The Austrian Airlines Lounge at Vienna Airport was repeatedly criticized by frequent flyers because the standard was far below that offered by the sister companies in Zurich, Frankfurt and Munich. The AUA apparently took the criticism very seriously and stepped up with the change of caterer.

Since the reopening on September 25, 2020, the meals that are offered in the lounge of the Austrian Kranich subsidiary no longer come from the kitchen of Do & Co, but from each of the Donhauser GmbH (“DoN”). This company operates, among other things, in the VIP terminal and in the on-board restaurants of the Austrian Federal Railways.

The gastronomic change is obviously very well received by the users of the AUA Lounge, because the food and drink selection has not only been greatly expanded, but the way in which it is now served looks much more classy. For example, there are now dishes that can be freshly prepared by a cook at certain times.

Conclusion: In the last few months a lot of criticism has been unleashed against Austrian Airlines, but the company really succeeded in the new lounge concept including a new caterer and should be a nice upgrade for business class and status passengers. This customer group in particular repeatedly criticized the fact that AUA had taken a lot of time to reopen. But the wait should have been worth it. Those who have neither status nor a business ticket, but want to “explore” the completely redesigned Austrian Airlines lounge, can do so against admission: the lounge can be booked for 35 euros with a ticket from a Star Alliance carrier. In the case of AUA bookings, the admission ticket can be purchased for this amount directly at the web check-in. The top lounges from Turkish Airlines or the golf carrier cannot compete with those from Austrian Airlines, but a clearly noticeable and visible upgrade took place and it is obvious that the criticism from frequent flyers has been incorporated into the further development of the product. One can only hope that Austrian Airlines and DoN can maintain the high standard over the long term.