Trip Report: TAP Air Portugal - Washington, D.C. to Zurich via Lisbon (November 2021)

  Trip Report: TAP Air Portugal - Washington, D.C. to Zurich
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was looking to fly to Europe from the US and in Fall of 2021 only certain airlines were operating.  One of these was TAP Air Portugal and during that time their prices were good, the flight timings were good, and the COVID regulations were not strict thus limiting travel (I think TAP did this strategically to continue operating and providing a revenue for their operations); because of all these reasons I booked TAP Air Portugal.  I have flown TAP before both long-haul (Newark to Lisbon) and short-haul (Lisbon to Barcelona) so I was familiar with their product; they tend to offer lower fares and in return offer a decent product.  Their prices are not fancy and neither are their services - everything seems ok, especially given the price you pay so one should not expect a Singapore or Emirates-type service.  Since my last flight with them, they have invested in fleet renewal which includes A321LRneo which are long-haul single aisle planes.  These have been used recently on many long-haul flights between Europe and the U.S. in markets where a larger, twin-aisle plane capacity is not there.  

My flight was from Washington, D.C. to Lisbon and then from Lisbon to Zurich; the first leg wasoperated by an A321LRneo while the second leg was operated by an Airbus A320.  When I booked my trip, I was able to preselect my seat and select a special meal option for my long-haul flight at no cost; for the short-haul flight preselecting a seat and adding a meal would be an extra charge.  Since my itinerary included a long-haul sector, checked baggage was included but had my itinerary only been short-haul or within Europe then checked baggage and hand carry are only allowed on certain ticket levels.  I had all my documentation ready and so I was able to check-in online and receive my boarding pass but I still needed to stop by the desk to confirm all my health requirements and documentation.  During the check-in process I could modify my long-haul seat selection but could only add a seat for my short-haul for a cost.  

The flight from Washington, D.C. departed at 10pm and arrives into Lisbon at 10am.  In the Fall of 2021 there was not many people flying so the airport was empty and it took 10 minutes to get through check-in and security.  Once the flight arrived and was cleaned and catered, we boarded in groups.  The Airbus A321neoLR is a unique plane in that is a long-range plane but it is single aisle unlike most long-range planes which are double aisle.  The single aisle makes allows airlines to operate routes longer term that may not be as profitable with a bigger airline.  The airplane is in a 3-3 configuration and had a business class upfront, a small premium economy, and then economy section.  Even though it was a single-aisle the seat pitch and seat width of the seat were very good and comfortable for the 7hr+ flight.  The seat itself contained a wide PTV screen with USB and headphone jack underneath, a section for safety card and airline magazine, a tray table that can be used half-open or fully open, and then additional pockets and storage underneath.  Overall, it was a comfortable flight for the flight time and length of the flight. 

Once airborne, inflight service commenced.   First there was a drink and pretzel service and then meals were served.  The food was average, decent but not great, and this was also the comment on the entertainment options for the PTV, decent but not great.  The options were great for a 4-5hour flight but you would be limited for longer flights.  After the first meal, most passengers went to sleep.  There was water and pretzels available in the rear of the plane throughout the flight and then prior to landing a snack was served.  Once we landed, transiting through Lisbon airport was a NIGHTMARE as there were too many people and not enough staff to handle the transit.  I had about 2.5hrs transit time and the entire time was spent in line going through immigration and security.  I barely had enough time to clear everything and make it to my next gate; that happened both on the airport and the return.

My next flight was an intra-European flight on an Airbus A320 and there was a noticeable difference in terms of cabin size, seat comfort, seat pitch and width, and general layout of the seat.  The seat comfort, seat pitch and width were all reduced and it made the 2h45m flight feel longer.  There was no PTV and I could not access wifi on the plane so it was up to you to bring your own entertainment.  Drinks are served on TAP but everything else is buy-on-board.  

Generally, it was an average flight onboard TAP.  My experience and opinion of them from my previousflight had not changed - they are an average airline which will get you from Point A to Point B in a lower cost and with an average plane with decent seat pitch and width.  There will be nothing outstanding that will make you say 'oh my God' but nor will there be anything that bad that will make you swear them off (except this time transiting through Lisbon was not fun). 

