With Austrian‘s first 787s entering service last month on training/proving flights around Europe, and my having a couple spare days before a conference in Hamburg, I was lucky enough to take one for a ride. Even better, the price for a business class seat was quite reasonable. But instead of a blocked middle seat on an A320 I had a flat bed for my trip.
The flight from Berlin to Vienna was less than an hour. Barely enough time to scratch the surface of the product offering. Still, I managed to explore a bit and see what’s what with the three cabins on board.
Business Class
Austrian’s business class cabin on the 787 offers 26 seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout.
It is a perfectly functional offering, with multiple USB and AC power options and a decent IFE screen.
The seat reclines to a flat bed, just like every other Collins Super Diamond installation.
It also comes with the same challenges of a tapered footwell and minimal storage for a smaller bag during take-off and landing.
The first couple rows do not have overhead space in the middle section, owing to the pilot rest bunk overhead.
Premium Economy Class
Austrian’s premium economy cabin offers three rows in a 2-3-2 layout.
The 21 Collins MiQ seats offer significantly more space than economy class. Every row has plenty of overhead storage and windows as well.
Economy Class
The 247 economy class seats (Recaro‘s CL3710, which is mostly the R3 now, but not exactly) are arranged in a 3-3-3 layout, typical of the 787.
Passengers have access to a 9″ HD screen and USB-A port for power on board.
Overhead storage is limited in the last rows of the plane owing to crew rest bunks and outboard bins dedicated for crew usage.
Entertainment and Internet on board
Inflight entertainment and connectivity are both provided by Panasonic Avionics, fronted by the Deutsche Telekom portal.
As mine was a short-haul flight the internet service was offered with free messaging or 6 euro for regular connectivity. I bought it but did not have enough time to really test the service on board.
The second plane just emerged from paint, so presumably the first will eventually get the proper livery applied. But the planes are being pressed into long-haul service this summer (the first transatlantic flights were on 15 June). And carrying passengers is more important than getting the paint on the plane.
Overall, there’s not much particularly special about Austrian’s version of the 787. It is functional from nose to tail, and likely to deliver the experience promised. Especially as no one is promising anything incredible. That’s not a dig on the product at all. It is simply a 787-9 with a pretty standard configuration on board.
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I was able to fly that same plane June 4th from Frankfurt to Vienna before it eventually left for NY route. I was totally surprised by my full meal during the hour long flight (business class). Tasty too. My daughter loved the plane.