If you are planning a trip to Zurich, Switzerland, you may have stumbled across Edelweiss Air. Edelweiss Air is a Swiss based leisure airline that flies to several U.S cities.
Its U.S route offerings are less than Swiss International Air Lines or some major U.S air carriers. But it is still a great option for some folks living near cities like Las Vegas or Tampa.
In this guide, we’ll discuss Edelweiss Air’s U.S flight options and their unique characteristics. We will compare these flights to other airlines flying between the U.S and Zurich.
Who is Edelweiss Air and Why Do They Fly Between Zurich and the United States?
If you’re looking to fly to Zurich, Switzerland, you may have landed on an airline called Edelweiss Air.
Who is Edelweiss Air exactly?
Edelweiss Air is a Swiss based leisure airline. Meaning they focus on flying people to vacation destinations. Unlike normal airlines, leisure airlines usually don’t provide daily service nor offer business class seats.
Some of Edelweiss’s vacation destinations are here in the United States. The airline gives Swiss travelers the chance to fly directly to the best American vacation spots.
Yet, these Swiss travelers also need to get back to Zurich. This also allows Americans looking to vacation in Zurich the chance to book a direct flight as well.
Where in The United States Does Edelweiss Air Have Flights to Zurich?
As already discussed, Edelweiss Air serves Switzerland as a connection to vacation destinations all around the world.
You won’t find routine service on Edelweiss Air from the USA to Switzerland like you would on Swiss International Air Lines.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider Edelweiss Air as an option.
Most of their departure cities from the U.S have flights only offered a few times per week.
This makes sense considering that these U.S leisure cities aren’t demanded as much as major U.S cities like New York City.
Below are the 4 U.S cities that have Edelweiss Air flights to Zurich, Switzerland.
Tampa
For Florida customers looking to get to Zurich, you are in luck. Edelweiss Air provides service to Switzerland from Tampa International Airport.
You can catch this flight two to three times per week all year round.. The flight is offered on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Offering service to Tampa is a bit of head scratcher. Tampa is not really the first vacation destination when you think of Florida. Usually, people tend to flock to Orlando. Disney World is likely the main attraction there. After that, the next best option would be Miami or the Fort Lauderdale region.
But Tampa does offer warm weather and great beaches.
Edelweiss is tapping into a lightly served market for European leisure airlines. There is an absence of daily international service to Europe from Tampa. There are leisure airlines like Discover Airlines and Air Canada Rouge flying to/from the airport.
While Edelweiss Air offers flights from Tampa, Swiss International Air Lines flies from Miami International Airport to Zurich. This route likely sees more passenger traffic from the United States.
Denver
Denver is a seasonal city for Edelweiss Air. Flights from Denver to Zurich startup during late spring.
From Denver International Airport, you can find flights to Zurich upwards to four times per week. These flights are flown once daily on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Thursdays.
This is another confusing destination Edelweiss Air offers service to. Switzerland and Denver are cold weather environments, very lucrative for folks who like winter sports. Both destinations are near mountains and elevation.
The only difference between Switzerland and Denver is that Denver can get warm during the springtime.
For Denver passengers looking to extend their winter sport seasons by flying to Zurich, Edelweiss Air is a great option.
Las Vegas
If you live in Las Vegas, you have the option to fly to Zurich on an Edelweiss Air flight. The airline flies nonstop from Harry Reid International Airport on a seasonal basis. When the flight is in season, it is offered once per day, two to three times per week.
Like most of the other U.S cities that Edelweiss serves, Las Vegas is a demand Swiss vacation destination. Likely the bulk of the outbound traffic from Las Vegas to Zurich, are Swiss nationals.
There aren’t a lot of international flights from Harry Reid International Airport.
For folks living around the Las Vegas area wanting to beat the dry heat and go to Switzerland for a winter climate experience.
Seattle
People in the Seattle area, you will soon have an option to use Edelweiss Air on flights to Zurich.
Starting in June 2025, twice a week flights will be offered between Seattle Tacoma International Airport and Switzerland.
This is a change up for the airline as Seattle isn’t the first leisure city you think of when visiting the United States.
