In 2025, SWISS unveiled completely redesigned cabins for its long-haul fleet, featuring a new first and business class in an initiative dubbed SWISS Senses. Being part of Lufthansa Group, these cabins closely resemble the new Lufthansa Allegris design, albeit under different branding.
The inaugural rollout of these SWISS Senses cabins occurred on freshly delivered Airbus A350-900s, although plans are in place for SWISS to update its current aircraft with the new seating arrangements. An exciting development is that the first Airbus A330-300 is set to be outfitted with SWISS Senses cabins quite soon.
SWISS management has announced that reconfiguration of the A330-300s will commence in the upcoming weeks. Initially, the timeline aimed for this project to begin in the winter season of 2025-2026. Technically, the IATA winter season extends until late March, so it seems the airline may adhere to that schedule.
Reconfiguring the first aircraft typically takes longer, as new seats require certification on the aircraft. Lufthansa Group has experienced several difficulties with cabin certification, so it will be interesting to see how this unfolds, given the airline group’s less-than-stellar record.
However, if all goes relatively well, the reported plan is to fully kick off the retrofit project by mid-2026, with one aircraft being updated every six weeks.
SWISS operates a fleet of 14 A330s, so you would expect the entire project to span around 84 weeks, or just over 19 months. Realistically, the A330 reconfiguration project may not conclude until late 2027 or early 2028.
The subsequent plan involves reconfiguring the fleet of 12 Boeing 777-300ERs. The exact timeline for this phase is yet to be determined. The project might start once the A330 retrofit is finished, or it could potentially begin even sooner.
As SWISS embarks on reconfiguring its Airbus A330-300s, what specifics can we anticipate?
Currently, SWISS’ A330s feature 236 seats, which includes eight in first class, 45 in business class, and 183 in economy class.
Post-reconfiguration, the A330s will have 225 seats, comprised of three first class suites (including one double suite), 43 business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 151 economy class seats.
This clearly indicates an overall enhancement in product quality. However, the introduction of SWISS Senses results in a five-seat reduction in first class, a two-seat decrease in business class, the addition of a new premium economy cabin with 28 seats, and a significant 32-seat cut in economy class.
One peculiar aspect of the SWISS Senses cabin on the A330 is that the first class area is reportedly too heavy for the aircraft, potentially causing weight and balance issues. Consequently, the airline plans to add a 1.5-ton weight at the rear of the aircraft to mitigate this concern. Not exactly the best situation, right?
Regardless, I’m eager to see how these A330s appear once they’re reconfigured. The current cabins of these aircraft are outdated, especially SWISS’ A330 business class, which has much room for improvement.
It’s still uncertain how the premium cabins will feel on these planes. In terms of economy, the A330 shines with its 2-4-2 layout (each row featuring two sets of seat pairs). The overall cabin width is 17 inches less than on the A350 (where SWISS Senses was introduced), so this should be particularly noticeable in business class, while the impression of first class is what intrigues me most.
Keep in mind that there’s a double suite in the center of first class, which feels cramped on the A350 if occupied by two people (mirroring the setup in Lufthansa Allegris). I can only imagine it will feel considerably tighter on the A330.
In the following weeks, SWISS is set to begin retrofitting its Airbus A330 fleet with new cabins. The aircraft will adopt the new SWISS Senses concept, featuring four classes of service. Although SWISS Senses made its debut on the A350, it’s gratifying to witness the airline’s aging A330s receiving an update as well.
Here’s hoping the certification process proceeds without hitches, considering Lufthansa Group’s history.
What are your thoughts on SWISS’ A330 retrofit plans?