In an interesting move, LOT Polish Airlines will be adding service to San Francisco International Airport. I’ve been interested in flying the Polish flag carrier, mainly since their fuel surcharges are lower than many other European Star Alliance carriers. Their only current service to the U.S. West Coast is between their Warsaw hub and Los Angeles.
LOT Polish San Francisco Service
LOT Polish will be adding four flights per week between Warsaw and San Francisco starting late next summer. Service commences on August 5. Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
The flights clock in at over 11 hours in both directions. It’s a long haul, but you’d ideally be flying in LOT’s lie-flat business class. Their 787s have a business class cabin arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration, making it an ideal option if you’re traveling with a companion.
Poland has been on my longer list of destinations for a while. From all my research, the country has a lot to offer, including the picturesque cities of Krakow and Wroclaw, seaside Gdansk, and multiple stunning national parks. To top it all off, the country makes for an inexpensive vacation, at least when compared to more popular destinations in western Europe. Hotels, whether on points or paying cash, are cheap in Poland, and you can see much of the country for not a whole lot out of pocket.
More Connection Opportunities in SFO
Given that San Francisco is a major United hub, a Star Alliance partner airline, this move gives LOT the opportunity for people in smaller West Coast cities to fly to Poland or other locations in Eastern Europe on connecting itineraries. LOT already flies to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Newark, all United hubs. This gives them many opportunities for the eastern half of the country, but not as much opportunity in the west.
San Francisco is a larger United hub than Los Angeles, which makes it an ideal new route for LOT if they’re looking for connecting United traffic. Houston or Denver would have been other logical picks, but I’m not surprised they chose SFO.
I’m always excited for new service, especially when it is a new destination for a carrier! I’d love to head to Poland on LOT’s new Warsaw – San Francisco route.
H/T: OMAAT
Featured image courtesy of Tony Hisgett vis Flickr, used under CC-BY-2.0 license.
