Mitzilinka - LOT Short-Haul Business Class: Champagne Dreams, Apple Juice Reality

LOT Polish Airlines’ short-haul business class continues to be the aviation equivalent of buying a ticket to a Michelin restaurant and then discovering it’s a very polite cafeteria with yogurt on the menu. Yes, there are some nice touches, but the overall package leaves passengers wondering if “business” is just a branding exercise rather than an actual upgrade.

On Embraer routes like Warsaw to Bucharest, Prague, or Vilnius, business class is essentially economy class with the middle seat blocked. It’s the airborne version of someone politely saying, “Don’t worry, I won’t sit next to you.” Comfort is marginally improved, but the beige upholstery has seen better decades, and the cabin still looks like it’s been hosting family reunions since the 1990s.

Pre-departure service is where optimism meets reality. Expect apple juice or water if you’re lucky—and if you’re really lucky, both at the same time. Champagne? Only if you smuggle it onboard yourself. Ask about the contents of the wet wipes and you might be told they’re alcohol-based, bleach-based, or powered by sheer mystery. Follow-up questions are usually met with the kind of stressed facial expressions you’d expect from someone trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions.

The catering, however, occasionally redeems the experience. A fig-and-cheese hors d’oeuvre here, a fish entrée there—every so often you’re reminded that you did, in fact, buy a business class ticket. Pair it with a glass of wine and for a fleeting moment you could almost believe you’re on Lufthansa. Almost.

Cabin cleanliness is… variable. Washrooms are usually tidy, but the cabin itself shows heavy use. Think “student rental apartment that someone tried to tidy five minutes before a landlord visit.” Snacks like sweet chili pistachios with tea have been noted, though some meals look so weary they could use a nap themselves.

Then comes ground handling. Business-class passengers are promised priority baggage and faster boarding. In practice, your bag might come out first, or it might come out halfway through, depending on whether the baggage handlers had coffee that morning. Boarding priority is often more theoretical than real, and at Warsaw Chopin, business passengers frequently find themselves squeezed onto buses alongside everyone else, clutching carry-ons like contestants in a game show called Who Gets the Overhead Space?

In fairness, LOT keeps fares competitive, and when the catering team is on form, the food is genuinely impressive for a short flight. Lounge access and a blocked seat add some value, especially on busy routes. But it’s clear that this isn’t a premium product—it’s economy with a garnish.

In the end, LOT’s short-haul business class is worth it if the price is right and you appreciate the occasional yogurt or fish entrée with wine. If you’re expecting seamless comfort, though, prepare for a journey that delivers apple juice dreams and economy-class realities.

Author: Mitzilinka (Turning grim reality into comic relief—without losing the truth)