Wednesday newsletters all the time characteristic a lodge or flight assessment.
I lately loved a sunny vacation on the attractive island of Mauritius within the Indian Ocean. You possibly can learn my journey experiences right here:
- Assessment: Austrian Airways Boeing 777 Enterprise Class from Vienna to Mauritius (in the present day)
- Assessment: One&Solely Le Saint Géran Mauritius
- Assessment: The Oberoi Seaside Resort Mauritius
- Assessment: 4 Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
- Assessment: Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius
- Assessment: Eurowings Uncover Airbus A330 from Mauritius to Frankfurt
Right this moment: Review of Austrian Airways’ B777 Enterprise Class from Vienna to Mauritius
I lately flew Enterprise Class with Austrian Airways from Vienna Worldwide Airport (VIE) in Austria to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Worldwide Airport (MRU) in Mauritius. Austria’s flag provider – a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group – operates a number of flights per week to/from Mauritius within the winter months utilizing its Boeing 777-200ER plane. Austrian Airways, typically shortened to Austrian, has at present a fleet of 83 plane, together with a small wide-body fleet comprised of 6 Boeing 777 and three Boeing 767 plane. Most of those B777 & B767 planes had been acquired by Lauda Air, which was later bought by Austrian, and are fairly previous (with a median age of greater than 20 years). These plane will quickly get replaced by extra trendy B787 Dreamliner planes, that are extra environmentally pleasant and less expensive to take care of.
Though its flatbed seats usually are not the very best within the business, Austrian Airways had all the time been my favourite airline throughout the Lufthansa Group to fly Enterprise Class for the reason that provider had by far the very best delicate product of any Lufthansa Group airline. An absolute spotlight throughout any longhaul journey with Austrian Airways was the provider’s terrific catering from DO & CO – served by an onboard chef. Sadly, the idea of “flying cooks” was reduce through the pandemic, so I used to be somewhat dissatisfied by the meals choices throughout my flight to Mauritius (because it didn’t examine to my earlier stellar experiences with Austrian Airways). I did take pleasure in although the exceptionally heat service offered by the cabin crew. And the excellent news is that Austrian Airways’ flying cooks are making a comeback in summer time 2023 (so the provider’s superb meals service ought to be totally restored by then).
Have you ever ever flown with Austrian Airways? If that’s the case, what was your expertise? Go away a remark.
- Journey: Vienna (VIE) to Mauritius (MRU)
- Airline: Austrian Airways
- Plane sort: Boeing 777-200ER
- Plane registration quantity: OE-LPA (inbuilt 1997)
- On time departure: Sure (8:30 pm)
- On time arrival: Sure (9:30 am; + 1 day)
- Miles: 5370 miles (8640 km)
- Flight time: 10 hours
- Seat: 5A
- Class: Enterprise Class
On this assessment (extra data & images under my YouTube video):
- Austrian Airways Lounge at Vienna Airport
- Enterprise Class cabin
- Enterprise Class seat (+ finest & worst seats)
- Facilities & bedding
- Meals
- Leisure
- Onboard web
- Different inflight experiences
- My verdict (rating)
1. LOUNGE
Austrian Airways has a number of lounges at its hub Vienna Worldwide Airport. This can be a assessment of the airline’s non-Schengen flagship lounge, the place passengers can calm down previous to departure on one of many provider’s longhaul flights. The lounge, which is positioned instantly behind the safety checkpoint, has one foremost entrance however is split right into a separate Enterprise Class lounge and a Senator lounge (the latter can solely be accessed by Star Alliance Gold members).
The lounge is mainly an L-shaped room, which is remarkably small and may get very busy to the purpose that there usually are not sufficient seats for everybody. Upon coming into the lounge, there’s an oblong area that includes some high-top tables with chairs on each side, which provides solution to the lounge’s foremost area the place the primary bulk of the seats is positioned. Many of the seats are organized round espresso tables, and a few sitting areas are separated from others by curtains, including an additional stage of privateness. On the far finish of the lounge is a quiet space the place six lounge chairs enable for a fast nap or relaxation. Ground-to-ceiling home windows stretching alongside your complete facet of the lounge enable for some good views of the apron and plane actions. Fitted in a Scandinavian sort, considerably funky design, the lounge options furnishings in largely vivid pink and inexperienced colours, that are consistent with Austrian Airways’ model colours.
