Condor, known in Germany as Condor Flugdienst, has an extensive network out of its main hub in Frankfurt, and despite being labeled a “vacation airline,” the onboard service is better than that of full-service German airline Lufthansa.
The airline overhauled its onboard product a couple of years back, and its interiors now feature more of the iconic striped pattern found on the exterior of Condor’s aircraft. Plus, the onboard service is said to be pretty good for premium economy, so we decided to try it out for ourselves on a flight from JFK to Frankfurt.
My day started out in a different airport, so I made sure to arrive plenty early so I could transfer terminals and check in. Condor operates from T7, alongside a handful of other international airlines, as well as domestic carriers such as Alaska Airlines, with which they are partners. The airline does offer online check-in, but for those wanting a paper ticket or needing to check a bag, the ticket counter opens three hours before the scheduled departure time.
Condor’s famous and very noticeable striped livery was unveiled back in April 2022, and is featured on nearly everything Condor has, from signs at the airport to ticket stock to the aircraft themselves, and much more. Condor does participate in TSA PreCheck, so it took almost no time to get through the checkpoint, especially at a time of day when there were not many flights departing.
Passengers in the premium economy cabin do not get lounge access included in their ticket, and with Terminal 7 being a little bit sparse in terms of amenities and things to do other than shopping or eating, there’s no reason to get here any earlier than three hours before your flight unless you want to do some duty-free shopping.
It wasn’t long after getting to the gate that the aircraft for my journey to Frankfurt arrived. My aircraft was D-ANRF, an Airbus A330-900neo which was delivered directly to Condor in September 2023, and wears the Blue Sea livery.
The deplaning process for incoming passengers went quickly, and before I knew it, they were lining up the passengers going out to get ready for the departure. All of Condor’s A330-900neos have 310 total seats, with 30 in business, 64 in premium economy, and 216 in economy.
My seat would be 12A, a window on the left side of the aircraft, and I was fortunate enough to have an empty seat next to me. Waiting for me at my seat was a pillow, blanket, and water bottle, as well as an amenity kit and a menu for the dinner choices.
Despite boarding a little bit behind schedule, we managed to push back on time and actually even a little bit early. Taxi out to the runway was quick as well, and we blasted off into the skies. This flight was actually the first time I had ever ridden on an A330-900neo.
There was a lot of room between my knees and the seat in front of me, and tons of space under the seat for my feet, especially with no bag under the seat, since I could put it there next to me with nobody sitting there. Even if there had been someone in that seat, I would’ve still had plenty of room.
In the seatback pocket, there is a safety card along with a pamphlet showing what drinks are sold on Condor flights. There is also a magazine selling duty-free items that flight attendants bring through the cabin later during the flight, including a couple of aviation enthusiast-themed items such as models and even a Lego set of their A330. All of the scale models they sold on board the plane were really reasonably priced, with a 1:200 model of the A330 only costing €19, and although I didn’t get one on this flight to save room in my suitcase, I did get one on my return Condor flight.
On all Condor flights, gifts are handed out to passengers in every cabin, and what you receive depends on the cabin. For those in premium economy, you could get one of four items: a sunglass case, a drawstring bag, a toiletry bag, or a makeup bag. For this flight, I got the sunglass case.
The seatback has many features to it, and along with having an IFE system, if you would rather just watch something on your own personal device, there is a device holder just below the IFE screen. The amenity kit was stocked very well for a premium economy cabin, with an eye mask, socks, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. And yes, the socks did have the airline’s logo and the famous striped color scheme.
As far as stuff to do, the IFE includes the Skyline Cafe, where you order snacks, a clock with the local time from JFK and Frankfurt, movies, TV, relaxation tips, and much more. One feature I thought was cool was videos from landing at different Condor destinations from the point of view of the landing gear. And of course, an AvGeek favorite, the in-flight moving map, where you can see the overview of the flight, including the altitude, temperature outside, how much longer is left in the flight, and other details.
Roughly an hour after takeoff, flight attendants brought around the drink cart, followed shortly after by the meal. For the main course, I had a choice of chicken or pasta, and I chose the chicken option.
My starter consisted of marinated Cajun beef with vegetable quinoa salad and spinach. The main course was chicken cordon bleu with vegetables and mashed potatoes, and for dessert, there was apple crumble and a KitKat bar. There was also a side of bread and butter. Although the bowls and plates were made of plastic and tin, the silverware was real metal, which was a nice change from plastic or wooden cutlery, and while a small detail, it made the meal more enjoyable.
Considering this was a premium economy meal and not first class, it was really, really good, going well above my expectations, and was probably some of the best chicken cordon bleu I’ve had, and definitely the best chicken-based meal I’ve ever had on a plane. What Condor serves in premium economy is very similar to what a lot of major airlines serve in first-class cabins in the U.S.
About 45 minutes after the meal was served, the cabin was cleaned up, and the cabin lights were turned down to a calming blue and orange to simulate the setting sun. I decided to recline my seat and try and get some sleep before breakfast in a couple of hours.
After about four to five hours of OK sleep, I woke up when the plane was somewhere over England, to the smell of food being prepared in the galleys. By this time, the cabin lights had been changed from darker colors to a rainbow of different bright colors, giving the cabin a wonderful festive feeling.
About an hour and a half before the landing is when the breakfast came out. Just like with the meal the night before, there was a choice for breakfast. The option I chose was an egg and cheese croissant, along with a muffin, yogurt, and a small bowl of fresh fruit on the side.
Again, just like the night before with dinner, breakfast was also served in paper and cardstock packaging but featured real silverware, a nice touch, especially for an industry where every pound counts.
By this time in the journey, there wasn’t enough time left in the flight to start another movie, so I decided to sit back and relax and enjoy the sunrise over the northern German coastline.
Not long after breakfast had been cleaned up, the crew prepared the cabin for arrival, and we began our descent into Frankfurt. The weather was wonderful, and there were barely any clouds as we made our final descent into Frankfurt International Airport.
In the far-off distance, I was able to see downtown Frankfurt, although it was pretty hard to get a nice shot of it with a camera because it was directly behind the sunrise.
We landed in Frankfurt at 5:42 a.m. after just over seven hours of flying time, about 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
Conclusion
Despite Condor being a “vacation airline,” it definitely goes a step above some of the full-service airlines.
It is nice that it goes beyond what is necessary for passengers, especially outside of the high-end business cabin, as most airlines don’t do anything special for passengers who don’t pay tons of money for their seats.
The food in premium economy is good, and a big step above economy despite being only slightly more in price.
Condor flies to some unique destinations and caters to the European leisure market. It serves locations in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, even Anchorage, Alaska. Condor is the only passenger airline connecting the state with Europe.
Even though Condor isn’t the size of Lufthansa, given the great experience I had, I wouldn’t hesitate to fly with the airline again.
A video account of this trip can be found below.
Editor’s Note: Condor provided AirlineGeeks with a seat on this flight, but this trip report is an objective portrayal of events.
