Austrian Airlines B777-200 business class
BACKGROUND Austrian launched its Vienna-Hong Kong route in September, flying four times a week in winter and five times in summer with a B777-200.
CHECK-IN I arrived at Vienna’s Terminal 3 at 1600 for flight OS067. The airline’s business class check-in section had eight desks. I wanted to carry two bags on board but Austrian’s hand baggage limit is 8kg per item and since one was 10.5kg I had to check it in. Fast-track security was quick and I headed for the G gates.
THE LOUNGE Austrian’s lounges are to the right after immigration. There are three in the non-Schengen area – the largest is for standard business class passengers and offered showers, chaise longues, a selection of cold dishes and a wide range of drinks.
BOARDING Priority boarding began at 1730; once on the aircraft, my jacket was hung up and I was offered juice or a Campari cocktail. Austrian has an onboard chef, and he came around delivering menus and taking orders for dinner.
THE SEAT Austrian’s B777-200 uses a staggered 1-2-1/2-2-2 configuration across two cabins with seven and three rows respectively. I was in 2D, a central seat in a 2-2-2 row with direct aisle access. I had wide armrests on both sides, but my neighbour only had a narrow armrest on his aisle side, so I had the better deal. The seat was firm and comfortable, and the touchscreen control panel had a single “sleep” mode, extending it fully flat with one touch. At shoulder height was a small pocket for a phone, a universal power socket and USB port. The table popped out from below the side table – it was a foldover version so was a little bouncy. A deep but narrow footwell extended under the side table of the seats in front (hence the staggering of rows). The in-flight entertainment was extensive, the touchscreen excellent, and the headphones good quality.
WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? Window seats in the 1-2-1 rows are the most private. Window seats in the 2-2-2 rows require you to step over your neighbour to reach the aisle, so I’d steer clear of those.
THE FLIGHT We pushed back 15 minutes late. Dinner was a long affair – the consequence of the chef preparing meals individually – and included an amazing antipasti trolley, a delicious red pepper soup, then a choice of three mains – I had gnocchi in cherry tomato sauce. The dessert trolley was delectable, and a Viennese coffee menu ended the feast. The red and white wine list was all Austrian. All told, it was one of the best in-flight meals I’ve had. Service was impeccable. Later I made my bed and slept for five hours. My only complaint was that the narrow footwell made turning over difficult. Breakfast was served 90 minutes before landing, and I enjoyed a warm croissant with great coffee and an omelette with bacon, potatoes and tomatoes.
ARRIVAL We touched down ten minutes early at 1115 local time, docking at a gate in the Midfield Concourse, which meant a 15-minute walk and a shuttle train ride to immigration. I waited a further 20 minutes for my bag to arrive – the priority baggage tag seemed to give no benefit in this instance. Jeremy Tredinnick