SWISS A340-300 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
✈️ Quick Verdict
Aircraft: Airbus A340-300 — 215 seats: 8 First, 42 Business, 21 Premium Economy, 144 Economy
Layout: First 1-2-1, rows 1–2 · Business alternating 1-2-1 and 2-2-1, rows 4–14 · Premium Economy 2-3-2, rows 20–22 · Economy 2-4-2, rows 27–45
Version lottery: No — every SWISS A340 has this cabin. The type is being retired: one of four left the fleet on 14 October 2026.
Best seats: First 1A, 1K · Business throne seats 4A, 4K, 6A, 6K · Economy 31A, 31K, 33A, 33K
Seats to avoid: 5A, 5B, 5K (lavatory behind) · 30A, 30K (door 3 takes half the seat) · rows 27, 28, 44, 45
Entertainment: Panasonic eX2 seatback screens in every cabin · Wi-Fi: paid satellite Wi-Fi
Aisle access: every First seat, 38 of 42 Business seats, and half of Economy
The catch: a door where the legroom should be
The SWISS A340-300 is the last four-engine jet in the fleet, and it still carries all four cabins, First included. The cabins were refitted in 2023 to add Premium Economy, so the seats are newer than the aircraft. But the jets are leaving: HB-JMB was retired on 14 October 2026, and the other three are due to follow as A350s arrive.
The trap is at door 3. Row 30 sits right behind the exit, and on a booking map 30A and 30K look like the classic exit-row window seats. They are not. The door extends into about 55% of the seat width, a lavatory sits directly ahead, the tray folds out of the armrest and there is no floor storage. 30B and 30J, beside them, have the legroom without the door, but still sit right behind the lavatory.
There is a smaller trap in Business. Rows 4 and 5 form a quiet nine-seat mini-cabin between door 1 and door 2, and it is the most private place to sit. But 5A, 5B and 5K back onto a lavatory. Take a row 4 seat instead.
First (rows 1–2)
Eight suites in a 1-2-1, every one with direct aisle access, a seat about 22in wide and a bed of about 80in. Both rows have their own lavatories at the front.
Best First seats
- 1A, 1K — window suites in the front row, the most private corner of the aircraft.
- 2A, 2K — the same window suites one row back.
- 1D + 1G, 2D + 2G — the centre pairs, for two travelling together.
Business (rows 4–14)
42 lie-flat seats, and the row number decides what you get. The cabin alternates two row shapes:
- Even rows (4, 6, 8, 10, 12): A | D G | K. 4A, 4K and their equivalents are throne seats: a single seat with a side table on both sides and its own aisle.
- Odd rows (5, 7, 9, 11): A B | D G | K. A and B are a pair; the A seat steps past B to reach the aisle. K is a single seat against the window.
- Row 14: a centre pair, 14D and 14G, only. There is no row 13.
So 38 of the 42 seats have direct aisle access, and only 5A, 7A, 9A and 11A do not.
Best Business seats
- 4A, 4K — throne seats in the nine-seat mini-cabin behind First.
- 6A, 6K — throne seats at the front of the main cabin.
- 8A, 8K, 10A, 10K, 12A, 12K — throne seats further back; the wing fills the view.
- 7K, 9K, 11K — single seats against the window.
- 7A + 7B, 9A + 9B — the pairs, for two travelling together.
Business seats to avoid
- 5A, 5B, 5K — inside the mini-cabin, but a lavatory sits directly behind.
- 9A, 11A as a solo traveller — you step past a stranger to reach the aisle.
Premium Economy (rows 20–22)
21 fixed-shell seats in a 2-3-2 — the seat slides forward rather than reclining into the row behind — at about 39in of pitch and 19in wide. Three rows, lettered A B | D E G | J K. The cabin sits over the wing, between Business and Economy, and shares the lavatories at door 3 with Economy.
Best Premium Economy seats
- 21A + 21B, 21J + 21K — the window pairs in the middle row, with floor storage in front.
- 22A + 22B, 22J + 22K — the same pairs in the back row.
Premium Economy seats to note
- Row 20 — the bulkhead. The wall is almost solid, so there is no extra legroom to speak of, and no floor storage for take-off and landing.
Economy (rows 27–45)
144 seats in a 2-4-2 at about 31in of pitch and 18in wide, lettered A B | D E F G | J K. Eight across means every window seat comes in a pair: the best economy layout on a long-haul jet for couples. Door 3 splits the cabin after row 28. Row 29 is a centre block of four, and from row 42 back the centre block narrows to three seats (D E G).
Rows 27 to 30: around the door 3 lavatories
- 30A, 30K — door 3 extends into about half of the seat, with a lavatory directly ahead. The window is set behind the seat.
- 30B, 30J — open floor ahead, but right behind the lavatory.
- 29D, 29E, 29F, 29G — the centre bulkhead. Extra legroom, but the lavatories are just ahead and the trays fold out of the armrests.
- Rows 27 and 28 — directly in front of the lavatories. Expect queues beside you all flight.
Best Economy seats
- 31A, 31K, 33A, 33K — the best-placed windows in the cabin, behind the door 3 traffic.
- 35A, 35K, 37A, 37K — equally good windows, further back.
- 31A + 31B, 33J + 33K — any window pair in rows 31–40 is a two-seat row for a couple.
Economy seats to avoid
- 30A, 30K — the door takes half the seat.
- Rows 27 and 28 — right in front of the door 3 lavatories.
- Rows 44 and 45 — the last two rows, against the rear lavatories.
- 27A, 27K — the window sits behind the seat, and the lavatory is behind too.
Quick-pick summary
| Travelling as | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1A or 1K | Front-row window suite |
| Solo, Business | 4A or 4K, then 6A, 6K | Throne seat, quiet mini-cabin |
| Couple, Business | 7A + 7B or 6D + 6G | Side-by-side seats |
| Premium Economy | 21A + 21B or 21J + 21K | Window pair, floor storage |
| Couple, Economy | 31A + 31B or 33J + 33K | Two-seat window pair, good glass |
| Avoid | 5A, 5B, 5K, 30A, 30K, rows 27, 28, 44, 45 | Lavatories, or a door in the seat |
Frequently asked questions
Is SWISS retiring the A340?
Yes. HB-JMB made its last flight on 14 October 2026, and the remaining three are being replaced by A350-900s. SWISS has not announced a final date; it depends on A350 deliveries.
Which SWISS A340 Business seats are throne seats?
The A and K seats on even rows: 4A, 4K, 6A, 6K, 8A, 8K, 10A, 10K, 12A and 12K. Each sits alone between two side tables. On odd rows, K is a single seat at the window and A is half of a pair.
Does the SWISS A340 have Premium Economy?
Yes, since the 2023 refit: 21 fixed-shell seats in rows 20–22, laid out 2-3-2.
Which SWISS A340 economy seat has the most legroom?
The seats behind door 3 and the centre bulkhead, but none is a clean win. 30A and 30K lose half their width to the door; 30B and 30J and the row 29 centre seats sit right behind a lavatory. For a comfortable flight, take a window pair in rows 31–40 instead.
Is there Wi-Fi on the SWISS A340?
Yes, paid satellite Wi-Fi.
Comparable guides
- SWISS A330-300 — the twin-engine SWISS long-haul with the same Business seat
- Edelweiss A340-300 — the same aircraft at SWISS’s leisure sister airline
- Lufthansa A340-300 — the A340 at the parent airline
- SWISS A350-900 — the aircraft replacing the A340 at SWISS
- Edelweiss A350-900 — the aircraft replacing the A340 at Zurich