Review: Austrian Senator Lounge Vienna Airport (Schengen)
This review covers my visit to the Austrian Airlines Senator Lounge at the F gates (Schengen zone departures) in Terminal 3 of Vienna Airport (VIE).
Vienna Airport
On a recent trip to Slovakia and Austria, I had the opportunity to check out and review a couple of Austrian Airlines lounges at Vienna Airport.
Although my flight on an Austrian Airbus A321 was departing from the non-Schengen terminal, I also had a look at the Austrian Senator Lounge for Schengen flights, which I will review in this article.
Austrian lounges at Vienna Airport
Austrian Airlines, along with most other Star Alliance carriers, uses Terminal 3 at Vienna Airport.
After checking in for my flight at the priority check-in desks, I proceeded to the fast track security, which I swiftly cleared in just a minute due as there was no queue at all.
Once you have cleared security, you can head in two directions.
Austrian Airlines flights within the Schengen zone use the F gates at Terminal 3 of Vienna Airport, while flights to non-Schengen destinations use the G gates.
Of course, there are no passport checks for Schengen zone flights, but you will have to clear border control in order to reach the non-Schengen part of the terminal.
There are Austrian Airlines lounges at both the F and G gates of Vienna Airport Terminal 3, and I decided to check out their Schengen lounge at the F gates first before proceeding to passport control and the Austrian non-Schengen lounge at the G gates.
Austrian lounge entry requirements
Austrian Airlines provides two airport lounges for passengers departing Vienna on flights to destinations within Europe’s Schengen area: The Austrian Business Lounge, and the Austrian Senator Lounge.
The Business Lounge is the designated lounge for business class passengers, while the Senator Lounge is for frequent flyers with Star Alliance gold status.
If you are flying in business class and have Star Alliance gold status, you are typically directed to the Senator Lounge, it being the more premium of the two lounges, although in this scenario you can also access the Business Lounge if you prefer.
Besides eligible passengers flying on Austrian Airlines, the Austrian Business and Senator Lounge also welcomes eligible passengers flying on other Star Alliance carriers such as Lufthansa and Swiss, as well as those flying with Luxair.
Note that special entry requirements apply to passengers flying Eurowings, a Lufthansa subsidiary that isn’t formally part of Star Alliance.
To access on of the Austrian lounges as a Eurowings passenger, you must have either purchased a “best” fare ticket or hold a “smart” fare ticket in combination with Miles & More Frequent Traveller, Senator, or HON Circle status.
Passengers holding HON Circle status, which is the highest status within Lufthansa Miles & More, can also access the Austrian Business or Senator Lounge at Vienna Airport with a “basic” fare ticket when flying with Eurowings.
Both the Austrian Business Lounge and the Senator Lounge at the F gates Schengen concourse of Terminal 3 are open from 5am until 10.30pm – essentially from the first departure until the last flight of the day.
Buying lounge access
It is possible to buy access to the Austrian Business Lounge (but not the Senator Lounge), with prices starting at €44 depending on the airline you fly with, as well as the travel class.
However, lounge access for paying passengers is subject to availability.
If you want to purchase a day pass for the Austrian Business Lounge, you can do so in advance through the Austrian Airlines website, or simply pay by card at the reception desk.
None of the Austrian Airlines lounges at Vienna Airport can be accessed with Priority Pass, although it is possible to access the Austrian Business Lounge through DragonPass (but not the Senator Lounge).
First impressions of the Austrian Schengen Lounge
As I was flying in economy class but have Star Alliance gold status, I was directed to the Senator Lounge.
Unlike the Swiss Senator Lounges or Lufthansa Senator Lounges, which are certainly superior to the standard business lounges of those airlines, the difference between the Austrian Airlines Senator Lounge and Business Lounge at Vienna Airport is negligible, as both essentially offer the same amenities and food and beverage options.
The Austrian Airlines Senator Lounge for Schengen departures is essentially one rectangular room, with half of it occupied by the buffet and some dining tables, while the other half consists of additional seating.
Almost all the seats in the Austrian Senator Lounge are simple leather chairs centred around dining tables, although there are also some high-top chairs and tables.
The best seats are the loungers with ottomans by the windows, as these seats are not only the most comfortable, but also provide some decent views over the apron and planespotting opportunities.
The Austrian Senator Lounge in the Schengen terminal isn’t that big in size, and I noticed that the space filled up quite quickly, so you shouldn’t anticipate a lot of privacy.
