Review: Austrian Airlines Business Class Boeing 777 (Vienna to Male)

Wednesday newsletters feature a hotel or flight review.

A few weeks ago, I enjoyed a terrific holiday in the Maldives. You can read my trip reports here:

Review: Austrian Airlines Business Class Boeing 777 from Vienna to Male (today)
Review: Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Review: Soneva Jani
Review: Edelweiss Air Business Class Airbus A340 from Male to Zürich

Review: Austrian Airlines B777 Business Class (Vienna to Male)

Flying to the Maldives is always something to look forward to, and for this trip I chose Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER Business Class from Vienna to Malé. As Austria’s flag carrier and a member of the Lufthansa Group, Austrian Airlines has built a strong reputation for its excellent catering and attentive service, making it a favorite among frequent flyers. In this review, I take a closer look at every aspect of the experience — from the cabin and seat to the onboard dining, amenities, entertainment, and service — to see how the airline’s Boeing 777 Business Class product performs on of its long-haul routes.

This review is particularly timely, as Austrian Airlines is currently modernizing its long-haul fleet. The airline is inducting a total of 12 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to completely replace its aging wide-body fleet of Boeing 777s and 767s by the winter 2028/29 season. The new Dreamliners introduce a far more competitive product with an all-new Business Class seat offering direct aisle access for every passenger, greater privacy, and onboard Wi-Fi. As a result, this review covers Austrian Airlines’ classic long-haul product on the Boeing 777 before it gradually disappears from the fleet.

Have you ever flown Business Class with Austrian Airlines? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment?

I made a YouTube documenting the entire flight experience, which you can watch here:

Trip: Vienna (VIE) to Male (MLE)
Airline: Austrian Airlines
Aircraft type: Boeing 777-200ER
Aircraft registration number: OE-LPD
On time departure: Yes (7 pm)
On time arrival: Yes (8 am; + 1 day)
Miles:4500 miles (7260 km)
Flight time:9 hours
Seat: 2K
Class: Business Class

In this review (more information & photos below my YouTube video):

1. Cost of My Ticket

For this round-trip Business Class ticket from Vienna to Malé, I paid approximately €3,500. Over the past few years, premium cabin fares have increased significantly, and unfortunately no award seats were available on my travel dates. Left with little choice and since it was a last minute trip, I decided to bite the bullet and pay the full fare. While it was certainly an expensive ticket, I was curious to see whether Austrian Airlines’ renowned service and catering would justify the premium price.

2. Lounge

Before boarding my flight to the Maldives, I visited the Austrian Airlines Business Lounge in Vienna Airport’s non-Schengen departures area. As the airline’s main hub, Vienna is home to several Austrian Airlines lounges, and this particular lounge serves passengers departing on long-haul and other non-Schengen flights.

The lounge is essentially a large rectangular space. While the design is modern and inviting, the lounge is surprisingly small for the number of passengers it serves and can become quite crowded during peak departure periods, sometimes making it difficult to find a seat. Most seating is arranged around coffee tables, with several lounge areas partially separated by curtains to create a greater sense of privacy. Windows stretch along one side of the lounge, providing excellent views of the apron and aircraft movements. The interior features a contemporary Scandinavian-inspired design, complemented by bright red and green furnishings that reflect Austrian Airlines’ corporate colors.

At the heart of the lounge is a self-service buffet offering a decent selection of food and beverages. Guests can choose from a variety of fresh salads, soups, cold cuts, cheeses, breads, pastries, and desserts, while the drinks selection includes soft drinks, Austrian wines, beer, spirits, coffee, and tea.

3. Business Class Cabin

Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER Business Class cabin is located at the front of the aircraft and features 32 lie-flat seats arranged across seven rows. The cabin uses a staggered seating configuration, also known as the Sogerma Solstys layout, which was once a popular choice among international airlines.

The staggered arrangement creates a much denser cabin compared with newer Business Class designs. Each seat’s footwell is positioned between and underneath the seats in the row ahead, resulting in a more compact feel. The center section consists of pairs of seats, while the window seats alternate between single and paired seats depending on the row. Among the window seats, the highly sought-after “throne seats” stand out as the best options in the cabin. Featuring a side table on both sides of the seat, they provide additional personal space, more storage options, and a greater sense of privacy. Located in rows 1, 3, and 5, these seats are the preferred choice for solo travelers.

While the staggered configuration offers some degree of privacy by positioning seats at different angles and preventing a completely direct alignment between passengers, privacy remains one of the weaker aspects of Austrian Airlines’ Business Class product on the Boeing 777. The open layout provides little separation from the aisle and neighboring passengers, especially when compared with the fully enclosed Business Class suites that are increasingly becoming the industry standard. Newer cabins feature private suites with closing doors that create a far more exclusive and secluded experience. By comparison, Austrian Airlines’ open-plan Business Class cabin feels very exposed and reflects an older generation of premium cabin design.

