ZRH - 25 mins from landing to boarding

[Final 3 Greens]

As many will know, I am a fan of Zurich airport.

Yesterday was just another example of why.

Delayed outbound from LHR by 1 hour, my flight arrived at 1220, with a connection due to depart at 1250.

Our flight was allocated a remote stand and we were coached to arrivals 2, meaning I would need to change terminals.

I took the shuttle to the E gates, after a wait of 1 minute 60 seconds (a display lets you know how long you will wait, max 3 minutes) and found the security area to be very busy, as was the airport in general.

Fortunately, unlike LHR, the fast track for premium pax (which I was) does what it says on the tin and I was through in less than 2 minutes. (This worked by having 2 lines open, dedicated to premium pax, not by feeding from a fast track queue into xray machines used by all.)

A brisk walk to the end of the E terminal and I was straight on to the aircraft at 1245 (5 minutes after the official gate closing time, but Swiss was aware of the delay and waited.)

5-6 pax arrived after me and we left ZRH with a delay of about 10 minutes, arriving on schedule.

Well done the ZRH team, for an efficient airport that really does the business every time - your consistent good service is appreciated :ok:

[Rusland 17]

As many will know, I am a fan of Zurich airport...Yep.

Fortunately, unlike LHR, the fast track for premium pax (which I was)...And we also know that you miss no opportunity to criticise LHR and to tell us that you are a premium passenger... :)

[Final 3 Greens]

Rusland17

Shame you cannot comment without having a personal pop.

It would be difficult to cite the effectiveness of the premium fast track, without admitting that one used it.

I shall continue to criticise Heathrow's 'Fast Track' provision, as I (and others) find it unfit for purpose. If it is improved until it gets you through in well under 5 minutes in a heavy travelling period, then I will praise it.

Perhaps you can defend Heathrow by demonstrating how long a transfer would take from T4 to T1, for example, arriving on a remote stand and using flight connections, including security? (My last T2 to T4 took about 50 minutes, which to be fair I thought was okay given the infrastructure used.)

Anyway, let's not dwell on negatives, Zurich is a superbly efficient airport and IMHO sets the standards in Europe.

The big advantages are (a) the train shuttle between terminals being airside, so allowing quick transfers and (b) well organizaed security.

Let's face it, the Swiss are just superb at running efficient operations.

[Skipness One Echo]

I agree that ZRH is a great airport, it is however nowhere near the size, complexity and suffers the constraints that Heathrow does. You are comparing apples and pears I think.

You do come across as a little precious as you name drop the fact that travel up front on every occasion. Perhaps Skytrax is the place for this?

[Final 3 Greens]

Skipness

I don't buy into the apples and pears argument.

Whilst LHR is what it is, it is the UK's premier airport (arguably the busiest international airport) and should be up to doing the job.

If you look at some really huge and complex airports, Denver for example, they work better than Heathrow.

The problem at Heathrow, as I see it, is short sightedness, compromise and lack of investment.

CDG is far from my favourite airport, but one has to admire the French decision to create it, when they could have tinkered with ORY.

The UK should have bitten the bullet 30 years ago and developed STN into London's main airport, with proper surface transport connections, closing down LHR and developing it for other purposes.

[Skipness One Echo]

Yes there's a lot of truth there. My honest belief is that the politics in the UK is becoming ever more paralysed by the complexities of the modern world impacting in a tiny area like the South East of England. This new rail link to Scotland is looking like being the most expensive per mile in history, given the fact it involves no mountains to be tunnelled through that's an indicator of how far we've fallen.

[Final 3 Greens]

Skipness

I agree with what you say.

One wonders what will happen as the population grows even more.

[L'aviateur]

One of my most recent flights was via Helsinki; MAN-HEL-HKG. The allocated transfer time is 1hr 25min, however our flight was an hour late, we arrived on a remote stand. On arriving at the terminal via bus, found I was already at the gate, no additional security procedures, just walked straight onto the aircraft and departed only 10-15 mins later. My bags also arrived! This was in economy, as I fly economy 60% of the time. Also was very happy with the simple but good service with finnair, although many irregular fliers still want the romance and experience of years gone by with champagne and brandies. I'm on an aircraft to get from A-B and sleep, I don't like IFE, I don't like being constantly disturbed, I'm not onboard for th experience!! If I fly business, I want a lie flat bed, nothing else.

[Final 3 Greens]

L'Aviateur

Have never used HEL as a transfer point, but it sounds excellent.

As for Finnair, I haven't used the airline so much, but every flight seems to be professionally managed and their products are good.

Do they still do the single class short haul, with enhanced economy product? I took one of those a few years ago and thought it was a really good idea.

[Lord Bracken]

I find ZRH to be great for connections, although not as good as it used to be (due to the UK non-Schengen flights having to be bussed from the B gates).

