SWISS presents its Premium Economy Class from Johannesburg
SWISS recently unveiled its Premium Economy Class at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The introduction of this new class of travel enhances SWISS’s existing Economy, Business and First Class cabins. SWISS Premium Economy guests enjoy greater privacy and enhanced travel comfort, including a newly developed seat incorporating a hardshell design. Premium Economy travellers are further offered a wide selection of inflight culinary options, along with double the Economy Class registered baggage allowance and priority boarding. The new class of travel is now available on SWISS’s Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A340-300 long-haul flights.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) presented the key product and service features of its new Premium Economy Class to selected media representatives aboard one of its Airbus A340-300 aircraft at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg today. The new Premium Economy Class supplements SWISS’s existing Economy, Business and First Class Cabins.
“We are delighted to see SWISS Premium Economy now being offered to travellers between Johannesburg and Zurich, too,” says Matthias Lefèvre, General Manager South Africa for SWISS and the Lufthansa Group. “Our new class of travel meets a rising demand for more privacy, comfort and individuality aloft. And in adding it to our range of customer options, we are further strengthening our premium positioning in the growing leisure travel segment.”
A newly developed seat for greater privacy and comfort
The comfortable latest-generation SWISS Premium Economy seat from manufacturer ZIM features a hardshell design that enables it to be easily reclined at no inconvenience to the passenger behind. At 46 to 48 centimetres, the new seat is also wider than its 43.4-centimetre Economy Class counterpart. Seat pitch has also been increased from 78.7 to 99 centimetres, which translates into substantially more legroom for the Premium Economy guest. And the Premium Economy Class seat further offers greater recline, along with a foldout footrest. The seat’s fabrics are from the Lantal company of Bern, Switzerland.
To further enhance their inflight comfort, all SWISS Premium Economy travellers are issued with their own travel amenity kit made of sustainable materials, together with high-quality noise-reduction headphones with which they can make the most of the inflight audio selection and the films and shows available on their seat’s 15.6-inch screen. Personal at-seat reading lamps provide light during night flights, and the seat also features two USB A ports for charging their personal device.
A wide culinary selection
SWISS’s inflight cuisine has also been tailored to the new class of travel. All Premium Economy Class travellers receive a refreshing elderberry welcome drink. And the inflight meal choice extends to three hot dishes, all served on china tableware, including one dish from the award-winning SWISS Taste of Switzerland inflight culinary programme and a vegetarian option created by Hiltl, the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant.
Double the registered baggage allowance and priority boarding
SWISS Premium Economy customers enjoy a much-enhanced travel experience on the ground, too. Their registered baggage allowance amounts to two bags of 23 kilos each – double the number for Economy Class. They can also use the SWISS Business Lounges at Zurich and Geneva airports and the SWISS Arrival Lounge at Zurich Airport at discounted rates; they enjoy priority boarding before Economy Class travellers; and they can download up to two publications from the extensive eJournals portal onto their own digital device ahead of their flight entirely free of charge.
SWISS provides daily non-stop service from Johannesburg to Zurich, from where a wide range of onward connections are available throughout Europe and to North America and Asia. SWISS Premium Economy is offered on all SWISS routes operated with Boeing 777- 300ER or Airbus A340-300 aircraft. Further information on SWISS Premium Economy is available here.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also set itself ambitious CO2 goals, and plans to halve its 2019 net CO2 emissions by 2030 and make its business and operations entirely carbon- neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.
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