A buffet space takes middle stage within the lounge. The meals choice is respectable and consists of salads, soups, sweets and chilly cuts. Drinks embody delicate drinks, self serve wine, beer, liquor, espresso and tea. There’s additionally a second staffed kitchen stand close to the lounge’s entrance, with provides a choice of sizzling dishes (e.g. gratinated ham pasta or fried rice with coriander, curcuma, mustard seeds and pumpkin).
Services on the lounge embody complimentary WiFi, magazines, newspapers, and bathe rooms.
2. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Enterprise Class on Austrian Airways’ Boeing 777-200ER is positioned in a single cabin in entrance of the airplane. There are 32 lie-flat seats, unfold over 7 rows and organized in a staggered configuration (or so-called Sogerma Solstys structure). This structure feels moderately dense because the foot compartment of every seat is positioned between and underneath the seats in entrance. The middle seats are available in pairs, whereas the seats on the left and proper facet of the plane alternate from 1 to 2 per row.
The identical staggered Enterprise Class structure can be put in on Brussels Airways’ A330, Finnair’s A330/A340, Swiss’ A340/A330, Edelweiss Air”s A340, and American’s B767 plane. This configuration provides some extent of privateness as not one of the seat rows fairly line up, so no person is instantly trying into the seat throughout the aisle. However nonetheless, the privateness in this sort of Enterprise Class cabin is inferior in comparison with the totally enclosed Enterprise Class suites that you just discover on different airways, reminiscent of Qatar’s A350s or Delta’s A350s (and which appear to grow to be the usual within the aviation business).
Regardless of not being fitted with the very best seat structure, the design of Austrian Airways’ Enterprise Class cabin appears to be like stunning, ethereal and fairly fashionable with a hanging red-blue-white shade scheme contrasting with the darkish gray seat covers. The intense pink design touches within the cabin mirror the corporate’s model consciousness. Like virtually all main air carriers, Austrian Airways makes use of the colour palette of its nation’s nationwide flag (pink and white) for its visible identification.
For the seat map of Austrian Airways’ Boeing 777-200ER, click on right here.
3. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
All Enterprise Class seats onboard Austrian Airways’ B777 plane characteristic the identical dimensions: they’ve 152 cm (60 inches) in pitch, a width of 52 cm (20 inches), and a 180 diploma recline. All seats have at the very least one giant work floor on the facet (the place you possibly can arrange your laptop computer), with most solo seats and a few paired seats that includes this work area on each side (a so-called ‘throne seat’). One facet of the seat includes a energy port with worldwide adapters, a studying lamp (at eye stage), a panel for the seat controls, and a typical wired handset (positioned under a flap within the armrest). The console on this facet of the seat additionally holds the fold-out tray desk, which is launched on the push of a button. In entrance of the seat is a HD leisure display (extra on that under) with a foot compartment beneath.
The seat could be reworked in a Lantal air-cushion mattress with a size of two m (6.5 ft). Though it’s a 180 diploma recline, the seat and your decrease legs descend into an area carved out for it within the seat(s) in entrance, under the leisure display. This foot compartment is kind of slender, making it laborious to change place throughout your sleep whereas not waking up, as your legs will always hit the partitions. The seats that wouldn’t have the ‘throne’ characteristic have more room for the toes, therefore making them somewhat extra comfy for sleeping. In its lie flat place, the Enterprise Class seat is simply 45 cm (17 inch) above the ground, making it really feel like you might be resting on the bottom or in a coffin (due to the excessive seat partitions), and making it uncomfortable getting out and in to go to the restroom.
What are the finest Enterprise Class seats?
- The one finest seats for solo vacationers are the one seats in row 1, 3 and 5 (‘throne seats’).