The rainy climate, hiking, and opportunities for whale watching make it a unique destination here in the United States for Swiss travelers.
Seattle’s Switzerland seekers will benefit from this added service. There are no airlines at Seattle that have a direct nonstop flight to Switzerland. Edelweiss Air will be filling that void.
Competitors to Edelweiss’s U.S to Zurich Flights
Edelweiss Air serves mainly the leisure market for Swiss travelers wanting to come to the United States. Swiss bound U.S travelers may not think of Edelweiss Air as their primary option considering they are a leisure airline and there are more prominent airlines in the mix offering flights to Switzerland.
American Airlines
American Airlines has a flight to Zurich from Philadelphia International Airport. You can catch a flight to Zurich with American Airlines all year long. The flight is flown once per day from Philadelphia.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines has year round flights to Zurich from New York – JFK Airport. They also have seasonal flights from their hub at Atlanta.
The JFK route to Switzerland is offered every day of the week, once per day. The flight from Atlanta is flown once per day several times during the week.
United Airlines
United Airlines offers flights to Switzerland from the most cities across the United States than any other U.S airline. If you live in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco or Washington D.C, you will have a direct flight to Zurich on United Airlines. San Francisco is the only city that has a seasonal route to Switzerland.
Swiss International Air Lines
When comparing Edelweiss Air to Swiss International Air Lines USA service, you will notice a difference between the two airlines.
Swiss International Air Lines flies to many of the major cities here in America. Edelweiss Air has flights between many of the major vacation cities.
From Chicago, Miami, New York City, and Washington D.C, you can find more frequent service to Zurich using Swiss International Air Lines instead of Edelweiss Air.
You Can Expect to Fly on Edelweiss Air’s Airbus A340
On flights from the U.S to Zurich using Edelweiss Air, you will likely be flying on their Airbus A340.
The Airbus A340 is a very unique looking aircraft. The first thing you will notice is its four engines. The A340 was built during the 1990’s. However, during this time aircraft manufacturers and airlines were switching their preference to twin engine jets, as engines became more reliable.
It’s a little bit of a treat if you are able to see or fly on these types of aircraft.
Edelweiss Air configured their Airbus A340 with 314 seats. Majority of the seats are economy class. 76 are economy max, which is Edelweiss Air’s premium economy product offering more legroom than standard economy. Finally, there’s 27 business class seats, which feature lay-flat seating.
The airline provides inflight entertainment on A340 flights. That is definitely a necessity considering the duration of some flights. Edelweiss Air will also provide you with meals and beverages.
Our Thoughts On Edelweiss Air’s U.S Service to Zurich
If you’re considering flying to Zurich using Edelweiss Air, you’re likely into two scenarios.
1 – You likely live close to Las Vegas, Tampa, Seattle, or Denver.
2 – You couldn’t book a trip on any other airline.
By all means, there is nothing wrong with any of the services that Edelweiss Air provides. Its reviews on Tripadvisor are quite favorable.
The issue is that it’s a leisure based airline that flies from some awkward places in the United States. This is understandable because Edelweiss Air is focused on the Swiss market. The U.S destinations that Edelweiss Air flies to, for the most part are major attractions here in the states.
With major U.S carriers like United, Delta, and American having more accessible service to Zurich from most places around the country, it might be a first instinct for you to book a flight on one of those airlines.
Then there’s Swiss International Air Lines in the picture, also providing similar service. Number three on the depth chart is Edelweiss Air, likely a last minute resort for American travelers.
Edelweiss Air might be looking to improve its position in the U.S market. It’ll be interesting to see how their new routes to Seattle and Denver play out. Maybe more cities with better conditions for international flights might come into the picture.
Sources
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Airline_Review-d8728969-Reviews-or5-Edelweiss-Air.html#REVIEWS
https://seatguru.com/airlines/Edelweiss/Edelweiss_Air_A340-300.php
https://www.flyedelweiss.com/ch/en/fly/flight-information/fleet.html
https://www.flightconnections.com/route-map-edelweiss-air-wk
