Prologue:

Welcome to this report on Condor A330-900 in J.

A few months ago I was looking for an award seat from Europe-SFO and by chance I found a seat through my Alaska account with Condor for 55.000 miles + $159.25 in taxes and fee. Without hesitation I grabbed this fare right away especially when most airlines were asking for 200,000+ for award redemption in a similar cabin.

I have never flown DE and I was looking forward to trying this new airline for me.

Summary:

It was exciting to experience Condor and see how they stack up to LH.

Despite our late departure we made time during the flight and arrived no more than 15 min. later which is great. In terms of ground service DE leaves a lot to be desired. Crowded check in and lengthy wait especially for premium pax is disappointing. There should be a designated agent at the start of the line to direct people and improve the flow of the lines by adding more agents and resources. Waiting for 30 min. to be checked in for J seems unacceptable.

The lack of announcements at the gate explaining the delay is another bad mark. There should be better accountability in that respect. I learned that the delay was due to cleaning later during the flight. It's not so hard to let pax know so that they get an idea instead of wondering if this is a mechanical issue.

Onboard the experience is a stark contrast to the ground experience. I encountered friendly, engaging and professional crew who were proactive and soliciting. It was a joy to fly with them and this has been one of the best crews that I had the pleasure to fly with. At one point when taking the meal ordered I noticed that the purser started from the other aisle and I was afraid that by the time they got to me I had to be asked for a second choice. To my surprise the purser told me that he had everything and that there would be no problem getting my first choice.

Catering was excellent in my opinion with frequent offering of drinks and breads. The second service had a small hot dish which is really appreciated. The only suggestion that I can offer would be to add a second choice for those that are vegetarian. I happen to love Indian food but having an Indian dish as the only option might not be for everyone.

In terms of onboard product DE has a very competitive product that can rival the legacy's inflight experience However on the ground there is room for improvement.