SWISS Insight Winter 09

04 NEW uNIFORM:TWo yEAR PRoJECT ENDs oN hIGh NoTE

08 KAIZEN:A bIG sTEP FoRWARD

11 INTERVIEW:EDElWEIss AIR CEo KARl KIsTlER

12 ID TRAVEL TIP:GoA - TRoPICAl hIDEAWAy

16 FLY THE MILE - WALK THE MILE: lEARNING FRom EACh oThER

sWIss INsIGhTWINTER / 09

FRom EmPloyEEs TO EMPLOYEES

Die zweite, ergänzte Auflage von «Der Dresscode» führt Sie noch detaillierter in die Welt der Männermodeein und versteht sich als lebendiges, amüsantes und vor allem lesenswertes Nachschlagewerk zum Umgangmit Männermode. Samt vielen Tipps, die Ihnen helfen, das Beste aus sich herauszuholen. Das Buch gibt’s fürCHF 49.90 in Ihrem Herren Globus oder unter www.herrenglobus.ch

Ende April 2010 eröffnet unsere neue Filiale am Flughafen Zürich-Kloten

STIL ISTKÄUFLICH.

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SWISS INSIGHT WINTER 2009

EDITORIAL

–

DEAR cOLLEAGuES

I have now been working as a cabin crew member for SWISS and Swissair for a combined total of 30 years. During this time I have witnessed the introduction of three uniforms. In my memory, the Colani-designed, bright yellow uniform overcoat stands out as a highlight: From 1990 to 2003 we travelled the globe as Swiss birds of paradise. This contrasts sharply with the image we began conveying on 7 December 2009. My fourth and probably final uniform is completely in line with the style of SWISS’s corporate design, both in terms of colour and its classic yet contemporary look. As wearers of the new uniform, we represent professionalism and con-fidence, along with the typical SWISS values: we are stylish, understated, contemporary. Uniform, SWISS made.For the first time since the creation of SWISS, all employees now wear the same uniform. I am convinced that this stand-ardised appearance will have a positive effect on our sense of togetherness and identification with SWISS. In addition, our customers will also surely be pleased by our airline’s new visual symbol. With considerable fanfare, the new uniform was presented to the media on 1 December in the SWISS Senator Lounge. The responses and comments from journalists and repre-sentatives from SWISS management and staff appear in the cover story on the following pages.I am honoured to wear the new uniform, which I regard as a gesture of appreciation toward staff – especially in times like these. I will wear it with pride and dignity. At the same time, I am pleased to be able to add a further touch of SWISSness on every flight, which I hope you can sense, too.

Wishing you an enjoyable festive season together with your loved ones.

Sincerely, Bruno GrafMaître de Cabine / Appearance Team

CoNTENTs–

Cover story SWISS adopts a smart look with our new uniform 4KaizenOver 100 Workshops down the line 8InterviewEdelweiss Air cEO Karl Kistler on our partnership 11ID travel tip Goa - Hideaway in paradise 12At work withOur Passenger care center team (Pcc) 15Good to knowFly the Mile and Walk the Mile programme at SWISS 16Industry & politicsThe storm in the airline industry is not yet over 19Festive timesTasteful recipes from emloyees to employees 20sons and daughters' dayLearning experience for SWISS kids 21snapshotsFrom within and around SWISS 22Quiz & cartoonAnd the winner is... 23Picture of the monthRio's Sugar Loaf Mountain in the early light of day 23Ask the management"Foreign" flight attendants on beyond Zurich routes? 24

ImPREssum –Editorial team: Jürg Dinner (publisher), christoph Soltmannowski (editor-in-chief), Reto Hoffmann (deputy editor-in-chief and producer), Ines Barnetta (corporate communi cations), Silvia cappelli (cargo), Philipp Spörli (cockpit crew), Karin Müller (cabin crew), Florian Raff (Business Development N&D), Albrecht Schiewe (Human Resources), Reto Waltisberg (Marketing). Contributors to this issue: Mignon Fuchs, Franziska Garbe, Bruno Graf, Esther Hess-Joss, Kathleen Holmgren Massari, Daniela Huber, Ksenia Lyashenko, Nimmy Thudianplakal. Cover photo: Tom Haller. Photo editorial: Natascha Schiller. Translators: Paul Day, Alan Millen, Jenny Rogers. Design: Anne Rachter (NOSE). Editorial team contact: [email protected]. Postal address: Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., SWISS Insight, P.O.Box, cH-8058 Zurich Airport. Printed by: Vogt-Schild Druck AG, Derendingen. Circulation: 8 500. SWISS Insight is published four times a year.Deadline for input for the spring issue: 19 February 2010.

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cOVER STORY

Gaudenz Ambühl, Chief Operating Officer, also had heartfelt praise for the new uniform, describing it as “ele-gant, but still modern and refreshing. It was a fine sight to see the crew members in their new uniforms on 7 December. This was an emotional moment for me, as it marks the first time in company history that SWISS has its own standard-ised uniform.”

For the most part, the media, too, responded positively to the new SWISS uniform upon its unveiling and presenta-tion at a media event held in the SWISS Senator Lounge at the beginning of December. The new uniform generated many positive comments but also a few critical obervations, a reflection of how much peoples' tastes can vary.

Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger reported the day after the pres-entation: “The high-grade fabric, for example, a wool blend woven especially for SWISS, along with the narrow tailoring of the blazer and the well-fitting trousers for women are all indicators of the uniform’s classiness.” And on the same day, the Aargauer Zeitung remarked: “The specifications SWISS set for the designer and manufacturer of the new uni-form have been more than fulfilled.”

On 7 December, the members of the project team did not pass up the opportunity to see the uniforms make their de-but. One such location was Briefing Room 9, where Jocelyne Stucki, Maître de cabine and member of the uniform project team, conducted the pre-flight briefing in a visibly upbeat mood ahead of her crew’s 12:55 departure for Chicago. (see photo above). “On the evening before the flight, I was excited about wearing the new uniform for the first time. I had been looking forward to this moment with great anticipation.” Asked what appeals to her most about the new uniform, she

By Ines Barnetta (Corporate Communications)

TWO-YEAR PROJEcT ENDS ON HIGH NOTE sWIss ADoPTs A smART NEW looK–

The long wait is finally over: on 7 December, 5700 employees began wearing their new uniforms on the job. This is the first time in company history that SWISS has had its own self-designed, standardised uniform for male and female employees.

