Inside Condor’s new premium economy, coach cabins with one-way fares to Europe from as little as $169
Editor’s note: Condor provided TPG with a complimentary one-way business class ticket for its inaugural Airbus A330neo flight. All opinions expressed here are the author’s own and have not been reviewed by Condor.
This colorful airline is busy reinventing itself in a very interesting way.
German entertainment carrier Condor, perhaps best known for New iconic paint colorsrecently embarked on a long-distance fleet renewal that includes Replace old Boeing 767 aircraft with 18 fresh plants Airbus A330-900neos.
These modern, fuel-efficient jets have not only the airline’s new look on the outside, but also all-new cabins on the inside.
Although the biggest upgrade is in the sharp end of the plane — believe me, I just flew and reviewed the business class cabin on the inaugural US flight — occupants in premium economy and economy class also enjoy a number of passenger-friendly enhancements. During my trip from Frankfurt to New York, I had the opportunity to tour the jet before the flight departed, and I was very impressed with what I saw.
If you’ve never heard of Condor before, you’re probably starting to see the airline’s A330neos fly to a US city near you. The airline flew from Frankfurt to 16 North American destinations last summer, including Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco; Many are on the notebook to continue this year. Its year-round North American destinations include Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Toronto. With round-trip economy class tickets to Europe at just $400, you’ll definitely want to dig deeper into Condor.
Additionally, Condor’s partnership with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Lufthansa (among others) allows you to purchase connecting itineraries from multiple domestic cities to destinations across Europe. You can even redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles for Condor flights.
So, if you’re considering traveling with Condor, here’s what you can expect if you’re flying “in the back” of the airline’s new flagship jet.
Premium Economy on Condor’s Airbus A330-900neo
Condor’s Airbus A330neo has two large economy cabins, with a 64 seater premium economy cabin in the first eight rows, just behind the second row of emergency exits.
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Most major airlines treat premium economy class as a completely separate cabin, with a partition separating these spacious recliners from the standard passenger area.
Condor has a different strategy. Its premium economy seats blend into the larger coach’s cabin without any bulkheads or bulkheads; the seats themselves are no wider than those in the economy.
What you will enjoy with these chairs is the extra recline and greater height, 12 degrees and 35 inches respectively.
It’s easy to distinguish these seats from the rest of the cabin: They all have striped headrests, while the standard economy covers don’t.
Speaking of stripes, I love the design motifs Condor has chosen for its new cabins. Striped branding elements all over the plane pair perfectly with the dark blue seats. In addition, the airline’s circular logo is inlaid with gold on the walls of the showroom, giving it a luxurious feel.
Instead of just using a handful of pre-existing cookie cutter cabins, Condor has invested in making its jets look passenger-friendly – something many other airlines, including those not the largest in the world, seems to have forgotten when designing the new cabins.
All premium economy seats, except those with bulkheads, have retractable legroom. Unfortunately, there’s no legroom or calf room here.
Even though it lacks a legroom, I’d say the bulkhead can still be a great place to sit. Baffle rows 10 and 11 have nearly unlimited legroom. They also have a universal power outlet underneath each seat.
Meanwhile, the remaining premium economy seats have USB-A and USB-C charging ports below the TV on the back of the seat. However, you won’t find a traditional outlet under each seat.
One downside to the bulkhead is that the entertainment system pops off the armrest and can’t be used during rolling, take-off and landing.
Otherwise, the rest of the premium economy seats are essentially the same build — except row 15 is missing the window.
In terms of comfort, all premium economy class passengers enjoy plus-size plush pillows and standard-sized blankets.
All premium economy seats come with a 13.3-inch 4K entertainment touchscreen that downloads over 250 movies and TV shows. Although the screen is extremely sharp, the glossy paint on the TV turns into a lot of glare when the cabin is bright.
Premium economy seats have a tray table that folds twice as well as a small phone and tablet holder that you can grab from just below the TV in the back of the seat.
It’s worth noting that there aren’t any individual air nozzles on the Condor A330neo.
There are two toilets located in the middle of the cabin between the premium economy class and the coach. I recommend using the one on the gate side of the plane as it is oversized and has more room to move around.
