FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - European Business class can be pretty nice!! LH/TP/LX/LO/VO/OS in C with 100+ pics!
Old Mar 31, 2007, 9:57 am
  #10  
jacob_m
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Warsaw-Vienna-London

Final part of the trip is from Warsaw back to London. To get there I managed to include another two airlines: Austrian Arrows from Warsaw to Vienna, and Austrian Airlines from Vienna to London.
I had heard many positive things about the Austrian Airlines business class and the food onboard in particular, but I had never flown OS in C before, so this was something I was looking forward to try.

Check-in at Warsaw airport

After checking out of the hotel the reception arranged a taxi for me, getting from downtown Warsaw to the airport by taxi is both quick and cheap, I arrived at the airport within 15 minutes of leaving the hotel.

The international terminal at Warsaw “Frederyk Chopin” (formerly Okecie) airport is quite small and definitely underdimensioned for the current traffic volume.
On top of that it looks old and worn and generally feels more 80’s and Soviet Union than an international airport of a modern EU country.
I’m glad they are constructing a new terminal now, I passed the new arrivals hall upon arrival in Warsaw and when leaving the taxi passed outside the new departure hall. It looked very nice, something that will bring the airport up to international standards.

Inside the terminal two desks were open for Austrian Airlines, one for economy class and one for business class/elite passengers.
Interestingly Austrian Airlines have their own staff at check-in rather than using the ground services of LOT.
I was checked in all the way to London/Heathrow, my luggage was through-checked and I received boarding passes for both flights.

Pics
The departure hall at Warsaw airport with the Austrian Airlines check-in desks to the left of the information

In Warsaw security takes place at the gate, but you still need to pass passport control before being allowed inside the transit area.
The international transit hall is very small, it’s tiny and you can basically walk from one end of the terminal to the other in a minute.
There is some shopping available though, but due to the size of the terminal building the number of shops is limited and the assortment is by no means spectacular.

Pics
The international transit hall in Warsaw
The departure board in the transit hall

Fantasia lounge, Warsaw

There are two lounges in Warsaw called Fantasia and Preludium.
The Fantasia lounge is located in the western part of the terminal right opposite gate 11 and 12.
I read somewhere that only Star Golds can use the Fantasia lounge (whereas the other lounge can be used by all premium passengers), that could make sense as we were only two passengers in the lounge with a third passenger arriving after a few minutes.
I never showed my gold card though since I was travelling in business class, but my boarding pass clearly showed my status and perhaps that was enough.

The lounge was OK but nothing special, it was also completely windowless. I did appreciate that it wasn’t crowded though, lots of space!!
Plenty to drink in the self-service area including lots of alcohol, but “food” was limited to Polish chocolate bars and crisps. Some sandwiches would have been nice.
The lounge also had one computer with free internet access and a rack with newspapers, but otherwise the facilities were rather limited.
OK place to spend half an hour waiting for your flight, but I wouldn’t arrive there hours in advance.

Pics
The entrance to the Fantasia lounge
Sitting areas in the lounge and the reception desk
The self-service buffet

Preludium lounge, Warsaw

As I still had plenty of time before departure I decided to try the other lounge as well which was only a short walk away.
In contrast to the Fantasia lounge the Preludium lounge (located opposite gate 4) was very crowded with lots of people inside and most seats taken.
I think it was some kind of generic airport lounge, the sign outside indicated that virtually all airlines at the airport use it, thus there is no doubt which lounge to go for in Warsaw if you want some space and privacy.

The lounges were generally identical, but the Preludium lounge had a slightly more modern interior. Same selection of food and drinks, i.e. plenty of alcohol but only snacks to eat.
There were also three internet computers in the lounge.

Pics
The entrance to the Preludium lounge
Inside the lounge
Plenty of drinks in the lounge
The bar counter

Warsaw-Vienna, flight OS 624 operated by Austrian Arrows
Departure: 15:15
Arrival: 16:40
Aircraft: Dash8-400
Class: Business Class
Seat: 02A

A boarding call was made in the lounge and we made our way to gate 2 only a short walk from the lounge.
Security took place at the gate before entering the gate lounge, there was one security checkpoint for gates 1, 2 and 3 which had a shared waiting area after the security check.
Boarding was announced shortly afterwards but due to construction works the aircraft was parked at a remote stand and we were taken there by bus.

