Zurich Airport is one of the best airports in Europe for transiting for three reasons: it’s relatively small, it has a great views of the tarmac, and a great selection of concessions. So even if you don’t have access to a lounge, it is absolutely fine. However, Zurich Airport happens to have one of the best business class lounges I’ve seen in Europe. Here is a look at one of the newer lounges located near the E Gates where most long haul Swiss Air flights depart from.
Going through security at Zurich on this particular Monday was a breeze and I came up on a familiar airy terminal with great views of airport operations.
I thought about making my usual stop at Confeserie Sprungli for some great pastries and chocolate, but decided against it given that I had access to the Swiss Business Lounge this time around. Needless to say that I was a little hungry after a long day of train rides.
I turned right and headed toward the Swiss Lounge past the shops, where I was told to head to the E Gates for access to a “much nicer lounge.”
So I went through passport control and took a 10 minute train ride to the E Gates where I found some very vacant boarding areas despite there being many flights scheduled to head out.
The Swiss Business Class Lounge is located a level above the main departure area and is accessible to passengers flying Swiss and Star Alliance business class as well as Star Alliance Gold members. It’s been about 2 years since Swiss opened these lounges at the E Gates and all I can say is that they did a wonderful job with the space. There are multiple quiet areas for work or quick naps:
There is an enormous amount of seating and Zurich Airport isn’t your busiest European hub so it’s quite easy to find your own personal space.
And of course there is the excellent dining area where there is even more seating. There are an abundant number of outlets throughout the lounge so you are never left looking those for too long.
Dining options include a made to order pasta station, a refrigerator full of Movenpick Ice Cream, and one of the more sophisticated coffee machines I’ve seen inside of a lounge. There is also a great selection of desserts and snacks on offer and a large variety of wines and cocktails available at the bar.
I had some pasta and followed up by eating way too much ice cream for my own good. I absolutely enjoyed my Carmelita Movenpick ice cream and views of operations at Zurich Kloten.
Oh and I should mention that the best part of the lounge is actually the terrace area outside, which offers unparalleled views of the runways at Zurich. On this particular day there were no people out there and for some reason all the doors leading out were locked. I assume it had something to do with the severe weather brewing in the distance which included multiple lightning strikes.
After enjoying a quick bite to eat, I decided to take a shower. The showers are located just opposite the front foyer of the lounge and there are a few lounge chairs in case there is a wait.
The showers are decently stocked, well designed, and most of all squeaky clean. Bath slippers were an added amenity in these and water temperature as well pressure were quite good. Oh yeah they also have a big clock in there to keep track of time 🙂
Before I knew it was time for me to make my way to the gate for my flight to Boston. The gates are just 2 minutes away so you can go directly from relaxing in the lounge to kicking back and sleeping on the flight.
Bottom Line:
I absolutely loved my time in the Swiss Business Class Lounge and would count it as being among the best if not the best business class lounge I’ve ever seen. The design of the lounge with its wonderful views of operations at ZRH, the abundant selection of desserts, clean showers, and quiet areas makes it pretty much the best lounge in Europe outside of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. Service at the lounge is efficient and courteous, which is all anyone needs from a business class lounge. This lounge pretty much sealed the deal for me: Zurich is easily the best connecting airport in Europe. I very much look forward to connecting through and flying out of here more often. My list of things I like about Switzerland keeps getting bigger or so I thought. Stay tuned for my review of Swiss Business Class to Boston.
What’s your favorite business class lounge in Europe? Favorite transit airport?
Trip Report Index:
Introduction: Weekend Jaunt in Switzerland
Lufthansa Economy Class DFW – FRA – BSL
Train vs Car: The Transportation Dilemma
Review: The Swiss Transit System – First vs Second Class
The Advantages of AirBNB in Switzerland
Proposed Itinerary for a First Time in Switzerland
Swiss Business Class Lounge: Zurich Airport (E Gates)
Swiss Business Class: Zurich – Boston
More to come soon………
