TPJ

LO001: WAW-ORD (12.05 pm departure)

7Jan

Business Class, seat 1F

I arrived at WAW airport some 90 minutes prior to ETD and was promptly checked-in at LO HON/*A Gold counter. The check-in lady was nice and chatty – she discussed various seating options with me, but when I learned booking is only 3 pax for 16 seats, I decided to stick to my pre-assigned 1F.

There was a separate Security Check for C-class passengers (but not for *A status passengers traveling in Y) and some 10 minutes later, I was in LO Business Lounge. There is a separate thread about this new lounge on M&M forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-dec-22-a.html. And I have to admit, I am still impressed with this lounge, however I wonder why they do not offer any hot meal option (even something like soup as in BD*G lounge at LHR) . Link to my pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink Apologies -I was trying to be discrete, so the quality of the pictures is not that good…

Some 35 minutes prior to ETD I left the lounge, passed through passport control (lounge is in the Schengen area) and went to the gate. As always in WAW boarding was a little zoo, but I have to recognize, it was the second time I have actually seen some effort to organize the process. C-class passengers and *A Gold members were invited to board at their leisure. At one stage they started calling passengers over the PA system and I thought they would be Op-Uping folks, but no – they were just verifying API data (Advance Passenger Information required by the US government) for passengers originating in CAI or DAM. When boarding ended the load was still 3/16 in C (and quite full in Y).

The cabin was a bit refurbished. The seats were lie-flat (new fabrics & upholstery, old curtains): similar to seats used by Asiana (OZ) on flights from ICN to Europe. They biggest drawback: no PTV monitors (LO offers digiPlayers, instead). Once I settled in 1F, I was promptly approached by purser who offered OJ or water– this time in proper glasses - and refreshing towels. Despite of only 16 seats, there are 2 F/A’s working in C cabin. Even for 3 of us, they still had 2 F/A’s working. Truly impressive…

Link to the pictures of the seat: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

Just after take-off we were offered hot towels, low quality headsets for general audio programs (i.e. the same programs that are available to Y passengers, digiPlayer had proper noise canceling headsets – read on) and low quality amenity kit (link to pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink, there was not even a lip balm, grrrrr)

Then we were offered drinks (tables were set-up with tablecloths) and nuts in small china bowls. Re-fills followed… I have to report some cut-backs in C-class catering: salad is gone (as Poles are meat eaters, I doubt they have even noticed it). Below please find links to pictures of the menu:

2008 (I flew from WAW to ORD on the day Lehman Brothers went bust) – champagne is still there: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

2010 – champagne is gone, Chivas is gone, wines are down to 2 x red/2 x white, salad is there: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

2011 – salad is gone, wines are back to 3 x red/3 x white: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

I wonder who that bloody id..t (aka LOT Product Manager) was, who decided to get rid out of champagne. IMHO LOT is now WORLD’S ONLY AIRLINE, that does not serve champagne in long-haul C (even Vietnam Airlines – that I flew once from FRA to HAN in 2009 - served Pommery in small, individual bottles – something LX does in short-haul C).

Regardless of the cutbacks, the meals were still excellent: roast tuna (one of two appetizers – everyone gets two appetizers) was just awesome. It was not even looking like tuna and tasted great - and combination with wasabi was unusual, but absolutely fantastic… So yes: another round of kudos goes to LO caterers! Main course was a bit overcooked, but I hate pasta al dente, so it was fine with me. For wine, I have chosen Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc (Framingham) that was nice.

These 2 F/A’s (i.e. Purser and F/A, I believe Purser is the highest rank with LO) working in C were fantastic: attentive, smiling and professional. Glasses were re-filled promptly.

Cheese plate (cheese, nuts in honey) was served after the main course (accepted, some port requested, re-fill offered) and then dessert (declined). I only asked for some tea and I was offered about 10 kinds of teas to choose from (no special menu as with Air China, but the purser quoted all the choices from memory). She also asked, if I prefer a small cup or in a proper china mug (that I have chosen). Impressive…

Pictures (in-flight food & drinks): http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

At this time they distributed digiPlayers with acceptable amount of entertainment options. I watched ‘The City’ with Ben Affleck (IMHO Affleck’s first good performance after ‘Good Will Hunting’) and listened to Take That. digiPlayers went with noise canceling headsets, that were not of the Bose quality, but still acceptable.

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

Cabin was patrolled every more or less 30 minutes, apart from the time of Duty Free sale. I guess LO F/A’s get some commission from on-board sale as they all gathered in the front galley to prepare for the sale and then – once sale ended – to reconcile/calculate revenue generated. This was the only time when I felt a bit neglected (why can’t it be done in the rear galley). Otherwise their performance was truly awesome… I remember one LO flight to ORD (November 2009?) when almost all F/A’s gathered in the front galley and chatted loudly for a couple of hours (aka ‘Galley FM’ broadcast). This time the purser kept all other F/A’s out of the C galley (even the other F/A working in C during the meal service) and she spent good 5 hours there by herself reading a book and patrolling C cabin regularly. She was smiling and attentive during the whole 10 hours of flight. I guess this statement would be controversial: but IMHO even OZ (Asiana) and TG (Thai) F/A’s could learn from this particular LO purser…

Dinner was served some 90 minutes prior to ETA and was done in a right way: tablecloths, round of drinks, large tray (the same that is used in European C) with appetizer, fruit salad and hot main course (some kind of stuffed Mexican burrito – not bad).

Link to pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink

VERDICT:

Overall it was a good flight with LO:

Check-in: 10 out of 10: prompt, attentive service

LO Lounge: 9 out of 10: fantastic design, but no hot meal option

Seat: 7 out of 10: lie-flat, no PTV monitors

digiPlayer: 7 out of 10: not THAT bad, but next time I would bring my Bose headsets

Aircraft appearance: 8 out of 10: old aircraft, recently re-furbished, new seat fabrics/upholstery

Food: 9 out of 10: some cutbacks noticed

Wine: 10 out of 10: 3 x white, 3 x red are back

F/A’s: 10 out of 10: but could Duty Free sale preparation & revenue reconciliation be done in the rear galley?

Punctuality: 10 out of 10: on-time departure and arrival ahead of schedule

Overall: 8 out of 10: as I value soft product more than hard product, quite possibly it would have been 9 out of 10, if they have served champagne. IMHO the wholesale price of a nice Moet & Chandon is in the USD 35-45 range a bottle…

Please, however, note that they would probably score less on a full flight. As the seat next to me was empty, I could place digiPlayer there and still work on my laptop using my seat’s tray table… This is not something one would be able to do on a full flight…

BONUS:

I think LO is one of a very few airlines that overfly Norway en route to the States. I took some pictures of Norwegian fjords: http://picasaweb.google.com/10012290...eat=directlink