The flight was operated by a Dash8-400, my booking reference indicated it was supposed to be operated by a Fokker 70, so I guess there was a last minute aircraft change.
The plane had a 2-2 configuration but in business class we all got two seats each. I’m not sure if that’s standard business class configuration on Austrian Arrows or if the load was just light in business class, nevertheless it’s always nice to get some extra space.

Before departure water and orange juice were offered in business class as well as newspapers.
We finally took off at 3.40 pm, a little bit delayed due to air traffic restrictions.

Once in the air late lunch was served in business class starting with a drink service and hot towels.
The meal was surprisingly large for such a short flight (roughly one hour) and I was surprised a hot meal was served onboard, I had expected more of a snack.
As appetizer they served herring, the main course was beef with some kind of potatoes and vegetables, and as dessert they served something similar to apple strudel but with raspberries and served with custard.
Overall I though the meal was very good and definitely above standard for a flight of that length!! ^
The FAs passed a second time with the drink cart and offered more drinks, more bread, and finally coffee and tea.
On the whole a very nice flight with very decent food and service!!

We landed pretty much on time on runway 11 at Schwechat airport.
Interestingly we made most of the approach over central Vienna and because of the nice weather I got some great views of the historical city centre which you can see on the photo below.
Again a remote stand in Vienna so we were taken to the terminal by bus.

Pics
The Austrian Arrows Dash 8 on the apron in Warsaw
The new terminal 2 seen from the plane
Late lunch in business class, quite good!
Red wine and water to drink
Fantastic view of central Vienna during the approach with Hofburg and St Stephan’s Cathedral in the foreground

Vienna Schwechat airport and a look inside the Austrian Airlines premium check-in room

I had lots of time before my next flight and felt I needed to stretch my legs a bit, so after passing passport control I went landside to have a look around.
Everything looked pretty much the same as on my previous visit, but they had finished the premium check-in room now which was not ready last time I departed from Vienna.
It is located immediately to the left before the boarding pass control (to the transit hall) and seems to be available to Star Golds, HON Circle and Senators.
I had a look inside and it looked pretty nice, I really do like facilities like that one, greatly enhances the value of having a gold card, being able to get preferential service away from the crowds. ^

Plenty of shops in the transit hall, if that’s what you enjoy doing at an airport, overall Vienna airport is quite pleasant. I headed for the lounge instead though…

Pics
The main departure hall at Vienna Schwechat airport
The entrance to the Austrian Airlines premium check-in room
Inside the Austrian Airlines premium check-in room
The main shopping area in the transit hall
Plenty of shops in the C-pier as well

Austrian Airlines Senator lounge, Schengen area/C-pier, Vienna

There are two Senator lounges in Vienna, one located in the C-pier/Schengen area, and one located in the A-pier/non-Schengen area.
The Schengen lounge is the largest of the two, basically twice as large as the non-Schengen lounge and easily my first choice due to the size and the extended facilities.

Overall the Schengen lounge is quite pleasant with a very hip design. At first I thought the design was strange, especially compared to the old design, but now I think it’s quite allright, always nice with some originality.
I just love the cool lounge chairs in front of the TV (see photo below), I could fall asleep in one of them.
Plenty to drink in the lounge but not as much to eat. Well there is always snacks available (chocolates, fruits etc) and during meal times also something more substantial (usually a hot dish), but the food is not as good as in the Lufthansa Senator lounges.
They had yummy Mozartkugeln on the reception counter though, something that many lounge guests took advantage of.

Pics
The entrance to the Senator lounge in the C-pier
The reception desk in the lounge
Inside the lounge
Plenty of drinks at the self-service buffet
Newspapers and magazines
One of the sitting areas
Very comfortable lounge chairs with a cool design!

