Smart Car Promotes Austrian Airlines

Cute-as-a-button mini-car on the streets of New York & Washington

I first spotted Smart Cars in Europe -- maybe even in Vienna -- and was captivated by their adorable fuel-efficient and space-saving qualities. Now, some years later, Smart Cars are not an unusual sight on the streets of Boulder. Smart Cars in Austrian Airlines livery and sporting a little airplane-style tail section are plying the streets of New York and Washington to promote the carrier's business class service. If you spot one and peer inside, you'll see that the driver is dressed like an airline pilot.


The concept behind this whimsical campaign is to position Austrian Airlines business class as providing "the smartest ride to Europe." The cars will be in New York until Labor Day and then for the the following two weeks in Washington, D.C. Adding an extra element of "cool," the uniformed "street team" are handing out free bottles of cold water to passersby.

Business class is appealing to travelers who aren't on a budget, but for those minding their travel dollars, the back of Austrian Airlines' planes fly between Vienna and New York, Washington and Toronto (and other world cities) on the same schedule as the front of the plane -- and economy-class travel really is much more in the Smart Car spirit than business class. In fact, the Austrian Airlines Vacation Center is currently booking air-and-land packages for fall for as little as $999 per person, per week. That's what I call smart!