Almost exactly two years ago, the SWISS Management Board decided that it was time to design a new uniform for SWISS staff. During this period, the project team under the leader-ship of Lucas Schelling and Patrick Heiz tackled the many related issues, from design and logistics to quality consid-erations. Both team leaders agree that the project was “ex-ceptionally interesting but also very challenging. It was something we both really enjoyed. The collaboration within the project team was very good, with members from various sectors of the company and their respective unions working together. But now we are glad to see the project become op-erational.”

Cabin Crew members proudly present the new uniform at the media conference (photo: Silvia De Vito Biason).

Delighted to be wearing the new uniform at last! The crew of LX 8 on Monday morning, 7 December (photo: Reto Hoffmann).

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answered spontaneously: “The tailoring, colour and the combination of the various components and accessories, which make the uniform a real eye-catcher.” The first flight to feature a SWISS crew wearing the brand new uniform de-parted Zurich for Stockholm on 7 December.

“The only thing that remains is to thank everyone in-volved in this complex project. In particular we wish to thank the crews for their patience in recent months, during which, as the saying goes, the devil was often in the detail. We are confident that employees and customers alike will appreci-ate the new uniform for a long time to come.” With this com-ment, Patrick Heiz was able to close the project file entitled “New Uniform 2009+”.

cOVER STORY

Practical for working life: the new uniform has been designed for maximum wearer comfort (photo: SWISS).

Timelessly elegant: our flying crews are very happy with the new uniform (photo: SWISS).

NEW uNIFoRm REGulATIoNs –

- Effective as of 7 December 2009- In collaboration with representatives from cabin, cockpit and ground staff and the relevant unions- Now a single uniform regulation in place for SWISS ground staff (including Swissport), cabin and cockpit personnel- Viewable on Intranet (DMS)- Quick Reference Guide was distributed to all cabin crew members in conjunction with introduction of new uniform (7 Dec.)

main innovations- Service shoes (i.e. shoes that can be worn after take-off and before landing) must be closed at the toe and heel and have a slightly lower heel than the regular uniform shoes.- Pantyhose or knee-length stockings must be black or flesh- coloured.- Hair which if worn loose would extend over the jacket collar must be pinned up or tied in a plait or ponytail (tied at the bottom end, too).- cases must be dark in colour or aluminium. After a tran- sitional period, the length of which is still to be defined, multicoloured and brightly coloured cases will no longer be allowed.

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SWISS INSIGHT summER 2009

By Nimmy Thudianplakal (Internal Communications)

WHAT DOES THE NEW uNIFORM MEAN TO YOu?VoICEs AND VIEWs–

cOVER STORY

mARIA mIChAIlIDIs REcEPTIONIST, HEAD OFFIcE KLOTEN "The introduction of the new uniform is a milestone for SWISS and its employees. It is both a SWISS product and a symbol of the brand. For me, it brings our corporate identity and our professional spirit together. It is a good match for the image of SWISS. I'm proud to wear it."

NADIN NIGGlI cuSTOMER SERVIcE MANAGER SWISSPORT

“I am delighted that we Swissport employees have been given the new uniform to wear. The colour is fresh and the design is contemporary. It is understated but still special and I feel good wearing it. Although I am employed by Swissport, I can certainly identify with this new work outfit. A standard uniform for all strengthens our sense of togeth-erness, and for passengers it is a recognisable visual sym-bol.”

GAbRIElA GooD cABIN cREW MEMBER

“I am really looking forward to wearing this uniform. Following the creation of SWISS in March 2002, female staff continued to wear Crossair uniforms. It’s a good feeling to finally have our own uniform. The new, fashionable style of the uniform is a symbol of a new era. Resources are being invested not only in aircraft and lounges but also in staff. As an employee this fosters renewed confidence, even during a period when the focus is on cutting costs and saving money.”

ThomAs bRühWIlER MAîTRE DE cABINE “The change of uniform does not make a great differ-ence for me. Clothing is external; it doesn’t change the person wearing it. For me, the uniform is work attire that should combine functionality with a fashionable appearance. Quality is the top priority in my view. As cabin crew members we deal daily with situations that are hard on a uniform. Our work wear has various 'constant enemies', such as salad dressing, coffee and corners and edges. The demands placed on a uniform are considerable . A good blend of chic and trendy plus a high level of durability and functionality would be ideal.”

ChRIsToPh mäChlER AIRBuS cOMMANDER

“The most important aspect for me is that the trouser legs are long enough and weather resistant. For jobs that in-volve sitting for long periods, the trousers can soon become threadbare. For this reason the quality of the material is important. But it should also be emphasised that custom-ers remain our number one priority and therefore the qual-ity of our services must be continuously improved. More resources should be invested directly in employees and not only in formal things!”

sTEFAN VAsIC TEAM MEMBER LINE OFFIcE “The uniform means a lot to me. Its function is more than practical. I wear it as a form of identification and also a means of expressing my loyalty toward the company. The new uniform is completely tailored to one’s individual needs. I think the new look, design and quality will ensure that the new uniform is a great success among employees and customers alike.”

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Kaizen workshops are all about small steps to continual im-provement. After three and a half years and over 100 work-shops, the results show that SWISS has taken a big step for-ward and energy is still going strong.

Summing up at the celebration to mark the 100th and 101st workshop, the Kaizen team reported very encouraging re-sults. All in all, savings of 17million Swiss francs have been achieved for 2009. “Kaizen is much more than a savings pro-gramme – lower costs are only part of the improvements, streamlining and process optimisations are also achieved through Kaizen. There are examples at all levels: simplified aircraft turnaround procedures, changes to routes for pas-sengers in transit (altered with the introduction of Schengen rules) achieved with no increase in transit times, improve-ments to complaint management in Cargo and calculation of fuel consumption on Atlantic routes. All that, and more, has been reviewed in the Kaizen workshops, delivering a leaner organisation and more intelligent interlinking.

KAIZEN

By Christoph Soltmannowski (Internal Communications)

AFTER MORE THAN 100 WORKSHOPSKAIzEN Is sTIll GAINING momENTum–

“It took a lot of energy and convincing to launch Kaizen”, recalls Thomas Brandt, thinking back to the initial phase. Brandt feels there is more growth ahead: “Here at SWISS, Kaizen is verging on its teenage years. We still have a long way to go until it comes of age, but I’m confident that the Kaizen team and workshop participants will achieve further excellent results in the future, generating considerable com-petitive advantages for SWISS. The benefits yet to come will not merely add up to a total.”

800 employees have actively contributed to the success of the programme – as well as 350 external colleagues from 35 companies. In Thomas Brandt’s view, this high level of participation is a key success factor: “Kaizen has delivered more than savings and process improvements – it has also brought us closer together.”

