On February 24th, I had the opportunity to take a look at the new SWISS Premium Economy Class. It will now be progressively installed across the 12 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new seat, by the way, comes from the company ZIM, and 24 of these new seats will be installed per aircraft. The configuration is 2 / 4 / 2.

One thing that immediately stands out is that the seat is built into a hard shell. This has the major advantage that even when the seat in the row ahead is reclined, it doesn’t take away any space from the person behind. The seat is also 5 cm wider and 20 cm longer than the Economy Class seat. The distance to your neighbor, however, is rather tight.

On top of that, there’s an appealing screen that measures 15.6 inches — a perfectly decent size. New to Premium Economy will also be noise-reducing headphones, which I think is a great touch. They’ve also made sure to include plenty of power outlets and USB ports, so you can land with fully charged batteries without any issues. A fold-out footrest is also part of the new seat. Another new addition is the use of a three-point seatbelt.

There’s also a small, sustainable amenity kit, which I wrote about here:

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Another notable feature when booking SWISS Premium Economy is that you get 2 x 23 kg baggage allowance, an expanded menu selection (three dishes), and a welcome drink. What also stands out is that there’s no separation — no curtain or privacy screen — between Premium Economy and Economy Class. When I asked about it, I was told that this was a deliberate choice.

Verdict

With this new product, there’s a (hopefully) affordable new option to travel a bit more comfortably. No, it’s obviously not Business Class, but a nicely upgraded Economy Class. Personally, I’d love to experience the product in action and see how the Premium Economy service sets itself apart from Economy. Here are some extra photos showcasing all the perks: