Just want to have some expectations, I have never travelled with them but have done so on LH, BA and VS before. Therefore it would be nice to have some suggestions on how it is going to be (from those experienced flyers). The flight from MAN to ZRH is operated by a Helvatic Airways, any views on them as well?
The ticket was just cheap though and was about 500 pounds for each person round trip.
Thank you all for your input and I would try my best to do a trip report for these flights!
ZRH From Switzerland, joined Nov 1999, 5540 posts, RR: 40 Reply 1, posted (5 years 8 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 2792 times:
The Helvetic F100 is rather nice. Not a bad seat pitch. Usually very friendly f/a. For service I guess you get drinks, a snack (sandwich?) and chocolate.
On your HKG flight you will have an A 340-300. The economy seats are ok as economy can be. You will have PTVs with AVOD. Movies, games, airshow and onboard cameras. On the intercontinental flight beer and wine is free (but I think not the liquors).
The transfer in Zurich is easy. Most probably you will arrive at the A-Gates and have to change to the E-Gates. You have to take the Skymetro which takes you within 2 minutes out there.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21495 posts, RR: 24 Reply 2, posted (5 years 8 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2752 times:
Quoting ZRH (Reply 1): On the intercontinental flight beer and wine is free (but I think not the liquors).
Unless there has been a recent change, I am fairly sure all drinks (except Champagne) are free on LX longhaul flights in economy class. It wouldn't make sense and would be very inconsistent for passengers if LX was more restrictive than LH when they codeshare on many routes. I believe the free beer and wine is limited to intra-Europe flights.
ZRH From Switzerland, joined Nov 1999, 5540 posts, RR: 40 Reply 3, posted (5 years 8 months 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 2737 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 2): Unless there has been a recent change, I am fairly sure all drinks (except Champagne) are free on LX longhaul flights in economy class.
Yes of course, you are right. All drinks are free in economy on long-haul flights except Champagne. I was a bit confused.
Musapapaya From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2004, 1004 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (5 years 8 months 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 2722 times:
Thanks everyone for your opinion! One thing I found weird, I booked the ticket on the Swiss UK website, got a confirmation number, but after more than 24 hours, the ticket still has not been issued and I have not got the e-ticket number. Is that normal? I remember when I booked a LH ticket, the eticket was issued within minutes.... Weird...
Helvetic are excellent, I have done that route 3 times. Just hope you have one of the remaining pink colour units!
Swiss, onto swiss!
I have flown LHR-ZRH maybe 10 times in the past year, and I can say they have been consistently good and on time. These were mainly in Y, but recently I have paid up the extra £ for C class, and did a return to the south of Spain recently with them in C. Was lovely, I will post a TR soon so you can see the jist of it, even if you won't be on Euro-mainline equipment.
Ryanair737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (5 years 8 months 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2697 times:
Quoting Musapapaya (Thread starter): The flight from MAN to ZRH is operated by a Helvatic Airways, any views on them as well?
I too flew Helvetic this year on the MAN-ZRH route, service is pretty basic - i.e. no sandwich - only a muffin, choice of drink and a (small) chocolate before landing. The only good thing about it was flying on the Fokker, hopefully LX will return on the route and provide something more substantial for the price.
You received the usual morning service on short LX intra-european flights. They serve a Muffin and sometimes yoghurt plus coffee/tea and soft drinks/juices on morning flights, while they serve the sandwich from about 11am.
Musapapaya From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2004, 1004 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (5 years 8 months 21 hours ago) and read 2678 times:
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 7): You received the usual morning service on short LX intra-european flights. They serve a Muffin and sometimes yoghurt plus coffee/tea and soft drinks/juices on morning flights, while they serve the sandwich from about 11am.
It seems a sandwich is better than a muffin. Lol... To be hoenst, the ticket is quite expensive between MAN and ZRH, but just Helvetic flies this route so they can charge a bit more though...
Thats true, but as you pointed out rightly, Swiss ha sthe monopoly on this route. Didn't you book it all in one? You should have gotten a better deal out of this as you're connecting onto a longhaul flight in ZRH.
Musapapaya From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2004, 1004 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 2647 times:
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 9): Didn't you book it all in one? You should have gotten a better deal out of this as you're connecting onto a longhaul flight in ZRH.
Yes, we have booked it all-in-one. The price was 500 pounds per person roundtrip. So I would say its quite a good value.
Musapapaya From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2004, 1004 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 2644 times:
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 11): Yeah that sounds quite reasonable, so the MAN-ZRH bit can't have been much as you wouldn't get much better deals for ZRH-HKG
Oh right, but suprisingly, the price for BA transferring at LHR and other airlines like LH and KLM are about 100 pounds more expensive. Anyway I will try my best for a trip report.
Ryanair737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2634 times:
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 7): You received the usual morning service on short LX intra-european flights.
I see, for the price the food is poor (at least in the morning), I paid £170 for MAN-ZRH-MAN in April, which is actually the usual return fare per person all year round. Come on, is it really a big ask for an airline to provide more than a muffin for £170?? It is almost scandalous.
RAFVC10 From Spain, joined Sep 2005, 1980 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2627 times:
I have flown many times with Swiss from Barcelona to Hong Kong in Business Class and, with Cathay Pacific, is the best airline I ever flown to this city.
Great trained crew, nice planes, delicious menus and on time flights.
Gerard
El dia que los gilipollas vuelen, no podremos ver la luz del sol!
SandroZRH From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 3382 posts, RR: 51 Reply 16, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 2619 times:
Quoting Ryanair737 (Reply 13): I see, for the price the food is poor (at least in the morning), I paid £170 for MAN-ZRH-MAN in April, which is actually the usual return fare per person all year round. Come on, is it really a big ask for an airline to provide more than a muffin for £170?? It is almost scandalous.
That's standard nowadays, I got the same on BA to LHR. £170 seems overpriced, and is definately not the usual fare. There are fares in the CHF200s on a regular basis.
Musapapaya From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2004, 1004 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (5 years 7 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 2571 times:
One more issue I would like to ask: I want to buy some Swiss chocolates from ZUR on my transit (thought its just 1 hour, I believe I could manage). Are there any good suggestions for decent Swiss Quality chocolates so that I can buy some for myself and friends?
ZRH From Switzerland, joined Nov 1999, 5540 posts, RR: 40 Reply 18, posted (5 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2546 times:
Quoting Musapapaya (Reply 17): One more issue I would like to ask: I want to buy some Swiss chocolates from ZUR on my transit (thought its just 1 hour, I believe I could manage). Are there any good suggestions for decent Swiss Quality chocolates so that I can buy some for myself and friends?
This should not be a problem. Go to the Airside Center , which you anyway have to pass when you are going to the Skytrain station. You find a lot of stores which have chocolate (duty free). There are many good brands as for example Lindt&Sprüngli or Cailler and others. http://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/ZRH/...4ne&ID_level1=8&ID_level2=65&a2=65 Click on "Airside Center". Unfortunately I have to give you the German link; on the English link I don't find the Airside Center (strange??? A bug in the page?). You find there the names of some chocolate shops: Boutique du Chocolat (on both levels) or Confiserie Sprüngli (also at Dock E, famous). But if you are really in a hurry stop at any Kiosk you pass and you should find chocolate there.
Here an overview: http://www.zurich-airport.com/dokumente/zrh_etagenplan_EN.pdf
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