travel reviews AMERICAN AIRLINES
Seats: Smart leather seats are set out in a 3-3 configuration. A clever cradling motion offers more space when reclining so that the passengers sitting behind aren’t inconvenienced when the seat is put back. Food and drink: Complimentary drinks, including alcoholic beverages, are available. Biscuits are offered with drinks but there are no food options on the shorter domestic flights. A la carte snacks are available for flights over two hours or 700 miles. The marketplace menu looks enticing for longer flights (over three hours or 1,100 miles) with options such as ginger Thai chicken.
Entertainment: There are no seat- back screens, but two international plug sockets and USB ports in the back of the seats mean personal devices can be charged and used easily. Service: Friendly and efficient but not intrusive. What else: The 24 Economy Extra seats offer an additional six inches of leg room, which looks inviting. Overall: Highly recommended as a domestic option to link travellers throughout the US to more international flights that are available from Charlotte. Josephine Price
SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES
Seats: The relatively new plane was immaculately clean and kitted out with smart grey-brown leather seats in a 3-3 configuration. A seat pitch of 31 inches was fine for a taller person on a short flight, but unfortunately all the overhead bins were full, meaning I had to put my rucksack under the seat in front of me, limiting space, especially when the person in front reclined. Food and drink: The complimentary service on my morning flight consisted of tea or coffee plus a soft drink, served along with an unusual snack of a gipfeli — a salty croissant — shortly after take off.
LUXAIR
Seats: Seats were laid out in a 2-2 formation, with a comfortable 31-inch seat pitch. The brown leather seat was comfortable enough for a quick, mid- morning snooze. Food and drink: Cremant de Luxembourg (local sparkling wine), premium drink brands and other refreshments were available throughout the flight, free of charge. I was provided with a small but tasty ham and cheese sandwich mid-flight, plus a boiled sweet before landing. Service: Boarding was very efficient, and the staff even more so. The flight felt relaxed and fuss-free, and
refreshments were offered just at the right time. A wide range of duty-free products was presented mid-flight. Entertainment: The in-flight magazine Flydoscope was an interesting read, and there was also a selection of newspapers on offer. Upbeat music played while we waited for take off and after landing. What else: Overall, a seamless flight with the right amount of attention. The aircraft was clean, and due to its smaller size, the atmosphere was very relaxed without too much passenger noise. Farida Zeynalova
Entertainment: SWISS doesn’t offer wi-fi on short-haul flights but the bilingual SWISS Magazine includes a range of informative, slightly dry, destination features focusing on Switzerland and the airline’s international network. Service: Check-in was seamless, with no queues at bag drop on a Sunday morning, while the security line moved quickly at Heathrow Terminal 2, taking me from the Tube to shops in 20 minutes. On board, staff were friendly, polite and efficient, getting the job done with minimal fuss on a short hop. Seamus McDermott
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International to Charlotte Douglas Economy Class 1h 50m Boeing A319
aa.com 8/10
London Heathrow to Zurich Economy Class 1h 10m Airbus A321
swiss.com 7/10
London City to Luxembourg Economy Class 1h 10m Bombardier Q-400
luxair.lu 8.5/10
countrybycountry.com | ABTA Magazine 71
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