Trip Report: Pegasus Airlines, Zurich to Istanbul SAW (November 2021)

 Trip Report: Pegasus Airlines, Zurich to Istanbul (SAW)
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I needed to fly from Switzerland to Istanbul and the options I found were either Turkish or Pegasus.  I have flown on Turkish many times (in both Business and Economy) and will probably fly them again in the future but have never experienced Pegasus so decided to try them out.  Pegasus is a low-cost airline based out of Istanbul's second airport - Sabiha Gokcen Airport.  Being low-cost means that they offer a lower fare for the flight but that nothing is included except for your seat and a personal carry-on.  Additional hand luggage, checked baggage, meals, picking your seat - all of that comes at an extra cost.  I was not looking forward to the low-cost experience, but it was a direct flight from Zurich, the departure and return timings were good, and the flight was about 2.5hrs long.  This plus there was a significant price difference between Pegasus and Turkish.

It was really easy to go through and book my ticket online and manage my trip through the app - I did

want to say that my Western credit card did think that Pegasus was potentially fraud so that was the only hiccup in the booking process.  Since I was only going for a short period, I did not need to add any extras to my ticket so I did not purchase the extra hand-carry or the checked baggage; there are packages which provide everything including checked baggage and seat selection and I have chosen these on other low-cost carriers but did not need to on this journey.  

I was able to check-in 24-hours prior to my flight but need to check-in at the desk again to show my health documents, check my documents, and obtain my boarding pass.  During check-in I was assigned a seat and I was assigned an aisle seat which was fine with me; had I been assigned a middle seat I probably could have switched it at the airport.  Documents checked and after security I proceeded to the gate.  The plane arrived from Istanbul, deplaned, was 'cleaned' and then we started our boarding process.  The flight was schedule to depart Zurich at 11:45a and arrive into Istanbul at 4:35pm.  The flight boarded a little behind schedule but quickly everyone got to their seats and we pushed back.  Turkish airlines have always had a 'flexible on-time' departure and Pegasus was no different; it was what I have come to expect so if we depart close to the scheduled departure time then I considered it on-time. 

The operating plane was an Airbus A320 on the outbound and a Boeing 737 on the return, both with a 3-3 seat configuration.  I did not see a business class section so I am assuming that its an all economy class configuration.  The seats were basic like a low-cost carrier with a section for magazines/safety card, menu, tray table, and a small pocket below that.  The Airbus was definitely more comfortable than the Boeing with the seats being more comfortable and the legroom a bit better; although it is low-cost so do not expect much.  There is no seatback entertainment but you could stream certain movies and TV shows through your personal device; the free content was extremely limited but you could pay to access more shows.  The only thing with using your own device is that I did not see any power outlets nor USB ports to recharge your device so make sure it is fully charged prior to boarding. Once airborne, the inflight service commenced.  As with all low-cost airlines, nothing is free and everything is buy-on-board.  A lot of passengers were buying onboard or had prepurchased meals and so it looked very popular.  The inflight purchase happened twice, once as soon as we took off and again prior to landing.  

Overall, it was a standard low-cost flight experience with Pegasus.  Given the short flight time, the fact

I was only going for a little while, and it was a direct flight I did not mind the flight.  Had the flight time been longer, my stay in Turkey longer and I needed to add more services, or I needed to transit in Istanbul then Pegasus would not be my first choice.  With low-cost airlines, you have to know what you are getting into and choose them for what they do best.  In my opinion, they are good for short-haul basic flights at a low cost and that is what Pegasus delivered.

