Swiss 242 Dubai (DXB) - Muscat (MCT) Departure: 2145 Arrival: 2226 Duration: 0:41 Aircraft: Airbus A330-343
Registration: HB-JHE Seat: 4A (Business Class)
Swiss currently operates its Airbus A330 from Zurich(ZRH) - Dubai(DXB) - Muscat(MCT), where the DXB-MCT route is more like a fifth-freedom route. Its a relatively short 40 minutes flight and I had few options such as Qatar Airways, Oman Air or Emirates but I wanted take a peek how Swiss cabin looked like. The A330s are configured in three-class: With 236 seats total there are 8 First, 45 Business and 183 Economy Class.
The first class is in 1-2-1 open suite arrangement, followed by business class in 1-2-1/2-2-1 staggered and economy class in usual 2-4-2 seating. Most of the business class seats has direct aisles access but few of them in row 5,7,9,11,14 A,B seats are not direct aisle. Also the single seats (4A,6A,10A,12A) on each row are typically reserved to Miles and More Senator and HON Circle Members so basic members might not pick that seats initially during booking but during check-in, they're available to everyone.
Identical to other business class seating, the business class seats have regular 60 inches of pitch and 20.5 inches of width with more pitch when in bed setting. It feels much more packed on 4A,6A,10A and 12A as these seats are surrounded by two large flat surfaces on each side. First class has 83 inches of pitch and 22 inches of width while economy class has 32 inches and 17.3 inches.
There was not much of a service on this short flight as this was just a sneak-peak for me on future flights with Swiss.
The Cabin:
This flight was around 7 year old and there were some noticeable aging inside the cabin. The cabin is divided into two sections: one mini cabin for row 4 and 5 and main cabin for rows 6 through 14. For more privacy, the mini cabin is recommended and it is nearest to the exit. The atmosphere inside the cabin is simple and luminous although there is no mood lighting installed on the aircraft.
Swiss Airbus A330-300.
Swiss Airbus A330 First Class cabin.
Swiss Airbus A330 Business Class.
The Seats:
Some seats, staggered in odd arrangement provide more spaces and has direct aisle access while others do not. As I mentioned above, the seat I was seated(4A) had this large spaces on each side where you can put a lot of stuffs i.e. laptops and books without taking a lot of area during flight. There are couple of storage spaces available and also a rack for literature and other small personal items right under the IFE display monitor.
One thing I found different was the flat-bed mode which was rather slightly angled and not fully flat. I did not experience whether it was really uncomfortable when on long-haul flight but sure it will disturb your back. The flat-bed business class also features a seat cushion control to adjust the firmness (Softer and Firmer) and integrated massage function a well. I really like the color of wood laminate finishings on each side of the seat made the business class looking deluxe. There are two seat controls located: One by the left-hand armrest and one is visible on the right when the seat is in fully reclined position.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A: Reading light, universal AC power socket and headphone jack.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A: Reading light on.
Swiss A330 Business class seat 4A: Armrest with IFE remote controller located underneath it.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A: Seat adjustment buttons.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A: Seat instruction card.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A: Shelf storage space and footrest.
Swiss A330 Business Class Seat 4A: Cloth hanger in literature pocket.
In-flight Meals:
For such as short 40 minutes hop, there was no big meals served in-flight instead a small sandwich with two different options and drinks were served. Once the seatbelt sign has been turned off, the cabin crews rushed through the galley, prepared the sandwiches and started to serve in a hurry because there was merely 20 minutes left before landing.
I took a peek on the menu card for Muscat-Dubai-Zurich flight and there were three-course late night supper and breakfast which looked delicious!
The tray table is stowed under the large flat space on the left and to get the table, there is a square metal button you have to push it to get it out.
Swiss A330 Business class snack/sandwich.
Swiss A330 Business class snack/sandwich and drinks.
In-flight Entertainments:
Regarding the In-flight entertainment on Swiss Business class, I was little disappointed with the size of the IFE display monitor which had a small 12.1 inch screen. When looked from a distance, it looks like an economy class screen. The IFE is currently powered by Panasonic Avionics and had different genres of contents in it. Also, both remote controller and the monitor do not include a touch screen so you will have to push some buttons on the remote controller.
Passengers are provided with headphone when departing from Zurich and the Dubai - Muscat bound was only a short hop so joining passengers like me did not receive a headphone. You may ask the flight attendant for one but the flight is so short there is no time to enjoy the in-flight entertainments.
Swiss Business class IFE display monitor.
Swiss Business class IFE remote controller: Stowed under the armrest.
Swiss Business class IFE remote controller: To those who tried Korean Air's economy class, it exactly the same but in different color since both carriers use Panasonic system.
Swiss Business class IFE screen: It was too small to watch when the seat is in bed configuration.
Swiss Business class USB port under the screen.
Lavatories:
Two lavatories are located in between the mini cabin and the main cabin on each side. The wood laminate and solid white finishing makes the wash basin neat and tidy looking. There are some amenities such as eye gel, hand soap and lotions available. Other than that, it has the same design as many other airlines.
Swiss A330 Business class lavatory.
Summary:
Trying out Swiss the first time ever, I was 80 percent satisfied with its A330 fleet. Having a three-class cabin which includes the first class on long-haul flight is one advantage as well as the massive personal space available on select business class seats. I strongly encourage if you are traveling alone, the single seat is recommended and for couples on the two A,B or D,G seats.
The IFE is a one big big disadvantage - With limited contents and small 'touch-screenless' monitor, long flights could be tiring. Swiss is currently updating its business class to a newer seat models like on their Boeing B777-300ER and I hope the company will update the currently aging seat equipment and entertainment system.
Even though it was a short-flight, except for the first class, there were quite a number of new passengers joining in from Dubai (Mostly passengers from Middle-East). Provided that the number of passengers traveling within the Middle-East, it is a great strategy by Swiss to have such a route directly from Europe.
Not to forget, the cabin crew service was at its finest. They were little rushing and busy due to limited time but were well-trained to deal different situations during the flight! I really want to try out the B77Ws in 2017 as Swiss operated them to LA, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and some new destinations over time.
*I have explained "a massive incident" on the following episode with British Airways at Muscat Airport where I was so excited to try out Swiss fleet, I did not calculate the connecting flight properly. *
Something to play with if you are interested in watches. A paper watch from Breitling where you can rotate the secondary wheel to find distance and time.
On Dubai-Muscat flight, the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa can be seen as above.