LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

What is the Difference Between LOT Polish Airlines' Premium Economy and Business Class

LOT Polish Airlines has recently become one of my “go-to” airlines due to the ability to bid on upgrades inexpensively. I have flown LOT three times in the last two years. All three instances have included a long-haul flight from Chicago O’Hare to Warsaw Chopin. Once in Warsaw, I flew to Geneva, Switzerland; Cairo, Egypt; and Tel Aviv, Israel. Upgrading can sometimes be confusing because LOT Polish has both premium economy and business classes. It is important to know the difference between the two classes as each one offers a different type of seat and various amenities.

This page will cover my experience flying in both LOT Polish’s premium economy and business classes. I have never flown economy with LOT Polish Airlines, as the price to upgrade has always been super reasonable.

All of these descriptions are from the long-haul flight between Chicago O’Hare and Warsaw Chopin aboard LOT Polish’s 787 Dreamliner.

LOT Polish Airlines 787
LOT Polish Airlines 787

LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class - Boeing 787- Table of Contents

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The Cost to Upgrade - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

To upgrade on LOT Polish Airlines, customers have to put in their credit card information and place a bid. The minimum bid depends on the route. For the Chicago O’Hare to Warsaw Chopin route, I was able to upgrade to LOT Polish’s premium economy for around $300. LOT Polish’s business class is quite a bit more expensive, with the upgrade costing at least $500.

The two times that I flew in LOT Polish’s premium economy, I had business class bids of just under $500 declined. The one time I did get business class, I bid $505, and the business class cabin was fairly empty.

Checking In - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

The check-in procedures are exactly the same for LOT Polish business class and premium economy. Both cabins have access to the Star Alliance Gold check-in line.

LOT Polish Airlines Premium Check-In
LOT Polish Airlines Premium Check-In

During my various LOT Polish Airlines check-ins at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, I found that I never needed to wait more than ten minutes to get my boarding pass.

LOT Polish Airlines Premium Check-In - Chicago O'Hare International Airport
LOT Polish Airlines Premium Check-In - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Boarding Process - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

My one gripe about LOT Polish Airlines is their disorganized boarding process. No matter what airport my LOT flight has been at, it always seemed to be a free-for-all when it comes to boarding. For those with a LOT Polish Airlines business class ticket, they have the option of visiting the LOT Premium Lounge. Otherwise, all LOT Polish Airlines cabin types wait to board their flight in the same boarding area.

Waiting at the Gate - LOT Polish Airlines - Terminal 5 - Chicago O'Hare
Waiting at the Gate - LOT Polish Airlines - Terminal 5 - Chicago O'Hare

LOT Polish business class customers are the first to board a LOT Polish Airlines flight. Premium economy passengers on a LOT Polish flight board second, and then finally the economy passengers board by zone. The problem is that LOT Polish doesn’t seem to enforce these boarding groups. Every time I’ve boarded a LOT Polish Airlines flight, I’ve had to push my way to the front to get into the priority boarding lane.

Boarding - LOT Polish Airlines - Chicago O'Hare to Warsaw Chopin
Boarding - LOT Polish Airlines - Chicago O'Hare to Warsaw Chopin

The Seat - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

The seats are the biggest difference between LOT Polish Airlines’ premium economy and business classes. LOT Polish’s premium economy seat is similar to that of a first-class domestic seat on a US carrier. The LOT Polish Airlines business class seat has the ability for the passenger to turn it into a lie-flat bed.

LOT Polish Premium Economy Seats - Boeing 787
LOT Polish Premium Economy Seats - Boeing 787
LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787

The LOT Polish Airlines premium economy seats are extremely comfortable and roomy. I would compare them to the typical first-class seat on a domestic US flight. The seats are in a 2-3-2 configuration, so only one person in each row has to be in the middle.

LOT Polish Premium Economy Seats - Boeing 787
LOT Polish Premium Economy Seats - Boeing 787

The LOT Polish Airlines premium economy seats have plenty of legroom. My only issue with these seats was that I found it hard to sleep for more than an hour at a time due to the limited recline.

Legroom - LOT Polish Premium Economy - Boeing 787
Legroom - LOT Polish Premium Economy - Boeing 787

The LOT Polish business class cabin is configured in a 2-2-2 configuration. Compared to the premium economy cabin, the LOT Polish business class cabin is much roomier.

LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787

Despite being 6 foot 5 inches tall, I could fully stretch out my legs in the LOT Polish business class seats.