However, the overall cabin design remains one of the stronger aspects of Austrian Airlines’ Business Class experience. The interior feels stylish, with a distinctive red, blue, and white color scheme that contrasts beautifully with the dark grey seat upholstery. The bold red accents throughout the cabin reinforce Austrian Airlines’ brand identity and reflect the colors of Austria’s national flag — a common design approach among major international carriers seeking to incorporate their national heritage into their onboard product.

Austrian Airlines Business Class Boeing 777

4. Business Class Seat (+ Best & Worst Seats)

Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER Business Class seats are identical throughout the cabin, offering a consistent product regardless of the row or seat location. Each seat features 60 inches (152 cm) of pitch, a 20-inch (52 cm) width, and a fully flat 180-degree recline.

Every seat comes with at least one large side console that doubles as a personal workspace, providing enough room to place a laptop, documents, or personal items. Several solo seats and some paired seats feature consoles on both sides, creating what is commonly referred to as a “throne seat.” These seats offer significantly more personal space and are among the most desirable options in the cabin (especially those located along the window).

Above the seat console are a reading light positioned at eye level, a small storage compartment for a water bottle, and a universal power outlet with international adapters. The flat surface of the console, which also serves as a convenient armrest, houses the seat control panel and a wired handset stored beneath a small cover. The console also contains the fold-out dining table, which can be released easily at the push of a button.

Each seat is equipped with a high-definition entertainment screen mounted in front, with a footwell located underneath. When converted into a bed, the seat transforms into a Lantal air-cushion flat bed measuring approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length.

Despite offering a fully flat sleeping position, the bed design has some drawbacks. Because of the staggered seating configuration, passengers’ feet extend into a narrow compartment underneath the entertainment screen in the seat ahead. This enclosed footwell limits movement during sleep, making it difficult to change sleeping positions without your legs touching the surrounding walls.

The seats without the additional “throne” console generally provide a slightly more spacious foot area and can therefore be more comfortable for sleeping. Another downside is the relatively low sleeping position: when fully reclined, the seat sits only around 45 cm (17 inches) above the cabin floor. Combined with the high seat walls, this can create a somewhat enclosed feeling and makes getting in and out — especially during nighttime restroom visits — less convenient.

Best Business Class Seats on Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777

For solo travelers, the best seats are the single “throne seats” in rows 1, 3, and 5. These seats provide the most privacy, additional storage space, and a larger personal workspace thanks to the dual side consoles.
Traveling as a couple? The best choice is the paired center seats, which offer direct aisle access for both passengers. These seats allow companions to sit together while avoiding the inconvenience of climbing over another passenger.

Worst Business Class Seats on Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777

The paired window seats in rows 2, 4, and 6 are less ideal for couples. Although they provide a window view and a more traditional seating arrangement, the passenger seated by the window must step over their neighbor’s feet to reach the aisle.
Located closest to the galley, the solo window seats in row 7 may experience occasional noise and light disturbance during the flight. In addition, they lack the second side console found on the throne seats, meaning they offer less personal space and storage compared with the best seats in the cabin.

For the seat map of Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER, click here.

5. Amenities & Bedding

Austrian Airlines’ Business Class passengers receive a selection of amenities on long-haul flights.

Created in collaboration with the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, the Business Class amenity kit features textile patterns from the archives of the Wiener Werkstätte, the renowned Austrian arts and crafts collective founded in 1903, with designs from celebrated artists including Koloman Moser, Dagobert Peche, and Mathilde Flögl. The kit includes useful travel items such as a matching sleep mask, socks, earplugs, a toothbrush, and toothpaste tablets. The contents are packaged in sustainable paper packaging, reflecting Austrian Airlines’ efforts to reduce unnecessary waste.

In addition to the amenity kit, passengers receive a comfortable, thick pillow and a stylish, high-quality blanket, both of which contribute to a more restful long-haul experience. Austrian Airlines also provides noise-cancelling headphones, which perform well at reducing cabin noise and are particularly useful during overnight flights.

6. Meals

Austrian Airlines has traditionally been recognized for its strong onboard dining experience, with catering long considered one of the highlights of the airline’s long-haul Business Class product. The airline has a long-standing partnership with DO & CO, a premium catering company known for its upscale restaurants, cafés, and event catering operations in cities such as Vienna, London, and New York. This collaboration helped Austrian Airlines build a reputation for serving restaurant-quality meals in the sky, with a strong emphasis on Austrian culinary traditions and high-quality ingredients.

A unique feature of Austrian Airlines’ Business Class service is the Flying Chef concept. On long-haul flights, a specially trained flight attendant takes on the role of an onboard chef, adding a more personal touch to the dining experience. The Flying Chef assists with meal preparation in the galley, adds final touches to selected dishes, explains menu options, and provides recommendations to passengers. This additional interaction creates a more refined, restaurant-like atmosphere compared with the standard tray service offered by many airlines.

