Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien-Schwechat IATA: VIE) 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.
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.
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.
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).
Departure is one level below arrival on a separate platform from the CAT. Tickets can be purchased from the red vending machines (credit cards accepted). There are vending machines next to the ramp in the arrivals hall, on the mezzanine level down the ramp, and on the platform. A single ticket to Vienna costs €4.20 and includes the use of subways, trams, and buses. The new operating system of the machines can be confusing. You first choose who is travelling (number of people and which discounts apply), then you choose your connection (S-Bahn S7). If you already have a travel pass for the core zone (Zone 100), you only need to buy a ticket from the airport to Schwechat, where the core zone starts (€1.90 in Aug. 2022). Other variants using the zone system are possible (at the VOR homepage, point at Tickets & Preise and click on Wochen/Monatskarten and Tarifzonenplan). Ticket controls are infrequent but conductors do not hesitate to fine anyone (€ 100) without a valid ticket, and being a tourist is not a valid excuse. Be sure to validate the tickets with the machine before boarding the train. €4.10 each way 2016-08-06
Vienna AirportLines Bus. 05:00-24:00. Direct buses drive frequently between Vienna International Airport and assorted points in Vienna. Operated by Postbus. Tickets can be purchased with cash from the operator. Service animals, as well as small pets in carriers are permitted, free of charge. All routes: One way €8, Round-trip €11
Taxi. Cab fare is not set, so agree before getting in; to anywhere for €25-30. If you don't care to negotiate, or your destination is at the northern or western edge of the city, a pre-booked flat-rate transfer is likely cheaper and easier. There are several offices at arrivals. Note, that when catching a taxi on the street, the driver has to charge an empty ride back from the airport to the Vienna city limits, as a taxi from Vienna is not allowed to accept passengers outside of the city. Therefore, a pre-booked transfer might be cheaper.
Shuttle provided by hotel. Select Vienna hotels offer guests shuttle service to and from the airport, usually for a fee that's cheaper than a taxi, sometimes you will share the shuttle with guests from your own or nearby hotels.
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.
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 (dead link: January 2023).
A number of gastronomic outlets of various standards is available both airside and landside. Those 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.
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.
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.
The Vienna International Airport has on the new terminal comfortable chairs with plugs. The airport provides free and good internet connection without time limit.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division