Why so many terrible reviews of Austrian Airlines?
#31
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Cyprus
Programs: LH SEN, A3*G, TK*G E+, ALL/Accor Plat
Posts: 644
My 20-year old daughter flew OS business class BER-VIE-LCA this week. After she sat down in seat 1A on the VIE-LCA leg, the purser came to her and asked brusquely if she really should be sitting there. This is hardly good customer relations - there are other ways of checking for interlopers in premium cabins. The staff member was subsequently aloof and unfriendly throughout the flight, especially after a SEN passenger sitting in row 5 loudly complained about DYKWIA and that he should be sitting in the first row. The interaction was so brazen that my daughter thought for a moment about offering to change seats, but decided in the end not to respond to such pressure. I do not believe this would have happened on a Lufthansa flight.
#32
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CDG
Programs: SK Gold, AF Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,706
#33
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: my heart is on the shores of the north Italian lakes
Programs: LX Senator Lifetime, Relais&Chateaux Club5C, ex ! "Amanjunkie", ex LHW LC, hate chain hotels
Posts: 2,515
She will learn not to care abour such things.
#34
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: WAW
Programs: LH SEN *
Posts: 1,148
What's the big deal about sitting in the first row in Business Class on intra-European flight like OS? This is most often a cramped bulkhead row where you can't stretch your legs, and as a SEN I deliberately avoid the first row.
Unless it's A321 on LH where there is no first row on the right side, and thus row 2 has lots of legroom.
Unless it's A321 on LH where there is no first row on the right side, and thus row 2 has lots of legroom.
#35
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: my heart is on the shores of the north Italian lakes
Programs: LX Senator Lifetime, Relais&Chateaux Club5C, ex ! "Amanjunkie", ex LHW LC, hate chain hotels
Posts: 2,515
1 A looks good on the boarding pass . When I was young I thought that too. This said nowadays I have to remove myself constantly from the first row to row 2 or 3 where I can actually store my stuff under the seat.
#37
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,481
It used to be known as one of the best airlines with good to great ratings.
Since I am flying to Vienna in a few weeks from JFK decided to check out their latest ratings and was quite amazed to see so many bad reviews. Not just minor concerns, but many 1-star reviews advising people to avoid this airline altogether ("will never fly them again", "Avoid!", etc.)
Has anything actually changed in terms of objective quality of Austrian Airlines or is this just the consequence of COVID and challenges this and other airlines have faced with staff shortages, refunds, etc.?
Since I am flying to Vienna in a few weeks from JFK decided to check out their latest ratings and was quite amazed to see so many bad reviews. Not just minor concerns, but many 1-star reviews advising people to avoid this airline altogether ("will never fly them again", "Avoid!", etc.)
Has anything actually changed in terms of objective quality of Austrian Airlines or is this just the consequence of COVID and challenges this and other airlines have faced with staff shortages, refunds, etc.?
Due to Austrian laws everyone on board of an OS flight has to wear a FFP2 or N95 mask. Some people don‘t like it and blame the airline for that.
Another point is that food and beverage are good, but with a focus on Austrian dishes. I like that, but some passengers complain about the lack of international dishes. With international dishes they mean dishes from their home country.
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,012
This is what I like about flying on a non-US based airline.
#39
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NYS
Programs: Days of Our Lives, General Hospital
Posts: 1,495
Hmm... I'm American but if I could live in Vienna, I would. Not solely for the food, but partly.
#40
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,301
I'll be flying CDG-VIE in business class.
Would you recommend Air France or Austrian?
I assume lounge is better for Air France, but not sure.
On board food seems to have gone downhill on OS, they don't use Do & Co anymore? I loved it when I flew them pre-pandemic - even VIE-MUC was a nice meal.
Would you recommend Air France or Austrian?
I assume lounge is better for Air France, but not sure.
On board food seems to have gone downhill on OS, they don't use Do & Co anymore? I loved it when I flew them pre-pandemic - even VIE-MUC was a nice meal.
#41
It would be very much comparable. The food on AF short haul can be quite bad too (the latest flight I did with them was at breakfast time and this was not great). I have not flown OS since the pandemic so can not comment on catering going downhill, however I have seen pictures and reviews of the lounge at VIE and they have improved a lot.
#42
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,257
That is so sad. Envious DYKWIAs are second in creating pleasure only to true schadenfreude (or "karma" how it is called in American English) ...
#43
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: WRO/BOS
Programs: LH HON/AF Gold
Posts: 286
I'll be flying CDG-VIE in business class.
Would you recommend Air France or Austrian?
I assume lounge is better for Air France, but not sure.
On board food seems to have gone downhill on OS, they don't use Do & Co anymore? I loved it when I flew them pre-pandemic - even VIE-MUC was a nice meal.
Would you recommend Air France or Austrian?
I assume lounge is better for Air France, but not sure.
On board food seems to have gone downhill on OS, they don't use Do & Co anymore? I loved it when I flew them pre-pandemic - even VIE-MUC was a nice meal.
#44
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
I always assumed that at this point of time it's pretty much accepted conventional wisdom that most of the EU flag carriers are pretty interchangeable short-haul and even Y long-haul. The real distinction factor is J long-haul and there the difference can be found primarily in the seat/cabin configuration.
#45
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: HAG
Programs: Der 5* FTL
Posts: 7,992
I always assumed that at this point of time it's pretty much accepted conventional wisdom that most of the EU flag carriers are pretty interchangeable short-haul and even Y long-haul. The real distinction factor is J long-haul and there the difference can be found primarily in the seat/cabin configuration.
Another factors would be lounges (AF (CDG) good, KL (AMS) meh, LH (FRA, MUC) is OK so is OS (VIE), haven't been in ZRH lately) and transfer experience (MUC>VIE>CDG(T2F)>AMS>FRA>CDG(other than T2F)) if applicable