This is a LOT Polish Airlines connecting flights guide.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to book connecting flights with LOT Polish Airlines. The guide also covers baggage policy, passenger rights and compensation rules. LOT Polish Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Poland. It operates flights to various destinations in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. LOT has codeshare agreements with several large airlines, including Lufthansa, TAP Air Portugal, Air India and Turkish Airlines.
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
1
Is It Protected?
Yes, it’s a protected connection.
Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.
Unless you book flights separately.
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2
Baggage Rules
Airline takes care of your baggage.
Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with full-service airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.
Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors.
3
Travel Insurance
Make your trip more safe.
Add travel insurance right away. Protect yourself against possible itinerary changes later right from the very beginning. Insurance must be for the duration of the trip.
Make your trip safe from day 1.
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1. LOT Polish Airlines Connecting Flights
LOT Polish Airlines is a full-service traditional airline.
Just like any other traditional full-service airline, LOT Polish Airlines sells airline-protected connecting flights. Connecting flights are the main reason why many choose traditional airlines over low-cost airlines. Airline-protected connecting flights are much better than self-transfer flights.
Airline-protected connecting flights are:
- Safer. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
- More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
- Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.
Yes, LOT Polish Airlines sells airline-protected connecting flights.
1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline
You have booked a connecting flight with LOT Polish Airlines.
There are situations when your flight will be operated only by LOT Polish Airlines. You have two or more flights, and all of them could be operated by LOT Polish Airlines. These will be LOT airplanes and staff. But it’s not the case with all LOT connecting flights. There are situations when only a part of your journey will be operated by LOT Polish Airlines.
1.2 LOT Polish Airlines Codeshare Partners
Sometimes airlines share their flights.
You have a LOT connecting flight, but it might be operated by another airline. All of it or only a part of it. You don’t have to worry about this, as it’s not unusual. It’s a common practice. Connecting flights with different airlines is a norm in aviation. These kind of flights are called codeshare flights, and airlines collaborating — codeshare partners.
What you should know is that:
- If you miss a connecting flight (through no fault of your own), it’s LOT’s responsibility. Contact LOT to find out about your options. In most cases, you will be given a free plane ticket to your destination. LOT has to take care of it, even if your flight was operated by another airline (as long as it’s a LOT connection booked from LOT). In this situation, LOT is called “marketing airline”, and they are responsible for finding solutions.
- If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not LOT, then they are called operating airline — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.
See a list of LOT Polish Airlines codeshare partners here.
2. What If LOT Polish Airlines Cancels a Flight?
Why is LOT cancelling flights?
There are a number of reasons why an airline is cancelling their flights. The most popular are: bad weather, airport congestion, staff shortage, security issues and all sorts of technical problems.
2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled
LOT is a European airline.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
If you miss your connecting flight through no fault of your own, it’s the airline’s responsibility to offer you a new flight free of charge. If you don’t wish to travel anymore, you can opt for a full refund instead. The rules are the same with all LOT cancelled flights.
You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled
Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, LOT Polish Airlines must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
Refund must be paid within seven days.
You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.
2.3 LOT Polish Airlines Refund for Cancellation
Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.
You don’t wish to travel anymore because the new flight you have been offered doesn’t fit your travel plans. You can opt for a full refund instead. The refund has to be paid by bank transfer to the account you made the purchase from. You don’t have to accept coupons.
3. LOT Polish Airlines Missed Connecting Flight
There are a number of reasons why people miss their connections.
You may miss your connection simply because you waited at the wrong gate or fell asleep while waiting for your flight. Or, your previous flight was delayed or cancelled. Or there were long queues at the security check or check-in. Airport congestion is also a common reason.
3.1 What Happens If You Miss LOT Connection?
If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.
If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from LOT, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by LOT or not, you should contact LOT. It’s their responsibility to find a solution.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay
3.2 Right to Compensation from LOT Polish Airlines
Sometimes you have a right to compensation.
The rules are simple. If you have arrived at your destination 3 hours later than scheduled, and the delay was due to the fault of the airline, you may be entitled to flight compensation from LOT. Also you may claim compensation if your flight was cancelled last minute due to the fault of the airline.
Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?
You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION
File a Claim Online
3.3 Right to Care from LOT Polish Airlines
On all LOT flights you have a right to care.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:
- Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
- Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary;
- Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
- Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. So that you can get in touch with your loved ones to inform them about the delay.
