Swiss Air Unveils Luxe New First and Business Class Cabins With Sliding Doors and Smart Seats

Flying to Switzerland will soon become more luxurious. 

That’s thanks to Swiss International Air Lines, which just unveiled a brand-new first and business class cabin concept that will be used on the carrier’s new Airbus A350 aircraft. The new seats, which include privacy sliding doors and high-tech upgrades, will debut as soon as January 2026 on flights between Boston and Zurich, according to the airline. 

“Our new seats are the centerpiece of our new aircraft cabins,” Swiss Chief Commercial Officer Heike Birlenbach said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. “But [the design] appeals to all the senses–with its special lighting concept, for instance, and also with our new scent that has been specially created for SWISS.”

Birlenbach added in a statement the new cabins will offer passengers “an even more personal, exclusive and individual air travel experience.”

The new first class suites, which the airline revealed on Tuesday, feature French-style sliding doors with wood finishes, wireless charging, and an ultra-wide entertainment screen that spans the width of the suite. The seat is also a piece of technology in itself, featuring both in-seat heating and cooling to provide personalized temperature control. The center suite can be configured to accommodate two passengers traveling together. 

The airline’s new business class cabin also features several seats with sliding doors for added privacy along with direct aisle access throughout. The lie-flat business class seats have a slightly smaller profile compared to first class, but similarly boast the new heating and cooling technology.

Even the airline’s economy seats will see an upgrade complete with what Swiss called “considerably more at-seat space” and a 13-inch high-resolution entertainment screen.

Swiss said it planned to roll out the new cabin design to additional routes after its initial launch in the United States on flights to Boston.

Swiss Airlines operates flights from its hubs in Zurich and Geneva, and offers connections throughout the world. Within the U.S., the airline flies to several cities, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, New York, and Washington D.C.

The airline also operates a wide network throughout Europe, including flights to Albania, Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and beyond.

The upgraded seat design may also be welcome news to passengers on Chicago-based United Airlines as both United and Swiss are members of the Star Alliance network. This means passengers receive reciprocal loyalty benefits as well as the ability to earn and redeem miles on each other’s airline.