No raclettes: Swiss Lounge at Zurich Airport - Review
Hello lovely readers! After drinking with Matteo and Lukasz on many continents, and leading Matteo to some of the weird and wonderful highlights Shenzhen has to offer, it’s a pleasure to be writing for this fine publication myself (we’ll show you Eurovision street and the world’s best custard tarts next time, promise!).
I had the pleasure of spending this weekend in sunny Switzerland. Weekends away mean flights which means…lounge visits! Over the weekend I’d already eaten my body weight in fine chocolate and awesome cheese, but everything in moderation, including moderation, right?!
First things first, to find the place. I visited the Senator Lounge, just around to the right after security, towards the A gates. It was very easy to find, and a quick scan of my boarding pass and I was in.
Past security, turn right, voila!
First impressions were: the space was lovely, bright and airy, but man was it BUSY! I walked around for at least 5 minutes, feeling like I’d arrived late to the party and everyone else had settled in, made friends, swapped life stories and there were no free seats.
After 4 or 5 awkward laps trying not to clothesline any small children with my bulky winter gear, I found a spot in the quiet zone upstairs. I think everyone was avoiding it because of the no-food rule, but the stacks of plates spoke to a slightly more lenient approach.
No room at the inn
My own quiet, cosy corner
The feeding and watering options were great - a large selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, a coffee machine with more buttons than a spaceship, racks of fruit, sweets, bread, cheese, cheese and more cheese (it is Switzerland, after all), and best of all, a team of chefs preparing hot food to order. The dishes weren’t anything amazing, but the setup was really nice and you got the feeling the food was fresher than you might find in an airline lounge.
So, with shelter, food and water procured, my attention turned to the next item in Maslow’s adapted-for-Tech-Travel-Geeks hierarchy of needs: internet. There were signs around for Wi-Fi access, with the spectacularly unhelpful instruction to ‘go to the Wi-Fi printer’. Can one print Wi-Fi? Were the Swiss really so far ahead?!.
Not helpful, Swissair.
There was a printer at the back of the lounge, but it didn’t look aware of the internet in any form. Decoy, or sneak 500? I decided on decoy, and utilised the survival tools at my disposal. I asked a member of staff, who smiled and pointed me towards an unlabelled, unassuming white cube by the entrance stairs.
Yes, the one that looks like a bin.
So, with a seat, drinks, food and a connection to the outside world, I could finally settle in to wait for my flight. But wait! There’s one more need to satisfy…
Ahhh. All the charging points a Tech Travel Geek could need, and right in the comfort of my own chair.
2 USB ports, and plug sockets to suit every taste and budget.
Overall, the lounge is very pleasant. Great food and drink options, a lovely open modern feel and ample connectivity. There are also showers, private ‘cabins’ at the back for calls, plus a smoking area if that’s your thing. The only downsides were the lack of seating (although the crowd had thinned out by the time I left) and the confusing Wi-Fi setup, but all in all, a nice place to relax before a flight.
