NIKI, Abu Dhabi-Vienna (or vice versa) in Y - what's it like?
Dec 28, 2016, 2:49 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
Yes, my flight in September was cancelled and I was rebooked onto AUH-TXL-VIE with airberlin. As it's a BAEC redemption I may try and get rerouted onto BA via LHR.
Mar 5, 2017, 2:20 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,622
I completed today (5th March) what was announced as the final NIKI flight to Abu Dhabi from Vienna. I previously did two excellent NIKI flights in Europe last October, and yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to find my AB flight from DUS to VIE was actually operated by NIKI with its free and decent catering, despite the airberlin paint job.
Today I was slightly disappointed, perhaps because my expectation level was set rather high. The cabin service was borderline unfriendly, a fact that the chap in the row in front of me concurred with, and based on this I doubt in the future NIKI will be missed, or even remembered. I personally don't like this hierarchy of differently priced seats at the front of economy, which had almost nobody sitting in them, with everybody jammed into the rows behind. An announcement offered these seats for 85 Euros, which nobody took up, and much later on in the flight some people just upgraded themselves to these rows. I was actually glad that the crew, despite acting offhand and disinterested during the service, didn't chase people out of these seats.
The catering was excellent, salad with a decent piece of smoked salmon, a choice of three hot dishes (schnitzel, lamb or pasta), cheese and crackers, chocolate mousse and bread rolls, the best economy meal I've had for a long time. Drinks runs were frequent, and the Austrian wine was good (Gruner Veltliner and Zweigelt). Before landing, chocolate biscuits and coffee (or other drinks) were offered. I guess maybe the crew are demoralized about the future of NIKI.
I think the flight length and distance is too much for the A320 aircraft, and the business class cabin looked seriously underwhelming.
Today I was slightly disappointed, perhaps because my expectation level was set rather high. The cabin service was borderline unfriendly, a fact that the chap in the row in front of me concurred with, and based on this I doubt in the future NIKI will be missed, or even remembered. I personally don't like this hierarchy of differently priced seats at the front of economy, which had almost nobody sitting in them, with everybody jammed into the rows behind. An announcement offered these seats for 85 Euros, which nobody took up, and much later on in the flight some people just upgraded themselves to these rows. I was actually glad that the crew, despite acting offhand and disinterested during the service, didn't chase people out of these seats.
The catering was excellent, salad with a decent piece of smoked salmon, a choice of three hot dishes (schnitzel, lamb or pasta), cheese and crackers, chocolate mousse and bread rolls, the best economy meal I've had for a long time. Drinks runs were frequent, and the Austrian wine was good (Gruner Veltliner and Zweigelt). Before landing, chocolate biscuits and coffee (or other drinks) were offered. I guess maybe the crew are demoralized about the future of NIKI.
I think the flight length and distance is too much for the A320 aircraft, and the business class cabin looked seriously underwhelming.