Condor might not be as widely recognized as some of the bigger European airlines, but they’ve built a solid business with a fleet of 65 Airbus aircraft flying out of their Frankfurt hub, operating in cooperation with Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier. Condor now serves 94 destinations, including some unique spots like Anchorage, AK; Fort-de-France, Martinique; and Havana, Cuba—places you won’t often see on the route maps of the major airlines. But how does Condor’s business class measure up for tall travelers? Join me on an 11-hour flight from Cancún, Mexico to Frankfurt to find out!
Cancún Airport
CUN airport made a strong impression on me. With passenger traffic similar to Stockholm Arlanda, it felt spacious and calm on a Thursday afternoon.
Check-in was a breeze thanks to a dedicated business class line (since boarding passes couldn’t be issued online), and the security check took just a few minutes. Afterward, I headed to the National VIP Lounge by MERA, which was among the best non-airline lounges I’ve visited. It had plenty of space for relaxing or working, TVs, a buffet, fast Wi-Fi, and a bar area (with an additional charge). The lounge was spotless, and the staff greeted me warmly when I arrived. The only odd part was when the receptionist approached me closer to boarding time to ask me to fill out a survey on his tablet.
The lounge was a bit tricky to find, being downstairs, but it was super convenient for this flight—just one gate away. I simply took the elevator back up and was at the gate in under a minute.
Aircraft and Route
Condor currently flies 16 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, with an impressively young average age of just 1.6 years. These are also the airline’s only true long-haul planes, dedicated to long-distance routes.
Our October 10th flight took 11 hours, flying over several U.S. states, Greenland, the UK, and Belgium before landing in Frankfurt in the morning. We cruised at 37,000 feet with an average speed of 555 mph:
Boarding
Once boarding began, it moved quickly since it was organized by groups. Business class passengers were invited to board first, followed by premium economy and then economy. However, everyone was asked to gather at the gate at the same time, which created some chaos. The groups weren’t displayed on the monitors, and the boarding announcements were only made once over the speakers. This could have been challenging for anyone who wasn’t right at the gate when the announcements were made.
Seats
The business class cabin features 30 seats arranged in a 1-2-1 layout. The seats are staggered, with the even-numbered ones positioned closer to the windows for extra privacy—a charecteristic I was happy to take advantage of. My seat came with a pillow and a packaged blanket, while the mattress topper and slippers were tucked into the footwell. In the side storage compartment, I found a bottle of water, a collectible travel organizer box, a napkin, a basic amenity kit, and over-the-ear headphones, all ready and waiting.
At first glance, the seats look sleek and classy, but there’s room for improvement when it comes to comfort. I had trouble finding a relaxing lounging position and adjusting the seat controls. The panel uses pressure-sensitive buttons that lack feedback, and although there are preset positions for “bed mode,” “upright” for takeoff and landing, and “reading,” I found myself wishing for something in between reading and bed mode. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a way to manually adjust to that sweet spot, as pressing the bed mode button fully flattened the seat. Additionally, the lack of a motorized footrest meant there was a noticeable gap between the seat and the footwell when sitting upright.
The footwell itself was surprisingly spacious and not as restrictive as I’d expected. I was able to comfortably rest my feet in a sitting position with plenty of room to stretch out.
On the right side of the seat, there’s a large armrest with storage space, along with a wired remote for the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, seat controls, a full power socket, USB Type-A and Type-C ports, and a headphone jack. The 17-inch 4K screen (except for the “Prime Seats” at the front of the cabin) looked fantastic, and the selection of movies, shows, and music was decent. However, I wish airlines would load more content—especially full seasons of shows—for those of us who like to binge-watch on long flights.
I gave the wired remote a try, but it wasn’t as intuitive as the touchscreen. Oddly, the trackpad-controlled cursor kept appearing on the screen, sometimes moving on its own, even though I’d returned the remote to its holder and made sure nothing was pressing on it. It happened a few times during the flight, but I imagine most people would stick with the responsive touchscreen anyway.
While the cabin was generally clean, I was surprised to see that the seat shells were already noticeably scuffed, especially in direct sunlight. If these seats are showing wear after less than two years, it makes me wonder what they’ll look like after more time and use.
Sleeping
The sleep position on the seat was decent. It was great to have a mattress topper, and the seat didn’t feel overly restrictive. However, at 6’5″, I took up the entire length of the seat, with barely any space between my head and the shell. Still, I managed to get about five hours of sleep, which isn’t bad for a plane, especially since I was excited to try out a new product. While these business class seats don’t have full dividers or doors, I couldn’t see anyone else while lying down, which helped create a sense of privacy. That wasn’t the case when sitting up, though.
The crew dimmed the lights after dinner to help with sleep, but the peace was interrupted later by an announcement from the captain that we were flying over New York City. While the view may have been stunning, the timing of the announcement felt unnecessary, especially with several passengers trying to sleep.
Meal Service & Crew
The crew on this flight was adequate overall. We got off to a slightly bumpy start when three flight attendants began speaking in German, and I had to request that they address me in English. The main flight attendant serving my aisle remembered my preference after two interactions, and the purser got it right after the first one.
Shortly after boarding, a flight attendant offered juice and sparkling wine. I chose the sparkling wine, which was placed on my right armrest/table. However, I wasn’t offered a refill, even though some other passengers were. Instead, the attendant quickly collected the glass before departure. The purser came around with menus and later took entrée selections directly from each passenger, which was a thoughtful touch and made the service more efficient. I opted for the roasted beef tenderloin.
The meal service started with warm towels—always a nice touch—followed by the flight attendant setting the table with cloths (with the logo on mine facing outward). Roasted and salted nuts were served next, but oddly without drinks at first, and it took a few minutes to receive my glass of Chardonnay.
The appetizer consisted of small plates of prawns, chicken skewers, and a salad. While the appetizers were fresh, the presentation left something to be desired. The butter and salad dressing came in unappealing plastic packaging, and the salt and pepper were in paper containers. When the main course arrived, I was a bit disappointed. The beef tenderloin was chewy and hard to cut, though the sauce helped improve the flavor.
After a bit of a wait, the cheese platter was served, and the purser followed up with an offer of port, which I gladly accepted. Dessert came a little later, and the purser offered a glass of cognac alongside the chocolate cake—an excellent pairing.
The pre-landing breakfast was served about 1 hour and 30 minutes before landing, all on one tray. Passengers could choose between a boiled egg and an omelette. Drinks were served before the meal, and I was nearly done with my coffee by the time the food arrived.
Landing
The landing in Frankfurt was smooth and right on time. Fortunately, we were assigned a C gate in Terminal 1 instead of the bus gate initially indicated in the Lufthansa app, which was a welcome surprise. The jet bridge was connected quickly, and business class passengers were allowed to deplane first. However, the flight attendants were chatting among themselves in German for a while, making it a bit tricky to thank them as I was leaving.
Conclusion
Condor’s business class seat gets the job done for tall travelers, but it’s important to manage expectations. While the seat offers decent space, there are some shortcomings—like the limited seat controls and signs of wear on these relatively new planes. The crew could also have been more attentive at times. It feels like Condor cut corners in certain areas, and I wish there were a better balance between cost and quality.
These seats can sometimes be booked for over $2,500 when availability is tight, but when lucky, you can score an upgrade before departure in the $300-$600 range. I opted for the check-in upgrade, paying €599 on top of my premium economy fare, bringing the total to $1,500. At that price, I’m willing to overlook some of the flaws, but I wouldn’t want to pay much more than that for this experience.
Leave a Reply