Brandt points out that Kaizen is a thought provoking phi-losophy, not a ready-made formula: “The idea behind Kaizen

The SWISS Kaizen team (from left): Rolf Fischbacher, Patrick Heiz, Deborah Bard, Reto von Atzigen, Markus Wolff and Thomas Brandt, who is leaving the team (photo: Reto Hoffmann).

DoNNA VERTullo, MANAGER FEEDBAcK MANAGEMENT, NEW YORK “Kaizen is both intensely difficult and rewarding. Our workshop focused on two issues: reducing interventions by our Baggage Services team to save costs, and acceler-ating customer response times in Feedback Manage-ment by 25%. We have achieved both. Other benefits include more effective work routines, cost savings and, most importantly, better customer service.”

sERGIo PulITANo AIRBuS FIRST OFFIcER “The best thing about our Flight Planning workshop was that decision makers from the relevant departments were present, and had time enough to consider the problems and solutions in sufficient depth. Ideas and solutions were discussed in detail, and some have already been implemented. In 'real life', outside the Kaizen workshops, time is often too short for this.”

FElIx RoDEl HEAD OF GLOBAL KEY AccOuNTS & BuSINESS SALES “Our Kaizen Corporate Contracting workshop was aimed at achieving process time reductions, closing more sales deals and improving customer satisfaction. These goals were all met. Kaizen empowers and chal-lenges teams to regularly question and review the way they do business. This, to me, is a key benefit, and one which helps us manage change effectively.”

9


is not to dictate what people should do, but rather use their know-how to steer them in the right direction, and encour-age personal initiatives which can then be developed during the workshops. It helps people make connections”. Thomas Brandt will be leaving SWISS at the end of 2009 to take on a new challenge with Swiss Federal Railways. “I would like to thank the excellent Kaizen team at SWISS for their hard work and the Management Board for their far-sightedness and unreserved commitment in supporting the roll-out”, he con-cludes.

The new Kaizen Operational Lead is Reto von Atzigen, who is now busy selecting the main topics for 2010. “We have some Technics workshops planned since there have been none for the past two years due to the reorganisation and setting up of Lufthansa Technics Switzerland. We will also be turning our attention to checks on supplier invoices, par-ticularly in Inflight and Ground Services, and planning about 50 workshops for 2010 - throughout the entire company.”

SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister is convinced that Kaizen has yet to reach its full potential. “Kaizen is a philosophy, and a philosophy is like a plant: it has to dig down, get estab-

KAIZEN

mATThIAs hüTTNER MANAGER, GROuND SERVIcES “I’ve taken part in approximately 25 Kaizen workshops, and been in charge of a few as Kaizen leader. At Ground Services, many of the team members come from our handling partners or infrastructure providers. Kaizen has become the joint approach to minimise interface issues, increase process efficiency and optimise our product.”

bERND mAREsCh HEAD OF cARGO MARKETING & STRATEGY “I have seen the results of our workshops here at SWISS World Cargo and believe in the method. Kaizen is a daily activity aimed at more than improvement. It also has a humanising impact on the workplace: it reduces stress, gives guidance on implementing change and teaches people to recognise and eliminate wasteful business processes.”

lished and do some growing first. You have to invest time and nurturing before that plant starts to look really nice. If we can anchor Kaizen as a corporate philosophy, we will suc-ceed in differentiating ourselves from others - by being bet-ter, above all”, he commented at the celebration to mark the 100th workshop at the end of October.

Anita Riva, Head of Flight Dispatch&Operations presented the findings from an analysis of the flight dispatch process at the 100th workshop (photo: Christoph Soltmannowski).

ThomAs hEDIGER HEAD OF IT GOVERNANcE “The workshop I attended in May was my first contact with Kaizen. I was sceptical initially, because we use project methods to manage complex IT assignments. After a while, I found myself warming to the Kaizen philosophy. I like the way it is implemented at SWISS with full management support. Kaizen delivers immedi-ate results instead of focusing on large, labour intensive improvements.”

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Inserat SWISS A4/E-1:Inserat SWISS A4/E 8.12.2009 11:05 Uhr Seite 4

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INTERVIEW

Just over a year has passed since SWISS acquired holiday airline Edelweiss Air from tour operator Kuoni, thereby forming a strategic partnership. Edelweiss Air has since op-erated as an independent airline complementing the SWISS route network. We asked Edelweiss Air CEO Karl Kistler how well the partnership had developed in its first year.

SWISS Insight: What has changed for Edelweiss Air since becoming part of the SWISS constellation?

Karl Kistler: Edelweiss Air has been a SWISS affiliate since 1 November 2008. But we remain an independent airline with our own commercial responsibilities. Kuoni, to which Edelweiss previously belonged, is now an Edel-weiss customer, as are the other tour operators. Within the framework of the new ownership set-up, the business model has also been modified to create new opportuni-ties for us. Since the end of last year, Edelweiss has been marketing individual seats directly to customers through the SWISS reservations system and benefitting from the strength of a network carrier. Such sales now account for 15 to 18 per cent of our total revenue.In addition, together with SWISS we have been able to exploit synergies that represent a genuine win-win for both parties. One example is the optimisation of aircraft capacity. In order to cover the increased weekend de-mand in the leisure segment and at the same time mini-mise the risk, we now have the option of leasing in SWISS aircraft on such days.

SWISS Insight: How do you market your cargo capacity?Kistler: Up until recently we sold our belly capacity our-selves through a general sales agent. But since the start of the winter timetable period on 25 October, our cargo capacity on long-haul routes is being marketed by Swiss WorldCargo. This arrangement benefits both us and our customers as both parties can now take advantage of the global distribution network and expertise of Swiss WorldCargo. This line of business has since developed very favourably.

SWISS Insight: Edelweiss Air is very popular with its custom-ers. Your airline ranked an impressive third behind Emir-ates and Singapore in the Travel Star Award 2009 long-haul category. What are the keys to Edelweiss’s success?

Kistler: The decisive aspect for me is the human factor, how our people interact, both on an internal level as well with our passengers. Being appreciated is an important thing for all people. And precisely this is the basis of the philosophy that determines our corporate culture. Our goal is to make our employees and customers feel good. We accomplish this with our 'little extra' strategy. We al-

ways offer our customers a little extra something on board, such as a newspaper in Economy Class as well as in Business, or we serve a meal of bratwurst with rösti on the homebound flight from the Caribbean. That’s some-thing Swiss people really appreciate and lies at the heart of our success.

SWISS Insight: Ryanair is pulling out of Basel in December. Does that create an opportunity for Edelweiss Air? Do you also have plans for Geneva?

Kistler: Never say never. Of course we would like to grow. But our top objective is to run our business at a profit. If opportunities arise in Basel or Geneva we will study them closely. But we cannot afford to let success make us care-less and cause us to take too many chances. Making individual seats directly available to the custom-er creates new opportunities. We will take advantage of these opportunities as long as they are profitable. In ad-dition, we are considering expansion in the long-haul sector now that Belair has completely withdrawn from this field of business.

SWISS Insight: What is your favourite destination within the Edelweiss Air route network?

Kistler: I really enjoy visiting the Maldives. Phuket also has some beautiful areas, and the Caribbean is excep-tionally attractive. With a holiday airline you are spoilt for choice!

By Florian Raff (Head of Business Development N&D)

EDELWEISS AIR cEO KARL KISTLER “ThE PARTNERshIP Is A GENuINE WIN-WIN”–

Edelweiss Air CEO Karl Kistler: “Our ‘little extra’ strategy is the secret of our success” (photo: Reto Hoffmann).

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Secluded beaches, colourful markets, spicy food, Ayurveda treatments and dolphin-watching boat trips. All that, and much more besides. Goa, in southern India, is a holiday paradise, and perfect for total relaxation. Swiss WorldCargo employee Ksenia Lyashenko visited the dream destination recently. Here is her travel report.

Nature is big and beautiful in Goa! The coastline is very var-ied, starting out with long, flat sandy stretches in Calangut, where there are no hills, just sand dunes and wind, and fin-ishing with small rocky beaches (white sand, still) in Vaga-tor, for example. I remember palm trees, wild fields and small rivers.

I took an excursion to Arvalem Waterfalls and a spice farm, both to the east of Panaji. The special bus took us to the waterfalls, from where we rode a jeep into the mountains for an encounter with monkeys and a swim in the freezing

cold water of the small lake into which the waterfalls cas-caded – wonderfully invigorating after temperatures in ex-cess of 40°C!

I also visited a big market in Anjuna. There were two parts, Indian and European. The Indian part was quite cha-otic and cheap, mostly clothing and household things. With the rock-bottom prices (USD 2-3 per item), it makes sense to travel light and buy your whole summer wardrobe in Goa.

The spice farm was fascinating: now I know what banana and papaya trees look like. Intrepid visitors may try climbing the coconut tree wearing special robes for leg protection or, if brave enough, taste a red hot chilly pepper freshly picked straight off the bush.

Transport is easy in Goa: this is the only state in India where a tourist can hire a scooter without a licence. Everyone travels by scooter, it is easily the most popular way to get around.

What really struck me most was the real sense of joy and openness I saw. People are genuinely friendly - so different to my experience of big cities. Goa is a magnet for artists, free spirits and creativity, and these people give the region its re-laxed atmosphere. I went to a small show of comedy, singing and fire-handling performed by European artists who spend part of every year in Goa.

A medicinal Ayurvedic massage is a must-do. Head for the Ayurvedic Centre in Calangute, which claims to cure every irregularity of the touristic body in days.

Last, but not least, the food: delicious, spicy and very cheap. We spent around USD 10 per day for three meals. Sometimes we got even more for our money, especially when we ate at road restaurants off the tourist track. We loved

By Ksenia Lyashenko (Swiss WorldCargo Russia)

GOA NOW AN EDELWEISS DESTINATION PAlm TREEs sWAy AND DolPhINs PlAy–

ID TRAVEL TIP

You’ll find stands serving cool drinks made from exotic fruits on every street corner (photo: Ksenia Lyashenko).

GoA: somE usEFul INFoRmATIoN–

Travelling to GoaEdelweiss will fly from Zurich non-stop to Goa every Sunday from 1 November 2009 to 2 May 2010. The return flight, via Male to Zurich, also departs Sundays. You can also fly to this Indian holiday paradise with SWISS via Mumbai and a domestic flight to Dabolim. A train service also operates between Mumbai and Goa.

staying in Goashanu holiday home - clean, comfortable accommoda-tion hidden away on the beach between candolim and ca-langute. Sea view. (www.shanu.in)Villa Rivercat - Artist’s villa with suites. Situated be-tween ocean and river, Villa Rivercat nestles behind the sand dunes of the sleepy Goan fishing village of Mandrem. (www.villarivercat.com)hotel bhakti Kutir - 22 back-to-nature cabanas, no two alike, fashioned from local materials such as rice straw, bamboo and mud. (www.bhaktikutir.com) Eating & Drinking in Goa lila Café - café at Baga creek run by a German couple. Great breakfasts! (www.lilacafegoa.com)

Fishland - Popular fresh fish and seafood restaurant on the main road near Baga.

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Fishland, a small café near Baga serving the freshest fish and seafood, cooked not too spicy, just the way we like it. Goan cuisine is typically hotter than Indian food in the north. The most popular dishes are biriyani with chicken or fish, curry, pulao (rice with vegetables and meat), and chourisso, a deli-cious Goan sausage. Careful, very spicy!

Having sampled wonderful Goa, I fully understand why people come here and end up staying much longer than they planned.

ID TRAVEL TIP

sTANDby TRAVEl NoW AVAIlAblE oN EDElWEIss FlIGhTs –

Our subsidiary, Edelweiss, operates flights to numerous attractive holiday destinations. To date, firmly booked ID tickets have been available in Economy class on all Edelweiss/SWISS codeshare flights, but only in limited numbers. From 1 January 2010, the ID offer will be extended to all ID categories (except cadre flights) in Economy or Business class, on LX terms.

Standby tickets will therefore be available on all codeshare flights with flight numbers LX8000 -8499. Please note that the number of available seats will still be limited.When planning your trip, please note that certain Edelweiss destinations are only served once a week. If you are travel-ling standby, that means you should always have alterna-tive routings as a fallback option in case there are no seats available on your return flight. Please remember there is no support for ID travellers at external stations, so ticket ar-rangements must be made ahead of your trip.

mIChAEl NolD QuALITY ASSuRANcE GROuND SERVIcES, SWITZERLAND

I loved the relaxed atmosphere of Goa, and was surprised at how green everything is, compared to other parts of India I’ve seen. We were only really looking to spend a few days relaxing on the beach, but Goa has so much more to offer. The easiest way to get around is by scooter, you can rent one anywhere. Great if you want to head off to one of those idyl-lic sandy bays off the beaten track! A dolphin-watching boat trip is another fabulous experience: they gather to play where the Chapora River flows out into the sea. The night flea markets at Baga Beach (Saturdays) are fun, too, along with the Wednesday market in Anjuna, selling clothes and other articles.

GAël DEVIN SALES REPRESENTATIVE SWISS WORLD cARGO, FRANcE

I spent much of my holidays in Goa enjoying the beautiful beaches at Vagator, Anjuna, Palolem, Candolim, Calang-oute and Bage, to name but a few. You should also make time for the festive atmosphere of the colourful Wednes-day market in Anjuna. After that, you might want to relax with an Ayurvedic massage: a typical session will include two hours of massage, a consultation with the doctor, yoga and a vegetarian lunch. Goa also boasts some marvellous churches - a legacy of the Portuguese colonisation.

Goa is perhaps best known for its unspoilt scenery: as well as the lush tropical forests and waterfalls in the hinterland, there are plenty of sandy beaches off the beaten track, in Vagator, for example (photos: Ksenia Lyashenko).

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Be it a delay, a cancellation or an aircraft change: an irregu-larity in our flight operations will never go down too well with the travellers it affects. We maintain a 17-member Pas-senger Care Center (PCC) at our Zurich Operations Center 24 hours a day to keep these customers informed and offer them further assistance.

“Our team is formally divided into two groups,” Marcus Bartsch, one of the two team leaders, explains. “One group is primarily responsible for dealing with irregularities in our flight operations, and is also the prime point of contact for our crews, airport partners and all SWISS units that deal with our customers; in this way the PCC’s like a helpdesk”.

The other part of the PCC team focuses on looking after our top customers, who are personally contacted by the PCC in case of irregularities.

“Having said that, we’re all well versed in what we’re do-ing and we’ll always support each other – even as far as work-ing someone’s shift for them or stepping up in an emergen-cy”, Marcus further explains. When irregularities come in multiples – on bad-weather days, like this year’s 30 Novem-ber, for instance – the PCC is a very hectic place, with every-one trying to get through all the many process steps in the short time available.

"The PCC is like a helpdesk, the prime point of contact"

Let’s take a concrete example: flight LX288 from Zurich to Johannesburg. Once it’s arrived, the aircraft spends ten hours on the ground before its flight back to Zurich. In view of this, if there are technical problems within our longhaul fleet, the A340 of LX288 is one possible candidate for aircraft change and later takeoff. “There’s not much chance that a delay to the southbound flight will have a knock-on effect on the return leg,” Marcus Bartsch explains. There’s also little risk that many passengers will miss their connections: as Marcus shows by scrolling down the passenger list, most of them have Johannesburg as their final destination. Ulti-mately, though, it’s Operations Control that decides (in con-sultation with the PCC) what flights should have their depar-tures postponed to ensure that any irregularities are absorbed as effectively as possible within our network.

Once it’s clear that LX 288’s departure will be delayed, the PCC will pass this information on to a global network of call centres, each of which is responsible for customers in particular countries. The centres will call any customers af-fected and inform them about the change of departure time and possible compensation arrangements such as meal or

hotel vouchers. “Top customers like our First Class travel-lers, HON Circle members and selected Senators we call per-sonally,” Marcus Bartsch adds. “We explain what’s hap-pened and why, and apologise for the inconvenience. Once we’ve done this, we’ll work with them to find the best alter-natives.”

"Most people appreciate being in-formed promptly and personally"

Some 80 per cent of our top customers are personally in-formed about irregularities in this way by the PCC; the rest unfortunately haven’t left a phone number or e-mail. Our call centres, meanwhile, reach about half the people booked on a flight. Those they don’t reach will find out when they arrive at the airport: to be on the safe side, the PCC will have informed all our ground stations affected.

“The customer may still feel some inconvenience,” Mar-cus Bartsch concedes, “but most people appreciate being informed promptly, personally and in detail.” It’s a custom-er service that clearly gives Marcus a lot of satisfaction, too. “Our job at the PCC is to make sure that even if they suffer the occasional disruption to their plans, our customers will still come back to SWISS for their air travel needs,” he con-cludes.

By Franziska Garbe (Internal Communications)

OuR PASSENGER cARE cENTER TEAM (Pcc)FINDING soluTIoNs FoR TRICKy sITuATIoNs–

PCC team leader Marcus Bartsch (second from left) with some of his team. From left: Anita Aleksic, Aino Bolliger and Andreas Knauth (photo: Franziska Garbe).

AT WORK WITH

16


GOOD TO KNOW

“Fly the Mile” is no frequent-flyer programme, but an inno-vative in-house scheme designed to give our management staff a taste of what working life is like as a member of our flying crews. Participating managers accompany and work alongside our crews during a day on their rotation. “Fly the Mile” has proved so successful that a new “Walk the Mile” was launched this autumn.

The goal of both programmes is to give participants a better understanding of what colleagues in the air and on the ground do, and to promote a better understanding of their work.

A “Fly the Mile” day begins the same way for a member of the management as it does for every cabin crew member - with a briefing at the Operations Center. During the actual flight, he or she works alongside crew colleagues in the cab-in or galley, observing at first hand how they deal with the many challenges which inevitably arise on board.

By now, close to 100 managers had participated in the “Fly the Mile” programme. Those on board have included: CFO Marcel Klaus, Antonio Schulthess (Head of Human Re-sources), Head of Cargo Oliver Evans, Markus Binkert (Head

of Product & Services) and Reto Schmid (General Counsel & Head External Affairs).

Harry Hohmeister, our CEO, took up the challenge with great pleasure at the end of October, when he looked after our guests in Economy on flight LX 14 to New York. “I really enjoyed both the excellent team work and the direct contact with SWISS customers. This first-hand experience showed me the effort and organisation required to keep all our pas-sengers happy”, he pointed out.

There was further positive feedback from other “Fly the Mile” graduates. General Counsel Reto Schmid, for exam-ple, who worked on a flight from Geneva to Moscow, com-mented: “I’m impressed by our highly motivated cabin crew, by their professionalism, and the team spirit they display in the task of representing our product to our customers - in conditions which are not always easy.” He finished his day by promising Maître de Cabine Susanne Gygax that he would never again try to clear away a tray into a trolley slot already bursting with four other trays...

Our crews are also enthusiastic about the “Fly the Mile” programme. “I was delighted to have a member of the ground staff on board, especially someone who was inter-ested in what we do, and keen to get involved”, says M/C Christiana Roth, who instructed Manuel Meier (Economic Ground Services) on his “Fly the Mile” mission.

“Fly the Mile” has been so successful that it has led to a sister programme, “Walk the Mile”, was launched this au-tumn. So now it is the turn of Maître de Cabines and Flight Attendants with instructor status to see what office life is like. In the first phase, programme participants may choose

By Karin Müller (Crew Communications) and Reto Hoffmann (Internal Communications)

FLY THE MILE AND WALK THE MILElEARNING WhAT CollEAGuEs Do All DAy...–

CEO Harry Hohmeister sets to work serving hot meals in Economy Class on his "Fly the Mile" day (photo: SWISS).