Stay Report: ibis budget Zurich Airport (Zurich - November 2021)

 Stay Report: ibis budget, Zurich Airport
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was going to be in Zurich for a couple of hours and mostly transiting from different travels so I was looking for a place to sleep near the airport.  I was going to be transiting twice so my criteria was it had to be near the airport; near access to transportation; and have availability to leave luggage.  During my research I came across the ibis budget, Zurich Airport.  I have stayed at ibis' before (all throughout Europe) and have stayed at the ibis budget Brisbane Airport.  With each brand, some items are complimentary while others need to be paid for.  The ibis budget brand provides the least complimentary items but they also have the lowest rates.  My experience with ibis is that they provide a basic room with wifi and luggage hold at an affordable rate; since I was only going to be sleeping these - and the hotel met all my criteria - I booked the hotel.  

I was arriving late from another part of Switzerland via train and my flight was early the next day.  The hotel is across the street from the tram station and is only 1-2 stops away from the airport station - both of these make it very convenient as a transit hotel.  I took the tram from the main station towards the airport and got off at the stop and walked to the hotel.  From the outside the hotel does not look like much but it looked nice and clean

As you enter, there is a small waiting area to the left and then the check-in desks.  To the right are the  elevators as well as a very large dining/cafeteria as well as more rooms.  In the back were also elevators down to the ground level where there were more rooms as well as luggage lockers.  I checked in, received my key, and proceeded up to my room.

As I entered my room I noticed 2 things: first that it was a standard ibis room and second it was verysmall room.  As you entered there was a door on right with the toilet and further inside the room, again on the right, was a small sink outside and then the shower door; the bathroom had a toilet, a sink and a shower.  Towels were provided but the quality wasn't great so I would recommend bringing your ownk and there was shower gel in the shower and a small bar of soap near the sink.   There as no real separation between bathroom and bedroom so next to the sink was the on the right-side of the room while on the left side was a TV and a desk.  There was a decent size window across one wall which faced the backside of the airport but it did provide natural light.  Overall it was a very basic room but then again ibis provides a basic room at a lower price so for me it was fine.  The room had the basic amenities that I wanted which were 1) a decent size bed that was comfortable; 2) free wifi; 3) an en-suite connected or in the room and this room provided all that.  

Ibis hotels usually do not provide many amenities other hotels usually provide, and the ibis budget provides even less amenities.  Even though they did provide breakfast in the morning (for a separate charge), there was no restaurant in the hotel so if you were hungry in the afternoon or evening then you had to get food from the vending machines provided.  I did not realize but my second night at the hotel I had booked a rate that included breakfast so I went down in the morning and got my breakfast.  I have had breakfast at ibis in other countries and the quality of breakfast is decent; not great but decent and average and I would say the quality of the food here was also average.  They had croissants, meats, cheeses, fruit and nutella spreads so while not a wide variety, a decent enough breakfast.

There is no gym and no pool but the main amenity is the wifi.  With all Accorhotels, the hotel provides free wifi – it is basic but decent enough to check and send emails.  You can pay for faster internet speeds if that is necessary, and you can also pay to access the computers downstairs if you do not have a smartphone or computer.  This ibis did provide luggage lockers which were accessed for a fee; not all ibis had luggage lockers and some kept luggage for a small time for free but the luggage lockers was a nice addition.  

Overall, the ibis budget provided a decent night’s sleep in an updated room at a low cost.  While the rooms were not lavish nor plush, they provided enough for a good transit hotel. You do not pay a lot and so low expectations are met by a basic and clean room at a low price.

Stay Report: Hilton Zurich Airport (Zurich, May 2015)

Stay Report: Hilton Zurich Airport
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was arriving late into Zurich and had an early morning flight the next day, so instead of travelling into the city I decided to stay near the airport. There are many hotel options connected to or near the airport; I choose to stay at the Hilton.  Overall, it is a good transit hotel that is comfortable and has lots of amenities.

The hotel itself is located approximately 15-20 minutes away from the airport.  The hotel does provide a free shuttle to and from the airport, and the shuttle runs every 30 minutes.  The hotel is located on a hill, so you drive up to the top of the hill to the lobby, which is the 4^th floor of the hotel, and then you take the elevator down to the rooms, floors 1-3.  The layout of the hotel is a bit odd.  As you enter into the hotel, the check-in desks are in front of you with a small shop to your left and the restaurant/bar to your right.  Check-in was efficient and we quickly received our keys and went towards the elevator to access our room.  The odd layout of the hotel continues, as to get from the lobby to the elevator you have to pass by the kitchen and prep room for the meeting rooms, where there is a lot of traffic at night.  Additionally, the hallways are very long so it is a bit of a walk to the elevators and then from the elevator to the room.

