In the recently open flight of Business Lounge in Chicago, the only salon of the Polish carrier outside our country, which I visited at the beginning of May, Gucio welcomes me. Unloaded with plates and glasses, without turning importance to anything, he avoids me and heads towards the facilities.
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“Gucio is irreplaceable,” Mrs. Małgorzata, who is the coordinator of surgery at the LOT business salon in Chicago, quickly explains to me. – This is a robot that helps waiters and waitresses in collecting dishes from tables and delivering meals to the buffet. And he adds jokingly: – He can even sing American “happy birthday”. And we called him a Polish name, because he finally works for a Polish company.
As the Business Lounge operations coordinator explains, the robot is specially programmed – he moves according to codes arranged in the living room, thanks to which he knows his distribution and can ride it on his own.
Apart from the Keller robot, my attention focuses on two things: giant copper lamp, which occupies almost the entire ceiling and a panoramic view of the airport, from where you can observe planes – Both those landing and waiting for the start – a real treat for aviation fans. Two of the four walls of the living room are glazed. They were built of windows with automatic darkening function – when the sun shines too intensively, filter light and automatically darken.
Business Lounge in the evening
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Natalia Szewczak
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Natalia Szewczak
Polish doves, a bar like amber from the Baltic Sea and prayer rooms
The workplace of Lotowski Robot Gucia, and – above all – the place of rest of passengers before the flight, is large – It has an area of 617 sq m and can accommodate 165 people.
See also: “It will be like a living room in the clouds.” The creators of the new futuristic aircraft describe their project
Passengers in the living room have wide seats equipped with chargers for phones and laptops and standard tables with chairs (Wi-Fi Internet is also available). They can also use specially prepared zones for work, relaxation and prayers. In Lotowski Business Lounge there are also toilets and a bathroom with a shower.
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Natalia Szewczak
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Natalia Szewczak
Passengers during their stay in the salon have unlimited access to the buffet, where Polish and American cuisine meals are served, including vegetarian options and Halal. During my visit to the menu there were, among others Russian dumplings, stuffed cabbage with meat, cauliflower with spicy olive-caap sauce, soffrito made of baked chicken, smoked trout, vanilla cake with strawberries or Polish apple pie.
Buffet in the LOT salon in Chicago
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Natalia Szewczak
One of the companies of the Sodexo Group is responsible for providing meals, which also supports Super Bowl – the final match for championship in American football and Royal Ascot, British horse races. You can also use serving drinks (also non -alcoholic) of an elegant bar, whose wall is supposed to be reminded of Polish amber.
There are also Polish dishes – dumplings and stuffed cabbage
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Natalia Szewczak
Buffet in the LOT salon in Chicago
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Natalia Szewczak
100,000 passengers in a year
The LOT salon in Chicago is the latest pride of the Polish carrier-it was opened a few months ago. It was designed by an architectural company from Chicago Koo Architects, and was decorated in a modern style in cooperation with Polish brands, including Paradyż (ceramics), paged (furniture) or phenome (cosmetics). For the arrangement of the interior, he was even nominated in the prestigious American Illinois Real Estate Journal Awards (its settlement at the beginning of June).
The Polish Business Lounge is located in the central part of the Fifth Terminal of the Chicago O'HARE Airport, right next to the goal leading on board aircraft departing to Poland. It works daily between 8-24 local time-but they change depending on the flights of the airlines with which the Polish carrier cooperates. It can be used for free by LOT Business Class passengers, first class passengers and business lines as part of the Star Alliance alliance, as well as people with the appropriate status of the loyalty program from the Star Alliance partner line. Other passengers can use it for a fee of $ 55-70, i.e. the equivalent of approx. 210-260 PLN.
Bar in the LOT salon in Chicago. Its wall is to resemble amber
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PLL LOT/LOT.COM
LOT argues that the new salon “is an expression of the carrier's involvement in ensuring the highest quality passenger service and emphasizing Polish hospitality at an international level.”
President of PLL LOT Michał Fijoł in an interview with Business Insider emphasizes that the first foreign Business Lounge LOT is “unique”. – First of all, it significantly increases the quality of our offer. Those who remember the previous salon we used will be surprised by the level of the new one. It is also a way of promoting Poland – in Lot Business Lounge Chicago we work with Polish brands – he emphasizes.
– We estimate that over 100,000 will visit it a year. passengers. This is an important business card for us and Poland – he adds.
LOT does not exclude the opening of its next foreign business loves. – The flight is developing, investing in a fleet. We have good experience with the first foreign salon. We do not rule out more, but these are long and expensive processes. In Chicago, his creation took several years – From selection of the place, through negotiations, to construction in a closed airport zone. But we are constantly observing the market and analyze the possibilities – not only in the context of the fleet – admits Fijoł.
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Natalia Szewczak
Lot wants to the USA. Boston, Washington or San Francisco?
Michał Fijoł, president of the Polish carrier, emphasizes that the United States for LOT is a key market-not only because of Polonia. – In the holiday season to the United States we make nearly 50 cruises a week, i.e. on average seven a day – he informs. Calculates: – Comparing this year's April until April in 2025, we record an increase in the number of passengers to the US at 20 %, which places us at the forefront of European airlines in this respect, but we are on a good growth trajectory – he says.
Fijoł indicates that on some days the flight lands in Chicago up to three times a day. – Planes are full – it's crucial in a long -distance model. Of course, we serve not only passengers from Poland, but also transition from other countries – he emphasizes. – In 2024, we transported 250,000 between Poland and Chicago. passengers. In 2025 there will probably be even more of them – he adds.
In an interview with Business Insider, he reveals that LOT is considering opening new routes to the United States. It is at stake, among others Boston, Washington and San Francisco – Cities to whom the Polish carrier was considering the Polish pandemia in 2020.
Fijoł is not revealing the details yet. – Each new connection is an investment. At the end of next year, two Boeing 787 Dreamliner wide -hilly planes will join our fleet, which will open the space to new routes. However, behind the decisions to open new directions are data, analyzes and many variables. This is not a simple decision. In addition, we do not want to facilitate the work of competition – he explains.
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Natalia Szewczak
