Air France vs Austrian
On the best documented aircraft, Air France scores 10/10 for the business seat and Austrian 8/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply.
By Jon Miksis · comparison updated
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What matters for your booking
Business fares
Of 12 shared business routes, Air France was cheaper on 0, Austrian on 12, and 0 were the same price.
Economy fares
Of 10 shared economy routes, Air France was cheaper on 0, Austrian on 10, and 0 were the same price.
Start with your route and cabin. A fare advantage in economy does not establish a business-class bargain, and a better seat does not establish that a connection or a higher fare is worth it for your trip.
The business seats being compared
These are each airline’s best-scoring documented business aircraft. The fare grid does not identify aircraft, so the seat below is not promised with any fare in the table. Service and food require a separate firsthand review.
Air France
A350-900 / 777 (new Business Suite)
- Seat layout
- 1-2-1
- Fully flat bed
- Yes
- Direct aisle access at every seat
- Yes
- Privacy door
- Yes
- Seat score
- 10/10
- Wi-Fi
- Paid in the recorded product
- Lounge access
- Included in the recorded fare
- Checked bags
- 2
Cabin checked .
Recorded source: Air France fleet pages, A350 seat maps.
Austrian
787-9
- Seat layout
- 1-2-1
- Fully flat bed
- Yes
- Direct aisle access at every seat
- Yes
- Privacy door
- No
- Seat score
- 8/10
- Wi-Fi
- Paid in the recorded product
- Lounge access
- Included in the recorded fare
- Checked bags
- 2
Cabin checked .
Recorded source: Runway Girl Network and Monkey Miles 787-9 reviews (Collins Super Diamond, no doors).
Seat scores describe bed, aisle access and privacy door only. Read the scoring method. A tie does not compare comfort, food, service or reliability.
Check the aircraft on Air France
A350-900 / 777 (new Business Suite): 10/10 for the seat. This row describes the new Business Suite, not every Air France aircraft. Check the actual configuration and fare conditions; an aircraft-family name does not establish a door or the included benefits. Recorded August 30, 2026.
Check the aircraft on Austrian
787-9: 8/10 for the seat. The 777-200ER is Austrian's other US aircraft and alternates 1-2-1 and 2-2-2 rows, so which row you are in decides whether you climb over someone. Recorded September 1, 2026.
777-200ER: 5/10 for the seat. Thompson Vantage in alternating 1-2-1 and 2-2-2 rows. Recorded as no direct aisle access because the field means every seat, and here it is row-dependent. Recorded September 1, 2026.
Compare the fares and the routing
Each row compares the same airports, cabin, travel dates and observation date. It can still compare a nonstop against a connection. Journey times, aircraft, baggage allowances and change rules were not recorded with these fares; check those before treating the price difference as a saving.
Showing 12 of 12 matched business routes. Round trip per person in USD, for travel November 8–14, 2026.
| Route and observation date | Air France | Austrian | Price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Boston (BOS) → Florence (FLR) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $7,519Connects via CDG | $4,568Connects via VIE | Austrian was $2,951 less |
Boston (BOS) → Prague (PRG) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $7,379Connects via CDG | $5,294Connects via VIE | Austrian was $2,085 less |
Boston (BOS) → Hamburg (HAM) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $8,916Connects via CDG | $5,348Connects via VIE | Austrian was $3,568 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Copenhagen (CPH) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,830Connects via CDG | $5,667Connects via VIE | Austrian was $163 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $7,366Connects via CDG | $5,978Connects via VIE | Austrian was $1,388 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Venice (VCE) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $14,393Connects via CDG | $5,993Connects via VIE | Austrian was $8,400 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Prague (PRG) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $10,219Connects via CDG | $5,996Connects via VIE | Austrian was $4,223 less |
Boston (BOS) → Budapest (BUD) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $10,679Connects via CDG | $5,998Connects via VIE | Austrian was $4,681 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Budapest (BUD) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $10,129Connects via CDG | $6,005Connects via VIE | Austrian was $4,124 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Athens (ATH) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $14,211Connects via CDG | $6,119Connects via VIE | Austrian was $8,092 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Hamburg (HAM) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $10,181Connects via CDG | $6,851Connects via VIE | Austrian was $3,330 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Nice (NCE) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $14,237Connects via CDG | $6,924Connects via VIE | Austrian was $7,313 less |
Your airport missing? Check the full route tool for the airlines we observed there. Confirm current fares, journey time, baggage and ticket rules before booking.
Before paying for the ticket
- Check the exact operating airline and seat map on every long flight, including the return. An airline name or business-class label alone does not guarantee a flat bed or aisle access.
- Compare total journey time and connection length. A lower fare may buy a much longer trip.
- Reprice with your bags, preferred seats and change rules included. These observations do not establish that the tickets have identical restrictions.
- Check other airlines on the route. Being cheaper than the other airline on this page does not establish the cheapest fare in the market.
Common questions
- Is Air France or Austrian better in business class to Europe?
- On the best documented aircraft, Air France scores 10/10 for the business seat and Austrian 8/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply. Of 12 shared business routes, Air France was cheaper on 0, Austrian on 12, and 0 were the same price. Service and food are not scored in this comparison. These are observations for travel November 8–14, 2026, not current quotes.
- Which is cheaper, Air France or Austrian?
- Of 12 shared business routes, Air France was cheaper on 0, Austrian on 12, and 0 were the same price. Of 10 shared economy routes, Air France was cheaper on 0, Austrian on 10, and 0 were the same price. Both counts refer to travel November 8–14, 2026. A cheaper fare may involve a connection; compare the itinerary as well as the price.
- Will I get the business seat shown here?
- These cards describe the named aircraft in our cabin records, not a seat guaranteed on every flight. At least one of these airlines has a recorded aircraft or cabin variation. Check the operating airline, seat map and aircraft for every segment before paying; equipment can change. The fare observations do not record the aircraft.
- Has Jon flown these business cabins?
- Air France business class is not on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. Austrian business class is not on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. That records the airline and cabin, not every aircraft or itinerary. This page compares documented specifications and dated fares.
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