Never having been to Austria, I was excited to receive an invitation to participate in an international conference to take place in Vienna. I made the decision to fly Austrian Airlines, the nation’s flag carrier, as they are part of the Star Alliance of which my primary carrier United Airlines was a founding member. Air Austria and Austrian Airways merged to form the airline in 1957, but its history dates back to the founding of Austrian Airways in 1923. Throughout much of the company's existence, it was a state-owned entity. Today though, the carrier is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, the flag carrier of Germany. Austrian Airlines is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, where it also maintains its hub. It has a fleet of 67 aircraft and serves more than 120 destinations in 55 countries connecting Austria with Europe and most of the rest of the world from its Vienna hub.
This trip began one fine spring day at the Washington Dulles International Airport. The airline’s ticket counters were located in Departure Zone 3 and there were only a few folks ahead of me for Business Class check in. Before being directed to security, I was given a pass for the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge located in Concourse B next to Gate B49. The lounge was adjacent to gates for Lufthansa Group departures, including Austrian. In fact, I was both surprised and pleased to learn that passengers on my flight could board directly from the lounge without having to first reenter the terminal and walk over to the departure gate. Talk about convenience! The lounge itself offered tarmac-level views of nearby aircraft and a dining area with a number of tables and chairs. In the back of the lounge was a buffet situated against the wall, offering Meats, Cheeses, and Snacks as well as warm options, including several Soups and Short Ribs with Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes. The self-service bar area was nearby and their was another, attended bar near the steps offering premium beverages to guests. The lounge wasn’t too crowded during my visit and proved to be a welcome diversion from the busy late afternoon crowds in the terminal.
Austrian operated a Boeing 777-200 ER on the route that evening and the Business Class cabin was configured with 40 flat-bed seats in a staggered, forward facing layout, alternating 1-2-1 and 2-2-2. I was traveling alone and fortunate to secure the single seat 3A on the port side of the aircraft. The seat measured 20” in width with a good 40” of pitch and I particularly enjoyed having a small side table next to the window for additional counter space. After most Business Class passengers had boarded, pre-departure beverages were offered from a silver tray, and included either Orange Juice (with an Orange slice) or Water. Like Air France, Austrian does not offer Champagne or other alcoholic beverages on the ground so they are not charged any US taxes. Each of the Business Class seats had a 15” high-resolution digital touchscreen display and the image quality on the screen was flawless. Each seat was also equipped with the traditional overhead reading lamp as well as an LED reading light located behind the seat. And, there was no shortage of electrical power options either, including a universal electrical outlet and two USB ports.
Waiting at each seat was an amenity kit, a full-size pillow, a large duvet in Austrian colors (available for purchase for €50 if you wished to take it with you), high quality noise-cancelling headphones and a 5L bottle of drinking water. I must give Austrian kudos on their amenity kits. The Alpine Loden look was highly stylish and this was a bag I thought passengers would be pleased to reuse countless times. There were four different embroidery motifs and I received the Alpine ski scene. The kit contained all the usual items, including a small tube of face cream and lip balm, an eye mask, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a shoehorn, mints, socks and earplugs. Shortly after take-off, cabin crew sprang into action.
The on-board chef first stopped by to introduce himself and take my dinner order. Our first beverage service offered a Duval-Leroy Brut Fleur de Champagne along with Roasted Nuts and a Bread Roll. The appetizer and soup course followed immediately. I enjoyed the rather large, mouth-watering Salmon Carpaccio appetizer very much, which was followed by Creamy Tomato Coconut Soup ladled from the trolley and served piping hot. My entrée selection was Beef Filet with Madeira Sauce served over Truffled Linguini with a side of Grilled Vegetables. It was very tasty. Three dessert options were offered, but feeling rather full after dinner, I opted for fruit and cheese. Austrian coffee is normally made to order and is known for its quality, often considered some of the best in the world. While I’m not a big coffee drinker, the dessert course was followed by a “flying Kaffeehaus” service featuring traditional Viennese specialty coffees which any number of passengers appeared to enjoy.
As the Business Class cabin was fully occupied, I was very impressed with the service and its pace. There were no less than six dedicated crew members serving the Business Class cabin. They circulated frequently to refill beverages and provide any assistance required. Continuing with the gracious and well-paced service, we were never rushed. For example, I took my time enjoying the salmon carpaccio and the crew opted to serve others who were ready to receive their main courses and then they came back to me as soon as they noted that I had finished my appetizer. The crew also presented and cleared plates individually, restaurant style. After dinner, I took some time to check out the entertainment system. Austrian does offer a very nice range of in-flight entertainment and an excellent moving map display option.
When it was time to rest, I was able to convert my seat into a nearly 6’ 7” lie-flat bed within seconds. The seats also had a “Relax” mode which triggered an individually adjustable air-cushion system designed for long-haul comfort, all of which made it easy for me to catch a few hours of uninterrupted sleep as we flew over the Atlantic. Although, I was still sated from dinner, the made-to-order breakfast was presented about 75 minutes prior to arrival. I had pre ordered the Fried Ham Steak with Eggs cooked over easy, which was accompanied by Fresh Fruit and Yogurt, as well as a plate of Cheese and Cold Cuts. The breakfast portions were equally as generous as those that came before. The Julius Meinl Coffee offered in small, Viennese coffee cups with gold handles added a nice touch. We touched down in Vienna at around 8:45 in the morning after a very pleasant eight hour and 30-minute flight time.
It took about 45 minutes to get through Austrian Immigration and Customs formalities as we arrived at the same time as quite a few other international flights. I was in a taxi en route to the Vienna Marriott Hotel by 9:30 and appreciated the fact that it was a relatively short journey into the city. I’ll tell you all about my time in Vienna in a future post.
Until next time…safe travels.
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