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Lauda Air Customer Reviews and Lauda Air Passenger Trip Reports
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Lauda
Air - by Jonas West Eilersen
22
June 2003
Returned to Europe after a flight with Lauda (Sydney - Vienna) in
Y-class. Lauda is an excellent value for money product, there should be no doubt
about that. I was on the newest of their 777's and it was spotless with really large PTVs.
However, everything else is quite mediocre; the food is seriously bad, despite what has previously
been stated about Lauda's inflight 'cuisine'. I had a revolting deep-fried slice of chicken and a
couple of over-cooked potatoes for dinner and left most of it on the tray. Seat pitch was minimal
and my knees were crushed into the seat in from of me during the entire flight.
FA's were not at all
friendly and there was a curious mix of (lack of) Teutonic precision and (lack of) Austrian
coziness
in play - when a passenger seated next to me felt slightly sick, the crew had no idea how to deal
with it. Overall, the crew gave no impression whatsoever that they would be able to deal with
anything in the event of an emergency. No amenity bag was offered, neither was there any food
inbetween meals - considering
the flight from Sydney to Vienna has a duration of almost 21 hours, this is clearly an area where
Lauda should improve considerably. Given the impression that the Lauda crew did not seem in
condition to be of any assistance in an emergency, I'd definitely think twice about choosing them in
the future. However, the low cost of their product is certainly an asset.
Lauda
Air - by J Milner
7
May 2003
In
my opinion Lauda Air Amadeus Business Class has the best cuisine on any
airline. It is simply excellent, from the quality of the ingredients,
onboard preparation, wide selection, quality wine menu - and thought
has gone into the layout of the meal tray. If one could just teach
some of the Lauda Air flight attendants more friendliness and replace
the seats like British Airways Business class, one would have an airline to
challenge Cathay Pacific.
Lauda
Air - by Matthew Nastov
14
April 2003
Not long ago I flew on the Lauda Air MEL-KUL-VIE. I was looking forward to the flight. Although check in at Melbourne Airport was extremely slow the enjoyment of the flight
made up for it. I liked the food and their entertainment system is one of the best. The only
thing that concerned me was the attitudes of flight attendants; most of them were not very
friendly and it looked as if they weren't doing their job with joy. Also it took one flight attendant
to come to my seat 15mins after I had pressed the button.
Lauda
Air - by Sascha Menzendorf
2
February 2003
I flew SYD-KUL-VIE recently and the service definitely remained on a high
level. I flew that route a couple of times - the food was always good (optional fish, meat or vegetarian)
and served hot. The seat pitch was okay (not as good as EK or CX), the PTV has all sorts of movies and the crew in their dark jeans
were excellent during the
whole flight. Hopefully Lufthansa may draw level with Lauda Air - Lufthansa still not
offer ptv on all flights
and the average cabin crew is 50 years old and very unfriendly.
Lauda
Air - by M Huber
31
October 2002
Concerning Kathmandu Vienna flight by H Roylance. Many travelers
complain about this particular flight. The thing is, it is a charter flight on which they also sell
scheduled ticket (like LTU does on some flights) - of course they don t mention that when you buy the
ticket. The service they provide onboard the flight is also charter service and not the same as on a
scheduled flight (there is a difference at Lauda - the service on scheduled flights like the
VIE-SYD route is much better). And the main thing is the price for a business class ticket if you buy it via
Lauda as a scheduled ticket you pay nearly double the price - as if you buy it at a travel agency as a
charter ticket. I think that's fraud i mentioned this to a flight attendant once on this flight and
she replied that they are aware of that fact and that many people are complaining.
I also asked
the Lauda reservation office, and they say they don't know about this. But the travel agents in
Austria know about it and they will sell you the much cheaper
charter business ticket.
Lauda
Air - by F Iseli
30
October 2002
The transit in Vienna is a nightmare! Inflight entertainment is excellent - many movies are only just showing at cinemas now which I
saw in August, onboard Lauda. Seating space is cramped and do NOT get a window
seat - leg space is nearly halved due to
control box of PTV's! Having flown over to Sydney in October again, I noticed that all flights
are fully booked - due to codesharing with Malaysian as well as Lufthansa.
The service is good but Lauda could serve more food! I probably won't fly Lauda
any more, manly due to the seating - if I can get another star alliance
flight. But it would still be my choice over many other airlines.
Lauda
Air - by H Roylance
29
October 2002
I flew Lauda from Kathmandu to Vienna, via Delhi. The flight was delayed by 9 hours, and
became a night flight instead of my preferred daytime flight. The Business Class Lounge at KTM
defies description (more like a roped off area in the main departures lounge with paper screens).