Another aspect I quickly noted is how dull the lounge feels.
Apart from a couple of fake trees, and one or two paintings on the walls, there weren’t any decorative elements, and the dozens of red, grey, and lime green chairs gave the lounge the appearance of an office canteen or lobby restaurant of a budget chain hotel.
Food buffet
The Austrian Senator Lounge in the Schengen departures terminal of Vienna Airport features a decent food buffet offering both cold and hot options.
At the self-serve buffet, there was a selection of breads, cereals, fruits, yogurt, cheese, cold cuts, as well as some basic salad options such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
The Austrian Senator Lounge also offers a soup of the day, which during my visit was yellow bell pepper soup.
You will also find some snacks such as pretzels, crisps, nuts, cake, and candies at the buffet.
Each day, two different types of cooked food are available as well, with the hot food typically being served by one of the lounge attendants.
During my visit to the Austrian Lounge, the cooked food options were sarma (cabbage leaves filled with minced meat) and a vegetarian lentil curry.
Weirdly, these foods were served with either pasta or potatoes, which I found to be a rather unusual choice of side dish for both.
Nevertheless, the quality of the food that I tried at the Austrian Senator Lounge was quite good, although I do think the selection could be expanded a bit.
Drinks selection
The drinks selection at the Austrian Senator Lounge at Vienna Airport was quite impressive – both when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks, as well as to booze.
All drinks, including alcohol, are self-serve from the buffet area.
The Austrian Airlines Lounge offers coffee machines serving good quality Julius Meinl coffee, as well as a decent selection of teas and hot chocolate.
I thought the sign with instructions how to make your own Viennese speciality coffee with whipped cream was a nice touch, as it added a bit of local Austrian flavour to the lounge experience.
At the buffet, you will find bottles of still and sparkling water in the fridges, as well as dispensers with infused water.
Natural orange and apple juice are also available, and in the fridges, you can find not only the main international soft drink brands but also Austrian favourites such as Almdudler.
There is also a good selection of beer, with bottles of Gösser, Gösser lemon radler, Zipfer, Wieselburger, and Heineken available in the fridges.
When it comes to wine, the Senator Lounge offers two types of white, two types of red, as well as surprisingly drinkable biological Austrian sparkling wine.
Also the selection of liqueurs and strong alcohol at was good, with Martini, Campari, Aperol, Kartoff Vodka, Gordon’s Gin, Courvoisier VS Cognac, Jack Daniel’s Bourbon, Jameson Whiskey, and Johnny Walker Red Label Whisky being available.
Other lounge facilities
The Austrian Airlines Senator Lounge shares toilet facilities with the adjacent Business Lounge, and you’ll find the door leading to the toilets in the corridor where the reception desk is located.
There are also shower rooms available at the Austrian Schengen Lounge, although I didn’t try them out.
Apart from that, there aren’t really any other noteworthy lounge facilities.
Unfortunately, neither the Austrian Senator Lounge nor the adjacent Business Lounge have a business centre or any workstations or cubicles.
If the lounge is near capacity, even finding a place to sit with access to a power socket can be difficult.
On the plus side, the Wi-Fi internet in the lounge was fast.
My lounge experience
During my time in the Austrian Senator Lounge at the Schengen departures concourse of Terminal 3, I enjoyed a beer, some food, as well as a coffee and some cake.
For a meal and some drinks, I found the lounge to be solid, although it got so crowded at a certain point during my visit that it didn’t make for a great place to get some work done or to sit in quietness.
Conclusion
The Austrian Airlines Senator Lounge in the Schengen departures area of Vienna Airport (VIE) is a decent, but also a rather boring lounge.
Let’s begin with the positive aspects of this lounge.
The food buffet at the Austrian Senator Lounge was quite good, offering a decent cold buffet, soup, and two hot dishes.
With Julius Meinl coffee specialties, a wide selection of beers, some good Austrian wine, and a couple of mid-shelf liqueurs, the drinks selection at the Austrian Senator Lounge was very good.
However, the Austrian Senator Lounge for Schengen flights at Vienna Airport also has a couple of downsides.
The Austrian Schengen Lounge tends to get crowded quite quickly, and coupled with the lacklustre lounge design and limited amount of privacy it can make the whole experience feel a bit underwhelming.
If all you need is a quick meal or some drinks, the Austrian Senator Lounge at the Schengen concourse of Vienna Airport Terminal 3 is a solid choice, but it does become boring quickly if you have a longer layover.
