Flying to the Maldives in basic economy with Austrian. Ok the price is right, but the rest just isn't

The Maldives at Christmas time is one of the most expensive destinations: It's like trying to go to the Emerald Coast the week of Ferragosto., although perhaps Sardinia is still more expensive.

Specifications

Aircraft:

777/200

Class:

Economy

Treat:

VIE - MLE

Price:

200

Book

When I found these two round-trip tickets for less than 800€, 400 each, I didn't let them pass me by. Also because. the goal of this vacation was to spend as little as possible In one of the most expensive destinations on earth. Starting with booking your stay at Hilton's newest resort, a facility with a minimum price close to 2,000 euros per night, and which of course I booked with points without spending a single euro.

Reservation

I booked these two tickets through the American Express travel portal. And never was a more apt choice.

This is not false advertising or "marketeering": this was the salvation of my journey since since the day of booking, the itinerary and carriers included in this ticket have changed no less than 5 times, and each time it was Amex that handled the booking, to discuss with Austrian, Swiss and Lufthansa, that is, the companies that were involved in this itinerary from time to time.

Initially I was supposed to travel with Austrian and Edelweiss. The latter is a charter company of the Swiss group. Then the return was supposed to be aboard Eurowings, but as mentioned in the various months there were changes upon changes, cancellation after cancellation. In the end the itinerary was Nice/Vienna/Malé on the outward journey and Malé/Vienna/Frankfurt/Nice on return.

The first leg

Our journey began in Nice, from Terminal 1, which reopened after a two-year pandemic.

A quick stop in the Library Lounge and then the classic intra-EU flight in economy. All Lufthansa Group airlines have eliminated the free service for economy passengers by offering the opportunity to buy premium products in return.

The flight to Vienna took a little over 90 minutes; as soon as we landed, we headed for the G gates, which are those for non-Schengen flights.

The Senator Lounge

Austrian has two lounges in Terminal 3, one for passengers on European flights and one for intercontinental flights.

Both offer both the classic business lounge and the Senators' lounge. Obviously flying basic economy I would not have had access to any lounge, but fortunately having Gold Star Alliance status, thanks to my Singapore Airlines loyalty program card, we had access to the more exclusive, and less crowded, lounge.

Given that this airport is the home of Austrian and that this is the group's most important lounge, along with the small room dedicated to HON and first class passengers, is by far the saddest official lounge I have ever visited in my life. Even worse than the TAP lounge in Lisbon.

It offers virtually nothing but a small buffet and a television.

On board

We headed to the gate fairly early, flying in economy we wanted to take advantage at 100% of Gold status and then board as soon as possible so we could take pictures of the plane and not have problems with the space in hatbox.

The flight is operated with the 777/200, the only aircraft in Austrian's fleet dedicated to long-haul. These triple sevens are fitted out in 3 cabins.

Business; premium economy; and, of course, tourist class.

Our seats were in row 19. The configuration of these planes is the classic one with 10 seats per row, i.e. 3-4-3, probably the worst in the world in terms of personal space. Perhaps even Ryanair in its 737s gives a few extra inches to passengers in terms of seat width.

The 777 is the model that has made history over the past 20 years for Boeing, but now it feels all the years it bears, especially compared to Airbus' 787 and A350, which is 10 times better.

The legroom is just right, the seat although thin is comfortable, but as mentioned, too narrow.

The height-adjustable headrest with folding sides can hold your head without plummeting onto your neighbor's shoulders. The air vents are missing, And that is a huge problem in my opinion. Then if your neighbor has digestion problems and produces gas in a continuous stream, then the deficiency is even more serious.

It's tight, very tight. Unfortunately, the 777 with this setup every cm is used. The small table is essential and being the passenger "in the middle" is an experience. When I travel in economy I prefer the A330 because it has one less seat per row and that translates into more space, even if it is only a few cm, and higher quality on board.

De-Icing

Given the subzero temperature, we had to take a hot shower before taking off. Routine operation when taking off in these kinds of weather conditions. Being seated window-side, right on the wing, gives a pleasant diversion during the boarding stages.

Food & Beverage

Of course, we are in economy, so you have to do the tare when evaluating catering bids, but I must say that I definitely expected something better and the difference from the business class treatment is really huge.

First, service was quite slow. About 20 minutes after the belt requirement was turned off, the distribution of a package of savory appetizers began, followed by the beverage cart.

Then almost two hours of nothingness passed, until the distribution always started at the dinner cart.

For passengers, there is no choice about what to eat, there is no menu, nor is there any mention of what will be served. Sure, on Austrian's website it is possible to order special menus based on diets, allergies, or religion, but during the flight the proposal is "either this or this. The tray contained a pasta, edible, with a sauce alla norma (from 6-), a micro salad with a cherry tomato (not good), and a cake that you couldn't tell if it was chocolate or walnut (really bad).

About 90 minutes before landing, a small snack was served, an equally unappetizing sandwich and yoghurt.

The service

The classic night flight in which the crew disappears at the speed of light. As mentioned, dinner was served very, very, late. Too slow. Then at the exact instant the last row was cleared the cabin lights were turned off.

My classic test about 3 hours after landing was not passed brilliantly, on the contrary. It took more than 5 minutes to intervene After I called the assistant And another 6 minutes to receive my glass of Coke Zero.

IFE

The screen is tiny, but it serves its purpose well. It also swivels according to even how the passenger in front of us tilts his or her seat.

Also in the screen are a USB and headphone jacks. Earphones that are made to be found directly in place before takeoff. A power outlet is missing and this is not the best.

The content is really a lot, there are 118 movies, 138 documentaries and episodes of TV series, as much music content and podcasts.  There are 12 games and nothing fancy. Obviously best to bring your own headphones and plug into the system if you want optimal audio. This time unfortunately I was without mine so I had to use the ones provided.

There is no wifi on board and this is really unacceptable. Considering that Austrian offers the service on short to medium haul, that it is not offered on long haul is a really bad thing.

The maps are not navigable. There is a series of slideshows but it is not possible to set up screens other than what the system proposes itself.

In conclusion

Once on board there is no difference between economy passengers based on the price paid. Of course, 400€ to fly to the Maldives is very little, especially around Christmas time. From Austrian, however, I expected more.

The plane is old and objectively uncomfortable, the service is slow, and the quality of the proposed food is questionable. The absence of wifi and at least one power outlet make travel very uncomfortable.

This was probably the worst economy trip this year.

The verdict

We spent really little to fly to the Maldives, and that is to be taken into consideration. However, the fact that we flew on Austrian and not the subsidiaries intended for tourist charters changes the overall assessment. The food was meh, no wi-fi, and minimal cm affect the overall rating of the flight.

5.5

Service

5

IFE

5.5

F&B

6

Cabin and Armchair

5.5

Pro

• The price
• Lots of content in the IFE

Against

• Niete Wi-fi
• Gastronomic offerings
• Little space