Review: Edelweiss Air A340 Business Class (Zürich to Maldives)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to the Maldives and stayed at two of the country’s most exclusive resorts: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives and Patina Maldives. Both properties are located in the Fari Islands, a four-island man-made archipelago in the North Male Atoll, based a 45-minute boat ride from Velana International Airport. Read my trip reports here:

Review: Edelweiss Air Airbus A340 Business Class from Zürich to Male (today)
Review: British Airways Boeing 777 Business Class (Club Suite) from London to Male
Review: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Review: Patina Maldives, Fari Islands
Review: British Airways Boeing 777 Business Class (Club Suite) from Male to London

Today: Edelweiss Air Airbus A340 Business Class from Zürich to Male

A few weeks ago, I traveled with friends to the Maldives. I flew with British Airways onboard a Boeing 777 equipped with the carrier’s newest Business Class cabin with sliding doors (I’ll publish my trip report & video of this journey next week). My friends traveled in Business Class with Edelweiss Air, a Swiss leisure airline and a sister company of Swiss International Air Lines (also known as SWISS). I asked my friends to take some videos & photos of their onboard experience (I believe they did a pretty good job, so kudos to them).

For its longhaul flights, Edelweiss Air uses A340 aircraft, which feature a Business Class cabin that is similar to the one offered by SWISS (albeit styled in a different design). A major difference with SWISS though is Edelweiss Air’s onboard soft product, which feels less sophisticated (especially when it comes to the rather disappointing onboard catering). That said, Edelweiss Air offers one of the best value Business Class products on many leisure routes, with fares that are often significantly lower compared to the cost charged by other airlines on the same route.

Have you ever flown with Edelweiss Air? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

Trip: Zürich, Switzerkand (ZRH) to Velana International Airport (MLE)
Airline: Edelweiss Air
Aircraft type: Airbus A340-300
Aircraft registration number: HB-JMD (built in 2003)
On time departure: yes (12 pm)
On time arrival: yes (6 pm)
Miles: 4850 miles (7810 km)
Flight time: 11 hours
Seat: 14K
Class: Business Class

In this review (more information & photos below my Youtube video):

About Edelweiss Air
Business Class cabin
Business Class seat (+ best & worst seats)
Amenities & bedding
Meals
Entertainment
Onboard internet
My verdict (score)

1. ABOUT EDELWEISS AIR

Edelweiss Air, which has its hub at Zürich Airport, was founded in 1995 and has been part of the Lufthansa Group since 2008. The company’s name is derived from the Swiss national flower, the Edelweiss, which is also painted on its aircraft. Edelweiss Air serves dozens of leisure destinations in more than 30 countries worldwide with a fleet of thirteen Airbus A320 and five Airbus A340 aircraft. Edelweiss Air is currently acquiring six Airbus A350 aircraft (previously operated by LATAM Airlines), which will join the airline’s fleet in a staggered manner from summer 2025. By the end of 2026, the existing five Airbus A340 long-haul aircraft will be replaced by the A350s and Edelweiss’ long-haul fleet will be restored to pre-Corona levels.

EDELWEISS AIR AIRBUS A340 (AFTER LANDING IN MALE)

2. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

In a somewhat unusual configuration, Edelweiss Air’s A340 Business Class cabin is located in the middle of the plane, over the wings (and not in the plane’s front section). The Business Class cabin features 27 flatbed seats, spreads over 6 rows and arranged in an alternating 1-2-1 and 2-2-1 layout (a so called staggered configuration or Sogerma Solstys layout). This layout feels rather dense as the foot compartment for each seat is located between and under the seats in front. The center seats come in pairs, while the seats on the left and right side of the plane alternate from 1 to 2 per row.

The same staggered Business Class layout is also installed on Brussels Airlines’ A330, Finnair’s A330/A340, SWISS’ A340/A330, Delta’s B767, and American’s B767 aircrafts. This configuration offers some degree of privacy as none of the seat rows quite line up, so nobody is directly looking into the seat across the aisle. But nonetheless, the privacy in this type of Business Class cabin is inferior compared to the fully enclosed Business Class suites that you find on other airlines, such as Air France’s B777, Qatar’s A350s, British Airways’ reconfigured Boeing 777s, or Delta’s A350s (and which seem to become the standard in the industry).

