The duration of the direct flight is 7h25 at night and more or less 8h30 during the day on the return journey. By choosing to fly with SWISS for my trip to Tanzania, I hoped to significantly boost my Aeroplan points balance for a future Business Class trip to Asia. I was able to accumulate 3,722 points for the round trip on these two economy flights.
Read my review of my flight from Zurich to Tanzania with Edelweiss and my guide to what to do during a stopover in Zurich.
I checked in for my flights directly on the SWISS app. However, I had trouble changing my seat on the way back, perhaps because my first flight was with another airline.
Fortunately, my seat was pretty much the same as on the outward flight, so no worries there. The app also lets you confirm your baggage check-in and receive a notification when it’s on board the aircraft, which is very reassuring.
The easiest way to earn Aeroplan points is to sign up for one of these Aeroplan credit cards. Not only will you earn Aeroplan points as a welcome bonus, but you’ll also earn points on all purchases charged to your Aeroplan credit card.
The most popular Aeroplan credit card is the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card which currently offers the following welcome offer:
Note that you can also earn Aeroplan Points through the American Express Membership Rewards program. You can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points into Aeroplan points at a rate of 1:1. 10,000 Membership Rewards points = 10,000 Aeroplan points. Many American Express Membership Rewards credit cards are available in Canada.
In my opinion, one of the best American Express Membership Rewards credit cards is the American Express Cobalt® Card. With this credit card, you’ll earn 5 Points per dollar on groceries, convenience stores, restaurants and bars. And don’t forget the gift card trick, which also earns you 5 Points per dollar at many stores, including Amazon, SAQ, Ikea and Netflix.
Here is the welcome offer currently available for this card:
SWISS allows one checked bag of 23 kg with its Classic and Flex fares and two checked bags of 32 kg each in Business Class, in addition to one cabin bag (8 kg) and a personal item. I was able to go to the kiosk at the airport to drop off my backpack for check-in and ensure that it would reach my destination (Kilimanjaro) despite my long layover in Zurich.
Once on board, I noticed that, at least from Montreal, the size and weight of cabin baggage were not checked by the staff. Is this a regular practice? It’s hard to say. My baggage arrived at the destination both on the way there and back without any issues.
The economy-class cabin configuration on SWISS flights is 2-4-2 on either side of the aisle, with 183 seats in economy class, 45 in business class and 8 in first class, for a total of 236 possible passengers.
On the outbound flight, my seat was 38J, and on the return, it was 34J, both located on the aisle. Each fabric-covered seat is equipped with a tray table, a storage pocket, a USB port, and a screen.
The headrest is not adjustable, but its slightly rounded shape makes it comfortable to sit on. On the armrest, you’ll find the headphone socket (with two connectors) and some controls for the screen.
As the seats are rather narrow (17 inches), it’s more difficult to access them; it’s better to press directly on the screen to change the volume.
Both the seat width and the legroom (32 inches) are minimal, which is quite disappointing for a transatlantic flight with this airline. The entertainment system takes up space under the seat, further limiting the area available for personal belongings or even stretching your legs comfortably.
One thing that doesn’t disappoint on these flights is the snacks and meals. On both of my flights, I received a snack before the meal (chips, cookies, or chocolate), two meals with one being a hot meal and the other a sandwich/pastry depending on the time of day, along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Although the food served on board cannot be described as gourmet, the meals were, on the whole, quite good. There is usually a choice between a pasta dish and a meat dish, accompanied by a warm roll, a salad, and a dessert.
All served with real utensils, a rarity in economy class! If you have dietary restrictions, be sure to order your meal in advance to ensure you get what you want. Before the end of the flight, passengers are offered a chocolate, which is a nice touch.
On both my outbound and return flights, the flight attendants were not only courteous and smiling, but above all, there to meet passengers’ needs.
Upon arrival at your seat, a blanket and pillow are provided for your comfort. I didn’t have any specific needs during my flights, but I regularly saw the crew moving through the cabin, offering water and collecting waste after the snack and meal services.
On board the Airbus A330-300, each economy class passenger has their own screen in the seatback in front of them. The Audio Visual on Demand (AVOD) system, provided on a somewhat older Panasonic device, allows passengers to watch a variety of movies and TV series.
The selections are quite varied, including new releases and classic favorites. However, the audio quality leaves something to be desired, likely due to the dual-connector headphones provided by the airline after takeoff.
The screen also displays all flight information, as well as controls for volume, light and flight attendant service. SWISS also offers an in-flight Wi-Fi service, which I haven’t had a chance to try out.
I had flown with SWISS in the past and, from memory, my flight was much more comfortable than these last two. The seats in economy class are very small and not very comfortable for such long flights. So I was rather disappointed, given this perhaps unfounded expectation.
Despite that, the entertainment and the snacks and meals were quite decent, so my flights went smoothly. I had the option to bid for an upgrade before departure. However, the minimum price was exorbitant, equivalent to the cost of my round-trip ticket to Tanzania, considering the exchange rate with the Swiss franc.
If you ever have the chance to opt for a higher seat category for this route, you’ll likely enjoy the journey much more, that’s for sure. Would I fly with SWISS again? Certainly, especially because of the opportunity to accumulate Aeroplan points. However, my expectations would probably be lower regarding the cabin and overall comfort.
Read our other reviews with SWISS:
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