Belgrade to San Jose LOT Polish Flights

  About San Jose

San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley, prominently recognised as the technology hub of the world, nestled perfectly in California. The city is surrounded by hills and Silicon Valley and is known to be a prominent and expensive city. Owing to the rich high-tech industry that it inhabits, the city's cultural, economic and political stance is quite high.

Best time to visit San Jose

San Jose is more of a dry city which has favourable winters as opposed to much of the cities in the US. You will notice that the city's best and most pleasant weather is in the months from December through April. The temperatures during the months of December to February are decently ranged between 16 degree Celsius to 25 degree Celsius. This is a good time to visit the city as the air is calm and perfect. However, you should ensure to carry a light jacket along with you to avoid the cold breeze. It can get pretty cold, and you wouldn't want to be in a position where you don't have the right clothes. You should know that San Jose also witnesses rain, in fact, heavy rainfall. The months from July through August are rather risky for you to travel to the city due to the excess rain. It might be a little inconvenient for you as excess rains in the city bring roadblocks and other such travel conundrums. It might not even be favourable for you to venture out to explore the city during the rains. Overall, it would be a sad trip if you opt for those months.

The dry winter season though is pleasant. With bare chances of snow and favourable cold weather, you will be able to soak in the city's beauty and its calm air. Summers might be perfect if you want to take in the sunlight and lit vibe of the city. However, the heat can get a little too much, since it is clubbed with humidity. The air is humid in San Jose most of the years. This makes their summers extremely hot. Spring surely makes the city pleasant and ideal for a tourist excursion. Plus, the city does not experience an excess crowd during the winter and spring months, adding to your benefit. You can make hotel reservations in San Jose without having to worry about the expensive hotel costs or anything. In fact, these seasons see fewer travellers which bring down the accommodation prices. You can actually make your hotel bookings in San Jose for a cheap and considerable cost. It would totally be worth the trip as you will get to save money and you might even be able to visit San Francisco, which is quite close to San Jose.

Places to visit in San Jose

San Jose is often crowded by business travellers who take a pit stop, especially to discuss business with potential clients. However, there are a few tourist attractions in the city that would captivate you. With proximity to Silicon Valley, there are only a handful of places to visit. Visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph and marvel at the beautiful architecture of the white structure. You can also check out the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, which holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian relics that can be found on the West Coast. The city also has a museum dedicated to technology and innovation as the home to Silicon Valley. The Tech Museum of Innovation would be quite an experience to undertake as the air is quite thriving. San Jose also has the Children's Discovery Museum, something to engage your minds if you're travelling with family. San Jose's very own theme park, California's Great America is a brilliant place to enjoy with water parks, adrenaline-charged rides and entertaining acts. The city also has the Winchester Mystery House, a tourist trap.

Things to do in San Jose

You can start by Santana Row, which is a lovely shopping spot with an array of shops to excite your shopaholic soul. The street also has fascinating eateries and food joints to elevate your experience. You can travel a little away from San Jose to make a day trip to Calypso Tortuga Island. You can make the most of it here by engaging in some cruise activities and beach fun. Further, you can check out the Arenal Volcano and take up zip lining as one of the activities to engage in. There is a Japanese Friendship Garden too that is calm and tranquil. It will be a good way to relax and step away from all the noise of the city.

Food and Restaurants in San Jose

San Jose faces tough competition with San Francisco when it comes to the dining experience. More like, San Francisco is acing the game. A majority of the crowd often head to San Francisco to explore the culinary delights of the city. However, that doesn't mean San Jose doesn't have a food scene. In fact, the city reflects the cuisines of its rich and diverse population. The crowd is majorly Hispanic and Asian, and much of the food culture is also inspired by the same. You can find some amazing food joints that glorify the food curated by many cuisines. San Jose witnesses a lovely melange of food culture, which you can find at the San Pedro Square Market. Located in downtown San Jose, the market has an abundance of local food vendors preparing snacks and dishes that can be purchased to go. Interestingly, you will find a vast diversity of food ranging from pizzas to coffee. There are over 20 vendors who are indulged in varied businesses which give a tourist enough options top peruse through before deciding which food to buy. It is the ideal place for you to visit if you're travelling with a group.

The city also has a slew of steakhouses. A majority of the crowd that visits San Jose are mostly from the business background. Hence, the crowd often expects steakhouses as the best place to dine and unwind. You will find many steakhouses in the city such as LB Steak, Morton's and The Grill on the Alley. The juicy meat and sides are a big hit among tourists who have raved about these places. However, if you want more than steak on your menu, you can visit Santana Row. It is a restaurant that caters to all kinds of moods that you might have in terms of trying out cuisines. They have Mexican, Asian, French and Italian. You can also check out Le Papillon, which is San Jose's famous French food establishment. It is also one of the best and is an upscale from the usual restaurants in the city. You might need to make reservations before visiting the restaurant.

