Wednesday newsletters all the time function a resort or flight overview.
I just lately loved a sunny vacation on the attractive island of Mauritius within the Indian Ocean. You can learn my journey experiences right here:
- Review: Austrian Airlines Boeing 777 Business Class from Vienna to Mauritius (immediately)
- Review: One&Only Le Saint Géran Mauritius
- Review: The Oberoi Beach Resort Mauritius
- Review: Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
- Review: Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius
- Review: Eurowings Discover Airbus A330 from Mauritius to Frankfurt
Today: Review of Austrian Airlines’ B777 Business Class from Vienna to Mauritius
I just lately flew Business Class with Austrian Airlines from Vienna International Airport (VIE) in Austria to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) in Mauritius. Austria’s flag service – 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 Airlines, typically shortened to Austrian, has at the moment 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 have been acquired by Lauda Air, which was later bought by Austrian, and are fairly previous (with a mean age of greater than 20 years). These plane will quickly get replaced by extra fashionable B787 Dreamliner planes, that are extra environmentally pleasant and less expensive to take care of.
Although its flatbed seats usually are not the perfect within the business, Austrian Airlines had all the time been my favourite airline throughout the Lufthansa Group to fly Business Class because the service had by far the perfect gentle product of any Lufthansa Group airline. An absolute spotlight throughout any longhaul journey with Austrian Airlines was the service’s terrific catering from DO & CO – served by an onboard chef. Unfortunately, the idea of “flying chefs” was reduce throughout the pandemic, so I used to be a little bit disenchanted by the meals choices throughout my flight to Mauritius (because it didn’t evaluate to my earlier stellar experiences with Austrian Airlines). I did take pleasure in although the exceptionally heat service offered by the cabin crew. And the excellent news is that Austrian Airlines’ flying cooks are making a comeback in summer season 2023 (so the service’s superb meals service must be totally restored by then).
Have you ever flown with Austrian Airlines? If so, what was your expertise? Leave a remark.
- Trip: Vienna (VIE) to Mauritius (MRU)
- Airline: Austrian Airlines
- Aircraft kind: Boeing 777-200ER
- Aircraft registration quantity: OE-LPA (inbuilt 1997)
- On time departure: Yes (8:30 pm)
- On time arrival: Yes (9:30 am; + 1 day)
- Miles: 5370 miles (8640 km)
- Flight time: 10 hours
- Seat: 5A
- Class: Business Class
In this overview (extra data & images under my YouTube video):
- Austrian Airlines Lounge at Vienna Airport
- Business Class cabin
- Business Class seat (+ greatest & worst seats)
- Amenities & bedding
- Meals
- Entertainment
- Onboard web
- Other inflight experiences
- My verdict (rating)
1. LOUNGE
Austrian Airlines has a number of lounges at its hub Vienna International Airport. This is a overview of the airline’s non-Schengen flagship lounge, the place passengers can loosen up previous to departure on one of many service’s longhaul flights. The lounge, which is situated instantly behind the safety checkpoint, has one major entrance however is split right into a separate Business Class lounge and a Senator lounge (the latter can solely be accessed by Star Alliance Gold members).
The lounge is principally an L-shaped room, which is remarkably small and might get very busy to the purpose that there usually are not sufficient seats for everybody. Upon getting into the lounge, there’s an oblong house that includes some high-top tables with chairs on either side, which provides strategy to the lounge’s major house the place the primary bulk of the seats is situated. Most 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. At the far finish of the lounge is a quiet space the place six lounge chairs enable for a fast nap or relaxation. Floor-to-ceiling home windows stretching alongside the complete facet of the lounge enable for some good views of the apron and plane actions. Fitted in a Scandinavian kind, considerably funky design, the lounge options furnishings in largely vibrant pink and inexperienced colours, that are according to Austrian Airlines’ model colours.
A buffet space takes middle stage within the lounge. The meals choice is first rate and contains salads, soups, sweets and chilly cuts. Drinks embody gentle drinks, self serve wine, beer, liquor, espresso and tea. There’s additionally a second staffed kitchen stand close to the lounge’s entrance, with presents a collection of sizzling dishes (e.g. gratinated ham pasta or fried rice with coriander, curcuma, mustard seeds and pumpkin).
Facilities on the lounge embody complimentary WiFi, magazines, newspapers, and bathe rooms.
2. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Business Class on Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER is situated in a single cabin in entrance of the aircraft. There are 32 lie-flat seats, unfold over 7 rows and organized in a staggered configuration (or so-called Sogerma Solstys format). This format feels quite dense because the foot compartment of every seat is situated between and below the seats in entrance. The middle seats are available pairs, whereas the seats on the left and proper facet of the plane alternate from 1 to 2 per row.
