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Introduction and Booking
Flying to Europe using Aeroplan offers several options, with Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and Air Canada often dominating the conversation. For this trip from Toronto to Budapest, however, the routing was via Warsaw on LOT Polish Airlines, Poland’s national carrier. The itinerary was booked for 70,000 Aeroplan points plus $143 CAD in taxes and fees, routing from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Warsaw (WAW) and onward to Budapest (BUD). The long-haul segment was operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring a 2-2-2 business class configuration with a compact cabin of just 18 seats. Total flight time for the transatlantic leg was just under nine hours, clocking in at eight hours and fifty minutes.
LOT Business Class 2-2-2 cabin layout
LOT availability through Aeroplan tends to be relatively strong compared to some other Star Alliance partners, making it a practical option for reaching Central and Eastern Europe with reasonable taxes and good connectivity. As an added bit of trivia offered up en route to the airport by a Polish Uber driver, “LOT” literally translates to “flight” in Polish, an unexpectedly fitting name for the country’s flag carrier.
Boarding and Business Class Cabin
Boarding at Toronto Pearson was one of the weakest parts of the experience. Although the boarding pass indicated that boarding would begin an hour before departure, a text message later suggested it would start 50 minutes before departure. In reality, boarding did not commence until roughly thirty minutes before takeoff. Compounding the confusion was the absence of proper Zone 1 and Zone 2 signage at the gate, as the signs were still positioned behind the check-in counters rather than at the boarding area. Passengers were left guessing where to line up based on the zone number printed on their boarding passes.
LOT Business Class Cabin
This was not an isolated incident. A later flight with LOT in the same year followed an almost identical boarding process, suggesting that this is more systemic than situational. Deplaning in Warsaw, however, was noticeably smoother. Business class passengers were directed to a separate shuttle bus that went directly to immigration ahead of the rest of the aircraft. With only 18 passengers onboard in business class, clearing immigration was fast and efficient, a welcome contrast to the experience at departure.
The business class cabin itself felt intimate and quiet, with just three rows arranged in a 2-2-2 layout. While the configuration lacks the privacy and direct aisle access of more modern staggered layouts, the smaller cabin contributed to a calm onboard atmosphere.
LOT Business Class Seat and Amenity Kit
My seat for the long-haul segment was 3A, an aisle seat in the last row of the business class cabin. With no individual “throne” seats available, the aisle was the most practical choice. Upon arrival at the seat, a blanket and pillow were already placed, setting a comfortable first impression.
LOT Business Class Seats
To the right of the seat was the entertainment remote and a bottle of water, with a charging station tucked behind featuring both a USB port and a universal power outlet. A reading light was positioned above the right shoulder. Ahead of the remote compartment sat a small shelf for drinks, with the tray table stored below it. Seat controls were located nearby and included a massage function, which proved surprisingly enjoyable during meals and while watching content. In front of the seat was a dedicated shoe storage compartment, while another small storage space to the right held a pair of in-flight slippers. The entertainment screen sat directly ahead, flanked by a clothes hanger and noise-cancelling headphones.
Seat Connectivity
Seat Controls
Legroom was generous, allowing ample space to stretch out, but storage for smaller personal items such as a phone, passport, or wallet was limited. Overhead bin space was plentiful and dedicated, which helped offset the lack of seat-level storage. The in-flight entertainment selection leaned heavily toward foreign-language films, with fewer English-language options than expected.
LOT in-flight screen
When fully flat, the bed was comfortable enough for a solid night’s sleep, though it felt narrow, especially for larger passengers. Rolling over was somewhat restricted, and passengers in window seats had to climb over their seatmate to access the aisle, an important consideration when choosing seats in this cabin. The dining tray itself was spacious, but the mechanism for deploying and stowing it was awkward and required some effort.
LOT Business Class Amenity Kit (Credit: LOT)
The amenity kit was a small blue corduroy pouch containing a toothbrush, lip balm, hand cream, eye mask, and LOT-branded socks. While functional, the bag itself felt inexpensive and lacked the premium feel expected in long-haul business class.
LOT Business Class Meals
Meal service began with a warm bowl of nuts and dried fruit. For dinner, the starter was smoked duck and prosciutto, with a vegetarian option also available. The main course selection included beef tenderloin, fish, or a vegetarian dish, with the beef proving to be a solid choice. Dessert was served from a cart and included a mango and lime mousse cake and a cheese plate, alongside other options such as fresh fruit and chocolate cake. After-dinner aperitifs were offered to round out the service.
Warm nuts and dried fruits
Smoked Duck – Starter Course
Amouse Bouche
Main Course – Beef Tenderloin
Dessert and Cheese course
Approximately ninety minutes before landing, breakfast was served. The main dish was a vegetable and cheese frittata accompanied by grilled tomatoes and potato wedges, along with a cheese plate, fresh fruit, and yogurt.
Pre-landing Breakfast
The beverage program was a standout. Champagne onboard was Jean de La Fontaine Brut, while the wine list spanned selections from California, France, Australia, and Poland. Spirits included both Polish and international options, with flavoured Polish vodkas being a particular highlight. Overall, catering was the strongest element of the flight and consistently exceeded expectations.
Champagne onboard
Service Onboard and Onward Flight
Pre-departure service included a choice of champagne, water, or apple juice, along with a small amuse-bouche of toast and cream cheese. The cabin crew introduced themselves early on, took dinner orders, and confirmed whether passengers wished to be woken for breakfast before landing.
While courteous and professional, attentiveness during the flight was inconsistent. During dessert service, a spoon was missing, and it took some time to flag down a crew member to resolve the issue. Despite requesting a wake-up call for breakfast, this did not happen, although breakfast was still available when awake. These lapses pointed to a service flow that could benefit from greater attention to detail.
After a three-hour layover in Warsaw, the onward flight to Budapest was operated by an Embraer 175 with a flight time of roughly ninety minutes. Boarding once again suffered from a lack of clear Zone 1 signage, requiring clarification from staff.
LOT Business Class Warsaw to Budapest – Embraer 175
LOT Business Class Meal Warsaw to Budapest
Despite modest expectations for such a short sector, the onboard offering was impressive. Business class passengers were served roasted chicken with cherry tomatoes in curry sauce, along with a salad and snacks that included nuts, chocolate-covered pumpkin seeds, and a Polish chocolate bar. The bulkhead seat, 1A, was selected, and the adjacent seat was blocked, as were the rest of the business class seats. There were no charging ports or dedicated storage areas, but for a short regional flight, the overall experience was better than expected.
Takeaway
This first experience flying LOT Business Class delivered mixed results. The food, particularly on the long-haul segment, was consistently good, and the inclusion of local wines and spirits added a welcome regional touch. The aircraft and cabins were impeccably clean, including the business class lavatory, which left a strong impression.
That said, both the hard and soft products leave room for improvement. The seat, while comfortable enough for sleep, felt narrow and lacked sufficient storage, and the 2-2-2 layout presents accessibility challenges for window-seat passengers. Service, though friendly, was uneven, with missed details such as wake-up requests and slow response times during meals. Boarding at both Toronto and Warsaw was disorganized and frustrating, though the dedicated business class shuttle bus in Warsaw helped streamline the connection.
Taken together, the experience lands at 6 out of 10. For 70,000 Aeroplan points one-way, relatively low taxes, and strong connectivity across Europe, LOT Business Class remains a viable option, particularly for destinations in Central and Eastern Europe. While not a standout premium product, it is one that could be worth repeating under the right circumstances. Miłej podróży ✈️
Featured Image Credit: LOT