How to reach San Jose (Transportation)

Flight connectivity to San Jose from India is quite poor. There are not many flights that directly fly to San Jose, even from the US. Most of the flights to San Jose are directed towards San Francisco as it is the closest international airport. There are extremely few options to fly to San Jose and only airlines such as Alaska Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines have provisions of flights to San Jose. In fact, flights to San Jose often require far too many connecting flights to reach from India. There are options from Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi but they are very few. The most popular international route to San Jose is from San Francisco. Travellers often opt to fly to San Francisco from India as the availability of flights is high and the connectivity is also good. Dedicated airlines such as Cathay Pacific travel from India to San Francisco and from here, provisions of rentals, taxi cabs are available to reach San Jose. Flying to San Jose can be quite tedious as there are far too many layovers and connectivity errs to deal with.

Aside from San Francisco, there are connecting flights to San Jose from Los Angeles too, which many prefer. United Airlines has flights flying to San Jose from Los Angeles on a regular basis. The flight tickets to San Jose are quite steep. Owing to the bare minimum connectivity and many layovers, the flight tickets to San Jose automatically become expensive. Another reason why many opt to take a flight to San Francisco and drive down from there. Some even opt to fly to Oakland and drive down to San Jose. The airports surrounding San Jose have better flight connectivity. The living expenses in San Jose are quite decent and can be maintained. However, it is advised that you make prior hotel bookings in San Jose to avoid a surge in the prices of rooms. The city witnesses a lot of travellers and hence, accommodation can get a little expensive. As long as you're able to save up on the flight ticket cost to San Jose, you wouldn't have to worry about the accommodation. There are always some great online flight and accommodation deals running online that you can avail.

  About LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines which is legally incorporated as Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A., is the official flag carrier of Poland. The airline is based out of Warsaw in Poland and came into existence in 1928. It is recognised as one of the oldest airlines in the world that is still operating. The airline celebrates an illustrious fleet comprising about 100 aircraft and is known to connect to over 120 destinations spread across the continents of North America, Europe and Asia. LOT Polish Airlines' hub is at Warsaw Chopin Airport as well as Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. It is also a member of the Star Alliance group. Established as a self-governing corporation by the Polish government in 1928, the airline initially started with a focus mainly on domestic routes and to take over operations from Aerolot and Aero. The first aircraft to be added to the LOT Polish Airlines fleet were Junkers F.13 and Fokker F.VII. They soon began their international route services in 1929 by chartering a plane to Vienna. Around the same time, the airline also incorporated the famous logo designed by Tadeusz Gronowski, which is still in use.

The airline is recognised to have expanded its operations over the years by exploring new international routes and domestic routes to enhance their business and goodwill. In 2008, the airline introduced a new flight to cater to Beijing. However, within a month the airline pulled the plug on the international route owing to it being an unprofitable long haul service. They commenced new services to Yerevan, Armenia, Lebanon and Beirut while restarting some of its routes to destinations such as Gottenburg in Sweden, Tallinn in Estonia, Bratislava in Slovakia and Kaliningrad in Russia. Further, they also resumed flight services to Asian destinations such as the weekly Warsaw - Hanoi route. In 2010, the airline announced the cancellation of several flight operations between Krakow and major US cities such as New York and Chicago, citing lack of profitability and demand issues. Meanwhile, the Warsaw - Hanoi route picked momentum and turned profitable for LOT Polish Airlines. Simultaneously, the airline also started works on replacing its existing fleet to bring in better aircraft and a stronger fleet.

During the 2010-11 period, LOT Polish Airlines also announced or rather introduced a new East meets West route as part of its expansion plans. Basically, several new Asian destinations were scheduled to be added to the airline's list in the following years. A new premium economy class was also introduced in all of LOT Polish Airlines' Boeing 787 aircraft. They further added the lie-flat seats in the business class cabins of their long-haul aircraft along with personal entertainment decks. Returning to resume the services to American destinations, the airline stated that they would be centralising their services from Newark and New York City - JFK's Terminal 4 to JFK Terminal 1. They also entered into a codeshare agreement with the American low-cost carrier, JetBlue, to multiply its connections for customers. While charting out its restructuring plan to enhance the profitability of LOT Polish Airlines, the airline announced to reinstate some of its old routes while accommodating the E.U. sanctions. They also ensure to continue services of its long haul routes to North America and Asia.

