In March 2023, SWISS officially unveiled its new first and business class, which will be debuting in 2025. The airline is marketing this product as “SWISS Senses.” I wanted to take an updated look at these plans, as we now have a better sense of exactly when this will be introduced, and also how long it’ll take to reconfigure existing aircraft.
SWISS will launch its new first and business class product in 2025. With the current timeline, the expectation is that the first plane will feature these cabins as of the second quarter, so somewhere between April and June of 2025.
Lufthansa Group is harmonizing its premium products across airlines. Lufthansa has named its new seating concept Allegris, and this includes new first class suites and new business class seats. SWISS will be getting exactly the same seats, except with SWISS finishes.
Below are some pictures of SWISS’ new first class product. As you’d expect, this product features closable sliding doors, a personal wardrobe, a large seat table, seat heating and cooling, a wireless charging station, and a screen display that’s as wide as the suite. Much like on Lufthansa, the center suite can accommodate two people.
Below are some pictures of SWISS’ new business class product. Much like on Lufthansa, this is designed to meet a wide range of wishes and needs. Seating options include a double seat for passengers traveling together, and some seats with sliding doors. The business class seats feature heating and cooling, as well as wireless charging stations. All seats will feature direct aisle access.
For context, SWISS’ long haul fleet currently consists of the following planes:
- 12 Boeing 777-300ERs
- 14 Airbus A330-300s
- Five Airbus A340-300s
SWISS has no plans to retire its 777s or A330s, though the current plan is to retire A340s as of 2025. Furthermore, SWISS is expected to take delivery of 10 Airbus A350-900s, which are part of the larger Lufthansa Group order.
So, what’s the plan for the new cabins being installed? They’ll be introduced from 2025 onwards:
- They’ll be installed on A350-900s, which will be newly delivered as of 2025
- A330-300s and 777-300ERs will also be reconfigured with these products
- The plan is for all SWISS long haul aircraft to feature the new SWISS Senses cabins by 2028
SWISS has published the seat map for the reconfigured A330.
It seems like the new first and business class will be a tight squeeze on the A330, given that the cabin is materially narrower than on the A350. In particular, I imagine that double suite in the center section will be quite a tight fit.
I’m also curious if SWISS might have more first class seats on its A350-900s than Lufthansa does. Lufthansa will only have one row, while I wonder if SWISS could have two. After all, SWISS’ entire long haul fleet has first class, while only a small portion of Lufthansa’s does. Clearly SWISS sees more demand for first class.
SWISS already has an excellent first class product, and in particular has a phenomenal ground experience in Zurich. I’m excited to see the airline take this to the next level.
Bottom line
SWISS plans to introduce a new first and business class product. That product will be known as SWISS Senses — it’ll be the same as Lufthansa Allegris, except with SWISS branding.
The airline will install these cabins on newly delivered A350s, which will be delivered as of the second quarter of 2025. Furthermore, as of that point, we can also expect that A330s and 777s will be reconfigured with these cabins, with the retrofits being complete by 2028. Hopefully that timeline sticks.
What do you make of SWISS’ new premium cabin plans?