I’m writing this post from Krakow, Poland, where I’m spending a week on a media trip to explore the country. I and four other travel writers got here courtesy of LOT Polish Airlines, as it was celebrating its inaugural flight from Los Angeles to Warsaw. We were among the privileged few to get on that flight, and we sat in business class, at that.
Oh, LOT. What have you done to me?
Nonstop is the New Hotness
LOT Airlines is one of a few airlines who has invested in direct flights from the West coast of the US to Europe. For those of us who live on the “Best Coast,” it’s a long day and a half of travel to get anywhere, with a layover in Newark or Houston. It has taken me 24 hours of travel time/layovers to get to France. Suck.
LOT’s flight from LAX to Warsaw is 11 hours. Total. No layovers. We did take a connecting flight from Warsaw to Krakow, so that added time to our travel, but still. It makes a huge difference shaving off so much time for what is typically an exhausting trip.
Lay it All Out
I have long been envious of those who get to fly to international destinations in business class with those cool lay-flat seats. Well guess who had her turn! The Dreamliner has amazing seats that slide down to a full-length bed.
I have never been able to sleep more than 20 minutes on any flight. Ever. Which makes me super cranky after 24 hours of traveling. Not fun to be with. I slept…wait for it…6 whole hours. Heaven.
Problem is…will I ever be able to go back to coach seats??
Dining in the Sky
No one expects food on airplanes to be good, right? LOT really stepped it up in the dining department, in business class, anyway. We had a menu with choices, so I had seared tuna, steak, and cheesecake. They actually wheeled around a cheese and dessert cart. Swoon! And I sampled some wonderful Polish Mead. The local touch was nice.
I hadn’t heard of LOT Airlines prior to this complimentary flight, mainly because its US presence was primarily on the East Coast. But flights are really reasonable (though business class is still at a premium I sadly cannot yet afford), so I would check them out and see if it made sense to fly out of LA or NYC to get to my destination.