Why does everyone seem to hate LOT Polish Airlines?

You are joking aren't you?


I'd avoid them. Someone once told me that they were fined for declaring fuel emergencies so they get a priority landing to keep fuel costs down. Also I heard they like to avoid controlled airspace where possible because they don't like to pay for air-traffic control services.

I think you get what you pay for when choosing an airline.

I love LOT. Flew on it last year. Very nice service and the attendants were polite. Pretty decent meals. No complaints. What do people want? Felatio and cunnilingus?

LOT is going downhill and might be out of the picture sooner than later.

Are you suggesting Poland will not have a national carrier in the future?? That's absurd.

Flying about 200,000 miles a year I'll take a freedom to answer your comments... I fly LOT every year in both buisness and economy class.

1) customer service is terrible
THAT IS a PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
2) in flight service is a joke. God forbid you ask for a glass of water, the attendants look at you like you are crazy.
- LIE.
3) Calling them for info is a joke, if they don't like what you are saying they just hang up on you
- THAT IS WHAT I WOULD DO IF YOU PRESENT YOUR ATTITUDE.
4) The plances are 100 years old.
- PLANES ARE NO OLDER THAN UNITED, AMERICAN OR BA...

5) On yesterdays flight (WAW-ORD) the engine blew out, they had to dump fuel to lighten the plane to land in Iceland. I mean do they have mechanics that check planes beore they take-off? They kept everyone on the plane for 4 hours. Stayed ovrenight in some cheap hotel. Don't post a press release that people will be coming in the next day. People are still in Iceland waiting in the airport to get out...gee that is so much fun

ANOTHER LIE! BEING A PILOT, IT HAPPENS THAT MY BUDDY WAS A CAPITAN ON THAT FLIGHT. ALL IN ALL, THE ENGINE HAD A FAULTY PROBE AND THEY HAD TO SHUT IT DOWN AND LAND USING ONE ENGINE. IT TURNED OUT THAT IT WAS ONLY A PROBE IN FACT. INCIDENTS DESCRIBED ABOVE HAPPEN DAILY FOR EVERY AIRLINE. NOBODY SAT IN THE AIRPLANE FOR 4 HOURS, OTHER THAN MECHANICS...

6) Simply they are just rude.
I fly business class reason being I like to sleep in the bed/chair, the chair was BROKEN. Hello, why did I pay this money then? Certainly not for the food. They just DON'T CARE. Fly another European airline, same price and MUCH better service.

[/quote]
- OR MAYBE YOU ARE RUDE. WHAT YOU JUST WROTE I FIND VERY TRUE WITH BRITISH AIRLINES. BA IS RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL AND FLY 100 YEAR OLD PLANES. THEIR COACH CLASS SERVICE ON: US TO BRITAIN ROUTE SUCKS MAJOR ASS. YOU'LL BE LUCKY TO GET A MICROWAVED SHOE IN TOMATO SAUCE FOR A DINNER. SEATS I THEIR 100 YER OLD 767 FALL APART AND THEY SMELL LIKE AN USED SOCK. ALWAYS LATE AND IF THEY EXTEND YOUR TRIP FOR ANOTHER 2 DAYS BECAUSE THEIR CAPTAIN DIDN'T FEEL LIKE TAKING OFF WITH A FOG. YOU'LL END UP TRAVELING USING BUSES LIKE I DID VIA HALF OF EUROPE....JOKE!

i've always found LOT to be one of the more expensive carriers but then again i have a mental deficiency when it comes to finding cheap flights. But i have never found their service to be horrid, in fact i recall the people at LOT were very helpful one time in Frankfurt when i'd done something completely boneheaded and missed my flight as a result (or was it lufthansa? hmmm).

now airItalia, that is a bad airline (personal experience)

This is why I will not choose LOT again. I just returned from a roundtrip -Los Angeles to Warsaw via Chicago. The LOT telephone booking agent did not allow enough time for our connection in Chicago. It made our trip much more stressful. There was no reason for that type of "mistake". They should know better.

Also, the small planes are much less comfortable. The flight was noisy and more bumpy than when we crossed the Atlantic on larger jets.

I would fly LOT inside Europe - but not across the Atlantic again.

Well Whizz air as just as bad-cancelling flights! See the Ryanair link!

