given that business travelers typically pay premium prices, filling a third of the new Airbus A340 - the biggest plane in Swiss's fleet - with high-fliers will not be too shabby.
Swiss is now a member of the Lufthansa Group, having gone belly-up as an independent carrier in 2001. Hohmeister is himself German, but he emphasized in our interview that Swiss retains its corporate identity, its livery - a white cross on a backdrop of red, i.e., the national flag of Switzerland - and a bit of wiggle-room within Lufthansa, Germany's major airline. Lufthansa, which also encompasses Brussels Air, the British carrier bmi and Austrian Airlines, prefers to have a suite of brands rather than just one. This enables Swiss to offer direct service between San Francisco and Zurich, rather than forcing passengers to change planes in Frankfurt - and it leverages Switzerland's reputation for hospitality and efficiency.
As for those business travelers, Hohmeister pointed out that Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche purchased Bay Area bio-engineering company Genentech last year. E-Bay and Google also have significant corporate operations in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city.
"We like San Francisco and the Bay Area - it has a lot of important technology companies and environmental engineering. Also medicine and electronics. There is a high degree of linkage with Zurich's pharmaceutical companies.''
The pretty, hilly region around Zurich and its scenic lake is an incubator for "small and medium-sized environmental businesses, small start-ups,'' he told me. Switzerland is, for example, a leader in the production of commercial solar technology, and the whole Lufthansa cluster of companies is focusing on becoming more environmentally minded, experimenting with biofuels and flying lighter, less polluting and more efficient airplanes.
Although the parent Lufthansa mainline carrier is taking possession of its first Airbus A380 superjumbos, Swiss will not be flying the huge new planes. "Our own market is too small for the A380s,'' he said.
As for the other potentially game-changing new aircraft - the lighter, composite-material, fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Swiss is taking a wait-and-see approach. "The 787 decision-making will not be this year, but we are in contact with Boeing.''
As it is, Swiss has done up an A340 is swirling, psychedelic-style designs, recalling the flower power age in hippie-era San Francisco, when the Haight-Ashbury district was briefly the center of the universe. The design was chosen by 30,000 voters in a contest by a Swiss newspaper.
There's nothing retro or nostalgic about the new Swiss business class, which I flew on the way back to San Francisco, on flight LX038. (I'll write about that in another post shortly.) With seats that convert to true flat-beds, plenty of personal space and an advanced in-flight entertainment system, the new Swiss business class - being rolled out over the next year or so -"is a very good product that is Swiss-based. You will not find a better business class anywhere.''
Hohmeister also weighed in on political matters dear to the heart of European airline executives. Like most of his counterparts, Hohmeister - a former Lufthansa and Thomas Cook executive who became CEO of Swiss last July - supports creation of a unified continental air-traffic control system. Known in aviation shorthand as "a single European sky,'' such a reform could cut operating costs on some routes by up to 25 percent, he said.
Hohmeister looks with disfavor on a new tax on air travel that Germany plans to institute this year as one means to pare its budget deficit. The tax could generate up to $1 billion USD a year in revenue for Berlin, German government officials estimate.
The industry opposes "taxes for environmental reasons that are going to the government. Where is the money we spend going to go?" If it was to go directly to environmental agencies and causes, and not into a general fund, it might be acceptable. "Then I would not be against it,'' he said.
This LX 039 was the first-ever Swiss flight to Zurich, the Swiss financial and technology center, from San Francisco, the titular capital of California's Silicon Valley high-tech whirl. Hohmeister made it clear that business travelers are driving the new, six-day-a-week, nonstop service.
"Ideally, what percentage of business and corporate travel would you like to see on this route?" I asked.
"100 percent,'' Hohmeister shot back, smiling. Realistically, he added, it will probably be about 35 percent. But given that business travelers typically pay premium prices, filling a third of the new Airbus A340 - the biggest plane in Swiss's fleet - with high-fliers will not be too shabby.
