SWISS new business and First Class launch date confirmed

We’ve known for some time that SWISS will be getting the same new business class cabins that Lufthansa has been rolling out since last year under the moniker ‘Allegris.’

These cabins, which SWISS is calling ‘Senses,’ feature the same custom seat platform designed by Lufthansa but with SWISS’s very own styling, including claret-coloured upholstery in business class and its classic windowpane pattern.

See the image below:

The new Senses First Class seat (images below) is more muted, with black windowpane upholstery, light wood an beige surrounds and just a tiny accent of claret in the stiff fabric door.

It features the same unique 1-1-1 layout where the centre seat can be occupied by up to two people.

You can read our article about Lufthansa’s Allegris First Class seat here – it’s exactly the same, bar the colour scheme.

Both seats feature innovative in-seat heating and cooling thanks to a partnership with Caynova. You can read our article on how Lufthansa became the first airline to introduce this technology here.

To be perfectly honest, I think SWISS has done a better job than Lufthansa dressing these seats up, with a characterful design that feels unique to the airline (unlike Lufthansa’s generic blue-and-grey).

Each A350 will come with 3/4 First Class seats, 45 in business, 38 in premium economy and 156 in economy.

Although Lufthansa has been flying its new Allegris cabins for about a year now, SWISS is just behind. Yesterday, it revealed that the first of its new A350-900 aircraft would be delivered in October with the intention of operating the first long haul route to Boston by January 2026.

Before then, it’s expected that the airline will fly its new A350 on short European routes for crew training purposes, as is common when airlines take a new aircraft type. It has not revealed where or when these might be.

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How to earn Star Alliance miles from UK credit cards (September 2025)

None of the Star Alliance airlines currently have a UK credit card.

There is, however, still a way to earn Star Alliance miles from a UK credit card. 

The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to over 40 airlines at the rate of 3:1.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend. At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 airline miles per £1 spent on the card.

There is a preferential conversion rate to United Airlines – which is a Star Alliance member – of 2 : 1 if you convert 60,000 Bonvoy points at once.

The Star Alliance members which are Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners are: Aegean, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

20,000 points and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review