SWISS BUSINESS TO DUBAI By Faris Almussallam
After a great week in Italy, it was time to fly to my last stop before my vacation officially ended. I had initially planned to fly directly from Milan to Kuwait with Lufthansa (through Frankfurt), but decided that I had already flown that route numerous times, and lamented the fact that not many foreign airlines fly to Kuwait. Thinking outside the box, I decided to fly with Lufthansa’s partner, SWISS, and fly to Dubai where I would spend a few days before finally going to Kuwait. I had originally started my journey from Milan Malpensa Airport, with a very short 40-minute flight to Zurich Airport. Once I landed in Zurich, I went straight to the business lounge. SWISS operates a number of lounges, and it’s best to go to the one nearest to your gate, as there can be quite a bit of walking involved. Also, if your flight’s destination is outside the Schengen area, your gate will be from the newly opened E concourse, which requires a short train ride. As I was feeling peckish by this point, I got myself some food at the lounge’s impressive hot and cold food buffet, and sat myself on their outdoor terrace. I don’t think that I could have asked for more at this point – good food, an UNBEATABLE location, great weather, and airplane action. Time flew by and it was, I believe, the only time I'd ever wished the transit time was longer. It was like being a little boy, and 72
it took a lot of energy to subdue the giddiness that manifested itself as I stood there in the terrace taking pictures and videos. Soon, it was time to board the SWISS Airbus 330 to Dubai, and in (stereo)typical Swiss fashion, everything happened exactly on time. I entered the aircraft and was excited that I was finally about to experience the business class I read so much about. As I settled in, I took some time to familiarise myself with the seat and its functions. First impressions: extremely comfortable, private, and well thought-out! Before pushback, flight attendants came around distributing the menu for the flight – this was the first full-sized menu I have seen in Business Class in a while – which added to the sense of luxury. I hate when you spend so much on a flight, and you see notable examples of cost cutting. Once we were airborne, the flight attendants came around with drinks, and I upheld my tradition of going for sparkling water with ice and lemon. This was served with a nice small bowl of warm nuts. For my starter, I went for the quail galantine with green pea puree, spring salad, and snow peas. The dish was too exotic to pass! My main was the beef tenderloin with garlic and pine nut crust. After ordering, I remembered that steak on a plane isn’t usually a good idea, but SWISS delivered a juicy and succulent steak. Its accompaniments were also well chosen, and nicely complemented the start of the dish. As this was SWISS, it would amount to sin to skip the cheese plate – which was served with
pear bread. A first for me, and I loved how the two went together – a great melange of sweet and salty. And because I was still in holiday-mode, I decided to indulge in the dessert: strawberry and rhubarb compote. SWISS long haul aircrafts all offer in-flight WiFi, which you have to pay for. It wasn’t my priority as it was only a 6-hour flight, so I spent the rest of the flight switching between watching movies and getting lost in my thoughts. I don’t think anything could ever be quite as exhilarating as flying above the mountains and seeing them poke up above the clouds! All too soon, we crossed the Gulf from Iran and began to descend into Dubai for a smooth landing – Swiss precision in flight! I thoroughly enjoyed the flight, and came away with two main thoughts – that I wish the flight was longer, and that they offered flights directly from Kuwait. I guess this is the true mark of a great flight – one that leaves a positive impression on you, making you wish you could have more. What’s more, I find Zurich Airport is much more pleasant to connect at compared to Frankfurt or Heathrow, and it’s location in the middle of Europe means connecting anywhere on the continent is convenient, as it’s also a good springboard for flights to North America. Keep up to date with Faris' journeys around the world by visiting his website www.traveleye.net, and follow him on Instagram @travel.eye, and on Facebook: Gotraveleye. Follow his YouTube channel @TraveleyeGlobal.