Review: Swiss Business Class Lounge A, Zurich (ZRH)

Swiss has a variety of business class lounges at Zurich Airport, the airline’s hub. These range across the Schengen and non-Schengen areas, and there’s usually freedom of movement between the two areas (provided your passport allows, of course). Over the next few days I’ll be publishing reviews of all of Swiss’ business class lounges at the airport, which I visited before my Austrian flight to Vienna – I’d intentionally booked an itinerary so I could review these lounges, and they’re the focus of this trip report series.

In this post I’ll be reviewing the airline’s main Schengen business class lounge at Concourse A. This is the lounge you’ll expect to use if you’re flying out to a Schengen destination on Swiss or a Star Alliance carrier. The lounge has decent capacity, though if you’ve got the time or access, there are definitely better options throughout the airport.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Access and Opening Hours

The Swiss business class lounge is open from 5:30 AM until 10 PM daily, covering all of the airline’s departures. Zurich Airport has a strict curfew, so no flights take off or land between 11:30 PM and 6 AM.

The lounge is open to:

• all Star Alliance business class passengers (including Swiss, Lufthansa, etc.)
• Star Alliance Gold members, though they’re welcome to use the neighbouring Senator lounge
• SAS premium cabin passengers, though not status holders
• Those who buy a Swiss lounge pass for 49 CHF (£46.45/HK$484) – premium economy passengers get a discount

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Location

The Swiss business class lounge is located on the upper level of the main A concourse (between the A and B gates), where you’ll find a variety of duty-free shops.

Zurich Airport Concourse A

The lounge complex is located on the north end of the corridor (when facing the duty free shops, it’s on the left side).

Swiss Concourse A Lounge Entrance

The larger entrance is for the Senator lounge, reflecting the number of Star Gold passengers that visit this lounge (presumably while flying economy). The business class lounge entrance is the smaller single door on the left.

While the Swiss business lounge is also accessible to Star Gold members, it’s really intended for those travelling in business class – business class passengers can’t use the Senator lounge.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Entrance

I visited this lounge at opening time (5:30 AM), and prior to entering there was already a small crowd of 8-10 people waiting to enter the lounge. This is a pretty good indication of how crowded the lounge gets during the peak morning rush.

When the lounge opened, I scanned my boarding pass at one of the automated gates, and headed into the lounge.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating and Atmosphere

The Swiss business class lounge doesn’t take up a massive footprint at the airport, though it is spread out over three floors. The lower floor mainly consisted of overflow seating, with a hallway that everyone passed through to get to the main upper level.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Lower Level

If you’re stuck here this genuinely isn’t a bad place to be – there are some sofas where you can get comfortable, with ottomans where you can place a bag (presumably you can move the ottomans if you wish, though I didn’t try).

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Lower Level Seating

You’ll also find a coffee machine here, as well as some sweet treats. This coffee machine is identical to the ones you’ll find upstairs, and there’s no barista coffee here – that’s restricted to the Arrival lounge as far as business class lounges at this airport go.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Coffee Machine

The main level of the lounge is the middle level, which is accessible via a staircase from the ground. The main seating area featured checkerboard tiling, and had a very retro-industrial, vintage Bauhaus-influenced feel. I quite liked the way it was designed.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating

Then to the side of this seating area was some bench seating.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating

On one side of this there were some armchairs. I hadn’t photographed this, though behind this area were two phone booths.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating

Meanwhile on the other side there was a communal boardroom of sorts, lit up with some backlit screens with pictures of Swiss aircraft. The table itself also featured a relief map of Switzerland, which I enjoyed.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating

Then there were some stools dotted along a workstation-style area.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating

There were also some stools lining the other side of the dining area, overlooking the lower floor.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Seating

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Silent Area

If you’re not content with the seating options available in the main lounge area, there’s a further “silent area” in the lounge, which is located one floor up from the main seating area.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Stairs to Silent Area

This area typically tends to be the quietest part of the lounge. Many years ago this was a “long bar” that connected the Senator and Business lounges, and also served as a smoking area. Both are long gone now, but instead the Senator and Business lounges have separate, partitioned areas within this space.

