LOT Polish Embraer E190 Economy Class from London City to Vilnius

Summary

• The London-Vilnius route is dominated by low-cost airlines such as Wizz Air and RyanAir, and there is also an established airline, LOT Polish Airlines.
• Direct flights from London City Airport (LCY) to Vilnius Airport (VNO) are convenient for business travelers.
• LOT Polish Airlines offers a comfortable flight experience with free snacks at a good price-performance ratio.

London and Vilnius are well-connected cities with many weekly flights from Vilnius Airport (VNO) to London Stansted (STN), London Luton (LTN) and London City Airport (LCY).

Currently, three airlines – Wizz Air, Ryanair and LOT Polish Airlines — offer direct scheduled flights from VNO to London airports. These routes are mainly operated by low-cost airlines, with only one established airline offering direct connections between the two cities.

Last week I took a direct flight from London City Airport (LCY), the city’s business hub, to Vilnius Airport (VNO), Lithuania. With limited flight connections between the two destinations, the direct LOT service from London’s most central airport was a blessing.

Airport experience

London City Airport (LCY) is London’s most central airport. It is located in the Royal Docks, about 6 miles east of the City of London. Very popular with business travellers, the airport is relatively small and currently serves established airlines such as British Airways, KLM, ITA Airways, SWISS, Lufthansa, LOT and Aer Lingus.

Getting to the airport from the city centre is quick and easy. It took me just 25 minutes to get to the airport from Bank tube station. I had no checked luggage and only a single backpack, so going through security was not a problem, especially as London airports now use new CT scanners that do not require passengers to remove electronic devices and liquids from their bags.

I arrived two hours before departure, so I had plenty of time not only to get through security, but also to grab a cup of coffee and open my laptop to get some work done. The airport is very well equipped for telecommuters, with plenty of seating, tables and power outlets.

The airport screen indicated that the boarding gate for flight LO 274 from LCY to VNO would be displayed 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. The gate number appeared on the screen at exactly 18:10. I then went to Gate 5 to meet my flight, LOT’s Embraer E190, which was taxiing to the gate.

Boarding began at 6:25 p.m. at Gate 5, which did not have a jet bridge. Instead, all gates at LCY have a staircase that leads directly outside to the parked aircraft. The boarding process went smoothly. The ground staff asked the business class passengers to board first, followed by the economy class passengers.

Although boarding went smoothly, the flight, which lasted two hours and 15 minutes, was delayed by half an hour for unknown reasons.

On the plane

My flight to Vilnius International Airport (VNO) was on a 5.6-year-old Embraer E190 of LOT Polish Airlines, registered as SP-LMB. The regional jet has space for a total of 106 passengers.

As is common in European aviation, the size of the Business Class is dynamically adjusted and the curtain moves forward or backward as needed. On this flight, four rows of seats were reserved for Business Class.

When I entered the plane, I noticed the 2-2 cabin layout, which offered relatively spacious seats in LOT Polish Airlines’ typical dark blue colors. The seats did not have an in-flight entertainment system, which is standard on short-haul European flights. Judging by the boarding and check-in process, the flight seemed to be almost fully booked.

My seat for the flight was 10C, an aisle seat with relatively plenty of legroom, but unfortunately without a direct view of the window. I did not receive an amenity kit for this flight, which is pretty normal for a short-haul European flight.

Service and tariff

Service began immediately after the pilots reached cruising altitude and turned off the seatbelt sign. Cabin crew first distributed disinfectant wipes and shortly thereafter began serving complimentary snacks and soft drinks.

Complimentary snacks included a blackberry-filled pastry, coffee, Dilmah tea, still water and sparkling water. The passenger to my right asked if the crew had gluten-free options and was given gluten-free cookies instead of the pastry.

The cabin crew were friendly and helpful. While the captain made an announcement about our altitude of 37,000 feet, the crew came by with a tray full of alcoholic drinks, although these were not free. They then also offered perfumes and beauty products for purchase.

The economy ticket cost me €200 ($220), which was reasonable considering I bought it just six days before departure, during peak summer travel season when the Lithuanian diaspora living in the UK usually returns home for a holiday. LOT is the only airline operating direct flights from LCY to VNO and has no other competitor on this route.

Landing and final thoughts

LOT’s Embraer E190 regional jet landed smoothly at Vilnius Airport shortly before midnight. The aircraft was parked on a remote stand and the passengers were transported to the terminal by two buses.

All in all, this short LOT service between London City and Vilnius on E190 was exceptionally smooth and enjoyable. The flight was so pleasant that I wished it could have lasted longer. LOT’s economy class offers good value for money if you value the comfort of travelling from London’s most central and quiet airport.