The identical staggered Business Class format can also be put in on Brussels Airlines’ A330, Finnair’s A330/A340, Swiss’ A340/A330, Edelweiss Air”s A340, and American’s B767 plane. This configuration presents a point of privateness as not one of the seat rows fairly line up, so no one is instantly trying into the seat throughout the aisle. But nonetheless, the privateness in one of these Business Class cabin is inferior in comparison with the totally enclosed Business Class suites that you simply discover on different airways, akin to Qatar’s A350s or Delta’s A350s (and which appear to develop into the usual within the aviation business).
Despite not being fitted with the perfect seat format, the design of Austrian Airlines’ Business Class cabin seems to be stunning, ethereal and fairly stylish with a placing red-blue-white colour scheme contrasting with the darkish gray seat covers. The vibrant pink design touches within the cabin replicate the corporate’s model consciousness. Like nearly all main air carriers, Austrian Airlines makes use of the colour palette of its nation’s nationwide flag (pink and white) for its visible id.
For the seat map of Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER, click on right here.
3. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
All Business Class seats onboard Austrian Airlines’ B777 plane function 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 no less than one massive 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 house on either 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 (situated 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 will be remodeled in a Lantal air-cushion mattress with a size of two m (6.5 ft). Although 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 sort of slim, making it exhausting to modify place throughout your sleep whereas not waking up, as your legs will continually hit the partitions. The seats that should not have the ‘throne’ function have more room for the ft, therefore making them a little bit extra comfy for sleeping. In its lie flat place, the Business 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 greatest Business Class seats?
- The single greatest seats for solo vacationers are the only seats in row 1, 3 and 5 (‘throne seats’).
- Travel 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 must soar over his/her neighbour’s ft to entry the aisle.
What are the worst Business Class seats?
- I recommend 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 function just one work floor on the facet (as an alternative of two), so they provide much less house as in comparison with the throne seats.
4. AMENITIES & BEDDING
Austrian Airlines’ Business 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 cut back waste, eye masks and ear plugs usually are not offered contained in the bag however can be found within the bathrooms
- A cushty, 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 Airlines 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. Unfortunately, the idea of “flying chefs” was reduce throughout the pandemic, however they’re making a comeback in summer season 2023.
Unfortunately, the catering on this in a single day flight to Mauritius was quite disappointing, particularly the dinner service. The meals itself was mediocre at greatest (a ham roll for starter?) and the parts have been tiny. There have been nonetheless some elements although during which Austrian Airlines carried out properly throughout dinner. For instance, a pleasant contact was that the crew rolled a collection of starters and desserts by means of the cabin, so for every course (aside from the entree), you possibly can all the time select what you need. Also, Austrian Airlines has a wonderful inflight espresso menu, the place you get to select from 11 several types 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
- Main course: roasted pikeperch with potato discipline salad
- Dessert: ardour fruit panna cotta and contemporary 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, contemporary fruit and various ham and cheese. For sizzling 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 significantly better and filling in comparison with the dinner a number of hours earlier.
6. ENTERTAINMENT
Each Business Class seats comes with its personal 15 inches HD touchscreen. The leisure program is first rate, with a big selection of movies and collection in 20 languages (the leisure is up to date on a month-to-month foundation).
7. ONBOARD INTERNET
Unfortunately, Austrian Airlines’ large physique plane usually are not geared up with WiFi. Austria’s flag service might be one of many final remaining airways within the Western world that doesn’t provide WiFi on longhaul journeys. onboard WiFi is at the moment not supplied by Austrian Airlines. The service solely presents web entry in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom on quick and medium-haul flights.
8. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: Austrian Airlines’ crew members – with their vibrant pink outfits – are amongst the perfect, most pleasant and best on the planet, and it was no totally different on this flight. The crew on this flight was completely improbable they usually did all they may to make the flight as nice as doable for all passengers within the Business Class cabin.
# LAVATORY: There are three bathrooms for the 32 Business Class passengers. One is situated behind the cockpit and two are situated within the galley between the Business and Economy Class cabin.
9. MY VERDICT
- Seat consolation (upright): 7/10
- Seat consolation (mattress place): 5/10
- Food (high quality): 8/10
- Food (amount): 8/10
- Inflight leisure : 8/10
- WiFi: 0/10 (not accessible)
- Service: 9/10
- Cabin design: 8/10
- Overall expertise: good (7/10)
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