SWISS Air Celebrates
New Jets
From Los Angeles to Zurich
Story and photos by Greg Aragon
went to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last week and boarded
a brand new Boeing 777-300ER bound for Zurich,
Switzerland. Once inside the beautiful jumbo jet I found a 1st class
seat and leaned all the way back and dreamed of my upcoming trip to
the majestic European country.
I should mention I wasnt actually a passenger
on this particular flight. I was there as a media guest to help celebrate
the inaugural flight of Swiss
International Airline's newest plane that will offer regular flights
from LAX to Switzerland.
This is a milestone in the history of SWISS Air,"
said Patrick Heymann, SWISS Senior Director for the Americas. "With
the new Boeing 777-300ER, we will be setting new benchmarks in terms
of our customers inflight comfort and overall air travel experience."
Swiss Air has added 9 new Boeing 777-300ER jets
to its fleet (photo courtesy of Swiss Air)
Airline officials say the totally-redesigned cabin interior
of the new 777-300ER will offer the highest levels of comfort and aesthetics
in all three seating classes. Our First and Business Classes offer
much more privacy, personal space with a modular sitting layout, and
discretion. In First Class, guests can also enjoy interactive entertainment
on a 32-in screen the largest in the airline industry. All amenities,
exclusive onboard meals, and services contribute to fully personalize
the inflight experience, adds Heymann.
The ceremony was held at the SWISS Air gate in LAX's
Tom Bradley International Terminal. Here we were greeted by a traditional
Swiss Alphorn performance, a large cake and representatives from SWISS
Airlines and LAX. The festivities began with a gift exchange honoring
Swiss culture in which Heymann presented Los Angeles World Airports
Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint with a B777 image celebrating
the First Inaugural Flight from LAX to Zurich Airport.
Swiss Air held a party at LAX to celebrate the inaugural
flight of its new aircraft
It was then time for me to board the aircraft to have
a look around. As one of nine new Boeing 777-300ERs that SWISS Air recently
acquired, this jet boasts sophisticated technology, outstanding reliability
and high levels of cabin comfort, while accommodating 340 passengers.
The plane offers in-flight wireless broadband, with 50MB free Internet
access for First Class passengers. And with advanced General Electric
GE90-115BL engines the biggest in the civil aviation sector
the new twinjet 777-300ers will also offer better fuel consumption.
When I take my flight to Switzerland, I hope to be on
one of these new planes, sitting somewhere near one of the 8 first class
suites. For here, guests will find amenities such as seats that recline
a full180 degrees to a length of 80 inches for sleeping; electro-mechanical
window shades (servicing all three windows of the seat area at the same
time); a push button divider that goes up for more privacy; a 32-inch
video screen, the largest in the industry; a dining table; and a second
screen with a moving map and a program selection integrated into the
handset.
First class cabins in the new 777-300ER offer luxurious
amenities and lots of room (photo by John Nguyen)
A little farther down the aisle is SWISS Business class,
where 62 passengers can enjoy plenty of privacy and personal space.
These fully reclining seats offer a table for eating or working on computer,
etc; a 16-inch video screen and a second map screen and lots of stowaway
room.
In the economy section there are 270 seats that offer
the latest seat-cushion technology, more legroom than previous planes,
11-inch touchscreens with USB and audio port, leather headrest covers,
and cup and smartphone holders.
Swiss International Air Lines is Switzerlands
national airline, serving 106 destinations in 49 countries from Zurich
and Geneva and carrying over 16 million passengers a year with its 95-aircraft
fleet. For more information, visit: www.swissair.com
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