Wednesday newsletters at all times characteristic a resort or flight evaluation.
I just lately loved a sunny vacation on the attractive island of Mauritius within the Indian Ocean. You possibly can learn my journey studies right here:
- Overview: Austrian Airways Boeing 777 Enterprise Class from Vienna to Mauritius (as we speak)
- Overview: One&Solely Le Saint Géran Mauritius
- Overview: The Oberoi Seaside Resort Mauritius
- Overview: 4 Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
- Overview: Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius
- Overview: Eurowings Uncover Airbus A330 from Mauritius to Frankfurt
At the moment: Review of Austrian Airways’ B777 Enterprise Class from Vienna to Mauritius
I just 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 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 Most of those B777 & B767 planes had been acquired by Lauda Air, which was later bought by Austrian, and are fairly outdated (with a mean age of greater than 20 years).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 more cost effective to keep up.
Though its flatbed seats are usually not one of the best within the business, Austrian Airways had at all times been my favourite airline inside the Lufthansa Group to fly Enterprise Class for the reason that provider had by far one of the best smooth 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 minimize throughout the pandemic, so I used to be a little bit dissatisfied by the meals choices throughout my flight to Mauritius (because it didn’t evaluate to my earlier stellar experiences with Austrian Airways). I did take pleasure in although the exceptionally heat service supplied by the cabin crew. And the excellent news is that Austrian Airways’ flying cooks are making a comeback in summer season 2023 (so the provider’s superb meals service needs to be totally restored by then).
Have you ever ever flown with Austrian Airways? In that case, what was your expertise? Go away a remark.
- Journey: Vienna (VIE) to Mauritius (MRU)
- Airline: Austrian Airways
- Plane kind: Boeing 777-200ER
- Plane registration quantity: OE-LPA (in-built 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 evaluation (extra info & photographs 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 evaluation 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 situated immediately behind the safety checkpoint, has one essential 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 are usually 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 supplies method to the lounge’s essential house the place the principle bulk of the seats is situated. A lot of the seats are organized round espresso tables, and a few sitting areas are separated from others by curtains, including an additional degree of privateness. On the far finish of the lounge is a quiet space the place six lounge chairs permit for a fast nap or relaxation. Ground-to-ceiling home windows stretching alongside the complete aspect of the lounge permit for some good views of the apron and plane actions. Fitted in a Scandinavian kind, considerably funky design, the lounge options furnishings in largely brilliant crimson and inexperienced colours, that are in step with Austrian Airways’ model colours.
A buffet space takes heart stage within the lounge. The meals choice is respectable and contains salads, soups, sweets and chilly cuts. Drinks embody smooth drinks, self serve wine, beer, liquor, espresso and tea. There’s additionally a second staffed kitchen stand close to the lounge’s entrance, with gives a choice of scorching dishes (e.g. gratinated ham pasta or fried rice with coriander, curcuma, mustard seeds and pumpkin).
Amenities on the lounge embody complimentary WiFi, magazines, newspapers, and bathe rooms.
2. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Enterprise Class on Austrian Airways’ Boeing 777-200ER is situated 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 relatively dense because the foot compartment of every seat is situated between and underneath the seats in entrance. The middle seats are available in pairs, whereas the seats on the left and proper aspect 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 gives a point of privateness as not one of the seat rows fairly line up, so no one is immediately 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, corresponding to Qatar’s A350s or Delta’s A350s (and which appear to turn out to be the usual within the aviation business).
Regardless of not being fitted with one of the best seat structure, the design of Austrian Airways’ Enterprise Class cabin seems stunning, ethereal and fairly fashionable with a placing red-blue-white shade scheme contrasting with the darkish gray seat covers. The intense crimson design touches within the cabin mirror the corporate’s model consciousness. Like nearly all main air carriers, Austrian Airways makes use of the colour palette of its nation’s nationwide flag (crimson and white) for its visible id.
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 not less than one giant work floor on the aspect (the place you’ll be able to 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 aspect of the seat contains a energy port with worldwide adapters, a studying lamp (at eye degree), a panel for the seat controls, and an ordinary wired handset (situated under a flap within the armrest). The console on this aspect 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 sort of slim, making it arduous to change place throughout your sleep whereas not waking up, as your legs will continuously hit the partitions. The seats that do not need the ‘throne’ characteristic have extra space for the toes, therefore making them a little bit extra snug 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 must 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 aspect (as a substitute of two), so they provide much less house 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 objects (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 are usually not supplied 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 in addition 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 minimize throughout the pandemic, however they’re making a comeback in summer season 2023.
Sadly, the catering on this in a single day flight to Mauritius was relatively 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 points although by which Austrian Airways carried out properly 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 (aside from the entree), you would at all times select what you need. Additionally, Austrian Airways has a wonderful 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 objects from the menu:
- Starter: ham roll with toasted darkish bread
- Fundamental 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 objects. The breakfast choice included buckwheat Muesli, plain yoghurt, artisan bread, contemporary fruit and diverse ham and cheese. For decent dish, there was a selection 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
Every Enterprise Class seats comes with its personal 15 inches HD touchscreen. The leisure program is respectable, with a wide array of movies and collection in 20 languages (the leisure is up to date on a month-to-month foundation).
7. ONBOARD INTERNET
Sadly, Austrian Airways’ huge physique plane are usually not outfitted 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 the moment not provided by Austrian Airways. The provider solely gives web entry in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom on quick and medium-haul flights.
8. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: Austrian Airways’ crew members – with their brilliant crimson outfits – are amongst one of the best, most pleasant and best on the earth, and it was no completely different on this flight. The crew on this flight was completely implausible they usually did all they might to make the flight as nice as attainable for all passengers within the Enterprise Class cabin.
# LAVATORY: There are three bathrooms for the 32 Enterprise Class passengers. One is situated behind the cockpit and two are situated 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 accessible)
- Service: 9/10
- Cabin design: 8/10
- Total expertise: good (7/10)
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