Swiss is now a member of the Lufthansa Group, having gone belly-up as an independent carrier in 2001. Hohmeister is himself German, but he emphasized in our interview that Swiss retains its corporate identity, its livery - a white cross on a backdrop of red, i.e., the national flag of Switzerland - and a bit of wiggle-room within Lufthansa, Germany's major airline. Lufthansa, which also encompasses Brussels Air, the British carrier bmi and Austrian Airlines, prefers to have a suite of brands rather than just one. This enables Swiss to offer direct service between San Francisco and Zurich, rather than forcing passengers to change planes in Frankfurt - and it leverages Switzerland's reputation for hospitality and efficiency.
As for those business travelers, Hohmeister pointed out that Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche purchased Bay Area bio-engineering company Genentech last year. E-Bay and Google also have significant corporate operations in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city.
"We like San Francisco and the Bay Area - it has a lot of important technology companies and environmental engineering. Also medicine and electronics. There is a high degree of linkage with Zurich's pharmaceutical companies.''
The pretty, hilly region around Zurich and its scenic lake is an incubator for "small and medium-sized environmental businesses, small start-ups,'' he told me. Switzerland is, for example, a leader in the production of commercial solar technology, and the whole Lufthansa cluster of companies is focusing on becoming more environmentally minded, experimenting with biofuels and flying lighter, less polluting and more efficient airplanes.
Although the parent Lufthansa mainline carrier is taking possession of its first Airbus A380 superjumbos, Swiss will not be flying the huge new planes. "Our own market is too small for the A380s,'' he said.
As for the other potentially game-changing new aircraft - the lighter, composite-material, fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Swiss is taking a wait-and-see approach. "The 787 decision-making will not be this year, but we are in contact with Boeing.''
As it is, Swiss has done up an A340 is swirling, psychedelic-style designs, recalling the flower power age in hippie-era San Francisco, when the Haight-Ashbury district was briefly the center of the universe. The design was chosen by 30,000 voters in a contest by a Swiss newspaper.
There's nothing retro or nostalgic about the new Swiss business class, which I flew on the way back to San Francisco, on flight LX038. (I'll write about that in another post shortly.) With seats that convert to true flat-beds, plenty of personal space and an advanced in-flight entertainment system, the new Swiss business class - being rolled out over the next year or so -"is a very good product that is Swiss-based. You will not find a better business class anywhere.''
Hohmeister also weighed in on political matters dear to the heart of European airline executives. Like most of his counterparts, Hohmeister - a former Lufthansa and Thomas Cook executive who became CEO of Swiss last July - supports creation of a unified continental air-traffic control system. Known in aviation shorthand as "a single European sky,'' such a reform could cut operating costs on some routes by up to 25 percent, he said.
Hohmeister looks with disfavor on a new tax on air travel that Germany plans to institute this year as one means to pare its budget deficit. The tax could generate up to $1 billion USD a year in revenue for Berlin, German government officials estimate.
The industry opposes "taxes for environmental reasons that are going to the government. Where is the money we spend going to go?" If it was to go directly to environmental agencies and causes, and not into a general fund, it might be acceptable. "Then I would not be against it,'' he said.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Swiss Air: In the Air and in the Lounge
BARCELONA - Swiss Air - full name: Swiss International Air Lines - was new to me before this trip. I'd heard of it, of course, but had not flown with Swiss, a Star Alliance member, until my current round the world journey.
I am glad I got to make their acquaintance. I rode with Swiss to Barcelona from Rome via Zurich. After taking the Leonardo Express train at dawn to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, I checked in smoothly and headed off to the Swiss lounge, located upstairs from departures.
It is a large lounge, featuring a spacious central area with abundant seating and sockets along the outer wall for plugging in laptops. I didn't feel like hauling out my laptop, so I plopped down in one of the three free PCs the lounge has to offer. Here, I encountered something new: I and other passengers were required to ask permission of a lounge staff member to use a PC (it is swiftly granted), then hand over our passports for photocopying (the original passport is promptly returned). Formalities taken care of, I sat down at my work station, a staff-made espresso on the desk along with a mini-croissant, and pecked away industriously, tweeting on Twitter and working my e-mail.
