With no direct service to from London to Vilnius from the main London airports and only single-class, low cost carriers with dubious baggage policies flying from the provincial airports, I opted to connect in Europe and try Austrian. The fare difference between Economy and business made it a no-brainer to upgrade – meals aside, I also had piece of mind with my carry-on baggage. So, how was the Austrian Airlines trip between Vilnius and Vienna in business class on an Embraer E195?
Flight Details
Flight No: OS636
From/To: Vilnius (VNO) to Vienna (VIE)
Departure time: 13:30
Ticket Class: Business
Flight time: 1 hour 36 mins
Frequent Flyer Points: 2000
Status Points: 2000
Aircraft:
Aircraft type: Embrear E195LR
Number of classes: 2
Number of seats in flying class: 56
Seat: 2F
Position: right hand side of the aircraft, 2 rows from the front
In this review:
Airport Experience
There was a dedicated business class check-in, which was hidden away from the other check-in desks, next to the security and out-sized baggage desk.
Business class passengers could use the fast track security lane at Vilnius airport, which was located to the left side of the main security entrance.
The security check was completely empty and I passed through in under 60 seconds
Austrian airlines uses the Narbutas lounge. It was about 50% capacity and limited spare seating options
A wide selection of drinks were available, but I could only see basic cold food options – pre-packed sandwiches, crisps, nuts etc…
Boarding & Welcome
When the flight was ready for boarding, groups 1 and 2 were called after those who needed extra time to pre-board, as well as passengers booked into exit seats.
There was a jet bridge to board directly onto the aircraft. This also facilitated a fast boarding process and an on time exit.
Seat
The single aisle aircraft had a 2-2 seating configuration in both business and economy, only the neighbouring seat was left empty in business.
When checking the seating plan online, it showed a staggered arrangement, each row alternating between window and aisle seats.
The unused seat could be converted into a fully-functional business class by swapping the doilies on the headrests. This meant that every passenger had a window seat, if they wanted it. I would expect also allow the companion seat to be used when 2 people are travelling together and don’t want to be separated across an aisle.
The overhead bins on the E195 are very small, with barely enough space for every business passenger’s bag. With twice the passenger density, the baggage situation in economy was dire. For that reason alone, I was glad I paid for a business seat. With the neighbouring seat left empty, I benefited from plenty of under seat storage space that didn’t impinge on my legroom.
There was no at seat charging or Wi-Fi available on the flight. Make sure you power up in the terminal, or bring a portable power bank.
What is the best seat on Austrian Airlines E195 Business Class?
See the seating plan on SeatGuru.
Onboard Experience
Shortly after the take-off one of the crew asked me if I’d purchased an upgrade from economy to business class at the airport. I hadn’t and explained that I’d booked a business class fare in both directions, but that seemed to challenge whatever she had on her tablet. She walked off and started counting the occupied seats in the business class cabin.
Other passengers were confronted throughout the flight, although no “culprit” was found. Meal service appeared to operate as normal despite the continuing suspicion from the crew that one of the passengers didn’t deserve it.
There was one washroom at the front of the business class cabin, next to the flight deck. It was clean and well-stocked with paper goods. Because of the smaller fuselage size at the front of the E195 aircraft, the ceiling height restricted access. Anyone over 6 foot would need to duck while inside the washroom.
Food & Drink
Food and drink were served together from a trolley about 20 minutes after take off
The hot Do&Co meal was served on a tray, with a side of bread.
The radioactively hot main dish was chicken in some kind of creamy tomato sauce with mascarpone cheese stirred in. It was accompanied by what I can only describe as very soggy fresh pasta. The overall appearance, texture and taste of the dish wasn’t great. Passable, but warming for a cold November day.
The chocolate cake with a fruit twist was nice with coffee, but a little dry on its own.
Coffee was offered quickly after the meals were delivered.
Drink top-ups were offered for the remainder of the flight.
A customary chocolate was offered at the end of the cabin service.
After an on-time landing into Vienna, I made my way to the Austrian lounge at G (international) gates to wait for my connecting flight.
BG1 Verdict
This was my 5th sector flown with Austrian, although my first experience on the Austrian Airlines E195 in business class. Generally speaking, I’ve found the Austrian service to be fairly consistent and their punctuality to be better than their parent, Lufthansa. The E195 is a small aircraft and I appreciated the extra space in the business cabin. The confusion about who should be sat in the business class seats was unsettling and somewhat tainted the experience. Overall, cabin service and food is better on Swiss.
BG1 Tip
Austrian Airlines business class flights earn an attractive 2,000 minimum miles per sector when credited to the Aegean Airlines Miles & Bonus programme.
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LOT Polish offers a good direct service between VNO and LCY, which although small, is definitely a ‘main’ London airport and very centrally located.
Yes, this is factually correct. I neglected to include it as a “main airport” because it doesn’t support intercontinental flights and transport links to it from outside of London are poor. I’ll try flying it soon and add a review.