International LOT/euroLOT is ok IMO, plus they serve real meals (ham and lettuce + cheese and some bread for breakfast, warm dinner).

Internal flights are worse than trains, random +10h wait, because the only plane servicing this route broke down and you are informed in 30min intervals that the flight will take off within 30minutes, no money back of course (if you ever wanted to take some alternative transport).

The 0800 number is useless, they hang up on you as soon as you tell them that you have any trouble with their service (including "The plane from Warsaw to Krakow is a bit late, what is the estimated time of de... beep beep beep "). So their customer service (ticket handling, billing etc.) sucks, but I never had any trouble with their onboard staff.

I flew Lot once last year. The trip before that I flew Air France (also a recent trip). Both originated in Detroit. Comparison (both in coach class):

Air France: Snack of wine and cheese. Wet towelettes to wash hands. Little package of items like eye mask to help sleep. Great meals. Individual tv screen on back of seat to watch a choice of movies, play games, etc. Attendants that spoke English as well as French.

LOT: I can't even remember the snack, but meal was pieces of chicken in some kind of gravy, mushy green beans, yellow rice, 2 rolls, butter, mini cheese wheel, fruit cocktail and some kind of mushy tuna salad. Movie was shown on one big screen so if you were seated far from it, too bad. No individual screens. Attendants mostly spoke Polish, little English. Carry on luggage weight allowed was about half of Air France or other airlines. At check in for a long time there was only 1 person at the counter (Chicago) then only 2 while there was a very long line.

The price difference was only about $100. You decide.

LOT may not be the most luxiourious plane in the world, but it will get you there.
Flew on Jugoslavian airlines. water was dripping from above, plane was shaking the whole time, handbag compartments were opening up, food very scarece, no extra drinks. No wonder everyone was clapping when we landed in Yugoslavia.

Do they have plows for the runways at the lotnisko or they still shoveling??
Thats what I heard, doesnt seem to safe?

I think we can all agree that the american airline industry is the worst in the world. As far as good airlines, I'd recommend SAS whenever possible. I swear they gave me 10 coffee refills 6 other drinks 3 meals 2 snacks and a hot towel twice on the way from WAW to Ohare

Back in August 2008 my mother in law came from Poland. WAW-ORD and then ORD-WAW she loved LOT's service. The food was grate and the flight was good the service both in POLAND and in USA was great. My whole family flies LOT and no one had any Problems the service is good and the food is good. Yes their 767 are a bit old but they are not terrible and soon they will get the brand new 787 Dream liners. I will give LOT 5/5. I also fly SW and I like their service same thing goes for USAir and USA3000.

I think people will always find something to complain about. I have flown to Poland about 20 times in my lifetime and I have never had a problem with LOT. In fact the service was always exceptional, the food was great (mind you I am not a picky eater) and the flight attendants were very pleasant. As someone said, a plane takes you from A to B. At least you get free alcoholic beverages and you don't have to pay for your food as many airlines are doing nowadays (charging for a meal).

I haven't had a problem with LOT. I flew Newark NJ - Warsaw, and I also flew LOT from Krakow - Munich and from Munich - Warsaw. Everyone was pleasant and professional. The flight attendants have always been attentive to my needs. Yeah the planes were a bit noisier, but that's OK. I've always had safe travels with LOT.

My only problem with LOT has always been the lack of order getting on and off a flight. Once the flight is announced, there is a mad crush of people trying to jam into the plane no matter how they try to board the thing.

I used to do a lot of international travel for my job as well as within the EU and within the US. I can honestly say that there are 2 airlines which are tied for last place in my book. Delta and American were the worst experiences I have ever had. I personally would rather bicycle to my destination than fly on Delta or American.

I've flown on LOT at least dozen or more round trips, and hated each and every one. Every time I get off the plane, I tell myself, "dont ever book another flight on LOT". Then the next trip I find the cheapest flight to be LOT, and its direct, so I take it. And the circle of drama continues.

They've lost my luggage, they've ripped it open, they've shredded it too (each a separate trip), so I've learned to only buy cheap luggage when going to Poland, lol. When they ripped my luggage, and I went to file a complaint, the lady first started accusing me of how it was my fault. She said I probably over packed and the luggage weighed too much and it burst or it was too old, so she decided to weigh it, and when it was 15 lbs under weight and saw it was loose, not tight packed & fairly new, she shut up and started filling out the paper work to reimburse me.