Maîtres de cabine Juliane Dreysse (left) and Jolanda Suter find out from editor Reto Hoffmann how SWISS Insight is created (photo: Franziska Garbe).

17


GOOD TO KNOW

Michèle Reifenberg unveils the ‘secrets’ of Revenue Management and Pricing to two of our Maîtres de Cabine, Bruno Eichenberger (left) and Fabrice Wisler (photo: Reto Hoffmann).

FACTs & FIGuREs –"Fly the mile"- Launched: January 2009- Target groups: top management (Levels 1 & 2), to be oc- casionally extended to mid-management (Level 3) and key interfaces such as crew Dispo, crew Planning, HR Service Line, Product, People Development (Level 4)- Participation: voluntary, with line manager’s agreement- Goals: - Familiarisation with our service procedures - Bonding between management and cabin crew- choice of short-haul or medium-haul rotation- Registration: with OK (ursula Frick) after obtaining line manager’s approval

"Walk the mile"- Launched: Autumn 2009, following the success of “Fly the Mile”- Target groups: M/cs (2010 to be extended to Fc/FcG, FA3 & FA2 with instructor activity)- Participation: voluntary- Goal: - Improve knowledge transfer between SWISS Headquarter and flying personnel- choice of following departments: - corporate communications and Marketing - Revenue Management, Pricing, Distribution & Sales - Product Management- Registration: via registration form (on crewLink or in Mc Briefing Room)

to spend a day in one of five areas of corporate operations, gaining a better understanding of what their colleagues on the ground do. Those areas are: “Corporate Communica-tions” and “Marketing”, “Revenue Management”, “Pricing”, “Distribution & Sales” and “Product Management”. The goal of the “Walk the Mile” programme is to promote a better ex-change of information between ground and flying staff. This will in turn help participants with their management role. Forty-two MCs have completed the “Walk the Mile” pro-gramme thus far: twenty-six women and sixteen men.

–oPPoRTuNITy To ACQuIRE moRE KNoW-hoW

Both visitors and visited are enthusiastic about the pro-gramme. Maître de Cabine Fabrice Wisler says it was an op-portunity to acquire more know-how, and that this can al-ways turn out useful in dealing with passengers and crew members. Not forgetting the curiosity factor of seeing what goes on behind office desks. Fabrice opted to spend his day with Revenue Management and Pricing, Distribution & Sales: “I was amazed by the complexity of the systems, and the work that goes into steering prices to optimum effect”.

Maître de Cabine Sandra Dubach spent her day with Product Management. Her day brought an opportunity to see how a new in-flight meal is planned: from the initial idea through to the final in-flight presentation. She also took part in the weekly tasting session at Gate Gourmet.

Maître de Cabine Stefan Huber joined the Product team on his “Walk the Mile” day, and was very enthusiastic about what he saw: “ Now I know my office colleagues don’t spend all day at the computer or on the phone”, he says with a grin. “Everyone is out there, doing what they can to promote our product and keep our customers happy”.

Our “Walk the Mile” instructors visibly enjoy showing their flying colleagues exactly what they do at work. “There’s a nice connection between our flying colleagues and us”, explains Michèle Reifenberg of Revenue Management,

“from 340 days before departure we steer the mix, and in part, the number, of passengers who actually come into con-tact with our cabin colleagues on departure day. So I’m sure they find it interesting to know what methods we use. I enjoy sharing my know-how, so the programme is fun.”

Both “Fly the mile” and “Walk the Mile” programmes will be repeated next year. Please refer to the boxes on this page for further information on how to participate.

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Your health insurance should not be more complicated than your illness.We at Sympany make life simpler for you. Because, as a partner of Swiss, we offer you many advantages. So you and members of your family profi t, for example, from particularly attractive discounts and simplifi ed terms of admission. More information and the calculation of your individual, reduced premium at www.sympany.ch/swiss

Anz_Swiss_Aerzte_210x297_e.indd 1 9.6.2008 16:37:57 Uhr

19


INDuSTRY & POLITIcS

By Ines Barnetta (Corporate Communications)

IATA FOREcAST HOPE AMID THE GLOOMCAPACITy uTIlIsATIoN ImPRoVEs, yIElDs loWER–

Worldwide demand in the air transport industry increased again, slightly, in October, and is now just above the level recorded in October 2008. We have also seen an improve-ment in capacity utilisation. At 78.0 % in the passenger sec-tor and 54.8 % in the cargo business, results are back to what they were before the crisis took hold. But at what price?

The IATA, the industry organisation, reports that ticket pric-es have fallen by over 20%, which obviously impacts nega-tively on operating revenues and profit – particularly if air-lines fail to cut costs within a reasonable timeframe. But capacity could be improved with careful management, com-ments the IATA .

–EuRoPEAN AIRlINEs lAG bEhIND ThE INDusTRy

Surprisingly, performance by the European airlines has been weak. Compared to airlines in other regions (see dia-gram), their recovery lagged behind on the demand side. Worse, demand fell by 3.0% on the same month last year. That is a higher shortfall than on any other continent. The Middle East carriers made enormous gains (14.3%); in con-trast to airlines in other regions, they are actually increasing capacity. Emirates, for example, maintains its current level of 53 A380, 70 A350 and 23 Boeing 777 orders and may even add to the order 30 A350 and 30 A330 superjets yet to be de-livered, as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported on 10 Decem-ber. Other airlines are attempting to gain a little breathing space by arranging delayed deliveries.

For 2009, European airlines are expected to carry 22 mil-lion fewer passengers than in 2008, with proportionately the

greatest loss coming in the premium-fare segment, and post an operating loss of € 2.9 billion, 50% greater than the previ-ous highest-ever loss figure, in 2001, reports the Association of European Airlines (AEA). During the course of the year, some 35,000 jobs within AEA airlines will have been lost, which corresponds to five times the size of the SWISS work-force. Another 60 000 jobs which depend indirectly on air-lines will have been eliminated as well. “The dimensions of this downturn are unprecedented, said the AEA Chairman. “In the past 35 years we have not seen such devastation of value. And we will not return to ‘normal’ again; the consum-ers are changing their expectations, and this will continue."

–No RECoVERy IN sIGhT

For the first time after a year-long recession, Switzerland reported a return to growth in GDP (up 0.3% on the same quarter of the previous year). But will that be enough to re-launch demand in the air travel sector - an industry regarded as cyclic, i.e. driven by trends in the economy as a whole? In reality, the aviation industry is unlikely to recover quite so quickly as there are structural problems to overcome. This means airlines must do their homework: trim excess capac-ity, slim down cost structures and get involved in political lobbying, e.g. for a Single European Sky. IATA feels it will take years before the air transport industry makes a full re-covery: a glance at revenues for the industry as a whole re-veals the extent of the problem: revenues totalled USD 535 billion in 2008, but are expected to fall by 15%, or USD 80 billion, in 2009.

