Review of Austrian Airlines flight from Split to Vienna in Economy

SYNOPSIS

Hi everybody, I'm glad to see you again on this new trip report of my routing in Croatia.

After a few vacation days visiting Split in Croatia, let's fly back home with the second leg of this routing operated by Austrian Airlines onboard an Airbus A320 aircraft outbound to Vienna. As a reminder, I was supposed to fly back to Geneva the Wednesday with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines via Amsterdam. But due to a strike in Netherlands my two flights were cancelled 5 days before departure. Therefore, the return will occur one day ago with Lufthansa Group via their subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss via Vienna.

The routing presents as follows :

SPLIT AIRPORT

Having planned a small margin, I decide to reach the airport by the shuttle of Croatia Airlines. It’s more expensive than downtown buses but more direct. The bus leaves the city center of Split around 1 PM, the ride will take about 40 minutes. The shuttle dropps off passengers right outside the terminal.

Here is the main entrance of the departures area :

Inside, it feels really modern, spacious and luminous… I really enjoy Split airport's infrastructure.

The terminal seems quite empty and quiet at the beginning of this afternoon… rather surprising regarding the FIDS program. My flight is scheduled on time for the moment.

In Croatia, online check-in is managed on the airports'websites… rather strange that an airport offers a site to check-in for its flight instead of the companies. So, I was not able to choose my seat, especially since it’s a aisle one that was assigned to me… Thankfully, I manage to head to the check-in desks to explain the problem, and the attendant will reassign me a window seat, and print out my two boarding passes, which here are.

After that, I decide to go upstairs to find a place to eat in a snack.

But first, I make a stop to the lavatory, which looks very clean, before going to find a table.

I decide to go sit at a table at the back, which overlooks on a large boarding area, and where you can also see the traffic on the apron. Here is a Croatia Airlines Airbus.

Here is a glimpse of my lunch today.

Suddenly, I got very shaky, I spill half of my Coke… I go in search of a towel to wipe. Anyway, my dish is ready. I went for seafood pasta today.

While having my lunch, I watch through the windows of the boarding area and see this Airbus A320 of Austrian, it fells like it's my ride for today's flight.

Another Airbus A32X, operating for Vueling.

After enjoying my lunch, I directly head to security checks, once again the process was very quick this afternoon.

Here is the duty free shop. SPU is one of the few airports where you don't need to walk through the duty free area to reach the departures gates area.

So, I make my way to gate 5 where my flight is scheduled, but first I choose to make a stop to the bar where I order a coffee. 

I barely have time to start drinking my coffee I notice that boarding process is in progress, so I cannot enjoying it anymore and I walk to my gate. For information, Split airport doesn't have any jetbridge. So, it is a foot boarding which is used for my flight today. Therfore, we have to walk a bit to reach our plane which is parked at a remote stand quite far from the terminal.

INFLIGHT - OS746 SPLIT KASTELA (SPU) TO VIENNA INTL (VIE)

My flight will be operated by OE-LXB, an Airbus A320 delivered to Austrian Airlines in april 2017. He previously operated for Air One, Alitalia and Air Berlin before moving to Austrian Airlines.

I notice that a stair is also present at the rear of the plane, but I am not sure it will be used today. Let's take a sight of my plane :

My plane is fitted in a 3-3 configuration with 174 Recaro BL3530 slimline seats, which are very common in LH group.

An advantage of NEK seats is that they have a very large modular tablet. The NEK seats feel quite comfortable, more than the Easyjet's slimline SL3510. 

The flight attendants are red-dressed with Austrian Airlines. I really like this color choice, thus complying with the Austrian's visual identity.

We're ready for departure.

In the background, we can see a rare airline that I can’t identify. If someone of you know more about it, please let me know about that in the comments.

Now, let's check out the content of the seat back pocket : Austrian safety instruction, and BoB menu, with snacks and beverages available for purchase onboard, with very interesting items, some drinks (soft, hot, alcoholic) and refreshments, snacks, but also hot dishes. The menu highlights the promotion of Austria through some products like Viennese coffee or some Austrian wines for example.

The magazine also offers some Duty free items

We need to go up the runway to the launch pad and turn around before taking off.

And just a few minutes later, let's take off towards Vienna, with some amazing views over Split and Dalmatian area !

Just after take-off, cabien crew handed out a cup of water and a small chocolate bar to all passengers, it is few but sufficient for this mid-afternoon flight.

After we have left the Dalmatian mediterranean coast sky became very cloudy

During the cruise I checked out the onboard Wifi which didn't work during the flight…

While we were approaching Austria the sky became clear again.

VIENNA INTL AIRPORT

We touched down the runway around 4:10 p.m. and quickly left the runway to reach the terminal, the plane parked at a remote stand;

Vienna Airport is Austrian Airlines'main hub, so there is a lot of OS aircrafts at VIE !

Qatar Airways and Austrian Airlines E195

Once we're parked, all passengers quickly leave their seats. Since we're parked at a remote stand, we have to reach the terminal by paxbus. 

Let's show you a last sight of our today's plane from the Paxbus. Personnally, I really like the Austrian Airlines'livery. A passenger forgot a scarf (or other personal item), one cabin crew member was present on the ladder to ask who it belonged to. Fortunately, its owner has manifested herself to get it.

The bus leaves quickly, it will take less than 5 minutes to get to the terminal.

After this small shuttle ride, we're quicky getting into the concourse 3 of Vienna Airport. We need to take an Escalator to head to the connections area.

The terminal feels quite busy this afternoon… I really enjoy transiting in this airport. My last transit here dates back to August 2021, when I flew back home from Greece, also with Austrian Airlines. 

Thank you for reading, Keep aware for the last leg of this routing. Thank you so much !