Flying to Japan with LOT Polish Airlines, business class review: at the right price it's a viable option
LOT, the national airline of Poland, is without a doubt the least talked about carrier in Europe. I have no idea whether [...]
LOT Polish Airlines
Star Alliance
WAW
Japan
LOT, the national airline of Poland, is without a doubt the least talked about carrier in Europe. I have no idea whether it is because of marketing or historical memory that makes people wary of Eastern European companies, In Italy, fly to Rome, Milan Malpensa and Venice to Warsaw and from here it has a fleet of Dreamliners, or 787s, which it uses for connections to Asia and North America.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- 787/8
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- WAW - NRT
- Price:
- 600€
- Book
The reason I bought this ticket was the combination of the need to accumulate points On my Krsiflyer card to renew the status And try a company and a booth I hadn't tried yet.
The ticket
Why should you fly LOT Polish Airlines? Simple the price. In fact, the Star Alliance carrier often has really attractive fares, as in this case, since the Madrid/Warsaw, Warsaw/Tokyo Narita flight cost me only €1500, very little compared to the skyrocketing ticket prices to Japan.
I chose to depart from Madrid because it was slightly cheaper than from Malpensa, but more importantly. Because I looked for the route that would earn me the most qualifying miles And this was the farthest away as well as being the cheapest.
As usual when these rates pop up the first to know are the members of the TFC whatsapp channel, if you are not yet registered e would you like to receive click here and activate the notification bell. I promise that I only send bids and don't break the bank on anything else.
At the airport
We arrived a few minutes early from Spain and as soon as I set foot in the airport I headed for the non-Schengen flight area. The Warsaw airport is a single terminal, one small end is dedicated to non-EU flights.
Past the controls is a small store, a small food court, and two lounges.
LOT's official one, where I went, And the independent one for all non-Star Alliance passengers. and also accessible to Priority Pass holders.
I went to work in the LOT lounge and sat in front of the window so I could enjoy the sunset and the movements on the runway. Right place at the right time since seconds after I sat down, the 787 that would take me to Japan appeared.
The lounge is aesthetically nice, small and cozy. The food offerings, however, did not convince me much.
As is my wont, I went to the gate well in advance, and I must say that I was amazed that there was no crowding, except that I was flying on a plane that was practically full, evidently many passengers waited in the Schengen area and then went through the controls and boarded.
Unfortunately, I found out on the return trip that. Those traveling in intercontinental business can access the Gold Lounge inside the Schengen room, which is definitely better than the one I was in instead.
On board
LOT has 8 Dreamliners in the 8 variant, the smallest one, and 7 /9, all outfitted with three cabins: business, premium economy and economy. During 2025 new planes are expected to arrive, which will be outfitted with new cabins, but today all planes in service are configured the same way, indeed beware that he often flies planes chartered from other carriers.
Business class on 787/8 is a single cabin with 6 passengers per row. This means that Those traveling by the window have no direct access to the aisle. This configuration is (was) very popular and is still in service today on several airlines such as Turkish Airlines.
Twenty-four passengers, zero privacy and zero storage space if you exclude the hat racks and the cavity under the footrest. (NDR you know you like my aluminum trolley, faithful companion of more than 200 flights you can get it by using the TFC10 discount code?)
The chair
I assigned myself 3F, only because I had to do the review for the YouTube channel, Being window-side in fact allows me to invade others' privacy less.
Obviously no surprises about the product, I knew what I would find and so no disappointment, this I reiterate because. before booking, it is always good to understand what product you will have. The tools are many from the company's website at services such as Aerolopa, which also help to choose the best place to board and those to avoid. In depth the space is there, but it is lacking in everything else.
With the table closed the two passengers have to share the armrest, and if you don't know your neighbor it will be a war for every inch.
As mentioned, privacy is nonexistent, subject to the possibility of raising the armrest, but it is more of a pious illusion rather than an actual bulkhead.
The seat position is manageable from the hand control on the center console, but it lacks basic functions such as the ability to move the seat forward; if you want to change position, you have to play with the backrest tilt or leg rest. Judging by the pulses, the massaging function was also present, but it showed no signs of life.
