LOT Business Class Warsaw to JFK July 2016
Jul 27, 2016, 2:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
LOT Business Class Warsaw to JFK July 2016
Trip Report: LOT Business Class Warsaw to JFK July 2016
If you ask me a week ago, flying LOT Polish Airlines is definitely not in my agenda. However, after returning to my hotel room after the Swiss’ CS100 inaugural, I saw a military coup in Turkey, so I immediately got into action in finding a flight home. Knowing the situation at Turkey, TK can’t be really running normally, but I need to be home. So I decide to seek an alternative. Iceland Air business class is the cheapest, but I did not manage to buy the ticket before midnight. So I ended up finding a somehow affordable one-way ticket from Zurich to JFK via Warsaw on LX in the first leg, and then LOT business class in the second leg. I have read a few LOT Polish airlines’ business class so my expectation is reasonable. For the price I paid for a literally less than 1 day advance purchase, LOT does the job, and obviously there is much room for improvement, especially if it wants to climb up to the top tier level. For a mid-tier European airline, it is a good airline. Everyone except the immigration officers are friendly and polite.
Full album link:
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...AWJFK07162016J
July 16, 2016
LO 26 WAW-JFK Lv1725 Arr2030 Boeing 787-8 SP-LRD
Booking:
I used a third party website obviously, as LOT Polish airlines actually has a much higher fare for the same flight and it does not allow me to take a later flight with a shorter connection. But once the third party website provides me with the reservation numbers, I am able to select seats on LOT website, and as you can imagine, there are not many choices left. They also recognized my Star Gold status and I am convinced that that’s the reason why I was the only one with two seats to myself. I picked 1E because 1F was blocked, so I guess my risk paid off. But I rate LOT’s website with high marks.
Check-in:
I checked in with Swiss at Zurich and the business class was busy, but not much waits. The friendly agent checked me all the way through to JFK, and even printed out my onward boarding pass to JFK. Star Alliance actually works seamlessly. I am not going to write much about the Helvetic Airlines’ Fokker 100 flight, except I appreciate the nice legroom on the front sections of the plane but those smaller overhead bins are issues. I also like the hot meals served, which I did not expect. Here are the pictures of the Chicken Schnitzel lunch served on my flight. Dessert was the same as my previous CS 100 flight.
Planespotting:
Transit:
Transit at Warsaw was easy and please note that the real LOT Polish Airlines lounge is before immigration. So don’t go through immigration first if you want to go to the lounge. Or else you will have to visit the more generic joint lounge, Bolero lounge.
Entrance to the lounge
Lot names its business class lounge Polonez, and then the lounge is pretty decently sized. It got busier as the day proceeds. My favorite part of the lounge is these designer swinging lounge chairs.
For LOT Polish Airlines’ own top tier elite members and all business class passengers to Asia and North America, you actually have access to the Elite Club lounge. The agents at the lounge entrance did not tell me that fact, but since I read it in my website, I just walked in and the agent said yes of course. I feel that LOT Polish Airlines needs to tell passengers that they have access to this smaller but slightly quieter and nicer lounge. If I did not read it in the website, I would have missed it.
It is a nice lounge with better food spread.
Nice resting area in the back – lounge chairs
Quiet area – most people missed it.
Boarding:
Since I wanted to board first, I headed to immigration early. The agent was not particularly friendly but I guess it was expected. The gate today, A13, did not allow me a good view of the plane, but the gate was very busy as you could tell. Qatar was next door getting ready to board too. However, the agent was very friendly and he recognized my business class status.
Boarding began at 4:50pm and two F/As were greeting passengers at the entrance. One of the F/A told me where my seats were and the leading J F/A said hi. I asked for permission to take some cabin shots, and she said, “of course, and here is our new Dreamliner!”
Windows
You will notice that on each seat – there is a napkin with wet nap, along with bottled waters.
You also notice that there is a “bed sheet” at the footrest too.