It applies to all domestic and international flights with LOT. Again, it’s because LOT is a European airline. With non-European airlines it applies only to flights departing from European airports.
When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.
4. How to Book Connecting Flights with LOT Polish Airlines?
You can do it directly from LOT or via a third-party.
Visit kiwi.com or any other airfare search engine to find the best flight deals. Once you have found the best and cheapest flight, you have two options — to book it using a third party web-site listed on the airfare search engine, or to buy it on the official web-site of the airline. The latter option might be more expensive than the first.
How to Book?
Airline website (directly).
This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.
Other Option
Flight booking websites.
Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.
Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer.
For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.
With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.
Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?
5. LOT Polish Airlines Connecting Flights: Baggage
Since LOT is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.
Baggage rules on connecting flights with LOT are simple.
In short, LOT takes care of your baggage. According to the procedure for connecting flights, you check in baggage once (before your first flight), and the airline takes care of your baggage throughout the journey. You don’t have to collect it after every flight, and recheck it. It’s completely different with a self-transfer (separately booked flights), or if you are traveling through a country that requires everyone to collect and recheck their baggage (example — the U.S.).
If you aren’t sure, at the check in counter, ask the staff if your bags are going to be checked in all the way to your final destination.
5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
What happens if there are several airlines?
What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not LOT? As we already talked, you may experience this, because LOT does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline. In most of the situations, you won’t have to worry about this.
Read more:
- Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
- Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
- Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
- What is Checked Baggage?
5.2 LOT Polish Airlines Free Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.
Free baggage allowance varies depending on the airline, class of travel and destination. Check your LOT booking confirmation to see, how many bags you can bring with you. If you’re still thinking of booking a flight with LOT, make sure you pay attention to that — these rules aren’t the same for all flights.
5.3 Economy Light
This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.
Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.
We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).
LOT also offers “Light” tickets. It’s called “Economy Saver”. If you need more than a single bag, this option may not suit you.
6. Connecting Flight Examples
Here are two connecting flight examples with LOT Polish Airlines.
6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with LOT Polish Airlines (Most Common)
For this example I’ll be using the website of LOT Polish Airlines.
For example, I want to fly from Frankfurt to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
I search for flights for October 30, and these are my options:
On their website LOT Polish Airlines sells only protected connecting flights. However, as we can see, not all of these connecting flights are operated by LOT Polish Airlines. For example, the third option is partly operated by Lufthansa. There are two flights: Frankfurt – Warsaw and Warsaw – Colombo, and the first of them is operated by Lufthansa.
If this matters to you, if you want to be on an airplane of LOT, you must pay attention to details like these.
As you can see, total flight duration, number of stops and price also vary.
6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with LOT Polish Airlines
Now, let’s assume, that Colombo is not your final destination.
You want to book the Frankfurt – Colombo ticket because it is cheap, but you want to travel further, to Malaysia. But since you are going to be in Sri Lanka, you want to explore Colombo and its surroundings a bit. A couple of days later you plan to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
How to book a ticket to Colombo, and then to Malaysia?
Here’s how:
- You book a connecting flight to Colombo, like in the example above. For example, you’re taking one of the cheapest options, the first one, which arrives in Colombo at 5:20 am.
- And then you go to kiwi.com, or some other flight booking website, and book a flight from Colombo to Kuala Lumpur. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 2 days in Colombo.
Until Colombo, you have an airline-protected connecting flight. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, LOT will take care of that. Most likely they will put you on another flight for free. However, the last leg, Colombo – Kuala Lumpur is a separate flight. You will need a visa for a connecting flight like this. Otherwise, you won’t be allowed to leave the airport. Take this into account!
What is your experience with LOT Polish Airlines? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with LOT Polish Airlines? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from LOT Polish Airlines?
Featured photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash
About the author:
Una is an organized globetrotter and foodie who’s been living a digital nomad lifestyle since 2013. She always starts her day early with a good book before diving into work. Apart from traveling and aviation, her other passions include gym, hiking and cycling. Una is also a strong proponent of AI technology. She firmly believes in its potential to simplify life and has often advocated for its wider adoption in our day-to-day activities. Her favorite airlines are Qatar Airways, Emirates, and KLM.