Coffee table coming out of the seat frame, adequate size and very rigid for working or eating. It can be oriented at different angles, but obviously there is no possibility to stand up while eating, it is also a pity that the height is not manageable, a function that is often useful for finding the right position for working on a PC.
Obviously it becomes a bed, but again there is very little space. I was tired anyway, and 6 hours of sleep I got all of it.
I don't want to be misunderstood, it is obvious that it is not a fashionable or modern product, so the review cannot be WOW, but the point is that at the price I paid, I cannot complain at all.
Service
In place is already the small amenti kit, along with a blanket and pillow (bagged) and a small sheet to lay on the chair when it turns into a bed.
Just before takeoff, a welcome drink is served, the menu handed out, and the hot towel brought in.
The amenity kit could be named after the well-known "ugly but good" cookie.. Aesthetically it is something really ugly, it looks to me like the Wish version of the ITA Airways one, even in the colors. The content on the contrary is good. The socks are real and I will definitely use them on my next trips, the faceplate is quality and the rest is what you would expect. If we think that Lufthansa doesn't put the faceplate on you here is that LOT's is definitely better.
The flaw was definitely the dinner, which was too slow. This flight takes off in the late evening, in these cases I appreciate when operations are done quickly as opposed to a daytime flight where you hardly want to go to sleep. Here, however, everything has been calm and relaxed, long waits between dishes even though there was no reason even considering that half of the passengers had opted not to even dine and go straight to sleep.
What I don't like about the use of electrochromic windows is the management by the crew. For example, about two hours after landing in preparation for breakfast they were lightened up, to start waking up passengers, but what if one instead wants to sleep until the last?
In general, the cabin crew was super attentive, present, and friendly. Even the bathrooms were spotless just before landing.
Food & Beverage
The first glass of champagne arrived during embarkation, then once cruise altitude was reached peanuts were served with a drink in anticipation of dinner.
The choice in the menu was between the European option or the Japanese option. Within the two menus there was a choice of two main dishes. Note how the machine translation played a trick on LOT with "after take off" becoming "after take-out"
I opted for European cuisine, while the Jap kitchen I kept for the return flight. The appetizer was a spelt salad, tasteless, with feta (which did not taste like feta) accompanied by a green salad with 3 slices of tomato.
My main course was a real disappointment. Turkey breast curry with pineapple! (European menu?) Yes I know I chose it so I can't complain.
At the end of dinner, the crew came by with the dessert cart.. All very nice, but being one first they did one corridor and then the other, and of course I was the second to last to be served.
Certainly elegant and vintage, but not very quick for a night flight, I opted for ice cream. Two balls still frozen, like the whole glass. Let's just say that a Hagen Daz cover would have been better.
At breakfast I could have taken the bento box, which was beautiful, but the flight attendant advised me to take it on the flight out of Tokyo.
I then went on the savory breakfast, and I must say that again LOT amazed me in terms of presentation and "completeness" of the culinary proposal.
IFE
Average screen size, quality obviously not 4k and not little anti-reflection either. Again, I knew very well what I was going to have and especially what I was not going to have.
No Wi-fi, and the strange thing is that on its 737 LOT offers a passenger portal, sure here there are screens so there is no need, but not having data connection in 2024 is really a resounding fail.
Speaking of content about 130 movies, including several new or almost new movies. The screen is touch, but inconvenient to use, and the controller, on the other hand, has a really painful interface.
The interface problem also applies to the screen, the titles are written really small and without opening/closing the preview it is hard to tell what movie/series Is if you don't recognize the cover.
The map is not interactive, it's a fixed slideshow where you can't play or change views, and this Was a problem especially on the return trip.
Each passenger has a power outlet and a traditional USB port available.
In conclusion
Never more than in this case should you carefully consider how to spend your money. This was not an error fare, but a fare that LOT frequently publishes to fly to Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing) costs considerably less than the competition, but the product is also not remotely comparable.
Would I go back to flying on LOT? at this price probably yes, at the end of the day you travel close, as you do on other carriers, and you save at least a thousand euros. I will definitely go back to flying LOT when the new planes with the new cabins arrive, but for that there is still a long time to wait.
Pro
- The price
- Food & Beverage
Against
- The chair
- No wifi