Upon boarding the 767, the Amadeus cabin was now full (check-in 9 hours earlier confirmed it was
only half full - no doubt some free upgrades to appease disgruntled Economy frequent
flyers - but
what about us that paid for Business Class??). I asked for an amenity kit - only to be told they
were only offered on outbound flights - strange that it was possible to buy one from the Duty Free
trolley!! Eventually they found one, so that I could freshen up. Little apology given for the
delay, and the Delhi-Vienna sector was passed in almost total darkness once the lights were dimmed
after a hurried meal service. On the plus side, they did provide a hotel room in Vienna due to the 2am arrival - shame my
connecting flight to Stockholm left at 7am! Overall - not much in the service recovery department due to the delay - and despite many requests,
my frequent flyer mileage for the flight has never been added to my account.
Lauda
Air - by D Priest
23
August 2002
The difference between economy and business class on Lauda is more marked than any other airline
I've flown with. The economy seats are appalling - what is the good of a range of movies and an
entertainment system if you are sat in foetal position for 13 hours? The food portions were small
and the staff far too young and inexperienced. The drama that followed one of them dropping the
coffee urn had to be heard to be believed. Their business (Amadeus) class, however, has been better
than more expensive airlines I have flown with. Great food with a big choice of dishes, friendly
service, comfy seats (albeit a little narrow for business). But overall, worth every penny.
Lauda
Air - by Jonas Eilersen
20
August 2002
Lauda Air proves to be a somewhat bland choice for the traveller. Having recently flown the airline
from Vienna to Kuala Lumpur and onwards to Sydney, I must confess that those flights were definitely
not memorable for their quality - but rather the lack of quality. The food onboard was alright but
the servings are too small and there are no meal options for Economy passengers. The IFE offered
very few new movies - but plenty of outdated ones and seat pitch is far too small for long haul
flights. However, value for money is excellent. I must say that I next time will shell out a bit
more for a EK or SQ flight and hope that Lauda will soon be updated to Austrian standards.
Lauda
Air - by Sasha Nikolic
26
July 2002
I have recently flown with Lauda Air from Sydney to Vienna via Kuala Lumpur in economy class and I
found their service to be outstanding. The entertainment system (screened on the ptv's)
was good - food was tasty and well prepared. The major complaint is
the amount of space on the seats, they are very tight, steep and don't have
enough legroom. I am not a very tall person - if you are tall try to think it through before travelling
with Lauda Air!
Lauda
Air - by P Forbes
12
July 2002
I recently completed my first set of OS (NG) flights from Australia to Europe in Amadeus Class,
having always been a SQ/CX flyer I decided to try something different plus the value for money was
excellent. I found the service levels and quality of the food very good. Lauda's Amadeus Class food
on 777-200 involves no preset trays of any description it is all presented individually on their
triangular plates. Visually it is refreshing.
The seats on their older aircraft are ready for a change, I always believe that when you sit in a
seat and it moves / rocks slightly then it's time to change the seat. The new aircraft (3 months
old) which I had on the return had electronic seats were more comfortable (not slim-line) and a
little less coocon shaped as is on the older aircraft.
IFE is not up to the same standard as SQ/MH/CX/EK so if this is important to you please be warned.
The nose camera on the new aircraft is good fun but no flight tracking system/map at all on
board.
Travelled a few sectors on CRJ's within Europe which fly very high and as a result get very cold
inside the cabin, particularly if you have a window seat. People on my flights were scrambling for
blankets in summer.
Unfortunately the end of the Lauda name is imminent and most likely the 777-200 which will be
replaced by the A340-300 which will streamline Austrians aircraft operations. I would have liked to
have flown NG in its earlier years as I think the experience may have been even better. Oh well
least I can say I flew on a Lauda aircraft.
Lauda
Air - by Yuuki Wong
11
July 2002
What did I tell you guys back in January? According to C Smith's latest comment, Lauda Air is
already having to cut back on certain service items. No towels and amenity kit does sound like long-
haul on OS. I have also noticed that the IFE guide for NG and OS are now on one magazine, and the
chart that lists the flights and movies is pretty confusing, it drives me nuts.
Lauda
Air - by Adam Potrykus
10
July 2002
It was with a mixed feeling I disembarked my last Lauda flight a few days ago. The Boeing
777 I flew this time seemed to be newer then in the beginning of the
year. The seating was a bit more spacious, and the plasma screen was bigger then last time.
What wasn't as nice was the food. The quality was alright, but during
a 12hr flight from Kuala Lumpur to Vienna only two meals were served - the
servings weren't big enough to fill the little pot they are served in. As
usual no hot towels, no slumber shades, not even a pair of earplugs were provided.
That's too tight.