The room itself are big and comfortable.  I was traveling with 2 other adults, so we had a requested a room with 2 twin beds plus a rollaway bed; the request was approved for a cost.  Even with the three beds, the room did not feel cramped.  As you entered into the room, on the right hand side was a closet with an ironing board and safe, and on the left hand side was the bathroom with a nice full sink and an open shower plus a toilet.  Further into the room, on the left hand side were the two twin beds which were comfortable and provided a good sleep.  There were night stands next to each bed with individual reading lights and power outlets.  In between the beds and the window was enough space and this is where the rollaway bed was placed.  The rollaway bed was also comfortable and provided a decent sleep (not as nice as the beds, but decent enough).  Across from the beds was a TV stand with drawers underneath and a desk next to it.  All around the room were power outlets which were greatly appreciated.

The hotel is a full service Hilton so there are many amenities available including free wifi (for hilton hhonors members), a really nice and large fitness center that also includes a sauna, a business center, and many meeting rooms. There is a restaurant and room service available.  As I was only there on transit, I did not have time to experience all the amenities except for the wifi, which was a decent speed.

Overall it was a pleasant stay at the Hilton Zurich Airport.  It’s a nice transit hotel with spacious rooms and lots of amenities.  The service at the hotel is also good, in fact a nice touch is that the hotel provided complimentary coffee and croissants in the morning for those passengers who had early morning flights.  If you are trying to see the city, this may not be the hotel for you; however, if you are transiting in Zurich, then this is a good place to stay.

Stay Report: ibis Zurich City West (Zurich, May 2015)

Stay Report: ibis Zurich City West
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

There are many hotels in Zurich so when looking for a place to stay, there are many options to choose from.  I was going to be staying in Zurich for 3 days and I was traveling with a group so we needed either 2 rooms or one big room.  I was also looking for a place that was close to the city and close to transportation as well as to restaurants and sights.  Most of the places I was finding were too expensive or could not accommodate more than 2 people to a room, except for the ibis Zurich City West.  The hotel has a ‘family room’ which includes one double bed and a twin bed.  While a bit outside the city, the hotel was close to transportation so I decided to book this hotel.

Prior to this, I had not stayed an ibis (or any Accorhotel properties so I was not sure what to expect).  The pictures and research of the hotel detailed a hotel that was at a lower price, and for that lower price you got a hotel that provided a decent room, free wifi, and limited amenities.  This was not going to be a full service hotel so I went in prepared for that.

The hotel does not provide a shuttle to/from the airport.  I had arranged my own transportation since I was travelling in a group and we had luggage.  The hotel is located near a technopark/business park and from the outside looks more like an office building.  There are three Accorhotel brands all in one building – Novote, ibis, and ibis budget – and each has their own entrance. 

We entered into the ibis lobby which had the check-in desks on left and directly across were the elevators.  Further into the lobby was the restaurant and bar where you breakfast was available (for purchase).  There was a small sitting area and a ‘business center’ with computers and a printer in the lobby before the check-in desks.  We were checked in, received our key, and took the small elevators to our room.

As I said earlier, we had booked a family room which is supposed to a larger room with one double bed and one twin bed.  As you entered the room, the first thing you noticed was the spaciousness, the room definitely had a lot of space.  As you entered, on left side, against the wall, was the twin bed with a small night stand next to it.  While the twin bed was small, it was an adult twin bed so it was big enough for an adult.  The bedding was decent and comfortable, and it provided a decent sleep. 

Across from the bed, on the right side, was the entrance to the bathroom.  Given at how spacious the room was, the bathroom was tiny.  The bathroom contained a small sink, with little counter space; a toilet; and a stand-up shower.  It was tiny but had the basic amenities.  Towels were provided, but the towel quality was definitely poor and it was not a nice towel to use.  Another limited amenity was the shampoo and soap; ibis provides a bottle next to the sink and in the shower that is a combo of soap/shampoo/bath gel.  While it smells nice, it was interesting to have one gel for everything so I brought my own amenities.

