Austrian vs Lufthansa
On the best documented aircraft, Austrian scores 8/10 for the business seat and Lufthansa 10/10. 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 15 shared business routes, Austrian was cheaper on 5, Lufthansa on 10, and 0 were the same price.
Economy fares
Of 16 shared economy routes, Austrian was cheaper on 4, Lufthansa on 12, 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.
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).
Lufthansa
A350-900 (Allegris Business Class 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: Lufthansa Allegris pages, Lufthansa Group rollout notes.
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 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.
Check the aircraft on Lufthansa
A350-900 (Allegris Business Class Suite): 10/10 for the seat. This door-equipped record describes the Allegris Business Class Suite, not every Allegris seat. Classic seats have direct aisle access but no suite door; seat-selection charges and available configurations vary. Confirm the named seat and operating flight before paying for it. Recorded August 30, 2026.
747-8 / A330-300 (legacy): 5/10 for the seat. This record describes a legacy paired-seat configuration. The aircraft family alone does not establish the cabin or seat on a particular booking; check the flight-specific seat map. Recorded August 30, 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 15 matched business routes. Round trip per person in USD, for travel November 8–14, 2026.
| Route and observation date | Austrian | Lufthansa | Price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Boston (BOS) → Prague (PRG) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,294Connects via VIE | $5,466Connects via MUC | Austrian was $172 less |
Boston (BOS) → Berlin (BER) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,344Connects via VIE | $5,340Connects via MUC | Lufthansa was $4 less |
Boston (BOS) → Hamburg (HAM) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,348Connects via VIE | $5,344Connects via MUC | Lufthansa was $4 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,978Connects via VIE | $5,994Connects via FRA | Austrian was $16 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Prague (PRG) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,996Connects via VIE | $5,992Connects via MUC | Lufthansa was $4 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Venice (VCE) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,993Connects via VIE | $6,009Connects via FRA | Austrian was $16 less |
Boston (BOS) → Budapest (BUD) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,998Connects via VIE | $5,994Connects via MUC | Lufthansa was $4 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Budapest (BUD) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $6,005Connects via VIE | $6,019Connects via FRA | Austrian was $14 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Munich (MUC) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $6,068Connects via VIE | $6,044Nonstop | Lufthansa was $24 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Berlin (BER) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $6,048Connects via VIE | $6,064Connects via FRA | Austrian was $16 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Krakow (KRK) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $6,402Connects via VIE | $6,398Connects via MUC | Lufthansa was $4 less |
Washington DC (IAD) → Oslo (OSL) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $6,809Connects via VIE | $6,805Connects via MUC | Lufthansa was $4 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 Austrian or Lufthansa better in business class to Europe?
- On the best documented aircraft, Austrian scores 8/10 for the business seat and Lufthansa 10/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply. Of 15 shared business routes, Austrian was cheaper on 5, Lufthansa on 10, 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, Austrian or Lufthansa?
- Of 15 shared business routes, Austrian was cheaper on 5, Lufthansa on 10, and 0 were the same price. Of 16 shared economy routes, Austrian was cheaper on 4, Lufthansa on 12, 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?
- Austrian business class is not on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. Lufthansa business class is 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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