Other amenities that come with premium economy tickets include “premium” meals, free alcoholic beverages, larger check-in and hand baggage allowances, even priority check-in, security and boarding.
While Condor’s premium economy cabin may not be as private, spacious or exclusive as you’ll find in some of its European rivals, you certainly can’t beat the price. I’ve seen one-way premium economy class fares starting at as little as $219 each way — often cheaper than the basic economy fares you’ll find on other airlines. In addition, Condor offers one-way fares that are often half the price of round-trip tickets, something you don’t usually find on long-haul routes.
All in all, I’d say upgrading to Condor’s premium economy class should be easy for anyone looking for some extra perks and comfort without breaking the bank.
Savings on Condor’s Airbus A330-900neo
The remaining 216 seats designed by Haeco have an economy class configuration. Condor has its roots as a frugal airline, so it’s no surprise that the airline’s large and slightly cramped coach cabin reflects that.
While the 2-4-2 arrangement in economy class isn’t terribly annoying — in fact, that’s exactly how Delta Air Lines arranges the main cabin on its A330neos — the biggest difference is the altitude. While Delta offers 31 to 33 inches of pitch in the main cabin, Condor’s economy class seats are only 30 inches. This is sure to get you through some of the airline’s longest missions, including an 11-hour flight from Frankfurt to Seattle.
Each economy class seat can recline eight and a half degrees.
The spacious bulkhead and exit row seats are marketed as “Seat XL,” which can be selected for an additional $115 fee on long-haul flights. If you want more legroom, I recommend upgrading to premium economy class, rather than buying a coach chair with extra leg room.
first belong to 3
Partition seats in economy class are marked “XL.” ZACH GRIFF/THE POINT
Like premium economy class, each coach seat is equipped with a 13.3-inch 4K TV screen. All content is free and accessible with the touch of a finger.
Plus, every TV on board supports Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair your own wireless headphones, including all Apple AirPods models.
Each chair has USB-A and USB-C charging ports, a standard-size double tray table, and a small tablet holder.
I especially appreciate the design of the pocket on the back of the chair that Condor has installed: It has a special dedicated water bottle pocket, which is useful when trying to stay hydrated.
Due to the curvature of the plane, the last six rows have a 2-3-2 configuration. Seating isn’t more spacious, but it can be a great place to sit if you’re traveling in a group of three.
Condor’s Wi-Fi A330neos are powered by Inmarsat with three packages available for purchase.
Although there is no data limit, the basic plan and the premium plan have time limits of two hours and four hours, respectively. At 20 euros for every four hours, staying connected can cost quite a bit on some of the longest Condor flights.
The download and upload speeds of the Inmarsat satellite Internet service are 0.30 Mbps and 0.02 Mbps, respectively. The internet service is robust enough to stay connected to messages, but tasks that use more data keep timeout.
All told, there’s no two ways about it—flying economy class on Condor won’t be the most comfortable, but at least you’ll make a decent amount of money. With round-trip fares starting at around $400 from the US to Europe, flying on the Condor can be one of the most economical ways to cross the pond. (Just keep in mind that the cheapest fares don’t include standard-size carry-on or checked baggage, or specify enhanced seating. They include complimentary meals and non-alcoholic beverages.)
Plus, you’ll be seated in an all-new Economy Class cabin that has all the 21st-century technology you’d expect today: sharp TVs, Bluetooth support, next-generation USB chargers, and fast Wi-Fi height.
bottom line
With brand new planes flying around in an iconic color palette, it’s hard to miss Condor’s new Airbuses.
While the stripes and bold colors may be controversial to some, everyone will likely agree that the new cabins are a huge improvement over what Condor used to offer in its aging 767s. .
These planes are the first in Condor’s fleet to feature a premium economy class cabin. The seats are not only more spacious and recline comfortably, but are also at a modest extra cost compared to sitting in the standard passenger compartment.
If you’re looking for the most economical way to fly, at least Condor’s economy class cabin has many of the modern amenities you might not necessarily expect from a fancy airline, including large TVs, entertainment Free location and USB charging port.
All that combined with round-trip fares from the US to Europe starting at around $400, and it’s time to take a look at Condor again.
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