Fleet size of LOT Polish Airlines

The current fleet size of LOT Polish Airlines stands at 78 aircraft. It is a mixed fleet which comprises of Boeing 737-700, seven Boeing 737-800, five Boeing 737 MAX 8, eight Boeing 787-8, seven Boeing 787-9, a Bombardier CRJ900ER, twelve De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400, six Embraer 170, twelve Embraer 175, four Embraer 190 and fifteen Embraer 195. They are yet to receive orders for ten Boeing 737 MAX 8 and two Boeing 787-9. In 2005, the airline ordered seven Boeing 787-8s to cater to its long haul operations. Two years alter the airline planned to convert its order by calling for eight 787s instead. The manufacturers delayed the delivery of the 787s by a year. In 2013, LOT Polish Airlines operated the 787 for its Warsaw - Chicago route.

However, they had to ground the aircraft on the same day, citing battery issues. The same year, the airline announced continued services of the 787 after rectifications were made to the battery issues. In 2016, the airline signed a deal to lease eleven Boeing 737 MAX 8s and started receiving deliveries of the same by 2017. Additionally, in 2018, LOT Polish Airlines purchased three more Boeing 787-9 aircraft to bring its total to fifteen Boeing 787s in the airline's fleet.

Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance on LOT Polish Airlines differ tremendously based on the flight routes and countries that the passenger is travelling to/from. The baggage allowance by LOT Polish Airlines for flights to and from India are quite standard. The airline allows about three pieces of baggage that passengers travelling by business class cabins should follow for checked baggage. The weight per piece of baggage should not extend beyond 32 kg. As for passengers travelling from premium economy and economy class, the airline allows a weight of 23 kg per baggage. While the premium economy ticket allows passengers to carry two checked baggage, the economy class only allows one piece of checked baggage. Additionally, if you do have any of the frequent flyer membership provided by LOT Polish Airlines or even are a member of the Star Alliance programme, you will be given special benefits in terms of baggage allowance. Hand baggage allowance on LOT Polish Airlines includes two pieces for business class passengers that should weigh no more than 9 kg, premium economy is also allowed to carry two pieces which should weigh about 8 kg. Same goes for the economy class cabin.

In-flight services

LOT Polish Airlines has upgraded much of its facilities to match with the services of its contemporaries. They have also bolstered their stand to provide excellent in-flight services to passengers travelling from LOT Polish Airlines. With an upgrade of the fleet, the airline's in-flight services have also seen a jolt of enthusiasm with better onboard staff and amenities to offer. The seats in the airline's aircraft are supremely comfortable with decent recline. They recently introduced flatbed seats too that are only available in the airline's first and business class. Meanwhile, the other in-flight services such as meals and entertainment are also duly met with by the airlines.

Popular routes and top cities for LOT Polish Airlines

Over the years, LOT Polish Airlines has vastly expanded its domestic routes and international routes. They have consistently opted to add more destinations to their list and further enhance connectivity. A majority of their focus has been to bolster their North American connectivity as well as Asian cities. Over the years, the airline has also introduced various popular routes such as the Warsaw - Hanoi route, the East meets West route and more. Some of the top cities for LOT Polish Airlines are Vienna, Minsk, Brussels, Sofia, Toronto, Zagreb, Prague, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Nice Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Rhodes, Delhi, Goa, Tel Aviv, Venice, Tokyo-Narita, Riga, Luxembourg City, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Moscow, Singapore, Saint Petersburg, Seoul, Colombo, Zurich, Stockholm, Istanbul, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark and Ho Chi Minh City. A few of the destinations mentioned have flights from LOT Polish Airlines travelling on a seasonal basis. These include Goa, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Mombasa and Rio de Janeiro. They have terminated a few destinations but plan to resume operations soon.

Why travel by LOT Polish Airlines?

LOT Polish Airlines' highlight is the number of destinations and the international routes that the airline takes to fly its passengers. It is easily one of the best well-connected airlines in Europe which caters to domestic routes within the E.U. spectrum as well as major Asian destinations. The airline might be old, but it has been working with time and upgrading its services and facilities. Right from the fleet of aircraft to the range of in-flight services, LOT Polish Airlines has enhanced its serviceability. Passengers can now book a LOT Polish Airlines flight ticket on their website or any other travel portal as it is available everywhere. The airline also allows passengers to do web check-ins, receive a prior intimation about the flight status and to get access to LOT Polish Airlines' flight schedules. A detailed copy of baggage allowance and other flight and airline-related information will also be shared by them to the passengers after the ticket is booked.

As a Star Alliance member, the airline's benefits further rise as it provides more discounts, miles offer and lounge access at various international airports. Passengers can either take up their loyalty programmes and collect miles, or they can directly opt to benefit from the perks of collecting Star Alliance miles. Either way, the passenger will be able to splurge a good amount on travel and accommodation as LOT Polish Airlines also has tie-ups with many hotels and accommodations across the destinations it caters to. Further on this, passengers can also earn and avail more miles. It is a pretty sweet deal.