LOT Polish Airlines to lease planes from EuroAtlantic Airways for the winter months

LOT Polish Airlines' current business class product (Source: LOT)

If you’re flying LOT Polish Airlines* across the Atlantic in the coming months, you might find yourself on a different aircraft than expected—but this isn’t necessarily bad news. EuroAtlantic Airways will be operating select LOT flights between Warsaw, New York, and Toronto. Here’s what it means for passengers:

EuroAtlantic operating Warsaw to New York & Toronto flights

LOT Polish Airlines*, which typically flies Boeing 787s for its long-haul routes, often leases jets from other airlines during the winter months for maintenance purposes. This year, LOT is leasing a Boeing 777-200ER from EuroAtlantic Airways, a Portuguese charter airline known for flying on behalf of other airlines.

EuroAtlantic Airways planes are being used on these routes (Source: GCMap.com)

The 20-year-old aircraft, registered as CS-TSW, will fly the following routes:

• Warsaw (WAW) to Toronto (YYZ) route (LO45/46) 5x weekly between September 10 and October 27, 2024

• Warsaw (WAW) to New York (JFK) route (LO27/26) 6x weekly between October 29, 2024, and March 29, 2025

This wet lease arrangement means that EuroAtlantic will provide both the aircraft and crew, but LOT will still offer its standard food, drinks, and amenities.

What does this EuroAtlantic swap mean for passengers?

Should passengers be excited about the switch to EuroAtlantic, or is it a potential downgrade? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. LOT’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners feature more modern interiors, but EuroAtlantic’s Boeing 777-200ER does have some advantages, especially for business class passengers.

LOT’s 787-8s and 787-9s have fewer seats than EuroAtlantic’s 777. The EuroAtlantic plane offers:

EuroAtlantic's 30 business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout with fully flat seats (Source: onemileatatime.com)

EuroAtlantic's 24 premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration (Source: onemileatatime.com)

EuroAtlantic's 239 economy seats in a 3-4-3 layout (Source: onemileatatime.com)

The EuroAtlantic 777’s business class, though inherited from Alitalia, provides fully flat staggered seats with direct aisle access for every passenger, a potential improvement over LOT’s more outdated business class cabins, which will be refreshed starting in 2026. However, for passengers in premium economy or economy, the newer Dreamliner’s benefits might outweigh those of the EuroAtlantic aircraft.

Conclusion

In the coming months, EuroAtlantic will be flying LOT Polish Airlines* passengers across the Atlantic on its Boeing 777. While this leased plane might show its age, the onboard experience—particularly in business class—could be just as good, if not better, than what you’d get on LOT’s Boeing 787s.