Austrian Airlines Senator lounge, non-Schengen area/A-pier, Vienna

After an hour I left the lounge and headed to the non-Schengen lounge instead in the A-pier which meant I had to pass passport control again.
Somehow I just assumed my next flight to London was leaving from the A-pier (non-Schengen pier) as UK is not part of Schengen. I never bothered to have a look at the departure monitors (or my boarding pass for that matter) and it wasn’t until the lounge attendant saw my boarding pass that I noticed it wasn’t the case.
Anyway, it turned out the flight to London was 30 minutes delayed so I decided to spend some time in the lounge anyway.

The lounge was very crowded and I was just lucky finding a seat immediately after I arrived, most people who arrived after me had to wait a few minutes before a seat became available.
They really should expand that lounge a bit as it gets very crowded when the transatlantic flights leave in the late morning and the Asian flights in the evening.

Otherwise the facilities were about the same as the previous lounge, same selection of food and drinks, in this lounge they are available for self-service in a small separate room.
Again more Mozartkugeln on the reception counter…
There were also three internet computers available with free access.

Pics
The entrance to the Senator lounge in the A-pier
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet located in a small separate room
Some of the food available

Yes it turned out my flight to London was leaving from the C-pier (where I had just been), so I had to walk all the way back again, through passport control a third time (which ended up being a fourth time at the gate).
Apparently they can use those Schengen gates for non-Schengen flights when needed, they just open a passport control counter at the entrance to the gate area and problem is solved.
In Vienna security also takes place at the gate, so with both boarding pass control, passport control, and security control at the gate the lines tend to get long and slow.

Vienna-London/Heathrow, flight OS 457 operated by Austrian Airlines
Departure: 19:45
Arrival: 21:20
Aircraft: Airbus A321
Class: Business Class
Seat: 01F

Due to late arrival of the incoming aircraft (from Tel Aviv I think) our departure to London also got delayed and boarding did not start until 8.15 pm, already 30 minutes after scheduled departure time.

The flight to Heathrow was operated by an Airbus A321 which seemed quite full in both classes.
The aircraft has a 3-3 configuration but in business class the middle seats remain free. They don’t have a middle seat console as on Swiss and Lufthansa, but the headrests on these seats had “Reserved for your comfort” printed.

Pics
Many departures in the evening, my plane is the one to the right
The business class cabin onboard the Airbus A321
The middle seat “reserved for your comfort” in business class

At 8.35 pm we were finally airborne and once in the air the service could start.

The inflight service in business class is quite decent onboard Austrian Airlines.
It started with hot towels and then an amuse bouche served on a specially designed spoon accompanied by white wine or water. On this flight the amuse bouche consisted of caviar and egg (and I think also mayonnaise or something similar).

Next the meal trays were distributed and a drink cart passed through the cabin with all kinds of drinks. They had two reds and two whites onboard served from large bottles and I think they had champagne as well.
The appetizer was a prawn cocktail (I honestly don’t know exactly what it was, pretty good though).
The main course was pork with some kind of mashed potatoes and asparagus, and finally a custard dessert.
More drinks were offered and finally coffee, tea and liquors.
A pretty good and tasty meal for an intra-European flight in business class! ^

The Airbus A321 had screens on every three rows and they did show some inflight entertainment during the flight including candid camera, an episode of Everybody loves Raymond, and an episode of Friends.
Earphones were handed out to passengers who wanted to watch.

Pics
Amuse bouche
Dinner in business class
Inflight entertainment

Despite the very late arrival from Vienna we landed just a few minutes late on runway 09L at Heathrow airport. Quite impressive as we are talking about Heathrow where you usually have to wait like 20-30 minutes for a landing slot (at least from my experience ).

A long long taxi to the gate though around the entire central terminal complex but once at the gate I was the first passenger off the plane and the first passenger to reach the empty immigration area.
With my bag appearing on the baggage belt the trip was eventually over.

Always a bit sad when a nice trip comes to an end, but most likely there will be a next time…

Thanks for reading!!

Last edited by jacob_m; Apr 2, 2007 at 10:22 am
jacob_m is offline