This trip report contains contains photographs and personal commentary about my experience flying Swiss International Airlines' First Class transatlantic service. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about what you see here. Please click on any photo for a larger view. Enjoy!

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BACKGROUND

I booked this trip using US Airways Dividend Miles. It cost me 100,000 miles for the award, which included domestic connections in First Class on US Airways to/from the Swiss gateways. I reserved my tickets just under two months in advance of travel and had no trouble securing the flights and dates I preferred. In addition, I had to change my departure city about two weeks before travel and was able to do so without any trouble. This trip report will cover only the Swiss long-haul segments of my entire journey.

SWISS FLIGHT LX 0009 FROM CHICAGO O'HARE (ORD) TO ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND (ZRH), 26 AUG 2002

Check-In and Departure Lounge

Swiss have a dedicated check-in queue for passengers travelling in First. There were also separate queues for Business and Economy passengers. Check in was smooth and quick. Within about a minute or two, I was on my way to the security checkpoint. Here are some photos of the check-in area.

Swiss Check-In Counter

The red sign designates the dedicated First Class check-in.

After clearing the security checkpoint, the Swiss lounge for First and Business Class is directly in front of you. Simply present your boarding card to the reception, and they will direct you to the left for First and to the right for Business. The First lounge is smaller and quieter. However, there is only one place for a computer plug-in. I found the Business Lounge to be larger, but more crowded and noisy. If you need another computer hook-up, though, there are more spaces over on that side. The reception staff will come into the First section of the lounge to notify you when they are ready for boarding at your gate. Here are some photos of the First Class departure lounge.

Proceed through these doors after clearing security to enter the lounge.	The lounge is small, but quiet and intimate. I'm not sure how full it gets when the F cabin is fully booked, though!
There is a nice selection of self-serve snacks.	On the left side, you find fruit, cheese, crackers, and appetisers with a selection of liquor.
On the right, you find some biscuits, coffee, and espresso.	This is the hallway towards the reception.
There is also a small cooler with soda, juice, water, and beer.	Here's a sample plate of goodies that I made for myself.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO BOARDING!!