Austrian Business Class
Vienna (VIE) – New York (JFK)
10:45 (13:06A) – 14:15 (15:27A) [8:22 Hours]
Saturday 8 June 2019
Boeing B767-300 (OE-LAW)
Seat: 1K
Cost: 125,000 Royal Orchid Plus Miles + THB 18,290
This is part of a trip USA2019.
The Transfer
Arriving earlier from TG936 at 07:04, we orginally were planning on a three and a half hour transit at Vienna Airport. Boarding pass and luggage were issued and checked through from Bangkok. Since our connection was quite unique, there were no queue at the security check point.
After checking the departure screens, we noticed there was something different about our OS 87 flight to New York JFK. Thus, we later found out that our flight would have a 2 hours delay, from 10:45 to 12:45, due to late incoming aircraft from New York JFK. Our transit is now 5:30 hours.
Lounging Around
After the security check we immediately walk over to the Austrian Airlines lounge, which is located one floor down from departure level. The lounge dragon welcomed us in with no smile. The lounge is separated into three areas: the First Class/ HON Circle Lounge, the Senator Lounge (smaller), and the Business Class Lounge (larger). We had access to both the Senator Lounge and the Business Class lounge, however, we found the Business Class side to be more comfortable with more food choices (Overall, not an amazing array of food).
We then took some shower:
After showering, we took a small walk around the airport. Then, we came back for some snack in the lounge:
Boarding & Taking Off
Boarding was called around 30 minutes before the new departure time. The special priority boarding lane was enforced and I was able to be one of the first to board the plane. Orange Juice was my pre-departure beverage of choice on this flight.
The Seat
Austrian’s Boeing 767 has a 1-2-1 layout in a staggered configuration. This seat is a modified version of the Thompson Vantage seat, which is by nature, narrow. However, I found the storage spaces to be plentiful and cleverly incorporated into the seat.
The seat also has a massage function (I don’t normally use these) as well as a function to select the firmness of the seat cushion. The screen is of decent size, but it is glossy, which will cause some glare when viewing movie during daytime.
It has to be mentioned that this particular Boeing 767 was delivered to Austrian in August 1992 (27 Years Old). The cabin conditions was very good for such an old aircraft.
The Lunch
Food was the thing I look forwarded to the most on this flight. Austrian partners with DO&CO – a Gourmet Company for its catering and has a good reputation for its on-board catering and food quality.
The menus were distributed before boarding:
Lunch was the first service and is served shortly after take off. This is the initial table set-up:
For the first course, the appetizer cart is rolled down the aisle, allowing mix and match of different items:
The appetizer course was very good! I choose a bit of everything:
Then, I followed with the pea soup, which was a bit salty:
Afterwards, the main course was served. I choose the Fillet of Pork as it seems to be the traditional Austrian dish. The sauce tasted fine but the pork was quite hard.
Finally, the dessert cart was rolled down with all the sweet choices:
I choose the milk and creme strudel and the dark chocolate, which were both very good!
After lunch, the coffee house opened. However, wanting to sleep, I choose to bypass this service.
The Sleep
Trying to minimize jet lag, I took some melatonin and tried to sleep soon after the lunch service was over. The seat was a bit narrow and the foot well quite small. There were some gaps between the seat join, which is quite noticeable once fully reclined. I slept fine during this flight.
The Snack & Coffee
About 2 hours before landing, the second service, which is a light snack was served. I choose the smoke salmon avocado.
During this time I also tried the Coffeehouse service, choosing the Franziskaner. The whipped cream was good but I found the coffee too bitter.
Landing
Soon enough, we landed to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport, landing only 1 and a half hours after schedule. New York welcomed us with a very clear sunny day!
The Experience
This was my first flight on Austrian Airlines and I was quite happy about the overall experience. Overall, it was a very good flight, except for the delay of the flight.
Long-Haul Business Class
- Departure & Lounge: 4/5 (seamless transit & good lounge)
- Aircraft & Seat: 4/5 (great for a 27 years old aircraft)
- Food: 4/5 (very good quality food, however the main was a bit of a let down)
- Sleep: 4/5
- Service: 4/5 (friendly crew)
- Entertainment: 4.5/5 (very good selection)
- Arrival & Time: 3.5/5 (1.5 hours delay)
- Total: 28/35 (80%) B-
Life Well Traveled 