You’ll find some comfortable, seating relaxing here. On one side, there are some more sofas, much like what you’ll find on the lower floor by the entrance.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Silent Area

On the other side, you’ll find some armchairs facing TVs. I like the design here, though didn’t actually sit here – I’m not sure what the concept is. Are you meant to watch the TV in silence, or…?

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Silent Area Seating

There were also a few daybeds at the lounge, which overlooked the main concourse.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Silent Area Seating

WiFi is attained by scanning your boarding pass at a kiosk, where you’ll get a voucher to connect to the airport’s high-speed WiFi. On one hand, I would’ve appreciated an easier way to sign up which didn’t require physically going to a kiosk within the lounge. However, once you do sign up, the WiFi is a very respectable 164 Mbps down and 99.4 Mbps up (this is consistent throughout the airport, across all of Swiss’ lounges – and you can also use the network when not in a lounge).

It’s also worth noting that the lounge features a good amount of natural light, particularly from the ceiling. It doesn’t look it from the above pictures as they were taken at 5:30 AM, though there’s a fair bit of natural light during the day.

All in all, there’s a good range of seating here. It’s worth noting that the lounge can get extremely busy, particularly throughout the mid-morning period. The actual main lounge area isn’t that big, and particularly around 8-9 AM, you might struggle to find a seat (though the silent area usually has a few more seats, as fewer people know about the area).

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Smoking Area

The Swiss business class lounge A has a smoking area. Unless you smoke, you won’t find much to see here. The area doesn’t overlook the tarmac, or anything.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Smoking Area

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Food and Beverage

The main food spread area was located on the main floor, one above the main concourse.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Food Spread Area

“Salty specialties” (or savoury specialties) included chicken sausage, baked beans, and rosti. There was also an egg station that prepared scrambled and fried eggs.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Food Spread

Meanwhile, the cold section featured charcuterie, yoghurts, dips, and a bakery section.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Food Spread

Drinks wise, there was a self-serve bar, various juices, beers (including non-alcoholic beer), and wines, including non-alcoholic wine. The sparkling non-alcoholic wine was a favourite, though I forgot to note down the brand.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Food Spread

There isn’t barista coffee in this lounge, though you’ll be able to find some coffee machines by an island next to the entrance stairs.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Coffee

While the breakfast catering options at this Swiss lounge were uninspiring at best, there’s a larger variety of food in the evenings, including individual items such as plated-to-order spaetzle.

While the food quality is decent, I wouldn’t consider a buffet food spread with no tended bar or barista coffee option to be competitive amongst other business class hub lounges. Food at Swiss’ lounges definitely isn’t worth arriving early for.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Phone Booths

If you’d like to grab a more private work space within this lounge, there are two phone booths located by the back of the lounge, by the armchairs and next to a printer.

I hadn’t photographed this space, so here’s a photo from The Pointy Miles.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Phone Booths (credit: The Pointy Miles)

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Shower Area

The Swiss business class lounge shares a shower facility with the Senator lounge, and features five shower suites. Even when I visited during peak hour, there was no wait for one of these shower rooms.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Shower Area

The shower rooms weren’t particularly massive, though were well-appointed, featuring toiletries from Soeder. There wasn’t a rainforest shower head here, though I thought water pressure and ventilation were both quite good.

Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich Shower Room

Conclusion: Swiss Business Class Lounge A Zurich

The Swiss business class lounge is well-designed with a very good variety of seating. The food options are mediocre, though the showers are readily available even over peak time, and the lounge itself is a good size. My gripe is that the lounge gets incredibly busy over peak times, so it’s not the best atmosphere to relax, particularly when it’s hard to even get a seat during peak times.

This lounge is decent if you’re pressed on time and not visiting over the morning or evening rush, though there’s literally a lounge round the corner that I’d be keener on, particularly if you’re not looking to shower. Stay tuned.