EDELWEISS AIR AIRBUS A340 BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

EDELWEISS AIR AIRBUS A340 ECONOMY CLASS CABIN

3. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)

The Business Class seats onboard Edelweiss’ Airbus A340 aircraft have a pitch of 152 cm (60 inches), a width of 50 cm (19,5 inch), and a recline of 180 degree. All seats have at least one large work surface on the side (where you can set up your laptop), with some single seats and some paired seats featuring this work space on both sides (a so-called ‘throne seat’). One side of the seat features a power port with international adapters, a reading lamp (at eye level), a panel for the seat controls, and a standard wired handset (located below a flap in the armrest). The console on this side of the seat also holds the fold-out tray table, which is released at the push of a button. In front of the seat is a HD entertainment screen (more on that below) with a foot compartment underneath.

The seat can be transformed in a Lantal air-cushion bed with a length of 2 m (6.5 ft). Although it’s a 180 degree recline, the seat and your lower legs descend into a space carved out for it in the seat(s) in front, below the entertainment screen. This foot compartment is quite narrow, making it hard to switch position during your sleep while not waking up, as your legs might hit the walls. The seats that do not have the ‘throne’ feature have more space for the feet, hence making them a little more comfortable for sleeping. In its lie flat position, the Business Class seat is just 45 cm (17 inch) above the floor, making it feel like you are resting on the ground or in a coffin (because of the high seat walls), and making it rather uncomfortable getting in and out to go to the restroom.

What are the best Business Class seats on Edelweiss Air’s A340s?

The single best seats for solo travelers are the single seats on the left side of the plane, which feature a large work space on each side of the seat (so called ‘throne seats’): 11A, 14A, and 16A.
The single seats on the right side of the plane are a great option as well for solo travelers, but they feel less private since they only feature one instead of two work spaces on the side. These seats have the largest foot compartment and are best for sleep comfort.
Travel companions should go for the paired, middle seats, which all have direct aisle access. There are also paired window seats in rows 12, 15 and 17 on the left side of the plane, but the passenger in the window seat will have to jump over their neighbor’s feet to get access to aisle.

What are the worst Business Class seats

I suggest to avoid the seats in the first row (row 11) of the Business Class cabin since the proximity to the galley may be bothersome.
I also suggest to avoid the seats in the last row (row 17), since these seats are directly in front of the Economy Class bassinet seats (so you may end up being close to young children or babies).
The window seats in row 15 are missing a window and thus best avoided.

Click here for a seat map of Edelweiss Air’s A340.

EDELWEISS AIR AIRBUS A340 BUSINESS CLASS SEAT

EDELWEISS AIR AIRBUS A340 BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (FULLY FLAT BED)

4. AMENITIES & BEDDING

Edelweiss Air provides the following amenities to its Business Class passengers:

An amenity kit, whose packaging is made of cardboard with 70% recycled content. The kit contains basic travel amenities, such as socks, a sleeping mask, shoehorn, toothbrush, toothpaste, and earplugs (toiletries are not provided).
A decently sized pillow
A comfortable, warm blanket
Noise cancelling headphones (you cannot keep them as the crew collects them before landing)

5. MEALS

On this flight, a three course dinner (after takeoff) and breakfast (prior to landing) were served. The dinner was disappointing and rather uninspiring for a Business Class product (breakfast was only slightly better). Unfortunately, the mediocre food service – with the tiny food portions – seems to be a constant isssue with Edelweiss Air (as this was also the case during my previous two flights with the carrier). The food service is definitely not en pair with that of Switzerland’s legandary culinary reputation and just feels cheap.

The dinner menu read as follows:

Starter: roast beef served with wasabi potato mousse, parsnip and apple gel
Main course: pan-seared char filet served with walnut butter, artichoke ragout and beans
Dessert: a variety of sweet creations

A continental breakfast was served 90 minutes prior to landing; it was comprised of pancakes, apple crumble, fruits, yoghurt, and scrambled eggs. Saving the best for last, Edelweiss-adorned Biberli biscuits were distributed shortly before landing. Every year, more than 800,000 Bärli-Biberli biscuits are distributed on Edelweiss flights. These popular treats are produced in the canton of Appenzell.

6. ENTERTAINMENT

Each Business Class seat is equipped with a private 15 inches HD TV screen. The inflight entertainment (IFE) is selected by directly touching the TV but can also be navigated by using a wired remote control. Edelweiss Air’s IFE features dozens of movies & TV shows, including the latest blockbusters, award-winning documentaries & popular TV series. There’s also a wide range of music channels and over 400 different CDs to choose from.