Sorgenkind is the German language term that is used to describe a problem child. And that is what Austrian Airlines is to Lufthansa. To date, all the airline group’s efforts to turn around the fortunes of Austrian Airlines have not been crowned with lasting success.

Getting to Zürich Airport by Train

I’m on my way to Larnaca. Originally, I was booked on the direct Edelweiss Air service from Zürich. I can’t remember the exact original departure time, but it was certainly civilised. Then I received an email from SWISS advising me of a schedule change, according to which the departure had been moved to just before six in the morning. I don’t even have a train from Basel that early! At least, when I called SWISS, they were very sympathetic and kindly rebooked me onto a later flight via Vienna with Austrian.

I catch the train at 06h04 from Basel. Changing at Zürich main station, that should bring me to the airport at 07h30, one hour before departure. There’s a slight delay for the train to leave, though. Apparently, the line is blocked because a herd of sheep decided to go walkabout on an active railway line.

Austrian Airlines Business Class Check-In

Check-In for the flight opens in the app thirty hours before departure. There’s been an aircraft change on the second leg, so now both flights will be operated by an Airbus A 320.

Zürich Airport is currently fitting its security checkpoints with new 3D scanners, which means I won’t have to remove anything from my suitcase.

By the time I’m through security, it’s just coming up to 07h40, so I have 45 minutes before boarding for the 08h50 departure is expected to begin.

The SWISS Senator Lounge

Zürich Airport is busy, but not crowded.

The SWISS lounge is the same. It is busy with travellers having breakfast, but there’s still a decent amount of available seating, including my favourite spot in the corner. I get myself a coffee before I settle in to do some serious people watching. The lounge dwellers are out in force today, extolling in loud voices on their most recent heroic battles in the corporate world and hard fought victories on the management floor.

Austrian Airlines Business Class Boarding

I don’t stay in the lounge for long. Eventually, the urge to go check out the action on the ramp is too strong. So I pack up my belongings and set on my way. Ooh look, it’s Croa… ssels Airlines.

Alas, the way the aircraft is parked makes it impossible for me to take a photo of my ride, unless I step behind the counter of the Starbucks right next to the gate and body check one of the baristas out of the way to get a good shot.

When boarding starts, it’s a surprisingly orderly process instead of the usual scrum, starting with passengers requiring assistance and followed by groups 1 and 2. Senators and Business Class passengers are in group 2.

The Austrian Airlines Business Class Cabin & Seat

There are three rows of Business Class on this flight for a total of twelve passengers. The crew inform passengers that the flight is sold out in both Economy and Business.

I’m seated on 1F, one of the windows on the bulkhead row on the starboard side of the aircraft. The seat pitch is not bad. With the flight being so full, eventually, boarding takes for ever and finishes a few minutes past our scheduled departure time.

The Austrian Airlines Business Class Service & Crew

The crew have zero personality. They’re very reserved, and refuse to use anything but German. It’s quite bizarre. It’s as though it doesn’t even occur to them that German is not spoken by everyone, which leads to a few odd interactions during boarding and later on during the flight. Once the doors close, the crew wordlessly dish out packaged towels.

We finally push back fifteen minutes late, but the crew is still expecting an ontime arrival with a flight time of 65 minutes.

On flights from Zürich to Vienna, I recommend sitting on the starboard side of the cabin to get the best views. We take off from runway 28 and then do a 180 degrees turn to point us eastward. Below, the city of Zürich and the lake come into few, and a few minutes later, the Alps gradually emerge from the heat haze as we climb higher.

The Austrian Airlines Business Class Meal – Breakfast

The meal service starts shortly after take-off. There is just the one option. The main is a plate with cheese and two slices of smoked turkey with cucumber and tomato, and a small piece of pumpernickel with cream cheese. There’s also a separate bowl of fruit salad. The crew make two passes through the cabin with the breadbasket, which includes rolls, sliced bread, and brioches. It’s not a bad meal, but I really do wish they’d use decent size coffee cups instead of the puny little ones they have now that basically give you one schluck of the brown stuff.

Just as we start the descent, the crew pass through the cabin with the sweet farewell. Unfortunately, it looks as though the Mozart Kugeln have made a comeback, replacing the little heart shaped chocolates – which is a shame because I preferred them to Mozart’s little balls.

Arrival in Vienna

As we make progress towards Vienna, the Alps give way to flatter terrain as we near the Austrian capital. Our approach is from the south and the subsequent landing is exceptionally smooth. We taxi in and eventually pull onto our stand near the beginning of the pier.

Austrian Airlines Transfer in Vienna

By the time I step off the plane, it’s just gone 10h15. The airport is busy with several widebodies being readied for their next long-haul departures. I now have slightly over two hours to transfer to my next flight. By now I’m well acquainted with Vienna Airport’s rather idiosyncratic signposting – or lack there of. This is such a strange airport. There are some terminals, like the complex in Amsterdam Schiphol or Zürich, which have been designed in such a way that passengers intuitively know in which general direction they need to go. Vienna is the complete opposite. You step off the plane, make a right turn, left turn, go up a set of stairs, make another left turn, until eventually you’re so disoriented that you have no other choice but to rely on the mostly useless signposting to find your way.