Entertainment remote control
Headset
Amenity kit – that is the most un-premium part of the whole experience. This kit will be a great economy amenity kit a decade ago. There are really nothing premium about it.
One of the unique pre-flight service, apart from the choice of OJ/Champagne/Water, is the amuse bouche service. It is a nice move to have a bite prior to takeoff.
Today’s canapé is a meat terrine with berries tartlet.
Menus are also passed out.
Boarding was completed at 4:20pm, but then the F/A noticed some water leak in the carpet next to the forward lavatory right in front of my seat 1E. The cockpit crews and the ground crews eventually took a look and fixed the problem. We eventually pushed back at 5:44pm, and traffic was light at this time of the day. We took off at 6pm from R/W33 in a rainy late afternoon in Poland.
Today’s flying time was eight hours and thirty-six minutes with a routing towards the North. We headed towards Gdanski, as we climbed to 38,000ft. Then we passed Kulk, Ljungby, Larvik, and then towards Greenland. We climbed to 40,000ft and then into Newfoundland, Mont-Saint-Pierre, Dover-Foxcroft, Portsmouth, Boston, Providence and then into New York JFK.
I first took a look at the entertainment system, which was average with some Hollywood movies, as long as limited international movies from places that LOT flew to, as well as Polish movies and television programs. There were some common American sitcoms but not enough to last for more than two hours.
Cabin service soon began in business class with fresh linen to cover our tables. I love the LOT branding.
Here is the wine list:
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve AOC
White Wines
La Foret Bourgogne, Joseph Drouhin, Chardonnay
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
Saphira Winna Gora, Marek Krojcig Riesling Stara Wanna Gora, k. Zielonej Gory, Polska
Red Wine
Mas Elena, Pares Balta, Merlot, Cabernet Suavignon, Cabernet Franc, Penedes, Espana
Casa Lapostolle, Merlot, Rapel Valley, Chile
Tibilsi Red Dry, Iveriuli, Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Kakheti, Georgia
Porto
Six Grapes, Touriga nacional, tourica francesa, tinat roris, tinta barroca, tinta cao, tinta amarelle, Douro, Portugal
Mead
Dwojniak kurpiowski, Lubelskie, Polska
Spirits and beers
Whiskey
Glenfiddich Single Malt 12 Years Old
Tullamore Dew
Wild Turkey
Spirits and liqueurs
Remy Martin Mature VSOP
Carolans, Jagermeister
Campari
Hendrick’s Gin
Vodka Zubrowka biata
Vodka Zubrowka Bison Grass
Beer
Zywiec
Soft Drinks
Fruit juices
Orange, grapefruit, apple, blackcurrant, tomato
Pepsi, Pepsi MAX, 7Up, Tonic Scweppes, Soda Water
Coffee
Espresso
Espresso Macchiato
Caffe Latte
Cappuccino
Espresso decaffeinated
We offer a Kotanyi mix of spices to go with your coffee.
Tea
Dilmah
Ceylon Gold, Earl Grey, Green Tea, Spice berry, Pear and Orange, Peppermint
Hot Chocolate
I had a glass of the Chardonnay and then a bowl of cashews was being served.
Meal orders were taken next and each course was served individually with no heavy trolley, only open carts. No trays were used on the main meal services. Here is the menu:
Lunch
After take-off
First Course
Cream tomato and baked garlic soup with addition of fresh basil
Or
Goat cheese balls with almonds served with herbs soft cheese, beetroot slices and dried fig
Seasonal Salad
Main Course
Seared bass served with rice and vegetables
Or
Baked pork tenderloin on tomato sauce served with potato and celery puree, green beans and yellow beetroot
Or
Turkey in raspberry sauce with polenta, romanesco cauliflower
Cheese and desserts selection
Snack Basket
Throughout the flight, a basket of salty and sweet snacks is available at the buffet.