On this particular flight, Austrian Airlines’ catering was very good, although it did not quite reach the exceptional level I remembered from a previous experience with the airline. The presentation, however, remained a clear highlight. The starters and desserts were presented on a trolley arranged like a small buffet, allowing passengers to view the selection and choose their preferred options, while the main courses were individually plated and served from the galley. The only disappointment was the balance of the menu. The starter selection included baked cheese, while the main course I chose also featured braised beef in a baked crust (not mentioned on the menu), resulting in a meal that felt somewhat heavy and richer than I would have preferred.

From the menu, I selected the following dishes:

Starters:
- Leaf salad with marinated feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, olives, dried cranberries, dark bread croûtons, and a choice of white balsamic or jalapeño dressing
- Roast beef with creamy coleslaw
- Baked Emmental cheese with lingonberries
Soup: clear beef broth with Kaspressknödel (traditional Tyrolean cheese dumplings)
Main vourse: Braised beef cheeks with potato salad and tartar sauce
Desserts:
- Demel’s Esterházy cake
- Vanilla crème fraîche with berry compote
- Fresh fruits

Breakfast service before landing followed a thoughtful and personalized approach. Instead of receiving a standard breakfast tray, passengers were provided with a breakfast card on which they could indicate their preferences and return it to the flight attendant before resting. The card included options for a wake-up call and allowed passengers to select their preferred breakfast items, enabling the crew to prepare each meal individually.

The breakfast offering included an energy shot made with apple, carrot, ginger, turmeric, and lime, as well as fresh fruit, Do&Co muesli, a strawberry super bowl, jams, and honey. For the main course, I selected the freshly prepared sunny-side-up eggs served with toast and crispy bacon. A selection of freshly baked bread and croissants, together with freshly brewed coffee or tea, completed the meal.

7. Entertainment

Each Business Class seat is equipped with its own 15-inch HD touchscreen, providing access to Austrian Airlines’ inflight entertainment system. The entertainment selection is solid, with a wide range of movies, TV series, documentaries, and other content. The library is refreshed regularly, with new titles added on a monthly basis, ensuring a good variety of options throughout the flight.

8. Onboard Internet

One of the weaker aspects of Austrian Airlines’ long-haul product is that Wi-Fi availability remains limited across the fleet. While the airline’s newer Boeing 787 Dreamliners are equipped with FlyNet connectivity, offering free messaging as well as paid internet packages for browsing, emailing, and other online activities, the older Boeing 777 fleet does not offer Wi-Fi connectivity.

As this flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200ER, passengers had no access to onboard internet throughout the journey. This is a noticeable disadvantage in today’s premium cabin environment, where many international airlines have introduced Wi-Fi across their long-haul fleets. Austrian Airlines has therefore made progress with its newest aircraft, but the lack of connectivity on its older wide-body aircraft remains a limitation for business travelers and passengers who wish to stay connected during long flights.

9. Other Inflight Experiences

# Crew: Austrian Airlines’ cabin crew, instantly recognizable in their elegant bright red uniforms, have long enjoyed a reputation for delivering warm, attentive, and highly professional service. My experience on this flight was no exception. Service in the Business Class cabin was consistently excellent from boarding to landing. The crew worked seamlessly together and did everything they could to make the flight as comfortable and enjoyable as possible (despite a lot of turbulence). Their proactive attitude, attention to detail, and sincere hospitality played a major role in making this an enjoyable long-haul experience.

# Lavatory: The Business Class cabin is served by three lavatories for a total of 32 passengers. One lavatory is located at the front of the cabin, just behind the cockpit, while the other two are situated in the galley separating the Business and Economy Class cabins.

10. My Verdict

Although Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER Business Class is no longer among the most cutting-edge products in the industry. The staggered seat design shows its age, particularly when it comes to privacy and the narrow footwell, and the lack of Wi-Fi on the Boeing 777 is a noticeable shortcoming in today’s premium travel market. That said, the onboard dining experience, enhanced by the airline’s partnership with DO & CO and the unique Flying Chef concept, remains a distinctive feature, even if the catering on this particular flight did not quite live up to my previous experiences with the airline. Above all, it was the outstanding cabin crew that made this flight enjoyable.

Here’s my verdict for Austrian Airlines Business Class product on the Boeing 777-200ER:

Seat comfort (upright): 7/10
Seat comfort (bed position): 6/10
Food (quality): 7/10
Food (quantity): 9/10
Inflight entertainment : 8/10
WiFi: 0/10 (not available)
Service: 9/10
Cabin design: 7/10
Overall experience: good 7.3/10

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