In a new chapter of cultural connection, City News Service (CNS), a comprehensive information platform for all things Shanghai, has partnered with Austrian Airlines to launch another themed flight – this time blending two cities and one global obsession: coffee.
A passenger collects a CNS boarding pass and a coffee-themed luggage tag before boarding the themed flight.
The flights, titled "From Beans to Boarding: A Tale of Two Cities," took off on June 30 and July 7, linking Vienna and Shanghai not just by air, but by aroma. Coffee served as the medium, evoking both cities' deep-rooted connections to the brew – Vienna with its storied coffeehouses, and Shanghai with its fast-evolving café culture.
The flight crew pose for photos using CNS handheld signs.
Coffee first arrived in Shanghai in the 19th century. Over time, the city's relationship with the drink has matured into a full-blown identity. Today, with thousands of cafés across its neighborhoods, Shanghai boasts a uniquely localized coffee scene – experimental, cosmopolitan and ever-changing, much like the city itself.
Vienna, by contrast, offers old-world elegance. The city's first profitable coffeehouse opened in the late 1600s, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, they had become the chosen haunts of cultural titans such as Mozart, Beethoven and Josef Strauss. These salons of caffeine and conversation evolved into literary institutions – spaces for debate, composition, and reflection – eventually earning recognition by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
CNS-themed flight commemorative boarding pass
Onboard, passengers were invited into this legacy at 10,000 meters above the ground. Austrian Airlines, recently awarded Best Cabin Crew in Europe by Skytrax 2025, delivered a curated Viennese coffeehouse experience in the sky. Business Class travelers sipped their way through more than ten varieties of classic Austrian coffee, paired with traditional desserts in an exclusive "Café in the Clouds."
But the experience extended beyond service. CNS orchestrated a full sensory journey, complete with interactive quizzes, lucky draws, and keepsake boarding passes created especially for the occasion. Passengers penned postcards about their hopes for the journey ahead – whether arriving in Shanghai or Vienna – creating mementos that were part travel journal, part cultural bridge.
Postcard for on-board travellers
"Coffee is not just a drink – it's a cultural vehicle," Austrian Airlines said in a statement. "We hope Chinese travelers will explore Vienna's iconic cafes and its artistic heritage, just as we invite Western travelers to experience Shanghai's dynamic, inventive cafe scene."
Local partners added flavor to the experience. Italian eatery Mammamia provided coffee vouchers to introduce passengers to authentic Italian brews in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the iconic Shanghai Tower contributed observatory tickets for prize winners, offering a literal high point from which to appreciate the city's ever-shifting skyline.
The result was more than a themed flight. It was a curated moment of cultural exchange – an airborne reminder that something as simple as a cup of coffee can foster connection, memories and understanding.
With initiatives like these, CNS continues to reimagine the traveler's journey – not only as a means of getting from one place to another, but as an invitation to engage, discover and savor along the way.