Legroom - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
Legroom - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787

The LOT Polish Airlines business class seats have electronic controls that allow the passenger to recline or turn their seat into a fully flat bed.

Seat Controls - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
Seat Controls - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
Side View - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
Side View - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787

The tray table in the LOT Polish business class seats is also much larger and solid than the premium economy tray table.

Tray Table - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class
Tray Table - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class

In my opinion, what makes LOT Polish Airlines business class truly worth the extra money is the lie-flat bed. During my flight, I was able to sleep for over four hours without waking up. 

As stated earlier, I am 6 foot 5 inches tall. I was unable to fully stretch my legs and had to sleep with them in a slightly bent position.

Lie Flat Seats - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787
Lie Flat Seats - LOT Polish Business Class Seats - Boeing 787

Meals - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

The other big difference between LOT Polish premium economy and LOT Polish business class is the food. The food is much fancier in the business class cabin.

Premium Economy Meal - LOT Polish Airlines
Premium Economy Meal - LOT Polish Airlines

Pictured above and below are two different premium economy meals. The food was excellent and some of the better airline food I’ve eaten. Still, it did not compare to what was served in the LOT Polish Airlines business class cabin.

Another Premium Economy Meal - LOT Polish Airlines
Another Premium Economy Meal - LOT Polish Airlines

In addition to a large meal, LOT premium economy passengers also receive various snacks and breakfast prior to landing.

Diet Coke and Mixed Nuts - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy
Diet Coke and Mixed Nuts - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy
Breakfast - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy
Breakfast - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy

LOT Polish Airlines business class is best described as a unique culinary experience. That experience began with a cream cheese rose petal, which was like nothing that I’ve ever eaten before.

Cream Cheese Rose Petal - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class
Cream Cheese Rose Petal - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class

Just after boarding, passengers in the LOT Polish business class cabin receive a menu with various options for the multiple-course meal.

LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class Menu
LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class Menu

The meals in LOT Polish business class are served on fine china. Pictured below was my main course, which was beef cheeks in a demiglace sauce.

Dinner - LOT Polish Business Class
Dinner - LOT Polish Business Class

In addition to a gourmet main course, LOT Polish business class customers receive delicious side dishes and desserts.

LOT Polish - Dinner Side Dishes - Business Class
LOT Polish - Dinner Side Dishes - Business Class
Desserts - LOT Polish - Business Class
Desserts - LOT Polish - Business Class

Another big difference between LOT Polish premium economy and business classes is the second meal. Business class passengers receive a second hot meal, while premium economy passengers typically receive a cold meal.

Lunch - LOT Polish - Business Class
Lunch - LOT Polish - Business Class

Entertainment - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

There are not many differences between the seat-back entertainment in LOT Polish Airlines’ premium economy and business class cabins. The only big difference is the size of the screen. Business class passengers have a much larger screen.

Seat Back Entertainment - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy
Seat Back Entertainment - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy
Seat Back Entertainment - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class

Amenities - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

LOT Polish Airlines premium economy passengers receive an amenity kit and a pillow and blanket upon boarding.

Blanket and Amenity Kit - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy
Blanket and Amenity Kit - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy

Business class passengers on LOT Polish Airlines receive a similar amenity kit and premium bedding for their lie-flat seats.

Amenity Kit - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class
Amenity Kit - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class
Pillow and Blanket - LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class

Disembarking - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

Upon landing, LOT Polish business class passengers are the first to disembark. Premium economy passengers get to disembark second, and then economy passengers. The big difference is if the passengers are exiting the plane via stairs instead of a jet bridge. If this is the case, business class passengers have their own private shuttle bus, while premium economy passengers have to take the bus.

Arriving in Warsaw, Poland
Arriving in Warsaw, Poland

My Thoughts - LOT Polish Airlines - Premium Economy vs Business Class

Here is my advice on when to upgrade to LOT Polish Airlines business class and when to upgrade to LOT Polish Airlines premium economy. For me, the business class seat is only worth the additional money if I want to sleep. Typically, this occurs during a red-eye flight that departs the US in the evening and arrives in Europe in the morning.
If I
am not wanting to sleep, the premium economy seat is perfect for sitting and doing work. The only issue is that LOT Polish Airlines does not have WiFi on their long-haul flights, so I have to find work that I can do without being connected to the Internet.

Both LOT Polish Airlines’ premium economy and business class upgrades offer a higher class of service for a reasonable price. Remember, these are $1500 to $3500 tickets that you are able to upgrade to for $300 to $800.

LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class Cabin
LOT Polish Airlines - Business Class Cabin

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