On my last flight a couple months ago, they "offered" to move my seat to the emergency row exit, and boasted about the extra leg room there. I felt priviledged! Little did I know that I got a broken chair that never sat in the up-right position... for which the stewardesses kept walking over and reminding me to lift my chair at eatting times and take off & landing. Ladies, if I only could make the chair work, I would! Sitting in that row, with the emergency door, I felt a draft, it was so freaking cold, that i sat in a coat & had a couple blankets. Then water started dripping from I dont know where, the blankets got wet, and I sat there freezing and being dripped on wet the rest of the flight.

To those that said that LOT doesn't have old planes, perhaps they should get their facts straight. They only buy planes from American or United when they are done with them, and servicing becomes too time consuming. Hence why the seats smell and are broken, why stuff leaks, why its nasty.

I guess this could fly during the communism era when everyone was happy to be on that flight to get the heck out of Poland, but in these days, our standards are higher. I dont want to eat a 3 day old kanapka as my meal. I want the stewardesses to serve people on the flight, not a drink at the beggining and then sit at the back of the plane for 9 hours gossiping about which of their friends is a slut and why.

And maybe, just maybe if there was still toilet paper in the lavatories midway through the flight, I think everyone would be happy.

But I guess more and more people aren't flying with the lovely Polish airline, I heard they only fly to Krakow 1 day a week now, and 2 days to Warsaw... from ORD that is.

There could not have possibly been a 'draft' because you were sitting by the door. Airplanes are sealed and pressurized. The plane may have been cold overall or your vent on but to act like the plane was so old and creaky that wind was blowing in past the door cracks is stupid.

God knows I am unhappy with a lot of things here in Poland but LOT has never been one of them. I think they do just as good as anyone and I have had luggage lost and damaged by nearly ALL the major airlines...

Unless you pay for business or first class on a high end airline like Singapore you are not going to get 'waited on' anymore. LOT is holding it's own in this day and age.

I've sat in the emergency row exit before, not my first time. I know cold from blowing above, and frozen ice on the door, give me a break. I'm sure it wasn't a lot of air blowing because that would have been an issue, but no vents are by the door to cause ice to form on the door itself like there was.

Just because you like LOT, doesn't mean everyone else has too. Maybe you like the attitude the stewardesses give you, you like your fight.

I didnt say I liked them....I said they are as good and as bad as any typical airline. The stewardesses had about as friendly of attitudes as you do. I just chalked it up to being a Polka thing.

You clearly don't know much about how airplanes work to make the suggestions you have.

We are a feisty bunch aren't we, lol.


I didn't say I'm some expert or engineer in this field, I stated my observation & conclusion. And you clearly don't know that there was ice forming on the door. So your observations about a cold vent are wrong.

I heard you about the ice. Do you realize how freaking cold it is outside an airplane at altitude? If there was some condensation inside the plane (from people's breath etc) sure it can form ice in the inside if the conditions are right and the surface is cold enough. But you said a 'draft'...I was just pointing out that is impossible.

It just seemed like you were complaining about things that ALL airlines do or have problems with and acting like LOT was somehow horrible while the others were not. They all suck really...

And all Polkas get cold so easy they wear sweaters in the summer anyway...;)

No way, I don't complain about all airlines like I do about LOT. This one just irks me. I guess I'm not the typical Polka either, it's mid Nov in Chicago and I have a short sleeved tee on :)

Chicago....now why doesn't that surprise me? It had to either be that or NY. ;)

I don't think they let Poles go anywhere other than those two cities...every once in a while one sneaks out and escapes...

Nah, I can't escape the family. I secretly only live in Chicago for the nonstop LOT flights to KRK, lol.

I've flown with LOT just once, but I cannot say one negative thing about the flight, and my ex-wife (an American) simply loved it.

LOT have been blamed on many things but this is the first marital break up I have read attributed to them ;)

I have flown with LOT couple of times ( London - Warsaw) yet it was ages ago. Never had a bad experience. In fact enjoyed the Polishness Wodka, Polish meals. Flying with them again this Dec and I am looking forward to it.

LOL

you a$$ :))

I've flown LOT twice going to Warsaw this past year and I have no complaints with them. My experience with them has always been pleasant.