Event Showcases The Airline’s Service & The Destination’s First-Class Philosophy For Travelers

Austrian Airlines Tourism Vienna event — A luxurious Bel Air mansion served as the location for a 5-star event put on by Austrian Airlines and Tourism Vienna. Photo: Chris Kelleher

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger

I have yet to take the new non-stop Austrian Airlines fight between Los Angeles and Vienna, but I was flying high with an event the airline put on in L.A., in conjunction with Vienna Tourism, to celebrate the service.

It was held in a mansion, high on a hill in Bel Air that looked down a steep valley into the edge of a reservoir that I previously did not even know existed. I took a breath of fresh air and for a moment thought I was actually in Vienna.

Then I could hear the violins playing. Literally.

That’s because there were violins, as well as a pianist, warming up for a later performance.

Later in the evening, they played while Viennese waltz dancers gracefully moved about on a polished wooden floor performing ballroom dancing. It was an over-the-top, 5-star event at an over-the-top location that very clearly showcased the class and dignity Austrian Airlines wants to convey about its service.

Held primarily for travel agents a few of us travel bloggers, I left impressed enough to want to immediately experience the airline and the city first-hand; heck, I would have left that very night. (Alas, I did not win the free trip to Vienna given out at the event.)

In an entertaining twist, you had to earn your way to enter to win that trip. You had to get a “passport” stamped at a series of stations throughout the mansion by answering Austrian Airlines and Vienna questions, such as how many types of Viennese coffees are served on the flight (the answer is 10).

The event experience was enhanced by a photo room that was created to resemble a Vienna concert hall; you could choose to pose with violins, cellos and other appropriate props. I chose, quite naturally, the attractive girl who was employed to help set up the photo shoots.

A Virtual Reality room put you on stage for a Vienna symphony concert.

Austrian Airlines Tourism Vienna LA event — Austrian wine pairs perfectly with caviar and this view that looks as if it could be in Vienna (but it’s L.A.).

Austrian Airlines Tourism Vienna LA mansion event — People mingle on the deck of the mansion with an Austrian-like view. Photo: Chris Kelleher

There was a press conference with Austrian Airlines executives who talked about the flight, the airline and the service (the airline even has a sommelier on board; for details on the LAX-VIE flights, click here) and I daresay it was the first press conference in a journalism career full of press conferences I have ever attended with a glass of wine.

Yes, there was wine and lots of it, fine Austrian wines (much like the wines from Switzerland, the Austrian whites provide a satisfying taste yet are light enough to enjoy several without having to worry about falling into the infinity pool). There was also champagne and beer from Austria, and I enjoyed a flavor-filled lager.

I left impressed, impressed by Austrian Airlines and Tourism Vienna and absolutely blown away by the event. If this is what the airline offers its passengers and the city its visitors, then I recommend immediately booking a trip.

You, too, will here the violins playing, if not in your head than for real when you arrive in Vienna.