Hiya from Warsaw! Final week I wrote about how I used to be attempting to resolve whether or not to fly LOT Polish Airways’ Boeing 787 enterprise class or Singapore Airways’ Boeing 777 top quality throughout the Atlantic. I made a decision on the previous (that’s what most of you voted for), so I simply accomplished the 8hr20min flight from Chicago to Warsaw on the 787-9.
LOT is among the much less talked about Star Alliance airways throughout the Atlantic, and for that matter, I hadn’t flown with the airline in a few years, so I used to be curious to see how the expertise is these days.
Properly, it was kind of what I used to be anticipating — the seats and leisure aren’t terribly aggressive, the meals was fairly good, and the service was effectively intentioned, although it might have been a LOT extra Polish(ed). Don’t fear, I’ll be right here all week/for the following decade. 😉
Whereas I’ll have a full journey report quickly, on this put up I needed to share some preliminary ideas on the LOT enterprise class expertise.
LOT Polish Airways’ 787 enterprise class seats are outdated
LOT’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners all have the identical enterprise class seats, that are totally flat and in a 2-2-2 configuration. In some unspecified time in the future a few years in the past this was a innovative product, although that’s positively not the case anymore.
Clearly you may get way more up to date seats on different airways, although in all honesty, this product isn’t half dangerous. Many may like this product if touring with a companion (since you may sit subsequent to them), and it’s additionally good to not should squeeze your toes into some small footwell.
On this explicit flight, the 24-seat cabin was additionally solely half full, so every passenger might have a pair of seats to themselves in the event that they needed to. I wouldn’t love this product if I have been seated subsequent to a stranger on a full flight, however below the circumstances, I believed it was completely nice.
It’s not simply that LOT hasn’t invested in new seats, however the airline additionally doesn’t provide Wi-Fi. Moreover, whereas the leisure choice has an honest variety of motion pictures and TV reveals, it’s not essentially the most up to date library you’ll discover. So positively deliver your individual leisure.
I deliberately made certain to fly LOT on an eastbound in a single day flight the place I meant to sleep, since this is able to be a really boring flight within the different route.
LOT Polish Airways’ enterprise class meals is kind of good
LOT’s enterprise class catering is pretty aggressive, and is best than what you’ll discover on another airways. Nonetheless, the execution left a bit to be desired.
For the primary meal, the menu indicated that there was an appetizer alternative of pickled prawn with fennel puree or roasted carrot soup with parsley. I used to be simply proactively introduced the previous, so I’m undecided in the event that they ran out of the opposite possibility, or simply assumed everybody needed this, as I didn’t see any trays with soup.
For my predominant course, I chosen the cheese ravioli with vegetable puttanesca sauce. On the plus aspect, the meals was served on a big plate and was clearly plated within the galley. Moreover, the ravioli tasted actually good. Nonetheless, I believe a bit extra consideration to element might’ve gone into the presentation. I’m undecided in the event that they have been attempting to do some form of plate artwork and obtained distracted, or simply threw the sauce on the plate.
Maybe the spotlight of the LOT meal service is the after dinner trolley with cheese and several other dessert choices.
Within the morning, I attempted to order a cappuccino, which was listed on the menu as an possibility, but the flight attendant knowledgeable me that they don’t even have something to froth milk with on the aircraft. Okay, then why are these sorts of issues listed on the menu?
Then for breakfast there was the selection of a sizzling or chilly possibility. I used to be simply proactively introduced the chilly possibility.
I requested if the recent possibility was obtainable, and I used to be knowledgeable it wasn’t. That’s a bit disappointing in a half full cabin, particularly after they’re selling after takeoff how one can nonetheless purchase upgrades to enterprise class.
I additionally observed that after the door closed, a younger man (who I imagine was a member of the family of a crew member, however I’m undecided) was moved to enterprise class. Need to guess what he was consuming? Yep, the recent possibility. It simply looks like should you’re going to improve passengers after the door closes, it is best to prioritize those that have been really booked within the cabin.
A couple of minute later, the flight attendant returned to my seat with a sizzling possibility, which she had simply faraway from the tray of one other passenger, who I assume now not needed it. That might usually be thought of a no-no within the US, however…
Talking of breakfast, I recognize that the airline really serves americanos which might be fairly good. The issue is that there’s just one machine onboard, and that’s the place all espresso is served from. So with a half full cabin, it took about quarter-hour to get a cup of espresso, since everybody was having espresso. I think about this is able to take even longer with a full cabin. Perhaps it’s time to spend money on a second machine?
So anyway, the meals high quality was fairly first rate, however there have been so many little points with the presentation, availability of things, and many others., that it detracted from that the expertise.
LOT Polish Airways’ service is effectively intentioned
I do know the above may make it sound just like the service wasn’t good, however the crew was truthfully extraordinarily pleasant and effectively intentioned. Each the purser and the enterprise class flight attendant have been attentive, always smiling, and appeared to get pleasure from their jobs.
Admittedly service was tough across the edges (as I’ve highlighted above), however the crew tried actually onerous, and there have been very apologetic for any shortcomings. There have been additionally some issues they did rather well, like pouring wine from the bottle on the seat, the purser thanking every passenger on descent for flying with LOT and providing them a Polish candy, and many others.
Backside line
The LOT Polish Airways Boeing 787 enterprise class expertise was kind of what I anticipated. The seats are a bit outdated, the leisure isn’t nice, and there’s no Wi-Fi. Nonetheless, the meals tasted fairly good, and the crew was pleasant.
I do hope that LOT ultimately invests in a greater onerous product, introduces Wi-Fi, and refines its service a bit, through which case this is able to be a really aggressive product.
Personally I wouldn’t hesitate to fly with LOT once more on an eastbound flight if the airline had a schedule that was handy for me, and particularly if I used to be touring with somebody. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t hunt down the airline both.
What do you make of the LOT enterprise class expertise?