I chose the tomato soup for my starter, and it was warmed properly. It tasted great with a great selection of breads – Kaiser and wheat rolls, along with dark bread.
Breads
Salad
For entrée, I got the Pork tenderloin, which was average and could use some more seasoning. Even the tomato sauce could use some seasoning. The portion could be better.
Then they rolled out the dessert trolley. From previous reports, LOT used to do a separate cheese trolley, but now they rolled all the desserts at the same time. You can choose as many items as you want.
I chose the cheese plate and the chocolate brownie.
After the meal, which was served within two hours, I reclined my seat to full flat position, and I “made” my own bed.
I also raised the divider between the seats.
Power port
I had a really nice sleep, as I did not sleep much last night, due to the obvious situation to find a new ticket.
I woke up mid-flight and then spent the rest of the flight working on my laptop. It was interesting to note that there was no walk-up bar and no F/As checked on me and asked if I needed anything. My empty teacup sat at the beverage tray for the whole flight, until dinner was served. I felt that there might be a snack run in between, but could not confirm it.
There were two flight attendants carrying out the service with a third F/A in the galley. For 17 passengers, it was more than sufficient. They were friendly and polite during meals. While they are not personal, which might have to do with language barrier, they carried out their duties efficiently. One of the J passengers had a mini scare mid-flight, as she could not locate her reading glasses. The F/As helped out, but in the end, the glasses were in her purse. However, I would be dishonest if I said that they were perfect. It would be nice if they can do more active midflight beverage checks. However, they did a good average job.
Window issue – I felt bad for the lady at 1D, and this sunlight was pointing at her during the last half of the flight. There was nothing I could do. I know Boeing is working a better solution, but still think a classic window shade is okay too.
Dinner was served about 90 minutes prior to arrival. There was a hot towel service, and tray was used this time. The meal was pretty good, compared to both airlines. There were two hearty appetizer style dishes with a good hearty main course. I was impressed with the meal. Of course, I prefer a choice, but it is pretty good for these days on transatlantic daytime flights. Also I will like a proper dessert like a piece of cake.
I love the LOT linen
Before Landing
Roasted beef slices with tomato and eggplant paste, arugula and Parmesan cheese
Herring in spicy tomato sauce, served with potato salad
Cannelloni with ricotta, spinach, roasted tomato and cheese sauce, served hot
Fresh fruit salad
A cup of tea after dinner
Descent began at 8:02pm New York local time. A few shots as we descent through a cloud layer.
F/As passed out these delicious chocolate covered blueberries prior to landing.
We landed on R/W22L at 8:36pm.
Due to the typical congestion at terminal seven, we did not park at gate 5 till twenty minutes later. The immigration hall was not too busy, and Global Entry worked like a breeze. Bags came out at 9:20pm.
In conclusion, it was an interesting and unexpected experience. My first flight on LOT business class went well and not sure if I am desperate to fly it soon, but for these kind of last minute situations, I will not hesitate to book them again. I hope you enjoy this unexpected trip report!
Carfield
If you ask me a week ago, flying LOT Polish Airlines is definitely not in my agenda. However, after returning to my hotel room after the Swiss’ CS100 inaugural, I saw a military coup in Turkey, so I immediately got into action in finding a flight home. Knowing the situation at Turkey, TK can’t be really running normally, but I need to be home. So I decide to seek an alternative. Iceland Air business class is the cheapest, but I did not manage to buy the ticket before midnight. So I ended up finding a somehow affordable one-way ticket from Zurich to JFK via Warsaw on LX in the first leg, and then LOT business class in the second leg. I have read a few LOT Polish airlines’ business class so my expectation is reasonable. For the price I paid for a literally less than 1 day advance purchase, LOT does the job, and obviously there is much room for improvement, especially if it wants to climb up to the top tier level. For a mid-tier European airline, it is a good airline. Everyone except the immigration officers are friendly and polite.