As you progressed further into the room, on the right hand side was the double bed with nightstands on either side.  Again, the bed was a decent size and provided a decent night’s sleep; it wasn’t spectacular but it was comfortable and decent.  There was a window alongside the main wall and in front of the window was a desk and a shelf.  On the left hand side of the wall, near the twin bed, was the open closet and shelves.  Ibis’ have an open closet concept in which they have a place to hand your clothes and shelves, but there is no door to close/hide your stuff.  As this room was a family room, they had more shelves in the room so there was a lot of storage available in the room.  In between the twin bed and the closet was the TV stand with a TV on stop and a small shelf underneath.

There are not many facilities at the ibis.  Usually there are no fitness centers nor pools, and this hotel did not have them either (you could potentially use the amenities at the Novotel).  The hotel did provide free and fast wifi.  The wifi service was extremely fast and had good reception all over the hotel (and the number of devices is not limited).  There is also a restaurant available where you breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available at an extra costs; some ibis include complimentary breakfast, this one did not.

Overall, it was a decent stay at the ibis Zurich City West.  The hotel provided a decent room that had lots of storage, had good customer service, and was walking distance (5-10mins) to transportation.  While the hotel does not provide the amenities a full-service hotel would, if you know what you expecting and prepare for that, then it can be a really nice and comfortable stay at ibis.  

A Trip Report: Turkish Airlines, Houston to Zurich via Istanbul (May 2015)

                    A Trip Report: Turkish Airlines (May 2015)
                              comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

In the last couple of years, Turkish Airlines has been winning a lot of awards for their service and product.  They seem to be doing this while still providing a competitive rate, so I was curious to experience the service myself.  After flying both Business as well as Economy class, I am not sure why the airline won all the awards -- while the product is decent and I have definitely experienced worst, I have also experienced better.

I was flying from the U.S. to Switzerland and Turkish Airlines was providing a very good deal from Houston to Zurich via Istanbul.  For another family member, we had previously booked a Turkish Airlines flight through a travel agent and it was difficult to manage the booking on the Turkish Airlines website, so this time we decided to book directly through Turkish Airlines website.  The website does provide good deals and options pre-booking and during booking, but it is not good post booking or managing the booking.  Seat assignments, for example must be confirmed by calling the airline - however if you book too far in advance than the airplane has not been confirmed for your flight so you are not able to book your seat.  There were other instances like this which does not make the site very user-friendly (as opposed to Qatar and other airlines which are more user-friendly).  

Another thing that you cannot do from this site - and I found this with other Star Alliance partners such as Ethiopian - is that they do not provide connections with Star Alliance partners such as United.  If wanted to book a United flight connecting to a Turkish flight, I am not able to do that on Turkish.  I would either have to book separate tickets or use a third party (the same thing for Ethiopian flights).  If you are in an Alliance, shouldn't you be able to book one ticket on multiple partners?  Oneworld and Skyteam do not seem to have this issue as you can book multiple partners through each site.

I got to experience both Business as well as Economy class on Turkish.  My original ticket was in Economy class but you are able to upgrade to Business Class at the counter, if space is available.  NOTE: if you are travelling on more than one sector, the upgrade is only valid on the first sector.  We were travelling from Houston to Istanbul and then from Istanbul to Zurich so the upgrade was only applicable from Houston to Istanbul.  In Houston, Turkish partners with Star Alliance member so you have access to the United Club; in Istanbul we would be back to economy so would not have access to the lounge.  Given all this, is it worth to upgrade?  That really depends on what you value.

