Swiss Air – Awesome airline for kids and families!

Last year, I talked about the experience we had flying Air France long-haul with our kiddos. This year, our first European destination was Switzerland, and we were delighted to find a non stop flight with Swiss Air!  Having flown Premium Economy for most of our domestic and international travels, we were a bit nervous about the seating situation in Economy on Swiss Air (we did splurge a small fee for the front row seats with more leg room and easy exit) – we found the service exceptional, the seats more comfortable than the premium ones in Air France, and had a lovely flight into Zurich!

As usual, Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is an experience in itself. The kids loved running down the pedestrian walkways, and were mesmerized by the giant screens in the main lobby area.  Take note – the food here, even quick service, is extremely expensive – it was getting us ready for Swiss prices! 🙂

Tom Bradley at LAX is always exciting!

The boarding process on Swiss Air was smooth. With two grandparents and kids, we were able to do early boarding and get settled in our seats.  Flight Attendants were instantly available and helping everyone get settled.   We got underway on time (if not a little early) from Los Angeles, and drink service started immediately. Beer, wine and cocktails were included with economy service – always a perk for overseas travel!  The staff was extremely friendly and even made conversation with us about our travels and their own personal background.  Best of all, they brought special entertainment packs for the kids!  Huge win for family travel right there!

Service with a smile!  Kid packs for the win! 

The dinner we had was actually quite decent, and I love that they had special kids meals as well so that ours would actually eat on the plane.  After dinner, cabin lights were dimmed and all of us actually caught some sleep!  On a side note, one tip I got from a coworker that worked really well with the kids for sleeping on the plane and with jet lag – melatonin gummies! They knocked them right out, but didn’t have the “hangover” effects or cause nausea like Benadryl or other medications can.  In any case, the seats reclined quite far, and despite being 3 to a row with a narrower body, everyone was able to catch some rest more than they did on our Air France flight last year.

Best part of the journey! 

We were woken up about an hour before Business Class for breakfast service (note – my in-laws recently flew Business Class on Swiss Air and LOVED it) , but other than that I can’t say flying Economy held us back too much!  Once again, kids had their own food choices, and the breakfast meal and coffee were just fine!  The highlight of the trip of course is the Swiss chocolate for all given at the end of a flight – great way to cap off a family-friendly long haul trip to Europe with an on-time arrival!