- Journey companions ought to go for the paired, center seats, which all have direct aisle entry. There are additionally paired window seats in rows 2, 4, and 6 however right here the passenger within the window seat should leap over his/her neighbour’s toes to entry the aisle.
What are the worst Enterprise Class seats?
- I counsel to keep away from the solo window seats in row 7. Not solely are these seats near the galley (which can trigger occasional noise disturbance), in addition they characteristic just one work floor on the facet (as a substitute of two), so they provide much less area as in comparison with the throne seats.
4. AMENITIES & BEDDING
Austrian Airways’ Enterprise Class passengers obtain the next facilities on longhaul flights:
- A Lufthansa Group amenity equipment, which is wrapped inside a reusable tote bag. The equipment options the important journey gadgets (e.g. toothpaste, toothbrush, socks and a single breath mint) in addition to some L’Occitane toiletries. To scale back waste, eye masks and ear plugs usually are not offered contained in the bag however can be found within the bathrooms
- A snug, thick pillow
- A trendy, heat and high-quality blanket
- Noise cancelling headphones (that are fairly efficient in blocking out the cabin noise)
5. MEALS
As already talked about, Austrian Airways used to excell in its meals choices, not solely with onboard cooks but additionally by collaborating with DO & CO, a catering firm that has upscale eating places and cafés in cities like Vienna, London and New York. Sadly, the idea of “flying cooks” was reduce through the pandemic, however they’re making a comeback in summer time 2023.
Sadly, the catering on this in a single day flight to Mauritius was moderately disappointing, particularly the dinner service. The meals itself was mediocre at finest (a ham roll for starter?) and the parts had been tiny. There have been nonetheless some features although by which Austrian Airways carried out effectively throughout dinner. For instance, a pleasant contact was that the crew rolled a choice of starters and desserts by means of the cabin, so for every course (apart from the entree), you would all the time select what you need. Additionally, Austrian Airways has a superb inflight espresso menu, the place you get to select from 11 various kinds of Austrian Meinl espresso.
Dinner was served after takeoff, and I select the next gadgets from the menu:
- Starter: ham roll with toasted darkish bread
- Major course: roasted pikeperch with potato discipline salad
- Dessert: ardour fruit panna cotta and recent fruits
Ninety minutes previous to touchdown, the cabin crew rolled out a trolley with breakfast gadgets. The breakfast choice included buckwheat Muesli, plain yoghurt, artisan bread, recent fruit and diverse ham and cheese. For decent dish, there was a alternative between scrambled eggs (served with sausage, cheese toast, mushroom and tomato) or caramelised apple pancake with berry roaster. Breakfast service was a lot better and filling in comparison with the dinner a couple of hours earlier.
6. ENTERTAINMENT
Every Enterprise Class seats comes with its personal 15 inches HD touchscreen. The leisure program is respectable, with a wide array of movies and sequence in 20 languages (the leisure is up to date on a month-to-month foundation).
7. ONBOARD INTERNET
Sadly, Austrian Airways’ huge physique plane usually are not geared up with WiFi. Austria’s flag provider might be one of many final remaining airways within the Western world that doesn’t supply WiFi on longhaul journeys. onboard WiFi is at present not supplied by Austrian Airways. The provider solely provides web entry in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom on brief and medium-haul flights.
8. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: Austrian Airways’ crew members – with their vivid pink outfits – are amongst the very best, most pleasant and best on the earth, and it was no totally different on this flight. The crew on this flight was completely improbable and so they did all they may to make the flight as nice as potential for all passengers within the Enterprise Class cabin.
# LAVATORY: There are three bathrooms for the 32 Enterprise Class passengers. One is positioned behind the cockpit and two are positioned within the galley between the Enterprise and Economic system Class cabin.
9. MY VERDICT
- Seat consolation (upright): 7/10
- Seat consolation (mattress place): 5/10
- Meals (high quality): 8/10
- Meals (amount): 8/10
- Inflight leisure : 8/10
- WiFi: 0/10 (not obtainable)
- Service: 9/10
- Cabin design: 8/10
- Total expertise: good (7/10)
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