It’s already time to head home, these 5 days have gone by so quickly! A rather strange itinerary for this return journey, with a connection in Vilnius, on LOT. The direct flight was 2 times more expensive in Business, and it’ll make me visit another country!
Itinerary reminder :
Ground experience and lounge
Firstly, the British authorities now require a negative PCR test for entry into the country, in addition to the 10-day quarantine. This test can be either PCR or antigenic. With my days fully booked, I have no choice but to take an antigen test at the airport just before my flight.
I arrive at Chopin airport 3 hours before departure, and head for the test center. I was under the mistaken impression that this test center was located in the Courtyard hotel… But no! It’s actually a prefab in the parking lot, and you have to wait outside in -10°C weather to take your test and get the results.
Having had a headache for the last 2 days, I’m a bit nervous waiting for this test. All in all, I would have waited for 40 minutes outside in polar temperatures to get the salvation (and negative) paper.
Without missing a beat, I head for the deserted terminal (how sad!), walk past the empty Air France and KLM counters and the equally deserted LOT counters. Having a mobile BP, I go straight to the Fast Track (open unlike LHR), the passage is done in the blink of an eye, absolutely nobody in front of me and the staff is charming.
Once past the security checks, it’s the same depressing atmosphere airside, almost deserted.
There’s no denying that this pandemic has had and will continue to have a massive impact on the industry. I then head upstairs to the LOT Business lounge. It’s open, but there’s absolutely nothing on offer, not even a glass of water. There will be a maximum of 4 people in the lounge during the hour and a half I’ll be there. For a full review of the lounge, click here.
Boarding
A few minutes before the theoretical boarding time, I leave the lounge and head for the gate. There are about thirty people sitting around the door. Boarding will start 5 minutes late. At the gate, I’m asked for my QR-code to enter Lithuania (which I don’t need, since I’m in transit), so I have to generate it before taking the jetway that will take me… to the bus, since it’s a false contact.
By the way, I note that there is no longer a bus reserved for Business passengers.
So it’s in the cattle truck, freezing, that I wait for boarding to be completed.
After 200m on the bus (maybe even less), we arrive… At the adjoining gate! Probably a jetway that wasn’t working.
I’m among the first on board.
Cabin and welcome
I’m warmly welcomed by the purser, who immediately hands me a bottle of water and tells me that I’ll be the only passenger in Business.
The cabin is classic Embraer one, with leather seats, good pitch and power sockets.
Service and catering
For a 50-minute flight, I wasn’t expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised. Admittedly, it’s a cold platter that’s served, but it’s of the highest quality.
The flight attendant will take good care of me, offering refills all the time.
Arrival and disembarkation
We arrived in Vilnius ahead of schedule and disembarked directly in the departure terminal, which will make my connection easier… Or not, as we’ll see in the next episode.
Bottom line
An excellent flight, in terms of comfort, catering and service, which reinforces my good image of the airline.