Cape Town - Swiss leisure airline Edelweiss has decided to increase its seasonal non-stop flights between Cape Town and Zurich from two to three weekly frequencies.
Flights will operate during the South African summer season.
Edelweiss is the oldest Swiss airline and was integrated into the Lufthansa Group in 2008. It maintains an 80% seat load factor.
The decision to increase the direct flights is an effect of the success Edelweiss has seen on the route since it started in 2011, according to Alain Chisari, Edelweiss' chief commercial officer.
The third weekly flight will operate each Wednesday from December 3 2014 to March 11 2015 to cover the peak season. The other two flights are on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Swiss tourists to South Africa spend on average about R70 000 per person during their visit and usually include an average stay of 3.6 nights in Cape Town.
A trend picked up by Edelweiss among passengers flying to South Africa, is the increase of so-called "city shoppers". These are people who hop on a plane, fly to Cape Town, shop, visit the Winelands and Table Mountain and head back home again.
Value for money, the ocean, mountains and no significant time difference is what attracts these "city shoppers" to the Mother City.
Refurbishment
In June this year Edelweiss' long-haul aircraft underwent refurbishing to improve the cabin. The business class now has lie-flat seats and a new in-flight entertainment system.
It also now offers Economy Max, which offers passengers fifteen centimetres more legroom and many other amenities.
- Fin24