Austrian Airlines business class - Vienna to Beijing

Flying Austrian Airlines Vienna to Beijing in business class

Austrian countryside, as seen a few minutes after take-off

The dinner menu with five courses

And the drinks selection

 

Champagne and nuts

The antipasti trolley

Here's a mixed plate of antipasti

The second course - soup - was served at each seat like in a fancy restaurant.

Creamy fennel soup and tomato crostini

Main: braised veal with sweet corn Mousseline and root vegetables

After the main course, the "Coffee Menu was distributed". Impressive selection!

"Welcome to the Viennese coffee house above the clouds"

The dessert trolley (oddly, it was brought before the cheese trolley)

Again, a little of everything. The Topfennockerl (traditional sweet curd dumpling) with its plum ragout was really good, as was the dessert wine (Kracher cuvée Beerenauslese).

While enjoying dessert,  the cheese trolley was finally brought.

By then, my coffee drink was ready: Wiener Eiskaffee (double espresso served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream). Decadent!

After dinner service, the lights were dimmed and it was time to sleep. About 1h45 before landing, just south of Ulanbaatar, breakfast was served.

My breakfast selection (chosen before take-off) was brought:
Plain yogurt and granola
Eggs sunny-side up
Fresh fruits
Breads, jams, Nutella

The eggs were plain disgusting. Moreover, the smells of "fried" eggs and bacon were stinking the cabin.

Fruit smoothie (nice!) and hot chocolate

Seconds before touchdown

Taxiing to the gate

Brussels Airlines Star Alliance temporary Lounge - Brussels Airport Pier A

Review of Brussels Airlines Star Alliance temporary Lounge - Brussels Airport Pier A

The Brussels Airlines' Schengen lounge at Brussels Airport (Pier A) is closed for renovation works since April 2014. As a replacement, a temporary lounge has been opened two floors down at gate A39. Let's begin our photo tour.

The lounge entrance

Seating area just after the reception desk, with food & beverages corner at the end

 

Selection of newspapers and magazines

The view was nothing special: no runway views and only a few planes at faraway gates

Here's the food & beverage corner:

Breads and spreads (jam, Nutella, honey), pastries, soup

Wines (white, rosé, Cava), water, some fruits, cheeses, olives and sandwiches

 
More drinks

Beers (Leffe blonde, Leffe brune, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois)

There were also a few bottles of red wine and liquors on a counter (forgot to take a photo).

Tea and coffee

So basically this temporary lounge offers the same as the permanent lounge under renovation with two extras: it looks more modern since it's new and it has restrooms attached. The only two annoyances, however, are the limited space (it does feel cramped) and the boring view. We look forward to discovering the renovated lounge at the end of 2014, hopefully with shower facilities and a rest area!