Airlines & Aviation
Swiss International Air Lines has joined the growing list of airlines allowing passengers to make stopovers on connecting flights. Switzerland stopover packages let passengers spend one to four nights in Switzerland and include hotel rooms and transportation.
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Switzerland Stopover Packages Explained
Swiss International Air Lines is offering Stopover Switzerland in conjunction with Switzerland Tourism (ST) and the Switzerland Travel Centre (STC).
One to four-night packages are on offer. All eight of Switzerland’s regions are included. Single and multiple-destination packages are available, and packages can be customized.
Accommodation in three or four star hotels is included. Packages also include a Swiss Travel Pass for first or second class travel, giving unlimited rides on Switzerland’s extensive public transport system for the duration of the stopover.
Stopover Switzerland packages are not only open to passengers flying on Swiss Air Lines. They can also be booked independently of flight arrangements. Additional packages will be launched in the future.
Why Make a Stopover in Switzerland?
There is more to Switzerland than Swiss watches, Swiss chocolate, Swiss Army Knifes, and Swiss cheese!
Switzerland offers breathtaking scenery – think Swiss Alps! In the winter you can go skiing or snowboarding.
In the summer you can go hiking or biking or mountain climbing. For the more adventurous there is hot-air ballooning and white water rafting.
Switzerland has medieval castles and avant-garde art galleries, modern cities and ancient villages.
Is four days really enough?
Stopover Packages 101
Given the choice, most airline passengers would rather fly non-stop from their point of origin to their final destination.
If there are no direct flights, however, passengers have no choice but to make connections.
This is where an airline can offer a competitive advantage.
By allowing long-haul passengers to make stopovers at their hubs, airlines can attract passengers that might not otherwise consider flying on them.
The concept is especially attractive for airlines based in countries without strong domestic demand.
Icelandair pioneered the concept, offering passengers lower ticket prices and a chance to make stopovers mid-way on flights between North America and Europe.
For leisure travelers, the chance to break up their trip – and explore another country – was an obvious draw.
Middle Eastern Airlines have also adopted the approach.
Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways all offer stopovers at their respective hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.
Discounts on hotels room and tours are the norm. Sometimes complimentary stays are thrown in, as well.
Swiss Air Lines Fleet & Routes
Swiss Air Lines has a fleet of 90 aircraft. Most of its airplanes were made by European plane maker Airbus.
The airline also has 10 Boeing 777-300ERs. Two more will be delivered in 2020.
Swiss International Air Lines serves more than 100 destinations in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America.
Asian travel destinations include Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei in Greater China; Delhi and Mumbai in India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Cebu and Manila in the Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam; Singapore; and Tokyo, Japan.
The airline maintains a hub at Zurich Airport. Geneva is a focus city. It is a member of the Star Alliance.
Swiss Air Lines Inflight Service
Swiss Air Lines serves beverages aboard European flights. Snacks are also served, depending on the time of day and the length of the flight.
On shorter flights, the airline serves cold snacks or a light meal. On longer flights, it serves a hot meal. Passengers usually have a choice of two meals: one for carnivores and one for vegetarians.
Swiss cheese is served on most flights, and Swiss chocolates are usually served to passengers before planes land.
Needless to say, the meals served in business class and first class surpass those served in economy class. And so do the beverage offerings!
Hong Kong – Swiss Trade Ties
Hong Kong is Switzerland’s third largest export destination after Germany and the United States.
The SAR is, in fact, the world’s largest importer of Swiss watches, following by the United States, China, Italy, and Japan.
Reflecting the importance Switzerland places on the Hong Kong market, the Swiss Travel Centre opened its first office in Asia in Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island on 29 November 2019.
In addition to Hong Kong, the office will serve travel operators in mainland China and Taiwan.
STC also has offices in London, England; Stuttgart, Germany; and Zurich.
Switzerland stopover packages will surely make Swiss International Air Lines an even more attractive option for travelers flying between Asia and Europe.