With its 787-8 fleet now pushing past 10 years of age LOT Polish Airlines is ready to update its interiors. The carrier announced plans for a nose-to-tail refresh of the cabins, covering the seats as well as inflight entertainment and connectivity on board.
The new cabin space in all classes is inspired by the Polish landscape. Vibrant, deep blues emanate perfectly from the LOT brand, while the addition of copper alludes to the warmth of the Polish sun. The design follows business trends, however, as one of the oldest and most recognisable Polish brands in the world, we do not forget to include touches from our cultural heritage.
– Izabela Leszczyńska, Director of Product Development and Customer Experience Department at LOT Polish Airlines
Tangerine, a multi-award-winning British design agency, created the design of the new cabins for LOT Polish Airlines.
The upgrades are compelling for travelers and should deliver an upgraded passenger experience throughout the plane. But the process will take some time. The first retrofit is not expected to enter service until the end of 2026.
Moreover, the carrier has only committed – for now – to upgrade the 787-8s. LOT also has seven 787-9s with build dates ranging from March 2018 to October 2019. Perhaps by the time the –8 subfleet retrofits are complete the –9s will be ready for an update as well.
LOT’s new 787 Business Class
Passengers in business class will fly in the Recaro CL6720 mini-suite. The 1-2-1 layout will provide direct aisle access for all passengers (compared to the 2-2-2 today), but maintains the forward facing layout rather than a herringbone installation. The mini-suites will also include doors for privacy.
The updated seats will also include 17.3″ 4K entertainment screens, delivered by Safran Passenger Innovations. The IFE system will also include Bluetooth headphones pairing throughout the aircraft.
Business class passengers will have access to USB-C, AC power, and wireless charging options on board. The airplane will not include the older USB-A power option on board.
LOT’s new 787 Premium Economy Class
The premium economy cabin will see Recaro’s PL3530 seats installed. It will keep the 2-3-2 layout but upgrade to 13.3″ 4K screens from Safran. This cabin will feature USB-C and AC power at each seat.
LOT’s new 787 Economy Class
In economy class passengers will fly on Recaro’s CL3810, including the six-way headrest. Economy class will have the same 13.3″ screens as Premium Economy, but only USB-C for power.
Production of the economy class seats will take place at the RECARO facility in Świebodzin, Poland, a detail both parties are keen to call attention to in their announcements.
In-flight Internet with global reach
The 787-8 fleet will also be fitted with in-flight internet service from Viasat. In the announcement LOT indicates this will be available “aboard all of the LOT Polish Airlines wide-body aircrafts…offering global coverage” while the interior retrofits are indicated only for the 787-8. It is unclear if the Wi-Fi service will be installed separate from the interior retrofits on the –9s or if they are also in line for a retrofit once the –8 subfleet completes.
A favor to ask while you're here...
Did you enjoy the content? Or learn something useful? Or generally just think this is the type of story you'd like to see more of? Consider supporting the site through a donation (any amount helps). It helps keep me independent and avoiding the credit card schlock.
Garth says
How many watts of power via USB-C in Economy?