Vienna International Airport

Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien-Schwechat ) is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is just outside the city limits of Vienna on the far side of the City of Schwechat. The airport is the home base of Austrian Airlines.

Understand


Vienna International Airport has one terminal separated into three check-in areas. Check-in 3 is used by the Austrian Airlines Group, Emirates, Qatar and most Star Alliance members. Check-in 1 (formerly known as Terminal 1) is used by various oneworld and SkyTeam airlines. Check-in 2 is being refurbished.


 * Detailed plans of terminals and map of Airport Grounds

Flights
Most European airlines and a significant number of intercontinental airlines have direct connections to Vienna. However, only Austrian Airlines fly to the American continent (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami, Toronto, and Havana), and there is direct service to some countries in Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia and Tunisia). South and Central America are not served directly.

Schwechat is integrated into the Star Alliance network, with all European Star Alliance members having a direct flight from their main hubs (usually country capitals), as well as secondary cities. In particular, Lufthansa, the parent company of Austrian Airlines, flies directly to Vienna from all of their bases, including flights by its low-fare sister airline Eurowings from smaller German airports. Those flights can be booked on a single ticket with Lufthansa or Austrian flights.

Skyteam has a significant presence at the airport - apart from flights from European hubs of most members, there is a direct flight to Seoul-Incheon by Korean Airlines.

Low-fare airlines have a rather small but increasing presence in Schwechat, mainly by Lufthansa Group flights operated by Eurowings and Easyjet. Ryanair prefers to use the nearby airport in Bratislava. Vueling flies between Vienna and Barcelona El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, and Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Rome-Fiumicino, Norwegian has flights to Oslo, and Transavia has direct flights to Rotterdam and Paris-Orly.



Ground transportation
To get to Vienna, you can use two different railway options (cheaper but slower S-Bahn and more expensive but faster CAT), buses or taxis. If your final destination is not Vienna, it might make sense to take one of the direct ICEs (Inter-City Express trains).




 * Long distance trains: ÖBB trains depart to Austria's major cities and Germany, with stops at Vienna Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) and Meidling. Hauptbahnhof has transfer to U1, Meidling to U6. Departs every 30min (at :03 and :33); travel time 18 min to Hauptbahnhof. Good alternative to the City Airport Train. The new private company operating the Austrian network is WESTbahn It only has one route towards Salzburg, stopping at Linz and other major cities. A good place to catch up one of these trains is at Vienna Rennweg, where the line 7 of S-Bahn stops on its way from the airport.
 * Long distance trains: ÖBB trains depart to Austria's major cities and Germany, with stops at Vienna Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) and Meidling. Hauptbahnhof has transfer to U1, Meidling to U6. Departs every 30min (at :03 and :33); travel time 18 min to Hauptbahnhof. Good alternative to the City Airport Train. The new private company operating the Austrian network is WESTbahn It only has one route towards Salzburg, stopping at Linz and other major cities. A good place to catch up one of these trains is at Vienna Rennweg, where the line 7 of S-Bahn stops on its way from the airport.


 * Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz line goes to the city center (District 1). Buses every 30 minutes, operating 24/7, the trip takes 20 minutes. At Schwedenplatz there is a connection to the underground lines U1 and U4 as well as buses and trams. St. Stephans Cathedral (the very center of Vienna) is a five-minute walk away.
 * Westbahnhof-City Hall-Schottentor line is connecting the big train station, with stops on the way near Rathaus and University - a good choice for business travellers. Travel time approx. 45 min.
 * Kaisermühlen VIC/Kagran line goes to Vienna International Center (the UN) and serves hotels in the eastern part of Vienna. Runs hourly and takes 20-45 min. depending upon destination.
 * Kaisermühlen VIC/Kagran line goes to Vienna International Center (the UN) and serves hotels in the eastern part of Vienna. Runs hourly and takes 20-45 min. depending upon destination.





Get around
Schwechat is not an especially complicated or large airport, but do note that while gates B, C and D are close to each other and the check-in area, the lengthy extension containing gates F and G is physically removed and may require some time to traverse if you have a connection to catch. No travellators or people movers are available to help you do that.



Wait
There are three main airport lounges at the Vienna International Airport - the two smaller AIR and JET lounges, as well as the SKY lounge complex divided into the Schengen and Non-Schengen sections. The SKY lounge complex is also where you find the Business Class, Senator and HON Circle Lounges of Austrian Airlines, which can be used by Austrian's passengers with an appropriate flight ticket of a higher class, as well as eligible Miles & More members and other Star Alliance loyalty programmes members.

Wi-Fi is free and not time-limited.

See here for locations of lounges.



Eat and drink
Several gastronomic outlets of various standards are available both airside and landside. They range from McDonald's and Burger King to concessions run by Vienna's famous delicatessen and restaurants. While the burger places have the same prices as in the outside world, the upscale restaurants are pricier than in the city. When on a tight budget, look for one of the supermarkets (Billa, Spar) and buy food for normal supermarket prices.

Buy
Vienna airport has a duty free shopping area with 70 shops. Plan around one hour if you're going to visit every other shop. The shopping area is just after ticket control counters, so you only need to check in before getting to shops, not pass security check nor passport control.

A general grocery store, Billa, can be found downstairs in the check-in area 1. It has Austrian Mozartkugeln and small snacks for usual Austrian prices. Once the check-in passed special prices do apply. In the arrival area there is a Spar supermarket.

Tax refund
Refer to the brochure for locations and tips. Your best bet for receiving tax refund is to find a refund office in the city. Otherwise, indicate that you need to receive tax refund at check-in. You then take any checked luggage containing tax-free purchases to a customs office (right in the check-in area) to get a stamp and drop off the checked luggage; then visit a nearby refund office.

Customs officers don't normally ask you to actually unpack and show your purchases. You will be asked if any applicable purchases are in your hand luggage. Although it is illegal, you may be encouraged to lie to agents, saying that everything is in your checked luggage even if it isn't. This is due to an otherwise tedious process; you have to visit yet another office by the gates. (Especially at the C Gates—there you will have to ring for an officer, wait to be picked up by bus and taken to the a refund office and back to your departure, allow 1 hour for the whole procedure.) Alternatively, you can visit a refund office on arrival in your home country—provided that you visited customs and had your receipts stamped in Vienna. Additional commission or unfavourable exchange rate can apply if refunding in other country.

Connect
The Vienna International Airport has on the new terminal comfortable chairs with plugs. The airport provides free and good internet connection without time limit.

Nearby

 * Vienna — the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre
 * Bratislava is very close to Vienna and buses link both cities and their respective airports to each other.