One memorable one was when I had 15 minutes between aircraft flying GVA-ZRH-LHR. I was in Business and Swiss was excellent at keeping me updated and letting the waiting aircraft know that I was going to be late.

Bag didn't make it though, but hardly surprising.

[Capot]

As many will know, I am a fan of Zurich airport.

Yesterday was just another example of why.

Fantastic, good for ZRH; congratulations to them for the way "premium passengers" are looked after there.

Problem is, the test of an airport is not how well it treats those who are able and ready to pay through the nose for good service, it's how it treats the majority who are neither.

Does anyone know the answer to that question? I haven't been there for years.

[PAXboy]

Out of interest, has there been any change good/bad between the old SwissAir and the new Swiss?

[Final 3 Greens]

Problem is, the test of an airport is not how well it treats those who are able and ready to pay through the nose for good service, it's how it treats the majority who are neither.

Disagree Capot, it is both. T5 at LHR treats premium pax poorly, for example, with the 'fast track' wheeze.

The only differences I can see at ZRH are

(a) economy pax have perhaps 5-10 mins longer wait at security when busy, so total time in queue <15 mins

(b) economy pax use one boarding gate, premium pax another

Apart from that, it seems pretty much the same to me. Obviously the airlines provide lounge access for some, but that is not an airport decision.

[flying lid]

Couple of years ago (just before T5 opened) family & myself returning from Bangkok to Manchester via LHR, cattle class on Qantas QF1. We had 1hr30min for connection, early saturday morning. Plane was late arriving at BKK, and left over 1 hour late. Arrival at LHR was 45 mins late, giving 45 mins or so connection, T4 to T3 (if I remember correctly). They had it sorted that day.

On landing announcment on QF1 was any transit passengers to MAN (etc etc) report to staff immediatley after leaving aircraft. A couple of guys there with placards, one with MAN, our flight no, passenger surnames. Once he got us together it was downstairs to a bus. On the way to T3 he asked us if we had any liquids. We still had water bottles from the overnight goodie bag QF gave us - chuck em away, he said, so we did. Anyway we get to T3 and we were behind several buses waiting to unload. Quick staff talk and we were off the bus & up an outside staircase, once inside he arranged fast track thru' security, and pointed us in the right direction to our plane, still a way off down a long, long corridor. Running down with wife & 3 kids, still half asleep, we got onboard with disgruntled looks from other pax as they shut the door.

We got to MAN on time, however our luggage was still at LHR. Again we were called over the tannoy in baggage hall, and off to see the baggage handlers. "Your luggage will be on a later flight, it will be delivered to your home tonight" - and gave us tracking details. Got home, phoned agent, yes, luggage is now in MAN, will be delivered by 7pm. @.630pm taxi arrives, all bags delivered secure and undamaged.

Well done that day to QF, BA, the cockney groundstaff at LHR (who went the extra mile), baggage handlers at Man and taxi driver. It's not allways bad news, even in cattle class !!

Flying Lid

[Xeque]

In an earlier life (circa 1970-1980) I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia. Coming from Cornwall, I spent my R&R breaks in the Duchy so I was a regular Brymon passenger from Newquay to Heathrow to connect with either the Quantas or Gulf Air flights to Bahrain or, occasionally, the BA flight to Dhahran.
A lot of Cornish guys worked in KSA and there were sometimes 6-7 transferring from T1 to T3.
On a couple of occasions, if the Brymon was running late or delayed in the hold at LHR, the cabin crew would identify the transfer pax who were allowed off first and who were then bussed, with their bags, directly to the Gate at T3.
I have been off one aircraft and boarding the next in as little as 15 minutes.
I guess the current security hysteria would put an end to all that even if NQY-LHR was still possible :sad:

[Espada III]

Someone above asked what the transfer arrangements were like at Zurich for economy class passengers.

Well we travel from MAN to TLV via ZRH with a 65 min gap. It is literally off the plane, onto a bus, into the terminal, onto the train to Terminal E, off the train, through security and onto the plane.

The economy security is busy with about two or three large long haul flights leaving at the same time of the evening, but even if the TLV flight takes off a little late, it always arrives on time (the benefit of schedule stretch!).

We have never missed the flight, and never arrived late, in fact last time we arrived about 20 mins ahead of schedule.

I like ZRH!

[Rush2112]

I'm not sure why LHR T3 even calls it "Fast Track", seemed pretty damn slow to me both times I have used it this year!

And the poster commenting on non-premium passengers: a good point. Try Changi. Even at the busiest times, even suffering the ignomy of a green boarding pass, you would never spend more than 5 mins queuing for immigration, either in or out, and perhaps a maximum of 10 mins at the security check at the gate. It *can* be done, it just needs management will, and adequate resourcing.

Yes, they do have Fast Track for premium SQ pax and special immigration lanes for Singaporean citizens and PRs which does take the load off the standard facilities, but at the end of the day all pax go through the same security check at the holding gate.