Full album link:
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...AWJFK07162016J
July 16, 2016
LO 26 WAW-JFK Lv1725 Arr2030 Boeing 787-8 SP-LRD
Booking:
I used a third party website obviously, as LOT Polish airlines actually has a much higher fare for the same flight and it does not allow me to take a later flight with a shorter connection. But once the third party website provides me with the reservation numbers, I am able to select seats on LOT website, and as you can imagine, there are not many choices left. They also recognized my Star Gold status and I am convinced that that’s the reason why I was the only one with two seats to myself. I picked 1E because 1F was blocked, so I guess my risk paid off. But I rate LOT’s website with high marks.
Check-in:
I checked in with Swiss at Zurich and the business class was busy, but not much waits. The friendly agent checked me all the way through to JFK, and even printed out my onward boarding pass to JFK. Star Alliance actually works seamlessly. I am not going to write much about the Helvetic Airlines’ Fokker 100 flight, except I appreciate the nice legroom on the front sections of the plane but those smaller overhead bins are issues. I also like the hot meals served, which I did not expect. Here are the pictures of the Chicken Schnitzel lunch served on my flight. Dessert was the same as my previous CS 100 flight.
Planespotting:
Transit:
Transit at Warsaw was easy and please note that the real LOT Polish Airlines lounge is before immigration. So don’t go through immigration first if you want to go to the lounge. Or else you will have to visit the more generic joint lounge, Bolero lounge.
Entrance to the lounge
Lot names its business class lounge Polonez, and then the lounge is pretty decently sized. It got busier as the day proceeds. My favorite part of the lounge is these designer swinging lounge chairs.
For LOT Polish Airlines’ own top tier elite members and all business class passengers to Asia and North America, you actually have access to the Elite Club lounge. The agents at the lounge entrance did not tell me that fact, but since I read it in my website, I just walked in and the agent said yes of course. I feel that LOT Polish Airlines needs to tell passengers that they have access to this smaller but slightly quieter and nicer lounge. If I did not read it in the website, I would have missed it.
It is a nice lounge with better food spread.
Nice resting area in the back – lounge chairs
Quiet area – most people missed it.
Boarding:
Since I wanted to board first, I headed to immigration early. The agent was not particularly friendly but I guess it was expected. The gate today, A13, did not allow me a good view of the plane, but the gate was very busy as you could tell. Qatar was next door getting ready to board too. However, the agent was very friendly and he recognized my business class status.
Boarding began at 4:50pm and two F/As were greeting passengers at the entrance. One of the F/A told me where my seats were and the leading J F/A said hi. I asked for permission to take some cabin shots, and she said, “of course, and here is our new Dreamliner!”
Windows
You will notice that on each seat – there is a napkin with wet nap, along with bottled waters.
You also notice that there is a “bed sheet” at the footrest too.
Entertainment remote control
Headset
Amenity kit – that is the most un-premium part of the whole experience. This kit will be a great economy amenity kit a decade ago. There are really nothing premium about it.
One of the unique pre-flight service, apart from the choice of OJ/Champagne/Water, is the amuse bouche service. It is a nice move to have a bite prior to takeoff.
Today’s canapé is a meat terrine with berries tartlet.
Menus are also passed out.
Boarding was completed at 4:20pm, but then the F/A noticed some water leak in the carpet next to the forward lavatory right in front of my seat 1E. The cockpit crews and the ground crews eventually took a look and fixed the problem. We eventually pushed back at 5:44pm, and traffic was light at this time of the day. We took off at 6pm from R/W33 in a rainy late afternoon in Poland.
Today’s flying time was eight hours and thirty-six minutes with a routing towards the North. We headed towards Gdanski, as we climbed to 38,000ft. Then we passed Kulk, Ljungby, Larvik, and then towards Greenland. We climbed to 40,000ft and then into Newfoundland, Mont-Saint-Pierre, Dover-Foxcroft, Portsmouth, Boston, Providence and then into New York JFK.
