[Anonymous]

[SimonRowberry]

Hi,

Just returned from a BHX-ZRH-PVG return flight with LX, in their new Business Class, on an A340. I found that there are certain losses of standards compared to when I flew them on the same route (in the “old” Business Class) a year ago. Perhaps I was just unlucky.

On the outbound flight (ZRH-PVG), I was seated in 7A, a single window seat. This was pretty good, being the same width as the two seats in the row in front. This flight was relatively OK, and lived up to what I had always considered to be Swiss Long-haul Standards, with one reservation – the staff just did not seem to be as attentive as they had been on earlier flights. This manifested itself in such ways as not offering drinks as a matter of course; slow meal service; and a general lack of anticipation of passengers’ needs.

The return flight was much less enjoyable. I was originally booked in a window seat, in the 2-seat block (the flight was fairly full, with all single seats taken). However, at check-in, my bag was singled out for the Chinese “super-search” due to me having forgotten that I’d left a lighter in a pair of trousers in my checked bag. When I came back with the case to collect my boarding card, the Station Manager asked me if all was OK and how I found Swiss’ new product. I said that the seating was a vast improvement (which was true) but I was sad that I didn’t have a single seat this time. Suddenly, a boarding card appeared with a single seat (14K), as he said that he’d “kept one back.” A great start to the flight, I thought.

The K seats’ space is not as generous as the A seats; however, they are better than those A seats which are “doubles.” Indeed, the seating was reasonable, I felt.

However, service was pretty grim. No welcome drink was offered until we were on the taxiway, and menus weren’t handed out to some passengers (me included) until we’d reached cruising altitude. I was lucky in that my first meal choice was still available, although I was in the last business row before economy, so I can;t complain about that. What did concern me was that service was extremely slow and there was almost no anticipation of passengers’ needs at all. This was such a contrast to 12 months ago.

The flat bed was excellent and I slept really well on both legs. The transfers at ZRH both ways were also as smooth as it gets (unlike those of my colleagues, who’d elected to fly AF via Paris!). The food (when it arrived) was also very palatable. I guess it was the little touches that I’d been used to with Swiss that seemed to have gone, which was sad.

Please don’t misunderstand – LX are one of my favoured long-haul carriers and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. Indeed, they are great value for money. It just seemed an indicator of our times that the “minor” frills had disappeared and the staffed seemed under so much pressure that they had to be summoned by the bell, rather than coming round and checking whether anyone needed anything.

I also thought it odd that on the way out, the Maitre de Cabine (female) introduced herself to all passengers and then thanked them personally at the end of the flight. However, on the return trip, the Chef de Cabine (male) only introduced himself to/subsequently thanked a few passengers (and he seemed to select these from the manifest he so obviously was reading from). That, I’m afraid, left a particularly bad taste in my mouth.

Ho hum. I guess every airline can have its off day. Or days.

Simon

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