TRIP REPORT INDEX
Warsaw-JFK Business Class Dreamliner 787 – LOT Polish Airlines
This was our first time on a Dreamliner – for which I read many good things (that is… after the years of bad things). It was the last leg of the trip we booked going home from Maldives to New York with a long layover in Istanbul. After a 7 hour layover in Istanbul during which we took full advantage of Turkish Air's amazing lounge, a short flight to Warsaw, and 2 hours in the Warsaw Business Class lounge, we boarded the plane to New York.
The flight was very comfortable, the food was good, but the entertainment system failed to impress!
I originally routed the flights through Montreal due to limited award seat availability. Unfortunately, United notified us that the flight from Montreal was moved up 2 hours so it would be impossible for us to catch our last flight to JFK. Without any other flights to accomodate us, I had to keep checking every few days during the trip. On one of the last days of the trip, I found space from Istanbul to Warsaw then Warsaw to JFK on the LOT's Dreamliner. We got lucky. It was the last two seats.
Auto-dimming windows
The Dreamliner has coolest windows I've seen on a plane and one of the first things I noticed. They are extra large and they darken with the press of a button (no shade to pull up and down). Left photo = Dimmer OFF. Right photo = Dimmer ON. It takes about 15-20 seconds to go from clear to dark (though it is not completely opaque). I'm sure the stewardess knew it was my first time on a Dreamliner 787 as I kept playing with the dimmer controls.
Seats
The business class seats offer plenty of space to stretch out and some storage space below the TV where you can place your shoes and blanket.
The seats lay fully flat. After putting on the linens, I was ready to get some sleep.
MASSAGE BUTTON: After thoroughly playing with all the controls, I was still trying to figure out what the 2 blue wave button does. It was the massage button! It didn't work very well (I could barely notice any difference). Too bad, it would have been nice.
Amenity Kit
The amenity kit was cheap…just the basics. I must have seen better amenity kits on just about any other flight that offers one. Oh right, like this Delta coach amenity kit. It was not the worst business class amenity kit, however.
Food
I did not have high expectations for the food on this flight so, that said, the food was better than I expected. The appetizer came – tuna tartare topped with zucchini, salad, and a sesame roll. Tartare anything would normally not be a good idea from an airline, but I gave it a chance.
Not only did I order the raw fish, but I doubled down and ordered a fish entree too. The main course arrived: salmon, mash, carrots, and zucchini. Again – a solid meal. I also had to eat whatever the Mrs. didn't finish. She thought it's all too much already after all the food served at the free hotel breakfasts, lounges, and flights. Phfff. Pass that dinner over to me.
DESSERT – Next, they brought around a dessert and cheese cart – restaurant style. Some fruit, sweets, and cheeses were offered.
I love goat cheese, so I asked for a piece plus a square of bread (pumpernickel?). They insisted I take another piece…ok… I'll also try the smoked gouda. The cheeses were EXCELLENT! Surprisingly, this cheese plate may have been the best part of the entire meal service!
Of the three or so sweet choices, I could only manage to fit one – this sponge cake. The stewardess then dropped by and suggested a drink for me. I declined at first, then I realized this is the end of my trip and why not over indulge once more. When the stewardess suggested it again I took it. The drink was an herbal vodka from Poland called Wódka Żołądkowa Gorzka. This was a good combination but I probably would not order this at a restaurant.
BRUNCH
A few hours later, brunch was served. They delivered cous cous over cucumber, some cheese, and a pasta dish. Not bad, not great.
They meal service finished off the brunch with fresh sliced kiwi and grapefruit.
Entertainment System
I had high hopes here — this is a brand new, state of the art, Dreamliner 787 right? When we first boarded, I offered to swap seats with someone one row ahead so I could sit together with the Mrs. By doing so, I moved into a seat with a broken entertainment system. No good deed goes unpunished. It worked for about 30 minutes and then looked like this. Shit!
Rebooting the system over and over worked temporarily. After that the system refused to work no matter how many times it was rebooted.
Luckily, there was an open seat nearby and I was able to use the entertainment system for a little while before returning to my seat to sleep. I was surprised to learn that the selection of movies was terrible. Even more surprising was that they force you to watch a commercial (not a pre-view) before every movie.
AMBIENT LIGHTING – the lighting was very calming unlike most other planes I've travelled on. The ambient lighting provides some light without blinding when the lights are off.
Bathroom
The bathrooms were clean and had a more modern design than other planes. The EVA Air flight I took from New York to Taipei had an extra large bathroom – I was hoping for the same here. Oh well.
Ashtray? I was very surprised to see an ashtray in the bathroom on this new plane. I always assumed the ash trays in bathrooms only existed because they were an old design (often I didn't even notice an ash tray). This one is hard to miss – right next to the big no smoking sign. At first, I thought it was a coat hanger. Turns out the bathrooms are required to have an ashtray, just in case.
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My Camera: These photos were taken using my Canon S110 Digital Camera which has been replaced by the S120. I love it – it's tiny, fits in my pocket, and takes amazing pictures/videos.
Were there any choices of food? A menu?
yep, I just added a pic of the menu