Switzerland's Four Airline Carriers and Destinations They Serve

Switzerland's Four Airline Carriers and Destinations They Serve

Ready to dive into the Swiss skies? Let's kick it off with the grandest player, SWISS. Belonging to the Lufthansa Group and part of Star Alliance, this juggernaut offers flights to over 100 global destinations. And hey, don't forget about that handy air shuttle service they run between Geneva and Zurich, making those connections a breeze!

But, where exactly does this flagship carrier take us? European capitals and short to medium haul spots, some sharing routes with sister company, Edelweiss (details below), are common destinations. Intercontinental destinations include Asia, Africa, and South America. In North America, you can find flights to New York from both Zurich and Geneva, and from Zurich to Chicago, Miami, Newark, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Toronto, Montreal, and even...Appleton?

Hold up! How about we crack open the Swiss travel atlas and find out where on earth Appleton is? Turns out, it's nestled in Outagamie County, Wisconsin – not exactly an epicenter for Swiss travelers, but it's there on the company website alongside other less-frequented US destinations like Boise (Idaho), Cedar Rapids (Iowa), and Muskegon (Michigan). Although SWISS doesn't actually fly there, these flights are usually operated by partner airline United via its Newark hub or by Edelweiss for bona fide holiday hotspots.

Now, let's swoop down to Edelweiss Air - no relation to those pretty, white flowering plants, but just as captivating! Partly owned by SWISS, this 20-aircraft wonder known as a 'leisure' airline, flies from its Zurich hub to an impressive 97 worldwide vacation spots, including Europe, Asia, and far-off wonders like Cancun, Mexico, Cape Town, South Africa, Liberia, Costa Rica, Malé, Maldives, and Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Chill out and explore Edelweiss' full list of destinations here. In North America, Edelweiss flies to Denver, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Seattle in the U.S., as well as to Calgary, Halifax, and Vancouver in Canada. And the best part? Though the aircraft bears Edelweiss livery, flights are code-shared with big sister SWISS, making it effortless to explore both airlines.

Stepping aside, let's give a warm welcome to Helvetic Airways, a Swiss carrier with a name that oozes Swiss charm! This airline, previously known as Odette Airways, was once the epitome of the “Kosovo Express” or “Pristina Express," serving almost exclusively Albanian guest workers and their families between Switzerland and their home countries. After a name change in 2004, Helvetic Airways was reborn and is now based in Zurich, with operations out of Bern's regional airport. Its fleet of 22 Embraer aircraft flies to seven short and medium-haul holiday destinations: Palma de Mallorca, Heraklion, Kos, Rhodes, Larnaca, Djerba, and Monastir. Helvetic occasionally operates short and medium-haul flights on behalf of SWISS, but it remains fully privately owned by business tycoon Martin Ebner.

Lastly, let's give a shout-out to Chair Airlines, the youngest Swiss airline and the only one without a Swiss handle. With a fleet of four Airbus planes, Chair flies from Zurich and Basel's EuroAirport to 10 vacation destinations in Europe and Northern Africa: Heraklion, Hurghada, Kos, Mallorca, Larnaca, Marsa Alam, Ohrid, Prishtina, Rhodos, and Skopje. It's the only one of the four Swiss airlines that isn't associated with the others.

Now, you're probably wondering: Do these airlines compete with each other on price? Well, there isn't much competition between SWISS and Edelweiss, as they mainly don't operate on the same routes. As for Helvetic and Chair, some of the destinations they fly to, such as Heraklion, Mallorca, and Kos, overlap, so it's worth checking prices on both to compare.

So there you have it, Swiss airline enthusiasts – a rundown of the key players in the Swiss skies and a taste of the exciting destinations you can reach with them! Bon Voyage!

1. Interestingly, apart from the flights offered by SWISS, the Lufthansa Group's sister company, Edelweiss Air, operates flights to less-frequented US destinations like Appleton, Wisconsin, even though SWISS doesn't actually fly there.
2. Looking beyond SWISS, Helvetic Airways, a Swiss airline based in Zurich, offers vacation destinations such as Cancun, Mexico, Cape Town, South Africa, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, under its 22 Embraer aircraft fleet.
3. Amongthe four Swiss airlines, Chair Airlines stands out as the only one that isn't associated with the others and flies to holiday destinations in Europe and Northern Africa such as Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Skopje.

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