A NICE ALPINE RUN
Another day, another early start. Nope its not groundhog day but sometimes I do wonder. Anyway check out early and walk across to the airport to check in for one of the first flights of the day. Get all my boarding passes, saving hassle later in the day.
At security there is a very attractive woman manning my line. I notice a lot of passengers, both men and women, do not take off the jackets - thus ensuring a pat down. Funny how the other lines manned by men nearly everyone takes off their jacket
There's no lounge access as the contract lounge doesnt open early enough. The shops are also all shut at this hour. Never mind I only want a coffee and we board soon anyway.
The Swiss flight has a (watered down) priority boarding - business class and elite pax can board at any time rather than waiting for their row to be called. However, as with Iberia this is ignored and not enforced.
The flight is on a A319 and is 3/4 full. A pre-departure juice or water is offered, but the newspapers on offer are all yesterday's. The November 2005 Swiss magazine has a front cover image familiar to Boo Doo Two'ers - the phallic La Torre Agbar.
Along the route there is cloud the whole way so no view of the alps. When we reach Zurich we fly back and forth 4 times landing on the 5th pass. No reason is given for this odd (to me at least) flightpath.
Swiss served the breakfast in several goes rather than all at once on a tray. Ie FA passes out moist towelette, drinks, then passes out pastry, then yoghurt, then pastry again, then drink again. Chocoholics would enjoy the heavenly piece of chocolate more than the fairly ordinary mini bar of chocolate.
We arrive at Zurich at the end gate of pier A. Walk down the pier to the main part of the terminal where the Swiss lounge is at. Lounge is very nice. Have just enough time to check email before heading back to the end of the pier to the gate next door to our arrival one. Each section of 10 "A" gates has its own security check but it is all connected airside - ie once clear security in one section you can walk to any of the other sections without needing to reclear security. This means can choose to clear security where queues fairly small (hopefully).
At the gate am made to check on of my bags due to "lack of overhead bin space on the small aircraft". Once onboard the A322 I see the aircraft is less than 3/4 full and there was plenty of room for both of my carry-ons.
The service is the same as the previous flight, although there is now today's newspapers on board and the food offering is a mid-morning one (I presume) despite the early time. Choice of roll - beef, cheese, vegetable. Fruit selection. No individual chocolate but again mini bar.
The flight path takes us back in the direction of Rome, before turning over the northern Italy plain to cross the maritime alps near Monaco. The weather has improved since the previous flight - can see the alps sticking up above the cload cover and the maritime alps are almost cloud free. We approach Nice airport from the south which means a sharp right hand turn at about 200m altitude to line up the runway to land. Both sides of the aircraft had great views of the coast and mountains. We have a bus gate.