LOT Business – Warsaw Chopin – Vilnius, Embraer E170 : A very good hop,

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 :

#TypeReview
1LoungePlaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow T2
2FlightLOT Business, London – Warsaw, Embraer 195
3HotelSheraton Warsaw
4FlightLOT Business, Warsaw – Vilnius, Embraer 170
5FlightLOT Business Vilnius – London, Embraer 195
Today’s itinerary

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.

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Route to the test booth, opposite the departure terminal

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.

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The LOT check-in areas are well-marked (normal, this is the airline’s hub).
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The LOT Fast Track is clearly signposted at check-in, with the Star Alliance Gold Track sign.
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The design of the priority zone is very elegant
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Premium Economy long-haul passengers also have access to this area.

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.

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Some check-in desks are completely deserted
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Air France-KLM counters also deserted

Once past the security checks, it’s the same depressing atmosphere airside, almost deserted.

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To the boarding lounge after passing the priority security checkpoint
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The terminal is deserted airside

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.

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The LOT lounge is located at the top of the escalator.
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The LOT lounge is open
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You can’t say that the tables are really far apart.
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All buffets are empty
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The table has been disinfected… But there’s nothing to eat on it

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.

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The flight will nevertheless be quite full in Economy
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No playground for children

By the way, I note that there is no longer a bus reserved for Business passengers.

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On the bus to board

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.

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Boarding complete!

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.

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Bottled water provided during boarding

The cabin is classic Embraer one, with leather seats, good pitch and power sockets.

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The pitch is very good
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During the taxi, a big bird from Dubai

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.

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An excellent meal for this short flight
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And a refill of wine

The flight attendant will take good care of me, offering refills all the time.

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Superb snow-covered Polish landscapes during the sunny cruise

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.

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Even more snow on arrival
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Everything ready for our arrival in Vilnius

Bottom line

An excellent flight, in terms of comfort, catering and service, which reinforces my good image of the airline.

Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier has been into airline blogging since 2010. First a major contributor to the FlyerTalk forum, he created the FlyerPlan website in July 2012, and writes articles with a major echo among airline specialists. He now co-runs the TravelGuys blog with Bertrand, focusing on travel experience and loyalty programs.
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