First Class Coffee Service from Austria

I woke up with a smile today when I learned Austrian Airlines announced that it will be increasing its Chicago to Vienna service from five days a week to seven.  In addition, in July of 2014, service from Newark will be added five days a week while the Washington (IAD) to Vienna flights will be serviced by a 777-200ER. So, for all of you coffee lovers out there, if you want to experience Austrian hospitality and enjoy some Viennese coffee onboard, you will now have more opportunities to do so.

 

When I flew on Austrian Airlines in July, I was very disappointed because the coffee service was missing from my flight.  Austrian Airlines serves the upscale brand Meinl coffee on-board its trans-Atlantic flights between Vienna and America and I was very much looking forward to that particular aspect of the flight.  I wrote about this in my post – Where’s the Coffee?

 

Austrian Airlines social media immediately reached out to me on Twitter with an apology and, after a few direct messages back and forth, I figured that was the end of the story. Last week, I received another message asking for my address.  Hmmm… maybe they are going to send me a little note… so I sent them my address via the email contact they sent. A few days later, another request came asking for my phone number for the package that would be delivered.  Package? This was becoming interesting. But, as I was traveling in Turkey, I didn’t give it another thought.

This afternoon as I was unpacking, my dog began barking quite excitedly alerting me that someone was here.  Looking out the window, I saw the FedEx Express truck and my favorite courier almost staggering out of the truck with a huge box….from Austrian Airlines!

When I saw the box, I couldn’t contain my excitement and explained a little of the story to the FedEx driver. I snapped her picture with the box and went inside to open it. At that point the doorbell rang again, and there she stood. She wanted to see what was inside too!

Opening the outside box, I found a red Austrian Airlines box on the inside.

Included in the package was a personal, handwritten note from Bernd Hartweger, the Vice President of Product Management and Marketing, saying that Austrian Airlines was so very sorry about disappointing me on my JFK-VIE flight.  As it is their mission to “fly for your smile” they had prepared a little surprise for me.  His note told me to look inside the box and then watch their special video message to me.

And opening the box, I found all of this!  Everything I would need to make my own special Austrian coffees. The box included my very own Coffee menu (with Bernd’s personal favorites highlighted), coffee pot, milk frother, cups, glasses, trays, sugar, chocolates, and even the linen napkin so I wouldn’t burn my hand while frothing the milk! The little spoons even have the Austrian Airlines logo imprinted on them!

Here is his video message to me.

According to Austrian Airlines, “Serving the fine Meinl brand of Austrian coffee in-flight is consistent with our concern to always treat our Austrian Airlines passengers as we would treat personal guests or, as we would say in the German language, verwoehnen, which means to ‘spoil’ or ‘pamper’ a guest as one might do in one’s own home.That’s the degree of Austrian-style hospitality we always offer to all of our Austrian Airlines passengers in every seat on every flight,”

Well, Austrian Airlines, I am feeling quite spoiled and pampered at the moment or as they might say in Austria,  “Ich fühle mich sehr verwöhnt! Vielen Dank!”

Thanks for the smile. It will be renewed every morning that I enjoy my own special Viennese coffee.

You may also enjoy:

 ‘Where’s the Coffee?’ – A Review of Austrian Airlines Business Class

Austrian Airlines – Neverending Smiles and Surprises