We were flying on a Boeing 777 and the Business class is laid out in a 2-2-2 section.  The positive is that the seats do turn into completely lie-flat beds and there is a massage button to help ease the long flight.  They also do feed you a lot in Business class, with many courses and their advertised ‘Chef on Board’.  The food was good, not great, but good and they did provide a lot of it.  One thing to note was that the flight attendants never explained what any of the dishes were and, when asked, could not provide the answer as to what was being served.  Every time I asked for an explanation of the dish they had to run back to the galley to get the answer.   That was a negative in my opinion.  Other negatives were that the service in Business wasn't that good, there is very little privacy between you and your seatmate, and the beds are not that comfortable.  Additionally, the amenity kit in Business is the same one that was received in Economy.  Finally, the IFE is wider in Business class but they have less selection (overall the selection wasn’t that good, but it was worse in Business Class).  Given we were fed well and were able to rest, we did not feel as tired when we landed in Istanbul at 12 hours so in that aspect it was worth it, but given the lack of service and the other negatives we decided not to upgrade on the return flight (more about that later).

Just a note about the Club at IAH: Turkish does not have its own club so it partners with fellow Star Alliance member United and uses the United Club. The United Club is nice but the Club it is nowhere near the Turkish gate.  Turkish departs out of D gates and the closest Club location is in E gates – about a 15 minute fast walk or a 20 minute slow walk.  As it is a United Club, there are no announcements of the Turkish flight so you have to guess and estimate the time. 

We transferred in Istanbul to our flight to Zurich.  Istanbul airport is nice, but very crowded and very long – there are long walks between gates and when transferring from one gate to another.  Additionally you have to go through security even when transferring as well as go through a boarding pass check.  Given the immense crowds, seating space is a commodity especially since the gates are only announced about an 1.5 hour prior to the flight. 

The flight from Istanbul to Zurich was on an Airbus A320 with a 3-3 seat layout.  The seat pitch on the flight was very generous providing plenty of legroom.  There were no personal IFE and only the flight route was shown on the overhead screens.  The service on the plane was decent with a meal and drinks being provided; however given the 3.5 hour flight time some sort of entertainment - either personal or on the screen above) would have been better.

The return flight from Zurich to Istanbul was on the same type of aircraft and the service was the same (which was decent).  Transferring in Istanbul was a bit chaotic, especially for the flights to the U.S.  The plane was not parked at the gate so we had to take a bus to the plane.  It was a full flight with over 300+ passengers but the waiting area was so small and compact, with only 6 chairs and no food/beverage services.  Prior to the waiting area, you had to go through 3 security checkpoints so it was becoming very crowded, very quickly.  Given the crowded situation, Turkish opened the gate early and we were allowed to board earlier than scheduled.

The flight from Istanbul to Houston was operated by a Boeing 777 and this time we were in economy.  The seat pitch was extremely tight – there was barely any room to sit no matter what your height was.  The seats were also uncomfortable and so it made for a very uncomfortable 12+ hour flight.  The service included a meal upon takeoff, tea, distribution of amenity kit (which was the exact same one we received in Business Class on the departure trip) as well as a meal upon landing.  In addition, there were snacks and drinks available in the galley.  The service was decent, the only problem I had was that 30 minutes after take-off three bathrooms on one side of the plane ran out of soap.  I am not sure whether soap was not filled initially or too many people used it, but instead of refilling the soap or apologizing for that, the attendants’ response was ‘just use another one’.  It was this lackluster response that was indicative of their service throughout all the flights we took, and it was this lackluster response which did not make the flight enjoyable.  The seats did have a person IFE as well as USB port to charge your electronics.  The IFE in economy had a better selection of movies than business class, but the selection was not as up to date nor as vast as other airlines (including the US, Emirates, etc.).   The movie selection was enough to pass 12 hours but not enough to come back to the airline.

In the end, I neither had a positive nor negative experience on Turkish.  Everything was basic but there was not enough to make me want to repeat my travel with Turkish, and that is the sad point.  I have had experiences on other airlines that were decent but one thing stood out – either the service or the planes or the efficiency – which made me want to try them again, or not.  This was not the case with Turkish.  They keep stating they are winning all these awards, and after flying with them, I am trying to figure out why

A Trip Report: Swiss International Airlines, Geneva to Zurich (May 2015)

Trip Report: Swiss Airlines, Geneva to Zurich

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

                        

Travelling around Switzerland is very easy and convenient given how well connected and smooth the trains, trams, and other public transportation run.  Given this convenience, it is difficult to see why a passenger would fly across Switzerland, until they experience Swiss International Airlines’ great service and free chocolates!

