Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines AG was founded in 1957 as a result of a merger between Air Austria and Austrian Airways. At present it is the flag carrier airline of Austria with headquarters located in Vienna. Its subsidiaries are Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways. Its hub is at Vienna International Airport and Innsbruck Airport.
Austrian Airlines made its first flight on 31 March 1958 using a Vickers Viscount 779 on a Vienna to London route. Five years later, in 1963, domestic services were launched and transatlantic services commenced in 1969 operating the Vienna to Brussels and New York services.
Its owners are OIAG (Österreichische Industrieholding AG or Austrian industry-holding stock corporation in English) which has 39.8% stake, floating stock that accounts for 48%, Austrian institutional investors hold 10.2% shares and Austrian Airlines with 2%. In 2008 it was announced that Lufthansa will acquire OIAG’s and Austrian Airlines’ stake with the airline. Lufthansa will then have a controlling stake after the acquisition.
Domestic and International Destinations
Austrian Airlines has a fleet size of 41 and flies to 117 destinations. When combined with its subsidiaries Tyrolean and Lauda Air services, it will total to 130 destinations with major focus on Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Its other flights service Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.
International destinations include Cairo in Egypt; Tripoli in Libya; Astana in Kazakhstan; Beijing in People’s Republic of China; Tokyo in Japan; Delhi and Mumbai in India; Bangkok in Thailand; Tehran in Iran; Erbil in Iraq; Tel Aviv in Israel; Amman in Jordan; Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; Aleppo and Damascus in Syria; Dubai in United Arab Emirates; Yerevan in Armenia; Baku in Azerbaijan; Tbilisi in Georgia; Toronto in Canada; Cancun in Mexico; New York City and Washington, D.C. in the United States; Holguin and Varadero in Cuba; and Puerto Plata and Punta Cana in Dominican Republic.
In Europe, Austrian Airlines fly to Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Within Austria, the airline flies to Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz, Salzburg and Vienna.
Miles & More
Austrian Airlines’ frequent flyer programme is called Miles & More, the largest in Europe with around 15 million members as of 2008. Lufthansa launched this frequent flyer programme in 1993 and is currently utilized by 13 European airlines. The membership is free so anybody is welcome to join.
This programme has three types of miles namely Award Miles, Status Miles and HON Circle Miles. Each type offers different ways of earning miles and statuses. The expiry dates and validity range between a calendar year and 36 months.
Miles can be accrued by flying with Austrian Airlines, fully integrated members of Miles & More and Star Alliance airline partners. Miles can be earned based on actual mileage flown, and service- and booking class. Frequent flyers who choose First Class or Business Class can earn more bonuses.
Miles can be redeemed for award flights, upgrades and members can even donate it to a worthy cause. Based on the flyer’s status, benefits may include access to business lounges of member-, partner- and Star Alliance airlines, access to Lufthansa’s frequent traveller lounge, business class check in, 25% executive bonus on award, status and HON Circle miles, unlimited validity for accumulated miles, increased registered baggage allowance, booking guarantee, eVouchers, limousine service, priority baggage handling, personal assistant at Lufthansa cities, first class terminal access and Star Alliance benefits.
Star Alliance
Austrian Airlines is a member of the world’s largest airline alliance in the world, Star Alliance.
There are two tier statuses that frequent flyers can achieve when they accumulate required miles: Silver and Gold. Depending on the member airline’s frequent flyer programme, benefits from Star Alliance may include priority in reservations waitlisting, standby, boarding, airport check in, baggage handling, additional checked luggage allowance, airport lounge access, preferred seating, guaranteed seating even when the flight is fully booked and upgrades.
Austrian Airlines joined Star Alliance in 2000. It now has 21 full members.