ISTFlyer

As other posters have mentioned, you would have no issues but the Non-Schengen area of WAW is pretty small and could be boring if you have a layover over 5-6 hours.
Also, if you are considering an overnight layover, they are allowing it but you would need to stay in the Non-Schengen area with no airside hotel for transfer passengers.

fifty_two

and what about non-schengen <-> non-schengen transit ???

This vaccine check is done before or after security transit check ??

hugolover

You don’t enter Poland, you don’t come in contact with the Straz Granica, it’s a matter for the gate staff for the place you’re flying to if they require those things

fifty_two

ok thanks , iam asking cause there is this control , done after arrival which can lead to a mandatory covid test done at the airport (if no vaccine and depends also on country of origin) , i just wanted to know where this is located ...

hugolover

You don't enter Poland, you don't need to go to quarantine, you stay airside at the non-Schengen area. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is the entry criteria for the place you're flying to.

waveloch

Hi All,

Haven't transited WAW myself so I wanted to put it out there to travelers more familiar with transiting WAW about a flight I am considering booking. I am helping book flights for my family to visit me in California from Szczecin and wanted to know if 1h20m connection for domestic to US-bound flight is going to be risky. The contemplated flights are:

OUTBOUND:
Szczecin (SZZ)
DEP: 08:50
Warsaw (WAW)
ARR: 10:00
LO3932 E75

Warsaw (WAW)
DEP: 11:20
Los Angeles(LAX)
ARR: 14:45
LO021 789

RETURN:
Los Angeles(LAX)
DEP: 22:00
Terminal: B
Warsaw
ARR: 18:35+1day
LO024 789

Warsaw (WAW)
DEP: 19:25
Szczecin
ARR: 20:35
LO3935 E75


The domestic flights are due to be operated by E175s so they have a higher likelihood of getting a jet-bridge but those connection times concern me, especially with covid-era checks and US-bound security protocol. I'll make sure they sit at the front of the plane so they can get off quicker, but does anyone have any advice on this one or have any recent experience transiting WAW? As a follow-up: does anyone have experience getting rebooked by LOT in the event of a missed flight? Will they put you up in a hotel, meal vouchers, etc? Thanks and any advice is appreciated.

hugolover

When is it for?

TPJ

My experience:

1. All documentation checks are done at the origin airport - SZZ in your case (passport, ESTA, address for the first night vaccination status, test, attestation form). In WAW they will pass through passport control and will have to show passport/boarding pass at the gate. This is it...
2. LO TATL flights have bad on-time performance. I would assume they might not make it on the return. LO will provide them with a hotel, pay for meals and they may be eligible for EU 261 compensation
3. You are aware how close SZZ is to BER? They might be better off by traveling out of BER - more choices, more airlines etc. SZZ Airport is located in the middle of nowhere and if you take into account the total travel time (40 minutes vs. 120 minutes for SZZ and BER, respectively), BER might be an OK option. At leat worth checking...

scottishpoet

I would not be concerned about the outbound, 1 hour 20 minutes will be plenty of time unless something disasterously goes wrong. Even on a bus gate you will be in the terminal 15 minutes after doors open, walk to passport control, worst case 5 minute wait but I never really saw big queues heading out.

So I would expect you will be at the gate about 1 hour before departure.

Coming back 1hr may be tight. If the flight is on time you should be OK. If it is late and you miss the connection then LOT will be subject to EU Duty of Care requirements, so hotel for the night with appropriate meals, and rebook you the following day as it does not look as though there is a later flight.

I have a one hour 20 minutes non schengen to domestic connection coming up in a couple of weeks and, provided we are on time, I am expecting 30 to 45 minutes in the lounge, enought time for a bite to eat and a beer,

Thomas PL

Hi,
I used to work at a handling company for LO in WAW.
1:20 for outbound is quite safe, unless something really unexpected happens with the first leg. But LO is very focused on their US connections and in really hot situations they will provide a ground agent who will be responsible for taking connecting paxes from the domestic feeders to their outbound US flights. Those US-bound planes more often than not would depart delayed so I would not worry about the SZZ-WAW-LAX leg. It was quite normal for us the have paxes make such connections from domestic flights to US-bound planes in 20 minutes or less.
The US document check would be done at check-in/bag-drop in SZZ. Unless they have SSSS nothing will stop them in WAW.

What's more tricky is 50 minutes connection on the return leg, but on the other hand those evening domestic flights which depart WAW after the incoming wave of transatlantic flights in the afternoon are often delayed as well. Worst case scenario they would get hotel, food and 600€ compensation if they don't catch their connection to SZZ.

waveloch

Awesome, thanks for all the replies. I don't think they will care that much if they miss their return flight to SZZ as there is a flight in the morning they can jump on and it's at the end of a holiday, so whatevs. Glad to hear their outbound connection is relatively safe though, since missing the TATL flight to the US would be more of a bummer at the very start of a holiday. Thanks for all the input!

They live close to Koszalin so they are very familiar with having to travel to BER for flights and make trips there regularly given the lack of connectivity at SZZ. But I found some award space on LOT out of SZZ and it's so much more convenient to fly out of there so it saves a 3 hour drive there and back at the beginning and end of the trip! Funny enough they were amazed that SZZ was even an option to fly out of to connect to an international flight since it is generally only used for flights to Warsaw and Ryanair and Wizzair flights to a handful of destinations. SAS used to have a daily flight to Copenhagen that was useful for connections but unfortunately that went the way of the Dodo when the pandemic started. Northwest Poland is severely under served with flights, it would be great to see LH start flights to SZZ to give much better connectivity options for the region.

nieszprot

As per TVN24 passengers travelling through WAW in coming days can expect delays and flight cancellations due to labour dispute between Polish Air Navigation Services Agency and flight controllers.

mileq

Except current shortage of traffic controllers, who are dropping their jobs due to internal conflict, I would say that WAW is very friendly airport to connect to US.
1+ hour is absolutely easy, unless first leg delayed - but then they will need to rebook you at their expense, provide hotel etc.
I would not worry. It is not immigration in US

Jeedos

Hi All,

I'm travelling with LOT from ICN (Incheon Airport , Seoul , South Korea) to London on Sunday 26 June; I have a question regarding how long it takes to connect via WAW.

I arrive at 1405 on 26 June and scheduled to fly to LHR at 15:30. Do I have enough time to make my connection? I have no checked baggage.

As I'm travelling from South Korea to the United Kingdom, with both countries being outside the EU/Shengen Zone, I assume no security or passport control is necessary?

hugolover

It should be plenty of time. You’ll clear security in WAW but no passport control as you don’t enter Poland.

LOT’s schedules are just random numbers on a bit of paper these days, so you’ll probably have longer to make the LO279 than is stated on your reservation.

If you misconnect they can rebook you to BA or the later LO285.