I first took a look at the entertainment system, which was average with some Hollywood movies, as long as limited international movies from places that LOT flew to, as well as Polish movies and television programs. There were some common American sitcoms but not enough to last for more than two hours.
Cabin service soon began in business class with fresh linen to cover our tables. I love the LOT branding.
Here is the wine list:
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve AOC
White Wines
La Foret Bourgogne, Joseph Drouhin, Chardonnay
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
Saphira Winna Gora, Marek Krojcig Riesling Stara Wanna Gora, k. Zielonej Gory, Polska
Red Wine
Mas Elena, Pares Balta, Merlot, Cabernet Suavignon, Cabernet Franc, Penedes, Espana
Casa Lapostolle, Merlot, Rapel Valley, Chile
Tibilsi Red Dry, Iveriuli, Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Kakheti, Georgia
Porto
Six Grapes, Touriga nacional, tourica francesa, tinat roris, tinta barroca, tinta cao, tinta amarelle, Douro, Portugal
Mead
Dwojniak kurpiowski, Lubelskie, Polska
Spirits and beers
Whiskey
Glenfiddich Single Malt 12 Years Old
Tullamore Dew
Wild Turkey
Spirits and liqueurs
Remy Martin Mature VSOP
Carolans, Jagermeister
Campari
Hendrick’s Gin
Vodka Zubrowka biata
Vodka Zubrowka Bison Grass
Beer
Zywiec
Soft Drinks
Fruit juices
Orange, grapefruit, apple, blackcurrant, tomato
Pepsi, Pepsi MAX, 7Up, Tonic Scweppes, Soda Water
Coffee
Espresso
Espresso Macchiato
Caffe Latte
Cappuccino
Espresso decaffeinated
We offer a Kotanyi mix of spices to go with your coffee.
Tea
Dilmah
Ceylon Gold, Earl Grey, Green Tea, Spice berry, Pear and Orange, Peppermint
Hot Chocolate
I had a glass of the Chardonnay and then a bowl of cashews was being served.
Meal orders were taken next and each course was served individually with no heavy trolley, only open carts. No trays were used on the main meal services. Here is the menu:
Lunch
After take-off
First Course
Cream tomato and baked garlic soup with addition of fresh basil
Or
Goat cheese balls with almonds served with herbs soft cheese, beetroot slices and dried fig
Seasonal Salad
Main Course
Seared bass served with rice and vegetables
Or
Baked pork tenderloin on tomato sauce served with potato and celery puree, green beans and yellow beetroot
Or
Turkey in raspberry sauce with polenta, romanesco cauliflower
Cheese and desserts selection
Snack Basket
Throughout the flight, a basket of salty and sweet snacks is available at the buffet.
I chose the tomato soup for my starter, and it was warmed properly. It tasted great with a great selection of breads – Kaiser and wheat rolls, along with dark bread.
Breads
Salad
For entrée, I got the Pork tenderloin, which was average and could use some more seasoning. Even the tomato sauce could use some seasoning. The portion could be better.
Then they rolled out the dessert trolley. From previous reports, LOT used to do a separate cheese trolley, but now they rolled all the desserts at the same time. You can choose as many items as you want.
I chose the cheese plate and the chocolate brownie.
After the meal, which was served within two hours, I reclined my seat to full flat position, and I “made” my own bed.
I also raised the divider between the seats.
Power port
I had a really nice sleep, as I did not sleep much last night, due to the obvious situation to find a new ticket.
I woke up mid-flight and then spent the rest of the flight working on my laptop. It was interesting to note that there was no walk-up bar and no F/As checked on me and asked if I needed anything. My empty teacup sat at the beverage tray for the whole flight, until dinner was served. I felt that there might be a snack run in between, but could not confirm it.