Then I had a look around. Unique to airport lounges I have seen, the Swiss lounge in Rome has a Wellness Company Technogym - several pieces of workout equipment - to go with a good selection of international newspapers and magazines and a full bar. It being ungodly early, no one was working out, or drinking, but it was nice to know that you could. I looked some more. Wrapped around an interior wall are two quiet zones. In one of them, a glamourous-looking lady was sitting alone. She was the spitting image of Sophia Loren.
A few minutes later, at the gate, the sophisticated lady, escorted to the boarding gate by no fewer than three Swiss lounge workers, boarded first, several minutes before anyone else. I could have sworn it was Sophia Loren. Once on the plane, I got a better look. A definite resemblance, but I don't think so.
I settled in to my bulkhead business-class seat. I liked the distinctively Swiss touches on-board: announcements in German, French and English, the white cross on a red background (the Swiss flag) on the tailfin of the Airbus A320, the pieces of Swiss chocolate offered by the flight attendants at the end of the meal. We crossed the Alps and I saw from my window seat that they had a satisfactorily thick-looking blanket of snow. No time to check out the lounge in Zurich airport, as congestion in Rome mandated a delayed takeoff. I went straight to the gate. Again, the flight went smoothly, we followed the rugged coastline of Spain after leaving Switzerland and put down in Barcelona airport's gigantic new-ish international terminal: a true cathedral of flight.
I was safe. I was comfortable. I was on-time, like one of those fine Swiss timepieces. I was in Barcelona.
I am glad I got to make their acquaintance. I rode with Swiss to Barcelona from Rome via Zurich. After taking the Leonardo Express train at dawn to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, I checked in smoothly and headed off to the Swiss lounge, located upstairs from departures.
It is a large lounge, featuring a spacious central area with abundant seating and sockets along the outer wall for plugging in laptops. I didn't feel like hauling out my laptop, so I plopped down in one of the three free PCs the lounge has to offer. Here, I encountered something new: I and other passengers were required to ask permission of a lounge staff member to use a PC (it is swiftly granted), then hand over our passports for photocopying (the original passport is promptly returned). Formalities taken care of, I sat down at my work station, a staff-made espresso on the desk along with a mini-croissant, and pecked away industriously, tweeting on Twitter and working my e-mail.
Then I had a look around. Unique to airport lounges I have seen, the Swiss lounge in Rome has a Wellness Company Technogym - several pieces of workout equipment - to go with a good selection of international newspapers and magazines and a full bar. It being ungodly early, no one was working out, or drinking, but it was nice to know that you could. I looked some more. Wrapped around an interior wall are two quiet zones. In one of them, a glamourous-looking lady was sitting alone. She was the spitting image of Sophia Loren.
A few minutes later, at the gate, the sophisticated lady, escorted to the boarding gate by no fewer than three Swiss lounge workers, boarded first, several minutes before anyone else. I could have sworn it was Sophia Loren. Once on the plane, I got a better look. A definite resemblance, but I don't think so.
I settled in to my bulkhead business-class seat. I liked the distinctively Swiss touches on-board: announcements in German, French and English, the white cross on a red background (the Swiss flag) on the tailfin of the Airbus A320, the pieces of Swiss chocolate offered by the flight attendants at the end of the meal. We crossed the Alps and I saw from my window seat that they had a satisfactorily thick-looking blanket of snow. No time to check out the lounge in Zurich airport, as congestion in Rome mandated a delayed takeoff. I went straight to the gate. Again, the flight went smoothly, we followed the rugged coastline of Spain after leaving Switzerland and put down in Barcelona airport's gigantic new-ish international terminal: a true cathedral of flight.
I was safe. I was comfortable. I was on-time, like one of those fine Swiss timepieces. I was in Barcelona.
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