Flew WAW - MUC on the LO early morning flight (I won't give the scheduled time since it was some 30 minutes late). As I boarded the plane, I see a woman sitting in my row 3 seat. I approach the purser and tell her that there is a problem with my seat and present my boarding pass.

She approaches the woman, it is clear that they are a couple, and the man decided to 'upgrade' his companion. He asks the purser to ask me if I would sit in the rear of the plane. I answer no, and he hears the irritation in my voice.

Of course neither he or she apologize. In fact, what he says to me is "Luzik". Luckily he moved to the rear to join his companion.

You were correct, once I checked into the remote lounge, I asked the staffer if she could reissue my boarding pass. She looked at me quizically and I explained that my Known Traveller Number did not appear on the BP issued by LOT. She looked in her data and read off the number, which I confirmed, and she sounded surprised that it was missing, but readily printed it off. I was grateful, since the line for secondary inspection had about 25 people in it.

Makes no sense. Why would he move to Y, when she could sit next to him in C on the empty seat he has? Your seat isn�t needed to upgrade his companion.

LOT (I don't know about other carriers) will not allow someone to occupy that seat.

I�ve seen it more times than I can remember on the Embraer, for pax who I assume were legitimately in C however.

'TSA PRE' on the boarding pass really doesn't do anything in MUC. If they pick you at random for secondary, the TSA PRE text on the BP doesn't undo that. Been there, done that.

Etiuda opened today.

Sabre is going to provide Basia with her NDC.

is that the famous �speed tape�?
I�ve seen that on LH first once, not the seat tho.

Is there LOT menu available online?

LOT: LAX/WAW - $198 round trip, book on Jetblue

Sounds nice but that will not go ahead as LOT is not flying then 🤷🏻‍♂️

For some of us based in Warsaw, the name 'Etiuda' brings back traumatic memories.

As promised, some impressions of the refreshed Etudia lounge today:


Above: A passer-by wouldn�t notice any difference from the outside unless looking very closely at the signage.


Above: The selection of beverages and snacks is largely unchanged, but the addition of mirrors behind the counter helps lighten the place up.


Above: Looking through the lounge from the toilet end. The dividers are gone, so everything feels much more exposed than it used to - but it is considerably lighter.


Above: The view from the other direction.


Above: A personal gripe: The coffee cups are ever so slightly too small for the amount of coffee dispensed. Suppose I�d better hit the Prosecco instead�

Conclusion:

Pros:
- The lounge is light and airy and has clearly undergone a much-needed deep clean during the refurbishment.
- The furniture all *looks* very nice (we�ll see how it stands up to everyday wear and tear).
- Sockets along the windows are more accessible than they were before thanks to the addition of workstations.

Cons:
- The lack of dividers does make you feel exposed. Conversations carry more easily and the lounge feels a bit more like a big waiting room than it did before.
- The change of furniture and decor makes the lounge feel much less �cozy� than before. Gone are the deep chairs by the windows.
- No noticeable improvements to the food and beverage offer.

Most important though is having a non-Schengen lounge available again to those of us whose bread and butter is BA and only fly LOT on special occasions

I fly LOT once every ten years or so, and thought I would check them out when considering a trip. I had not expected to get a warning pop-up for their business offer... sensitive viewers may find the content disturbing?

At least that is fair & accurate, their J offering is not what it was.