The national airline embodies Swiss values such as "personal service", "in-depth quality" and "typical Swiss hospitality".It sounds great...
Swiss reminds me of Lufthansa in many things. Ha!
I have been traveling with them quite a lot recently because they offer great prices and flexibility for multiple-stopover trips (without the need of buying an around-the-world ticket). They have good planes, a good entertainment system, but the rest is all a happy medium regarding comfort, meals and service on board for intercontinental travelers, and an average for inter-European short ones.
My first flight with Swissair was an inter-European one to Switzerland, and I had a very good experience; I was lucky enough to enjoy views with the tops of high mountains almost at my fingertips. Utterly beautiful and an awesome experience.
My trips with Swiss Air have been carried by the carrier itself or by other Star Alliance members, mostly Thai and Singapore Airlines from/to Australia. However, I have found that the partnership, at least with South African Airlines was not good, and the conditions of the trip were those of the latter and not those of Swiss, even though the ticket was purchased with and issued by Swiss.
I have never had any trouble with the airline, so I don't know how they behave when customers experience lost luggage or delayed planes or missed connections.
Overall, I am happy to flight with them, but I am never excited to do so, because there are other airlines doing better job than they do, but they get me because they are usually cheaper. Another ha!
NOV 2022 UPDATE - GONE DOWNHILL
I traveled with the airline recently as part of a multi-airline intercontinental trip. I don't know if this is the after-effect of COVID, but the airline has gone downhill in all fronts. Poor customer service. Average entertainment system. Poor food. I was unfriendly unhelpful flight attendants. Not comfortable flights. Some of the European segments had flights delayed and no reason or apology given to customers. I had a very small computer trolley bag pack, way smaller than the average cabin suitcase. I was targeted at the Zurich airport as not being able to take it into the cabin as I was also carrying a small handbag. Nobody else was addressed. There were people carrying double the size and two items on to the cabin without a problem. addressed in publish in a form that had the whole customer seating area focusing on me, that is, without tact or elegance. Really rude and unfriendly staff, who won't help you with anything and don't know what smile means. If the airline represent the country, I feel bad for the Swiss, because the airline gives a really sub-par 3rd-world country impression. Not enough flight attendants to attend a long-haul flight. Terrible experience and I will avoid them from now on, as much as possible. Yes, they have cheaper flights than most European companies, but you understand why when you travel with them. There are small European airlines providing better service than they do.
