Vienna honeymoon starts in business class aboard Austrian Airlines 787

As Lufthansa rolls out its new Allegris generation of longhaul product on Airbus A350 twinjets — and enjoys positive reviews from flyers — and as sister SWISS prepares to soon launch a Senses-branded version of the experience, some industry observers wonder whether stablemate Austrian Airlines will ultimately adopt the same business class seats.

After flying aboard an Austrian Airlines Boeing 787-9 in business class earlier this year, I humbly suggest that such a move is unnecessary, at least in the near term.

First, a little bit of background: Austrian is in the midst of a fleet renewal program. It plans to completely phase-out its Boeing 767-300ERs, followed by its Boeing 777-300ERs, whilst gradually adding an additional nine 787-9s including a handful of -9s from Lufthansa.

But like other operators, Lufthansa Group carriers face a challenging aircraft delivery environment at the moment. Consequently, Austrian may postpone the retirement of its remaining three 767s, as the airline told Ch-Aviation in January.

So, for now, Austrian is operating two ex-Bamboo Airways 787-9s featuring 26 of the still-stellar Collins Aerospace Super Diamond all-aisle access lie-flat seats, configured 1-2-1 reverse herringbone-style in business class.

Opting to celebrate our honeymoon in gorgeous Vienna, the hubs and I found ourselves aboard the 787-9 for both the outbound from Washington Dulles and the return. I booked the same center pair, Seats 3D and 3G, for both flights.

With a couple of hours to spare on the day of travel, we first paid a visit to the Lufthansa Business Lounge, which is located one floor down from the objectively superior Lufthansa Senator Lounge in Concourse B of Dulles.

The downstairs space is compact, comprising a dining area and a separate cushy seating area. But we had no trouble finding a place to sit in both sections.

While there is not much natural light, the space was clearly immaculate.

We noshed on the hearty and healthy food options available on the buffet and the mister availed of a well-made cocktail from the staffed bar. Everything was simply delicious.

A second coffee corner wouldn’t go amiss as the single self-service station proved to be a high-traffic zone.

Nonetheless, the lounge provided a calm and welcoming space away from the hustle and bustle of the wider airport, setting the tone for our trip.

Boarding the 787-9 in Group 2 was quick and painless, and I was delighted to be able to snap some photos of the business class cabin before it filled up with passengers.

Austrian’s signature red is evident on the antimacassars, as well as the packaging for the noise-cancelling headphones and bedding. It also colors the seat controller.

Subtle red accents can also be found on everything from the pillow piping to the contents of the amenity kit. And Austrian’s cabin crew don smart red uniforms. It still amazes me how a pop of color can add real personality to an otherwise neutral color palette.

We were chuffed to be among a cluster of other newlyweds seated in the center pairs, with the dividers down. A member of the crew even offered to snap photos, which created a very convivial atmosphere on board before takeoff. This is really when our honeymoon began.

As doored suites are gradually adopted by airlines around the globe, including in Lufthansa’s new Allegris front-row, biz-plus product, the Super Diamond seat — even when configured without a door — endures for a reason.

Storage compartments on either side of the seat ably gobble up personal belongings, and provide space to house the amenity kit, headset, and water bottle provided to each passenger.

Boasting a fairly high and curved shroud, the suite offers a decent amount of privacy, aided by the reverse herringbone layout that sees center pairs facing each other and window seats angled towards the window.

Austrian is renowned for its hospitality and gastronomy, and crew members didn’t dally when distributing pre-flight welcome drinks and snacks on this evening flight. Sparkling wine, sparkling water and orange juice were on offer. The cabin crew were supremely efficient and very friendly.

Determined to stay in honeymoon mode, as opposed to my usual work mode, I didn’t stress out when I couldn’t access the inflight Wi-Fi. Instead, when the lights dimmed after takeoff, I explored the large, crisp Panasonic Avionics IFE system, finding new-release films, classic titles and both Austrian- and aviation-themed content.