The industry situation measured in terms of revenue passenger-kilo-metres and cargo tonne-kilometres in October (source: IATA).

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Europe AsiaPacific

NorthAmerica

MiddleEast

LatinAmerica

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Revenue passenger-kilometres Cargo tonne-kilometres

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The outlook in the air transport industry is still stormy: no one knows exactly when the airlines will really get off the ground again (photo: archive SWISS).

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Your health insurance should not be more complicated than your illness.We at Sympany make life simpler for you. Because, as a partner of Swiss, we offer you many advantages. So you and members of your family profi t, for example, from particularly attractive discounts and simplifi ed terms of admission. More information and the calculation of your individual, reduced premium at www.sympany.ch/swiss

Anz_Swiss_Aerzte_210x297_e.indd 1 9.6.2008 16:37:57 Uhr

20


SWISS employees will be busy this festive season serving up special drinks, Christmas cookies, delicious appetisers and mouthwatering menus. Read on to find out their favourite recipes for those magical last few days of the year: tradition-al specialities, regional delicacies and lots of ‘secret’ tips, too.

–WhITE TomATo moussE WITh sAlAD bouQuETAppetiser suggested by Esther Hess-Joss, First Officer

Ingredients: 10 medium-size tomatoes, a dash of Tabasco, 1 clove of

garlic, salt, pepper. Per dl of juice: 1 sheet of gelatin soaked in cold water until soft , 50g whipped cream. For the salad bouquet: 4 bouquets of green salad, 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half, 4 chervil leaves. For the vinaigrette: 2 tbsp. olive oil “extra vergine”, 1 tablespoon. balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper (mix all ingredients).Instructions:

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and hollow out. Purée the tomato flesh with the garlic clove(s) and season to taste with Tabasco, salt and pepper. Put the purée through a cloth strainer and allow to stand for a couple of hours. Collect the white juice, measure volume, heat and dissolve the gelatin in the juice. Allow to stand; as soon as the juice starts to gel, blend in the whipped cream. Transfer the mousse to 4 small cups and refrigerate. Garnishing: fried tomato skinTo serve:

Place cup on flat plate and decorate with tomato skin. Arrange salad bouquet next to cup, drizzle with vinaigrette and garnish with chervil leaves.

–oVEN CooKED sWEDIsh ChRIsTmAs hAmMain course suggested by Kathleen Holmgren Massari, Ground Staff Training

Ingredients: 1 salt-cured fresh ham, 3-4 kilograms, water, some on-

ions, cloves, 1 carrotInstructions:

Preheat oven to 100°C (200°F), insert an oven thermom-eter into the thickest part of the ham, peel some onions and

FESTIVE TIMES

Compiled by Nimmy Thudianplakal (Internal Communications)

TASTEFuL TIPSFEsTIVE RECIPEs FoR FAmIly AND FRIENDs–

insert cloves into the onions, cut the carrot into small pieces, put the ham in a large ovenproof pot together with the veg-etables, pour cold water over ham, leave it in the oven until the thermometer shows 75°C (167°F), allow the ham to cool in the liquid.Glaze:

2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons potato starch, 1 dl mustardInstructions:

Heat the oven to 225°C (450°F), remove the rind care-fully and place the ham on a roasting pan, stir together the egg yolks, potato starch and mustard, brush the top of the ham with the glaze mixture, sprinkle bread crumbs over glaze mixture, bake in the oven until the glaze turns golden brown, about 10 minutes, decorate with cloves inserted into the top of the ham in a pattern. Best served with mashed po-tatoes.

–GRANDmA's DElICIous oRANGE PuDDINGDessert, suggested by Mignon Fuchs, MC Intercontinental/Instructor SAT.

Ingredients:5 oranges, 1 lemon, 6 leaves of gelatin for half a litre of

juice, 3 dl cream, sugar (makes 4 -5 portions). Instructions:

Squeeze the juice out of the 5 oranges and the lemon-Place the grated peel from one orange and half a lemon in a cup and mix with 3 tablespoons. of juice. Put through a fine sieve and add to the rest of the juice. (Never add the peel di-rect to the juice).

Cut up 6 leaves of gelatin and soften in cold water. Press out, then place in a pan and heat slowly with 2-3 tablespoons. of water.

Heat while stirring regularly. Remove from heat just be-fore the mixture boils and mix in a little juice using a whisk. Then add to the remaining juice and add sugar to taste. Al-low the juice to cool (about 45 min.) until it starts to form a gel. Then whip 3 dl of cream and fold in carefully. Place in the fridge to set (about 2 hours).

Either transfer to small bowls (before the mix is left to set) or use a (hot) ice-cream scoop to serve. Decorate and en-joy!

You will find more seasonal tips on the Intranet under Dine & Drink.Bon appétit!

21


HuMAN RESOuRcES

By Nimmy Thudianplakal (Internal Communications)

KIDS GET TO SEE HOW PARENTS EARN A LIVINGlEARNING ExPERIENCE AWAy FRom sChool –

Crew Member Gabriella Pedroni explains the new First Class seat.

FIRsT soNs & DAuGhTERs' DAy AT sWIss–

More than 50 children of our employees – from our cabin, cockpit, technical and finance ranks – descended on the SWISS Building in Kloten and the Operations center at Zu-rich Airport on Thursday, 12 November, for our sons and daughters' day. This was the first such event that SWISS has ever held, and was organised by our HR units in collabora-tion with Internal communications as part of Switzerland’s annual nationwide “Tochtertag” event.

The event began in the morning with a brief presentation about SWISS in the Operations center for all the youngsters attending. After this, the children were divided into groups for a tour of the premises that took in various stops. They tried out our First class seats at the Product Hub; and at Op-erations control they gained a fascinating insight into how a flight is handled. A quick quiz and a group photo brought the first part of the day to a close; and, needless to say, there were “goodie bags” for everyone to take away, too.

After lunch the youngsters joined Mum or Dad at their work-place to see what they do and how they do it. All in all, our first SWISS Daughters & Sons Day was a very successful “premiere” that proved a great hit with children and parents alike.

Clutching their ‘goodie bags’, the daughters and sons of SWISS staff gathered outside the Operations Center after their morning together (photos: Reto Hoffmann and Franziska Garbe).

Yannick Walder (left) sees where mum Brigitte (standing) works at SWISS WorldCargo.

