Swiss, Switzerland's national airline is forging ahead with renewed momentum this year, launching a broad range of product and service innovations in the Middle East, covering all aspects of the flight experience.
Introduced step by step, the offering will bring to life the promise embedded in the airline's new slogan Destination Excellence. Felix Rodel, area manager for SWISS in the Arabian Gulf commented, "Our new slogan Destination Excellence conveys the image of an ambitious airline where everybody is dedicated to excellence, in order to offer superior quality products to our passengers. "In addition to our traditional values of reliability, quality and efficiency, the new slogan emphasises a more modern concept of Swissness - innovative, active, fresh, stylish, open-minded and charming. "We will be introducing a number of new innovations to the Middle East fleet including flat-bed seats in business class. "We're also reducing the number of seats in first, to give passengers more space. In economy class, the new aircraft will feature the latest technology seats with extended leg-room," added Rodel. The implied claim of Destination Excellence clearly underscores SWISS' positioning as a premium airline. One of the first concrete examples of the new strategy in action is a new food and beverage concept "A SWISS Taste of Switzerland", which illustrates the country's culinary variety. By drawing on four Cultures and Languages, four Regions, four Seasons and four Cuisines, SWISS makes passengers' inflight dining experience truly memorable and representative of Swissness, said Rodel. The latter part of this year will see the arrival of the new-look Airbus A330's which serve the Middle East region. As one of the most advanced aircraft flying today, they offer maximum travel comfort, while boasting impeccable ecological credentials. The configuration of all cabins will encompass more room in first class - eight seats only instead of the current 12. Business class travellers will be able to unwind in new flat-bed seats with extended legroom. Meanwhile, in economy class, the latest technology seats with carbon backrests giving passengers more legroom, and new individual inflight entertainment screens - one of the largest in the air will be installed. SWISS's first class offering also features a number of firsts in the airline industry, with the longest bed in the air measuring 203cm, and dinner for two at the largest table in the sky, said a company spokesman. Earlier this year, SWISS also introduced its new frequent flyer programme, Swiss TraveIClub which offers members a wide range of attractive travel benefits including purchasing additional miles and extending miles online, as well as though SWISS sales offices. Members also have the option of transferring accrued miles to immediate family members living at the same household address including parents, siblings and children, with a minimum of 10,000 accumulated miles.