Hoping to catch a basketball game, the hubs was admittedly disappointed about the system’s lack of a live TV channel. But to borrow a phrase from Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire — among the classic movie titles on our flight — live sports is still very much a “show me the money” proposition.

New international sports packages are presently coming to market so I suspect we’ll see more airline adoption soon.

Though I’ve previously flown Austrian to Vienna aboard one of the airline’s 767s — and was prepared to see a DO & CO Flying Chef! — it was nonetheless a thrill when he made an appearance to take our orders, especially since the Chefs were not a presence during the COVID pandemic.

Naturally, I received permission before snapping his photo.

On the outbound, Austrian’s international-inspired menu included a choice of smoked duck breast or moroccan couscous for a starter, followed by potato leek soup; and for the main: braised beef, seared shrimp, or spinach and ricotta lasagne.

During both flights, I observed that most business class passengers were engaged in the IFE, and some were double-screening with both the IFE display and their own device.

But on Austrian, food is also the entertainment, and here is where the carrier really shines in both the quality of its meals and the presentation.

Treating the experience like a foodie adventure, I intentionally ordered opposite to that of the mister, selecting the couscous to his duck, the beef to his shrimp, and later, when breakfast rolled around before landing, the quiche to his waffles.

Each dish was exemplary. And Austrian’s coffeehouse service in the sky proved a real treat.

One criticism of these sorts of seats is that they can be snug when in bed mode. The footwell in the center pairs is not super deep, but it was adequate (each of us is over 6ft in height). I’m not a big sleeper in-flight, but the mister dozed off for hours.

Arriving in Vienna, we felt surprisingly refreshed, and suffered only minimal jet lag that day, no doubt due to the lower cabin altitude of the Boeing 787, and our excitement to explore the city’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.

A honeymoon in Vienna was everything we hoped it would be, but when it came time to leave, we found ourselves very much looking forward to Austrian’s hospitality aboard the 787-9.

A brief pit stop at the carrier’s non-Schengen lounge at VIE (near the G gates on Level 3) delivered some sweet plane-spotting opportunities, just as the sun was rising on Austria.

With sun streaming into the cabin during the boarding process, I was able to better inspect my seat. The furniture was quite clean and in good shape.

As this was a daytime flight, the inflight experience was slightly elevated. Warm nuts and pre-flight drinks were dispensed quickly, and before long we were flying over the Alps.

Austrian is among a preciously small group of carriers that know how to cook and present fish on board. And the airline is clearly aware of its prowess. On the return flight, a baked cod and shrimp dish was notably offered as a choice of main.

Here again, we treated the experience like another culinary journey, tasting a little bit of everything. He dove into the baked cod whilst I selected the homemade ricotta cappellacci as main, swapping nibbles with each other.

A dessert of white chocolate mousse, fresh fruit or a cheese plate rounded out the offering. When a trolley rolls down the aisle with goodies, I tend to say “YES!”

The toastie served before landing was a thing of beauty. Sated, I considered the question of whether Austrian needs an Allegris or Senses type refresh anytime soon, concluding that it doesn’t.

No matter which way you slice it, Super Diamond has legs.

It’s true that Austrian’s seats don’t offer doored privacy. But when you’re ferrying a strong mix of premium leisure passengers to and from Vienna, and lone travelers at window seats are angled towards the window (oh the enduring joys of the reverse herringbone layout), do you really need a coffin class?

It’s also true that this configuration does not offer a true “honeymoon” option for passengers flying in pairs. But what you sacrifice in cuddles, you make up for in precious real estate. Ample furniture allows both parties to spread out. With the divider down, conversation is easy.

Finally, and not immaterially, the five ex-Hainan Airlines 787-9s earmarked to be transferred from Lufthansa to Austrian’s operation also feature 26 Super Diamond suites, which would ensure a consistent experience for passengers, should the seating platform be retained.

Coupled with Austrian’s superb inflight meals and professional service, it feels like the carrier already has a winning combination for pairs and singles alike aboard the 787-9.

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