A great opportunity in Zug popped up about 2 months ago, and I've been lurking this forum since.
I want to know if a salary of 120k is enough to live on?
And also, would it be better to live in Zurich or in Zug?
Seriously though - to the forum regs who answer these questions all the time - you guys and girls are saints. The forum is heaving with information because of your patience and willingness to help, big ups!
I'd like to hear opinions from anyone who travels frequently out of Zurich with Swiss? I've not been to Zurich airport before, nor have I had the pleasure of flying Swiss, and there are pretty mixed reviews online.
I'm going to be travelling about 75% of the time, mostly long haul, pretty much all over the show. I'm assuming that ever since the Luftwaffe takeover Swiss is pretty much your normal run of the mill European airline, but you know what they say about assumption.
Flying Swiss via Zurich to London City is the best short haul flight experience I have had. Given the choice , it would be Swiss ZRH-LCY all the time.
Zurich Airport is second to none. Speed through the pressure points (check in , passport control , gates etc) is as good as it can get. Access to the airport via car/bus/coach/train is excellent.
And then the airport: I had a job before that required a lot of travelling from here and I can say that I honestly do not know a single airport that is more efficient than Zurich. Just the right size, not too big as Frankfurt, not too small to not have enough connections... it has a trainstation in the building and going to both Zürich or Zug is very fast and easy.
You'll like the mooing cowbell trams in the airport that take you to the gates.
That said, are you flying economy or business+? i would definitely take swiss for the Airbus A340-300 routes and get a window seat in business class. i would avoid any longer haul flights in the A330-200. just from my experience and the seating arrangement.
So um nobody else picked up on the "Luffwaffe take over of Swiss" eh? too funny.
My wife has a high travel job; and for her zurich is just a breeze. Well connected; well run airport. But then again, we're accustomed to JFK in NYC.....terrible airport, not well run, and just all around disgusting. Sad for NYC really.
As for as 120K; its OK amount, you wont be rich, but you wont be poor. Just good old middle-class, you will have to watch your expenses.
I have done about 50 longhaul flights on Swiss on business.
ZRH airport is one of the best you can get. If you have the priority tag on your luggage, you will be out by the kerbsite in 20 minutes max. If you live in Zurich and you are close enough to the train station, you will be home well within 1 hour of getting off the plane.
Zug is a bit further, but you have direct trains from airport, but not as frequent as the ZRH trains.
Swiss is upgrading its business class seats on the long hauls. Right now I think roughly half the flights have the new ones, i.e., fully flat seats. Those are the best seats of any European airline, in my opinion. The only ones better are Singapore airlines (if you travel a lot to Asia, you will probably fly Singaproe Air anyway as they are Star Alliance too). Even if you don't get the new seats, the old seats are lie-flat-at angle... which is just about the best as any of the other European airlines have anyway. I am not sure how long the upgrading will take, but probably by the end of this year, you would be unlucky to get a flight with the old seats.
Anyway, whereas I consider the South East Asian airlines to be in a class of its own, Swiss is in my opinion one of the best European airlines.
Mooing cowbells trams is for departures. For arrivals, Heidi will give you a kiss !!
The first time I met Heidi, I had just landed at 6am after a long and boozy flight from the USA, there were only three of us in the train.....and I thought I was going mad to see the cute girl kissing me through the window.
I told people about it as we flew out together next time....the cowbells started, the mountain appeared and my travel companions thought I had been telling the truth......and then....no girl!
Sanity was only restored with my return flight.....during which no booze was consumed
To the other questions - I travel through ZRH most weeks and I'd agree with all the other posters, great airport, not too big, fast baggage return, good rail links....better than any other big city airport I'm aware of
I travel between Zurich and Paris, and if you really want to see the difference between and excellent airport and an atrocious one, try making the same journey. I parked in ZRH at 8am this morning, was in the lounge by about 10 past and sat for 40 minutes before heading to my 9.05 flight.
Tomorrow for the return journey I'll aim to be in CDG two hours early for the flight and will probably still end up totally stressed...
My flight landed at Zurich Airport at 5pm today, by 6pm I had collected one oversize bag, one guitar, caught 2 trains and I was at home in Baar (right next to Zug). I think that says all it needs to about how well run the airport is
Schiphol is eeeevil, up there with Charles De Gaulle and Berlin as "worst airports I've ever been to".
Admittedly I've only ever transferred through these places on KLM / Air France / Lufthansa flights between Zurich and London or Zurich and Manchester - and for the airline, I'd agree that there is almost no difference between Swiss, KLM, Air France or Lufthansa - but I found Schiphol to be small, unfriendly to passengers and not particularly modern.
I fly Swiss out of Zürich weekly and as others have already confirmed, it is the best Airport in Europe by far. Swiss is a great airline and usually the best value for the money.
Zug has came a lot closer to the airport now that new highway is ready. By car the trip now takes 25 min when it used to take 50 min. By car you run the risk though of getting stuck at Limmattaler Kreuz and/or Gubristtunnel so you can't cut it too short.
I would agree with the above, LCY is a coffee shop with a departure lounge, but LCY can be subject to fog. Had a few re-directions early morning, but still would be my choice to London. Happy travels.
I fly swiss out of Zurich often enough and while I prefer Geneva for it's distance from my house I end up flying out of Zurich often because it offers some very diverse connections.
...and for the dutyfree shops, they should be opened to landing passengers as well per 2011 (if my info is correct).
Another big point at Zurich airport are the grocery stores (Migros, bakery, etc...7/7 08-22.00) in the main hall, a 3 min. walk to the rail tracks to all destinations in Switzerland or your car.