Grüezi mitenand: hot on the heels of an announcement made by sister airline Lufthansa, SWISS has unveiled its new first, business, and premium economy cabins that will be hitting the skies in 2025. Safe to say, there’s a lot to be impressed by, including a jetlag-killing lighting package and a revolutionary approach to business class.
Swiss International Air Lines, better known as SWISS, has always been one of the most underrated airlines on the planet. What other airline gives you Gruyère and chocolate to snack on during flights? But compared to other European carriers, SWISS flies a bit under the radar. Not any more.
Adopting the same hardware as sister carrier Lufthansa, SWISS has announced a comprehensive overhaul to its long-haul fleet. The focal point of the announcement is a transformed cabin with major design upgrades in First, Business, and Premium Economy, which is expected to be rolled out to the public from 2025.
Alongside changes to its seating options, SWISS has also unveiled its new ‘SWISS Senses’ air travel experience, designed to prioritise a personalised flight experience and deep sleep, much like Qantas’ latest ‘Project Sunrise’ designs.
With the help of design studio Priestmangoode, SWISS First, SWISS Business and SWISS Economy are set to be totally redesigned, while SWISS Premium Economy – introduced to much acclaim in 2022 – will be retained in its current form.
Though rolling out these new designs to its current fleet won’t begin until 2025, SWISS’ brand new Airbus A350-900s will come with the new cabin spec pre-installed.
SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx has called this “the most comprehensive cabin renewal in the history of [the] company”, emphasising the premium airline’s emphasis on their “customer’s desire for more individuality”.
An array of seating options in Business Class are the first place where this emphasis on individuality – or, at least, on individual personal space – can be seen materialised. Alongside “warm and muted tones such as claret, anthracite and beige [that] convey a particular sense of comfort and calm”, a range of private seats, suites, and solo seats are on offer.
Most eye-catching of them all is a seat centred in the cabin, flanked by table and entertainment space on either side, offering vast amounts of space and privacy from fellow travellers without being fully cocooned in a separate suite. All new business seats come equipped with a 13″ ultra high-definition screen.
If a cocoon is the vibe you’re after, however, the SWISS First has you sorted. Mirroring the dual seat announced by Lufthansa, the new suites offer travellers total privacy via sliding doors, as well as a large personal wardrobe, spacious table, seat heating and cooling technology, plus a wireless charging station and multimedia screen that covers the suite wall-to-wall.
Alongside this is a newly redesigned and significantly more spacious washroom, designed with a jet-black exterior and gentle green interior said to be inspired by the famous spring in Vals in Canton Graubünden.
SWISS has also announced its new “SWISS Senses” initiative that aims to create cabins a “more personal and more sensual experience”, according to COO Tamur Goudarzi Pour. How? With a state-of-the-art entertainment system that offers unparalleled connection options to flyer’s own personal devices and “Human-Centric Lighting” that, supposedly, helps to alleviate jet lag…
“With its deep devotion to detail, our new long-haul cabin will give our passengers a particular feeling of warmth and well-being – a cosy and comfortable yet also functional environment in all our travel classes.”
Tamur Goudarzi Pour, SWISS COO
These new interiors are set to be installed in 2025, first on the SWISS Airbus A330-300 fleet and later on their Boeing 777-300ERs. New Airbus A350-900s will be delivered with their new cabins pre-installed.
Until then, we’ll have to make do with lusting after Rolexes and munching on Toblerone.