Review: LOT Polish Business Class from New York to Warsaw

I’ve heard mixed reviews about LOT Polish Airlines but I was actually excited to try them out on this non top from New York to Warsaw. I booked this trip with an onward flight from Warsaw to Istanbul, also on LOT airlines but this was the large leg of the two.

When booking many people told me about LOTs inconsistencies. Mainly the departure time, service, food, can all be hit or miss.

For me – most of that didn’t matter.

I found a business class flight, booked on points, that will get me from New York to Turkey in comfort. I have been to Turkey many times before using Turkish Airline from Newark to Istanbul and for a very special occasion, my wedding where I used over 1 million points throughout the course of 3 trips.

I was excited to go back to Turkey and equally as excited to try out a new airline.

Note: I reviewed this flight from JFK to WAW on our review platform and you can review it there as well.

Booking Process

As mentioned, I found this flight booking on points via Air Canada Aeroplan. I’ve been using Air Canada a lot recently for their great amount of credit card transfer partners making it easy to earn a lot of points.

At the time of booking, there was a not a lot of flight availability. I decided to use Seats.Aero to can multiple dates and its still one of my favorite points tools on the market.

While I did book this a little last minute, about 2 weeks before departure, I was able to find availability for 70,000 Aeroplan points including the stopover in Warsaw.

I was all set booking and was able to select my seats with a LOT Polish reference number.

Flight Experience

LOT Polish Airlines operates out of JFK terminal 7, which certainly has seen better days. The terminal is very bare bones and not many airlines continue to operate from there.

I arrived with plenty of time prior to my departure and while the line was long for Economy, the business check in was mostly empty.

I was planning on traveling for about 2 weeks and I was only bringing a carry on for this trip and just do laundry at my hotel. I tend to do this often as I find it easier than traveling with a check in back.

Upon arrival I didn’t really pay too much attention to check the carry on requirements for LOT.

The stated carry on limit was 12kg in business class and I was certainly over the limit. However, I noticed the agents at the business class line were not checking the weight. This was much different than the economy line next to me where I saw many people over the limit and LOT agents charging them for the overage.

I understand weight limits on carry ons but in all my experience flying business class they almost never enforce it. Economy though, it seems to be a hit or miss.

After check in was quick, I did make a stop in the lounge but only spent a little time there before it was time to board.

The boarding process was a bit chaotic and it was hard to find out exactly where to go.

LOT has one boarding line for business class, premium economy, and HON Circle, and I just assumed it was the one all the way on the left.

I didn’t really hear many announcements but once the line started moving I just went with it.

Aboard the 787 the cabin is split into a 2-2-2 configuration. While this is not the most competitive business class due to the lack of privacy, it was exactly the same as Turkish Airlines A330 I’ve spent many flights on.

I actually don’t mind this cabin if I am flying with someone else but if I were alone there really isn’t a great seat in the cabin. I would still prefer to get an aisle seat so I don’t need to walk over someone but you are very close to your neighbor.

The seats are plenty wide and are actually pretty comfortable. When going into full lie flat there is enough space to stretch out and even turn on your side.

The IFE on this plane is located above a bench in front of you and while this offers a lot of space to stretch out, the tv is a bit far from where you are. This makes you reliant on the remote to do most of your selection, although I can’t recall if the main IFE was touchscreen.

The IFE remote was modern on this flight and luckily it was really responsive. A lot of old 787’s have legacy remotes but mine seemed to work out just fine.

A down side to these seats is the storage space and the little slot next to the seat where the remote goes. I find its easy for things to get lost here and I’ve had many times an airpod almost gets lost falling in here.

The headphones provided were ok but not the best quality. I tend to stick to using my airpods connected via bluetooth with the airfly adapter and that’s been working better for me than the airline provided ones.

The amenity kit that was provided was this nice simple pouch and I actually prefer it over some of the more complex ones airlines have to offer. Certainly the most unique one was on my trip with Gulf Air but this pouch was something I could use again.

Now onto one of my favorite parts, reviewing the food on the flight. Again I heard mixed things about LOT food but from the looks of the menu it actually all looked pretty good.

The wine list had a few selections, with a Polish wine featured in each section.

I also found it interesting that they had a non alcoholic wine that are starting to get more popular.

The Champagne served on this flight was Jean De La Fontain Chapagne Brut, that retails for about $40.

As we were getting prepared to takeoff, I was surprise to see them serve an amuse bouche. It was a small mushroom bit willed with some sort of cream sauce and was served cold.

Immediately since I boarded I notice how attentive the service was from the FAs. Everyone I interacted with was extremely nice and you can tell they were there to help you enjoy the flight.

Following that was a serving of nuts that were also served room temperature.

Next up was the main meal where I actually ordered two seafood courses to really see how LOT does on catering.

The appetizer dish consisted of shrimp, scallop, and I believe a greek salad. The appetizer was served cold with some pickled vegetables.

The seafood was just ok and not my favorite in terms of appetizers. After trying it I kind of regretted not getting the corn soup instead and didn’t get a chance to ask if I could have both.

Now onto the main course where I went with fish again in a seared cod. The plating on LOT was actually impressive and overall the dish looked great.

This was actually where LOT did an incredible job because the fish was very well balanced, served hot, and had great flavor. I would have to say they really shined on this dish and I found the elegance of the plate to make the meal that much better.

After dinner I was surprised to see a cart coming down the aisle. Now this is very Turkish Airlines esq and while I wasn’t going to have dessert I really liked how it was served.

I decided to get some sleep after my meal since it was well past midnight and got about 6 hours. I found the cabin to be comfortable and most people decided to call it a night after the meal.

I woke up just in time for breakfast and was served a quiche, side of duck and vegetables, and fruit. I never really get the appeal of the cold duck but I find it common on Eastern European airlines.

Next I knew we were about to land into Warsaw and we pulled up to a remote gate.

While remote gates are not always fun I kind of like being able to see the plane I ride on, especially a large one like this.

Summary & Takeaways

I would say my first time flying on LOT was a success and all those that told me mixed reviews, I guess I got them on a good day. While we arrived a little late into Warsaw I didn’t mind since I was only there for a layover.

Everything from the FAs service to the food provided a great experience and given I only paid 70,000 Aeroplan points for this flight I think I got great value.

If you have taken this flight we would love to hear you thoughts by reviewing it yourself on our flight review platform.