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I heard many exciting things about this new plane during the announcement earlier this summer: One of the top aircraft currently, a more spacious, whisper-quiet cabin, and impressive fuel efficiency (25% lower than average) making it one of the most sustainable aircraft out there. One of the main draws to the traveller, however, might be the price which proves to be comparatively lower to similar Airlines, especially when it comes to business class (I did some research personally, see the price table here).

A certain number of business class perks also impacts your airport experience but given that both airports (YYZ, FRA) during my trip were understaffed and some teams were striking my experience was atypical, so we won’t spend time on it. But see the complete list of business class inclusions on condor.com.

The cabin & Entertainment 

There are 30 seats in business class, all comfortably spaced out in a typical zigzag manner. The front row seats are Prime Seats: more spacious and allow for a shared dining experience. The marine blue interior with wood decor and new Condor signature stripes make up the cabin. This temporary home is set up with a blanket, cushioned seat liner, a quick snack, a bottle of water, socks, a travel organizer, slippers, a toothbrush, an eye mask, and comfortable headphones (with cushion covers).

The table opens down from the seat in front of you and slides quite far out easily accommodating the different seat angles. The footrest area is spacious and conveniently situated, you can easily prop up your feet without moving the seat an inch. The seat does go completely flat and is quite wide. With the cover on and blanket, I had plenty of space to roll around and get a good night’s sleep on my overnight flight to Germany.  

The 17” seat monitor serves like a mini movie theatre in 4K resolution. In-flight entertainment is the usual selection of movies, shows, music, and games, in addition to the interactive journey monitor. I found the selection of movies quite robust and at the beginning of each flight would create a favourites collection for quick access later on. 

Tip: Frankfurt Airport can be confusing so just in case: check-in desks are on the far side from Lufthansa, business class desks are 773/774. 

The food & Drink

Once seated a flight attendant greets you with a choice of sparkling wine or fresh orange juice (get both, make a mimosa?). In both directions, there were two meals: a 3-course gourmet dinner and a snack (or breakfast when flying red-eye). 

The menu booklet promises fresh, high-quality ingredients, “combined with exquisite taste, swirled in pleasure and refined with our extra pinch of passion”. A fairly bold statement I’ll admit. But all things considered, especially knowing that we were literally soaring through open air in the middle of the night, this meal was a true delight.

The red-eye flight tasting menu began with an appetizer platter: tuna tartare, turmeric chicken breast, seasonal salad, a cheese selection (Swiss, alpine, cheddar), and bread rolls with butter (get the garlic bread, I promise). The main meal was a choice of miso ling cod, lasagna, or braised beef short ribs (I chose fish). The meal ended with a delicate lavender cake. I am rather picky about cakes but this one was a pleasant surprise, not too sweet, balanced, with delicious layers of creamy sauce. 

The return daytime flight had a similar agenda but a completely different menu. The appetizer platter included curry dip, green sauce tartlet, Ikarimi salmon, baby greens salad, a selection of cheese (alp, Bergader Edelpilz, and red pesto gouda), and bread rolls. The main was a choice of cajun chicken, cod (different preparation), or tagliatelle pasta. Once again, I chose fish, but the decision was a tough one. For dessert, we had a delectable chocolate and lemon tartlet with meringue topping. Another tasty surprise with the cake. 

On the beverage menu are pop, coffee and tea, fresh pressed orange juice, beer (including non-alcoholic), vodka, rum, gin, Jägermeister (I have questions about this one), whisky, brandy, cognac, and port wine. The wine selection was quite nice so during my evening meal I basically had a wine tasting. From sparkling wine all the way down to port this traveller broke all the rules of preventing jet lag. 

A few notes on lounges

In Toronto, the flyers are invited to take advantage of the Plaza Premium Lounge. This spacious second-floor lounge has a stunning view of the airport so you could spend hours (though hopefully not) watching the planes go by. The lounge has a wide range of seating (big chairs, little chairs, tables, high tops, etc.) and a hot kitchen bar. The dinner spread was quite impressive with various snacks, a salad bar, and multiple options for hot mains. And of course, there were also fries and chips. Plaza Premium bar inclusions are rail liquors, beer, and white and red wine. 

In Frankfurt, the lounge partner is Lufthansa Business, terminal A, area B located across gate B44. Here once again the view is quite lovely, only partially interrupted by another building. There is plenty of sun and mixed seating spaces from dining tables to casual lounges. The menu is nice (soup, salad, hot meals) and the bar is even more impressive with a great selection of wines, liquors, and a make-your-own Spritz station. 

In regard to points and rewards

Condor does not have their own reward program, but you can earn Alaska Airlines points on most routes or Westjet on certain Canadian routes. If you are hoping to earn Westjet dollars, you have to book through Westjet or the points will not be take into account.

The post Flying business class with Condor, Toronto to Frankfurt and back appeared first on Paths to Travel.

The other day a group of media representatives gathered at Pearson Airport for a celebration: the introduction of A330neo, “one of the most sustainable aircraft in the skies”. A plethora of engineering innovations allows this particular aircraft to cut down fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by an impressive 20%. When it comes to your personal contributions, A330Neo consumes just about half a gallon of fuel per passenger per 62 miles flown (that’s less than half of the spend by an average car for the same distance).

The Condor team designed the Neo interior from scratch, adding leg space, carving out larger entertainment displays, and adding footrests. One of my favourite small touches is the Bluetooth connectivity which allows you to use your own headsets when in flight.

But the true jewel of this aircraft is its fresh take on Business Class. Neo houses 30 Business Class seats with a 1/2/1 configuration which means each seat has direct aisle access. Naturally, all Business Class seats convert to fully-lie-flat beds and the very front row seats have enough space for you two to dine face-to-face with your travel companion in comfort. These seats look cozy, with plenty of space to spread your reading materials and snack. Which, by the way, you get more of at this level: 2 gourmet menu items, a snack on daytime flights, and a personal snack basket.

Window seat in business class with all of the built-in amenities and extras like your overnight kit and the cosy blankets.

Key facts:

• Condor offers 5 weekly flights to Frankfurt with connections to over 100 destinations.
• Premium Economy offers 35″ of leg space and a greater backrest angle.
• Moodlighting through the cabin can be adjusted individually to suit the time of day.
• By 2023 all of Condor long-haul flights will be A330Neo.
• At this time, Condor flights are not daily so you might need to adjust your schedule by a day or two.

A quick snapshot of Premium Economy sitting with 13.3″ entertainment screen and an extra 35″ of legroom.

But is it actually more affordable?

To test out the pricing I looked for a flight to Frankfurt, October 11-18th, on Condor, AirCanada, and Lufthansa directly. All fare prices are the lowest option in the category (ie. if there are 3 levels of economy price listed is the lowest possible). It is also worth noting that in some instances 2nd tier of economy has checked bags included.

All fees are in Canadian dollars.

So the short answer is yes, yes it is. There are a few convenience differences per level, like the size of the seat, and a few differences in baggage fees but overall fair superiority is particularly visible on Condor flights.

The post Condor is on a mission to become your favourite European getaway airline appeared first on Paths to Travel.