Flight Review: Condor Airlines Airbus A330neo Business Class From Seattle To Frankfurt
Earlier this year, in preparation for the launch of its Airbus A330neo flights, Condor Airlines invited Simple Flying to fly on the inaugural Seattle to Frankfurt flight. While my ticket was provided, I would like to point out that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. The inaugural was set to take place in February but was canceled because of airport strikes in Germany. After months of planning and experiencing delays, Condor hosted an event at Seattle Tacoma International Airport last Thursday to celebrate the arrival of the new aircraft in Seattle. While it was not the first time a Condor A330neo landed there, the airline personnel’s enthusiasm made it seem like it was.
On the ground
I arrived at the airport earlier that day from San Francisco International Airport on a United Airlines flight and remained in the terminal to take advantage of my Priority Pass access and do some work before going to the Condor check-in area. Since I was already airside, I did not need to go to the check-in desk, but I wanted to cover the Condor experience from the very beginning.
The Condor desk was straightforward to find, especially as I picked up my bag at a United desk right below Condor. Check-in is located at the very end of the terminal, right at the exit of the brand-new International Arrivals Facility (IAF). LED signs suspended from the ceiling listed airlines by name, making the Condor desk easy to locate.
When I arrived, the desks were closed as it was more than three hours before the flight, but Condor staff was already there preparing for the flight to Frankfurt. From the moment of my arrival, it was evident that Condor’s new livery is not just a brand on the aircraft but a brand spread across everything the airline produces. Media were greeted and given badges attached to striped lanyards, each displaying a color of one of Condor’s aircraft. As shown in the image below, mine was yellow.
I already had my boarding pass on my phone as I checked in through the app, which was very simple. One major detail (small to some) needed to be added to my reservation, my Known Traveler Number, which would give me access to the TSA PreCheck security line. I did not find anywhere in the Condor app to add my KTN, but Brian was able to add it to my reservation in seconds and printed me a boarding pass that would allow me to go through TSA PreCheck.
The check-in desks opened a short while later and, as usual, were divided by cabin. The signs which displayed the cabin names were relatively small and easy to miss, but TV screens above the desks also helped identify the classes of service. The three signs for business, premium economy, and economy also featured Condor’s new famous striped livery. From my vantage point, everything appeared to go smoothly at check-in.
Unfortunately, the wait time at TSA PreCheck was quite long on Thursday, the longest wait time I have experienced in a long time. I am a CLEAR member, but I was going through security through one of Condor’s personnel and decided not to abandon them, which led to us waiting around 20 minutes.
International flights in Seattle depart from the S terminal, located across the taxiway from the main terminals and accessible via an underground train. The walk from the security checkpoint was at most three minutes, and the train took about two minutes to arrive at the S gates. As we were flying in business class, we could access The Club at SEA, which Condor has partnered with for lounge access.
At the lounge, a small area was set aside for the Condor event, which featured executives from the Condor Headquarters. Three short speeches were given, highlighting the importance of Seattle as a market for Condor, the introduction of the A330neos to its fleet, and its partnership with Alaska Airlines.
On the ramp
To my surprise, we were allowed to go onto the ramp to photograph the inbound flight from Frankfurt. It was a lovely day in Seattle, with clear skies and warm temperatures, and I was thrilled to be going onto the ramp. The aircraft was backlit as it landed, making it challenging to get great shots. Nonetheless, all of us were grateful to have the opportunity to go on the ramp, thanks to coordination between Condor and the airport press relations team.
source: https://simpleflying.com/flight-review-condor-airlines-airbus-a330neo-business-class-seattle-frankfurt/