Concentrating hard in Flight Operations Engineering: Gerhard Jud with daughter Tania.

22


SNAPSHOTS

FROM WITHIN AND AROuND SWISSNoTEs AND NuGGETs–

NEW DESTINATION sWIss To sERVE sAN FRANCIsCo

San Francisco is to become SWISS’s next long-haul destina-tion. The new service, which will be introduced on 2 June 2010, will bring one of North America’s most important business and leisure destinations into the SWISS network; and with San Francisco growing steadily in importance for Swiss-based companies, the new service will further enhance Switzerland’s appeal as a business location.

E-cOMMERcE NEW sWIss "APP" FoR IPhoNE

Good news for iPhone users: as of mid-December you can download a SWISS application from the Apple Store to your mobile telephone, enabling you to access services provided by mobile.swiss.com: It now becomes possible to check-in and book via iPhone as well as access flight information or SWISS internal contacts. Significant numbers of downloads also improves our ranking at Apple Store – which is a good form of marketing.

AMERIcAN DREAM sWIss suPPoRTED TRIP To NEW yoRK

Brothers Christoph and Thomas Bertolosi had long dreamed of a trip to New York despite being confined to a wheelchair since birth due to a muscular disability. SWISS sponsored a trip for the brothers and their chaperones, enabling them to spend an eventful week in the Big Apple. The delighted broth-ers coped well with the challenges of the 8-hour flight.

YOuNG NETWORK VIsIT FRom lh CouNTERPART

In Autumn, 20 members of the Lufthansa Junior Round Ta-ble – an LH-equivalent of the SWISS Young Network – came to Zurich to visit the SWISS head office. After attending pres-entations by Revenue Management and CEO Harry Hoh-meister, the group joined a tour of our Zurich hub, reviewing all the processes from check-in, baggage sorting and ramp handling to boarding and special assistance.

ROGER FEDERER TENNIs ChAmPIoN mEETs EmPloyEEs

Ten of our colleagues had the privilege of meeting Roger Fed-erer in November. The lucky employees who joined Switzer-land’s tennis star and current world number-one for a “meet & greet” in our SWISS Lounge at Zurich Airport were drawn in an intranet competition. With “Hallo, ich bin der Roger!” the celebrity guest opened the proceedings and happily chatted, posed for photos and met all the autograph requests.

ZuRIcH HEAD OFFIcE NEW INsuRANCE oFFICE

Lufthansa Group insurance provider Albatros began offer-ing services to SWISS employees locally on 1 October, in col-laboration with partner Nationale Suisse. The offices at the Operations Center and at Obstgartenstrasse in Kloten were officially opened on 22 October by SWISS CEO Harry Hohm-eister. In charge of the Albatros and Nationale Suisse service for SWISS staff is Nora El Kamel.

8302 Kloten | Balsberg, Balz-Zimmermann-Strasse 7 | Tel. 044 945 14 18 | [email protected]

Grösste Skimode-, Skischuh- und Helmauswahl der Schweiz

Fabienne Suter

10% RABATT für Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter von SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES. Nicht kumulierbar. Ausgenommen E-Bikes.Gültig bis 31. Dezember 2009. Bei Bar- / EC-Kartenbezahlung.

23ADVERTISING

QuIz–

our quiz question this time...

Since when has the partnership agreement between SWISS and Edelweiss been in effect? Send your answer to [email protected] by Tuesday, 5 January 2010. The names of seven contestants will be drawn from the re-plies received. The prize this time is a photo calendar on the theme of “People and Places” featuring the work of Swiss star photographer René Burri.

The winners of last issue’s quiz are…

The right answer to our previous quiz was 20,377,668 me-tres. The lucky winners are Daniela Appavou, Rose Maptoum Sagou, Flavia Robin, Roger Benz and Daniela Hamperl, whose guesses were closest to the correct number. We wish them lots of enjoyment with their prize of an MP3 Player from “SWISS Soundcargo”.

Picture of the month: Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Rio de Janeiro landmark, in the early light of day. (Picture taken by cabin crew member Irina Poloni. Do you have a favourite photo? Send it to [email protected] ).

8302 Kloten | Balsberg, Balz-Zimmermann-Strasse 7 | Tel. 044 945 14 18 | [email protected]

Grösste Skimode-, Skischuh- und Helmauswahl der Schweiz

Fabienne Suter

10% RABATT für Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter von SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES. Nicht kumulierbar. Ausgenommen E-Bikes.Gültig bis 31. Dezember 2009. Bei Bar- / EC-Kartenbezahlung.

ASK THE MANAGEMENT

A question from Daniela Huber (Core Customer Management) to Alexander Arafa (Head of Cabin Crew)

A QuESTION TO ALEXANDER ARAFAFoREIGN CAbIN CREW mEmbERs oN bEyoND zuRICh RouTEs?–

I’ve heard that SWISS plans to deploy our cabin crew mem-bers based outside Europe also on long-haul routes beyond Zurich, too, from January onwards. Is this another cost-sav-ing initiative?

Yes, we do intend to deploy our cabin crew members based outside Europe on longhaul routes beyond Zurich. For Janu-ary we plan a trial of having two “foreign” CCMs on our serv-ices to Tel Aviv and Cairo. In the future, we aim to expand this to other routes where the passenger profile will benefit from this product enrichment. Needless to say, we are only taking these steps after due consultation with kapers.We have had flight attendants based outside Switzerland on

selected Asian routes since SWISS began. Today, we have 142 regional CCMs – based in Tokyo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Delhi and Shanghai – serving alongside their Switzerland-based colleagues on routes that originate and end at their home bases. So far, their work has been limited to these routes.The new move is not at all about cost saving: we don’t intend to further expand our foreign crew bases unless we decided to raise capacity in specific markets. But we would like to offer these colleagues job enrichment. We’ll also be able to provide a better customer service: like having a native-speak-er CCM on more flights for our Indian customers. The new arrangement will also help us further integrate these col-leagues into the SWISS community.

Alexander Arafa Daniela Huber

ASK THE MANAGEMENT

SWISS STAFF MEMBERSARE GRANTED A 20 % DISCOUNT.

SWISS SHOPONLINE –SHOPPING, SWISS MADE

–SWISS Business Trolley Travel Collection „Stockhorn“ „Stockhorn“ is the travel collection made by professionals for professionals. These travel companions feature uncompromising design and superb functionality. The „Stockhorn“ Business Trolley is the perfect luggage accessory for your business trips. Tough and stable yet very light and compact, it gives you plenty of well-organised space for your clothes, laptop and documents. The trolley meets IATA rules on the size of carry-on luggage.

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Documents

SWISS Insight Winter 09