LOT Polish Airlines

  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.