We’d flown with LOT Polish Airlines directly to Vilnius in September 2025 when it had been a reasonable experience. But this time, the journey to Moldova’s capital Chișinău, was a little more complicated.
We’d checked in online 36 hours in advance, and our travel agent had already prebooked our seats. As we were travelling economy due to the length of the flights, LOT sent frequent email invitations to bid for an upgrade to business class which we declined although lounge access during our Warsaw layover would have been good.
At 4.45am, Heathrow’s Terminal 2 was pleasantly quiet, but the ground staff were more interested in chatting than assisting passengers with the self-service check-in.
Boarding information appeared promptly, although reaching our gate involved a brisk 15-minute walk complete with several escalators. However, this meant that boarding commenced almost immediately after we arrived. Our Boeing aircraft was configured 3-3, and we’d selected adjacent aisle seats in Row 13. The flight wasn’t full, with plenty of empty seats towards the rear, making it slightly disappointing that we couldn’t spread out. Nevertheless, boarding was efficient despite departing around 20 minutes behind schedule.
Once in the air, we were offered a complimentary snack of a sweet or savoury bun, a small chocolate wafer, and either a hot or cold drink, and we opted for white wine. Later there was a paid-for trolley service from the friendly and efficient crew.
Despite the delayed departure, we landed in Warsaw five minutes ahead of schedule. Warsaw Airport was small and compact and with almost five hours between flights, we had ample time to browse the duty-free shops and enjoy lunch at Atmosphera Restaurant, where we sampled traditional Polish pierogi. Following the waiter’s recommendation, we chose the boiled version rather than fried, and it proved an excellent choice.
Our onward flight, to Chișinău, departed from the conveniently located Gate N19. Although boarding required a bus transfer to the aircraft, the process was well organised, and we were fortunate to find seats on the bus. The regional aircraft featured a comfortable 2-2 seating configuration, and boarding was completed quickly. Once again, departure was around 20 minutes late, but the cabin crew maintained their efficient service standards and offered the same complimentary rolls and drinks during the 90-minute flight which once again, arrived on time.