Lauda
Air - by C Smith
08
July 2002
Nice service on recent flight from London to Sydney and back. Although the lack of leg-room was a
problem and serving you with meals first all the time instead of a drink first seemed a bit of a
rush. All the other airlines serve a drink first before the main meal. I have also noticed that
there are no more hot towels or over night kits provided. However after chatting with the crew it
is Austrian Airlines that has prevented Lauda Air from providing these. At the moment there is a
lot of tension between the 2 carriers even though Austrian no own them. I think Lauda may not exist
in the very near future and be integrated into Austrian very soon! What a shame because Lauda were
the best at one point - but sadly are no more what they once were.
Lauda
Air - by Adam Potrykus
16
June 2002
I flew from Stockholm to Melbourne via Vienna in February and its seems
I noticed the same
things as the rest of Lauda's passengers. The transit organisation was horrible at
Vienna airport. The food onboard was okay and the choice of films
okay - but, the cramped seating was a shock to the system. I'm returning to
Sweden
with Lauda, and that's the last time I think. My next flight is booked
with Singapore Airlines.
Lauda
Air - by Robert Choy
16
June 2002
I flew with Lauda Air from SYD to KUL return recently. I also found their seats in economy
in the 777 too cramped - the plane was full on my outbound journey because it was continuing onto
Vienna. I felt sorry for the passengers who were sitting in the rear of the cabin as they had 3x4x3
configuration while the front was 3x3x3. The IFE is of a high class standard. The
meals were simple but delicious. The staff were efficient but didn't smile much. The staff on the
return seemed friendlier - especially one of the Australian staff. The seating was all 3x4x3 on
the way back but seemed to have more pitch in the seats because the aircraft was newer than my
other flight - and there was hardly anyone on board which was a bonus! I liked how they came around
with drinks constantly to keep passengers hydrated. They were fairly good in service and responded
to the call button very quickly. I would use them again, though they do need to do something about
their narrow pitch between their seats.
Lauda
Air - by Peter Lamell
13
May 2002
I recently travelled from London to Melbourne return Business Class on Austrian/Lauda. The service
was excellent and the seats, whilst appearing to be a bit narrower than one would expect, were
comfortable. If one looks at the discount prices available (less than
2,000 GBP) the value seems to me
to be unbeatable.
Lauda
Air - by Kevin Tan
07
March 2002
I recently flew Lauda Air on VIE-SYD leg and was totally disappointed by their standard
of seating in economy class. Seat pitch was poor, which is no more than 31", and depends on your
luck, the front section of the economy class cabin has a 3-3-3 seating configuration, but an extra
seat was squeezed to each row to the rear cabin, which makes the seat width incredibly tight! B777
is one of the most comfortable aircraft ever build but when you are travelling with Lauda's, it
becomes the worst!
Lauda
Air - by Yuuki Wong
24
January 2002
My experiences with Lauda Air have so far been very pleasant. I consistently get friendly, youthful
flight attendants. One of the most memorable inflight culinary experience
was on a Lauda flight from Vienna to Geneva. Breakfast was served with white linen table cloths and napkins, freshly squeezed orange
juice in real glasses, and a wide selection of hot dishes, cold cuts, cheeses, fruit and breads.
With condiments from Do&Co, Vienna.
All this on an Economy ticket on a 1 hour flight. How many airlines can offer this even in Business
Class on such short flights? I don't even want to think about US domestic First Class.
I am only worried that Lauda's standard will start slipping now that it is part of the Austrian
Airlines group, as a result of cost savings.
Lauda
Air - by Richard A Pyta
13
December 2001
Recently flew Lauda Air MEL - MAN - MEL economy class with stopover in Vienna and transfers into and
out of Warsaw from Vienna. Based on previous experiences I was looking forward to the flight. The
following comments pretty much sum it up - Both outbound and return Australia - Vienna legs were
full to capacity on new 777's. This made the service extremely long, with cabin staff feeling the pressure
whenever anyone wanted service. Food was good, but had dropped standard since previous flight with Lauda
when they flew 767's on the route. Seat pitch is a very poor 31" as per QF/BA
- constantly felt cramped and pinned into seat. IFE screens in back of seats - good variety of channels, although the next session info was not
always evident or up to date. Also, the IFE decoder unit situated at floor
level against the seat
pillar makes it almost impossible for some passengers to sit comfortably, let alone put
any small personal baggage under the seat in front of you. Given the number of passengers per toilet facility I was amazed by the lack of regular attention
given to these by the cabin staff - need to do better. Check in at Vienna - even with 50% of the
check in desks reserved for the return Australia leg on
Lauda, this caused severe traffic problems in the check in hall. The size
of things to come with larger wide-body aircraft. Boarding Gate Vienna - the gate lounge was bursting at the seams. Again, the larger the aircraft
capacity the larger the gate lounge required (sounds logical to me).
Finally, my next European flight is in January and I have already booked with BA on a Traveller
Plus ticket. A lot more expensive, but at least I'll get 38" seat pitch. I hope the other airlines
get the message
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