We were visiting Switzerland and had traveled from Zurich to Geneva via train.  This journey took 2.5 hours and it was very convenient to go from the downtown Zurich to downtown Geneva.   On the return, we decided to fly and we choose this option for a couple of reasons: 1) We wanted to try out Swiss as we had heard good things about the airline; 2) the price for the ticket was relatively comparable and included luggage; and 3) we were arriving late night and then heading out via plane early the next morning so going via train would have cost an extra journey.  Overall, the return journey only took about 30 minutes of actual flight time. 

I had booked my trip through an online site as purchasing directly through Swiss – for an internal flight – would have incurred a currency conversion fee whereas the online site was booked in my home currency.  The flight price included luggage – a bag of 23kg – but did not include seat assignments as pre-selected seat assignments came with a cost.  Not-preselecting seats is a gamble as sometimes the plane is empty or you are assigned the exit seat, while other times the plane is completely full and the only remaining seats are the ones in the middle in the back of the plane.

24-hours prior to my departure I was able to check-in online and receive my seat assignment.  Online there were plenty of seats to choose from as the flight did not look that full so we were able to select the seats we wanted (at no cost).  When we arrived at the Geneva airport, we presented our already printed boarding passes and passport to the desk and everything was done in less than 5 minutes.  As we had planned for a longer time, we had more time to explore Geneva Airport.

The airport is divided into pre-security and post-security.  There is free wifi (as is the case around the country, you receive the wifi code via SMS/text message so you need a text enabled phone to receive the code) and the wifi was pretty good.  There is no map of the airport but talking to the airport personnel, they informed me that there were more options pre-security than post.   Pre-security has a coffee shop (with sandwiches and pastries); a bookstore; a make your own salad; some shops; as well as a an area with about 4 restaurants and plenty of spaces to sit.  There is even a place to sit outside and see views of the runway.  The restaurants available provide a varied selection from fast food to sit down and near the seating they have screens with up-to-date flight information. 

Going through the security was also quick and took less than 15 minutes.  Post-security are the duty free shops, a coffee shop, a chocolate shop, sandwich shops, as well as bookstores and other standard airport stores.  While the availability is there, there was definitely more variety pre-security.  The airport has large windows that face the taxi and runway so you do a lot of plane-spotting.  You cannot take pictures as the windows have tiny dots on them that inhibit picture taking.

Our flight was in the evening and promptly on time we boarded.  Boarding was completed relatively easily as there only 30 passengers total (so each passenger had a row to themselves).   The seats of the Airbus plane were comfortable leather seats and the legroom was decent for a small flight – the legroom would be tight for a long-haul flight but decent for a short-haul flight.   As soon as we reached cruising altitude, we were served a bottle of water (standard size, which was nice) as well as swiss chocolates.  Originally two were given per passengers but if more were requested you could take as much as you want.  Both the chocolates and free water were a welcome addition, on any flight but especially on such a short flight.  The plane did not have individual IFE’s but rather had overhead screens which showed the progression of the flight.  We landed in Zurich on time and proceeded to receive our luggage, which also came rather quickly. 

If I was to compare the rail versus plane journey, they both took about the same amount of time if you factor in security and other time for the airport.  Another thing to consider that if you purchased the Swiss pass (which includes rail journeys), and still had some journeys remaining then the plane was an additional cost.  Both provided a comfortable seat and a pleasant journey so which one is better – it really depends on your destination and where you would like to final destination to be.  If you want to be closer to downtown without having the extra train connection between the airport and the city, then I would suggest the train.  If you want to be closer to the airport without having to transfer at the main rail station, then I would suggest the plane.  We wanted to be closer to the airport (as we had an early morning flight the next day) and did not want to transfer so for us the plane ride was nice and pleasant.  Definitely worth a trip on Swiss!