I only rarely fly with LOT (in fact the last time was very early 2020 and the flight was operated by Avion Express), but I do fly in and out of Warsaw with considerable regularity on BA (hence the username). It strikes me that one of the biggest obstacles for the airline is Chopin Airport itself - particularly when it comes to non-Schengen operations.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge can confirm, but it does seem that some of the gates are "flexible" and can be used either for Schengen or non-Schengen flights as demand dictates. Even so, the dedicated area for the latter can best be described as...pokey. If there are more than 1 or 2 787s boarding simultaneously, it isn't unusual to find yourself stepping over people. Perhaps the much-vaunted Central Polish Airport will change things, or perhaps it's a political pipe dream. Either way, the current situation is not at all "premium".

But perhaps I digress. A new hard product in C is certainly to be welcomed. It's purely speculation on my part, but I wonder if the specification of "direct aisle access" rather than "1-2-1" means they're exploring something like the Gulf Air Falcon Gold seat, which would permit them to maintain a 2-2-2 layout while eliminating the need to climb over a neighbour. Another advantage is that window seats in this configuration are actually window seats - reverse herringbone is a superior setup from a comfort perspective, but it can sometimes be difficult to look outside.