There were two flight attendants carrying out the service with a third F/A in the galley. For 17 passengers, it was more than sufficient. They were friendly and polite during meals. While they are not personal, which might have to do with language barrier, they carried out their duties efficiently. One of the J passengers had a mini scare mid-flight, as she could not locate her reading glasses. The F/As helped out, but in the end, the glasses were in her purse. However, I would be dishonest if I said that they were perfect. It would be nice if they can do more active midflight beverage checks. However, they did a good average job.
Window issue – I felt bad for the lady at 1D, and this sunlight was pointing at her during the last half of the flight. There was nothing I could do. I know Boeing is working a better solution, but still think a classic window shade is okay too.
Dinner was served about 90 minutes prior to arrival. There was a hot towel service, and tray was used this time. The meal was pretty good, compared to both airlines. There were two hearty appetizer style dishes with a good hearty main course. I was impressed with the meal. Of course, I prefer a choice, but it is pretty good for these days on transatlantic daytime flights. Also I will like a proper dessert like a piece of cake.
I love the LOT linen
Before Landing
Roasted beef slices with tomato and eggplant paste, arugula and Parmesan cheese
Herring in spicy tomato sauce, served with potato salad
Cannelloni with ricotta, spinach, roasted tomato and cheese sauce, served hot
Fresh fruit salad
A cup of tea after dinner
Descent began at 8:02pm New York local time. A few shots as we descent through a cloud layer.
F/As passed out these delicious chocolate covered blueberries prior to landing.
We landed on R/W22L at 8:36pm.
Due to the typical congestion at terminal seven, we did not park at gate 5 till twenty minutes later. The immigration hall was not too busy, and Global Entry worked like a breeze. Bags came out at 9:20pm.
In conclusion, it was an interesting and unexpected experience. My first flight on LOT business class went well and not sure if I am desperate to fly it soon, but for these kind of last minute situations, I will not hesitate to book them again. I hope you enjoy this unexpected trip report!
Carfield
Jul 27, 2016, 4:24 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: FLL -> Where The Boyars Are
Programs: AA EXP 1.7 M, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*, AARP Sophomore, 14-time Croix de Candlestick
Posts: 18,669
Thank you for the very nice report.
The pre-landing meal looks better than the main meal, both quality and quantity wise. Also agree that the pre-departure amuse is a very nice treat.
The pre-landing meal looks better than the main meal, both quality and quantity wise. Also agree that the pre-departure amuse is a very nice treat.
Jul 27, 2016, 5:11 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Great report of an airline we don't see often, thanks for that! LOT has some very cheap fares TATL in J, and on brand new 787 equipment with full flats it seems like it could be a decent option in some scenarios. Great to see some first-hand experience. ^
Jul 27, 2016, 5:26 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Racine, WI/VCE
Programs: AA EXP, MR LT PPE, Arise Mucci des Hommes de Fer
Posts: 1,047
How does an member of an airline, looks like a captain, make it into the lounge?
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...fxf0t.jpg.html
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...fxf0t.jpg.html
and yes, it's delicious 
Jul 31, 2016, 7:57 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Nice report! It looks like you had a nice flight with LOT. The food looks quite good, and it sounds like the service was nice. Great that you were on a Dreamliner!
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing.
Aug 1, 2016, 2:55 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
Thanks for the TR! Re: LOT; very interesting option. Can't say I've seen many, if any, pilots making use of domestic airline lounges, though I gather from your TR that the 'Elite Club' has very unique rules.
Aug 5, 2016, 12:23 am
#14
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SFO, mostly
Posts: 2,204
Thanks for the report on a new airline.
Wow, I'm shocked by the first meal service. Hard to believe they would consider that acceptable for transatlantic J. Portion is skimpier than some meals I've seen in US domestic F on non-flagship routes. At least the pre-arrival meal looks OK.
Wow, I'm shocked by the first meal service. Hard to believe they would consider that acceptable for transatlantic J. Portion is skimpier than some meals I've seen in US domestic F on non-flagship routes. At least the pre-arrival meal looks OK.