What is Austrian Airlines like on a mid-haul flight in economy class?
My business partner, John, and I spent a weekend in Yerevan, Armenia last month. We were in Vienna earlier in the week, so the nonstop Austrian flight from VIE to EVN made the most sense. We booked for 15,000 United miles each in economy class.
Business class would have been an extra 10,000 miles, but I figured 1.) the seat is the same, 2.) I already had lounge access, and 3.) we would be eating dinner just before the flight. So the upgrade did not make sense.
Vienna International Airport is such an easy airport to navigate. Check-in (John had to check a bag), security, and passport control took only a few moments. I’ll review the Austrian lounge in a separate post.
Boarding commenced precisely on schedule with business class passenger and Star Alliance Gold members invited to board first.
Austrian Airlines 641
Vienna (VIE) – Yerevan (EVN)
Friday, August 16
Depart: 10:35 PM
Arrive: 03:45 AM+1
Duration: 03hr, 10min
Distance: 1,479 miles
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Seat: 25C (Economy Class)
I’ll start with the seats and the following warning: these slimline seats are very uncomfortable. By the time we reached Yerevan three hours later, I could not wait to get off. The seats do recline slightly, but the lack of padding makes for an uncomfortable flying experience on flights longer than 60-90 minutes. But that’s hardly a unique experience to Austrian. Seat pitch is 30 inches.
Notice that the only difference in business class hard product is that the middle seat is blocked:
A sticker on the aircraft fuselage indicated wi-fi internet would be available, but it did not function. There are no in-seat power ports.
But Austrian does a few things right.
First, I appreciated the pillows and blankets, both of which were better than many airlines offer in economy class. Heck, United does not even offer pillows in domestic first class except on premium transcontinental flight.
That said, it was roasting outside and the cabin was not overly cool…not exactly heavy blanket weather.
Second, I appreciated the meal, as small as it was. A vegetarian cheese pasta with cake and bread was served after takeoff. Talk about a load of carbs! Passengers were not offered a choice of meal.
Flight attendants came around before the meal and also about 90 minutes before landing with a beverage serevice.
Finally, the lavatory was very clean…these pictures are toward the end of the flight.
CONCLUSION
I appreciate that Austrian is full service in the sense that blankets, pillows, and meals are provided. But three hours really pushes the limit for this type of slimline seat. I’ll happily fly Austrian again, but ideally on a shorthaul route or on a widebody jet in business class…
> Review: Austrian Airlines 767 Business Class from Beijing to Vienna
I have never understood who pays for the business class when it is the same seat, and if you have status you can get within a few rows of the front of the plane in economy.
I also don’t understand why all EU countries fly planes with no real business/first on flights that are this long, (2-4 hours) and are very much international. Almost all US planes have domestic first, even if they are only going an hour or two. How did things evolve so differently in the EU??
Many executives in Europe have business class travel as a part of their contracts. Non-cash perks like company cars, per diems, and travel perks are (and have historically been) more common there because they’re not taxed the same way (if at all) as wage/salary income.
These flex systems, although offering an inferior hard product, allow European carriers to flex their cabins to accommodate far more business class fliers. I’ve seen as many as the first 12 rows flexed to biz!
@Lara S, mallthus is correct that the present business class model allows for flexibility depending upon loads. Aeroflot, Tarom, and Turkish have real business class seats.
Iberia has also started incorporating ‘real’ business class seats on short to mid-haul flights on its A319..I had it from MAD-FLR, but I think its more commonly used on routes to Tel Aviv, Moscow Etc.
Looks and reminds me a lot of DLs old J seat on their 767s..
I was not aware of that. Thanks Nathan!
One reason to use it is when connecting with a long haul flight.
Suppose you buy a business class ticket from New York to Yerevan via Vienna. You’d get the real thing in the trans Atlantic section, then a blocked middle seat.
The seats are the same as LH. After two hours on one recently I had back pain and a numb a*se. Apparently they are now being replaced by ones that according to the LH CEO Spohr are ‘even more comfortable’. I wait in fear!
Austrian unlike the other LH group carriers also use these seats on their long haul aircraft in economy. You have been warned!
I think Europeans find US Domestic premium cabins and products as strange and confusing as we find their intro-European premium product.
In the US, we call it First Class (but it’s closer to Business Class). You get a big seat with more leg room. Generally the plane is WiFi equipped with either IFE or streaming entertainment at no charge. You only get a meal if it’s over a certain length (2-3 hours) and during meal times. You also do not get Lounge access (but lounge access is commonly available through a credit card or membership program).
In the EU, you get a coach seat with a blocked middle. The leg room is less than what is available in the US in the Economy Plus, Main Cabin Extra, etc. cabins. You get Lounge access and a meal that is generally better than what you would get on a US carrier for the same stage length. WiFi and IFE/streaming entertainment is not as common.
I absolutely prefer the US model but it is what I am used to. I get my Lounge access through my credit cards. I would prefer an MCE seat to Euro Business any day and I can book those seats at ticketing. But I’m guessing some Euro business man would find the lack of a meal and complimentary lounge access disappointing.