LOT Polish Adds Warsaw San Francisco Flights

LOT Polish Airlines will launch a new nonstop route between Warsaw Chopin Airport and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on May 6, 2026, adding a long discussed transatlantic link to the Bay Area. The carrier will fly the route four times per week during the summer season using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, offering business, premium economy, and economy cabins. For San Francisco, the new service is more than another long haul line on the departures board, it is the airport's first nonstop connection to Eastern Europe and its first direct link to Warsaw.

In practical terms, this means travelers who currently route through other hubs to reach Poland and neighboring countries will have a one flight option in at least one direction on many itineraries. LOT will be the only airline operating nonstop flights between Warsaw and San Francisco, so the new service immediately becomes the default choice for point to point trips on this city pair.

LOT Polish Airlines' Expanding U.S. Network

The new San Francisco route continues a deliberate North American buildout for LOT. In its announcement, the airline framed the service as a consolidation of its United States presence, noting that the country remains one of its key long haul markets. San Francisco joins Chicago, New York, Newark, Miami, and Los Angeles as LOT's U.S. destinations from Warsaw, while Chicago O'Hare also sees service from Krakow.

LOT's press office reports that about 800,000 passengers flew on its Poland United States routes over the past 12 months, a number the carrier clearly expects to grow as it adds another major West Coast gateway. For San Francisco International Airport, the move fills a geographic gap, since Bay Area travelers previously had no nonstop options to Eastern Europe and had to connect through other European hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich, London, or Paris.

Latest Developments

According to LOT, the inaugural Warsaw to San Francisco flight is scheduled for May 6, 2026, at the start of the northern summer season. The airline plans to operate four weekly round trips, with departures from Warsaw on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Flight numbers LO35 and LO37 will cover the Warsaw to San Francisco legs, while LO36 and LO38 will operate in the return direction.

The schedule is split between daytime and evening departures. On some days, LO35 will leave Warsaw late morning and arrive in San Francisco early afternoon local time, while on others the later LO37 departure will reach California in the evening. Return flights LO36 and LO38 are planned for mid afternoon and late evening departures from San Francisco, both arriving in Warsaw the following day. The westbound sector is blocked at about 11 hours 35 minutes, while the eastbound runs roughly 11 hours 15 minutes, placing the flight among the longer transatlantic services but still competitive for West Coast Europe links.

LOT will deploy its Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebody on the route, with a three cabin layout that includes lie flat business class seats, a separate premium economy cabin, and standard economy seating. For travelers used to connecting through hubs where narrowbody aircraft sometimes handle longer transatlantic legs, the consistent widebody offering may be a meaningful comfort upgrade, particularly for overnight returns into Warsaw.

Analysis

For Bay Area travelers, the main benefit of the new route is time and friction saved. Today, reaching Warsaw or many Central and Eastern European cities from San Francisco typically involves a connection in another European hub or on the East Coast, which introduces an extra takeoff, landing, and potential delay. A nonstop cuts out one set of security checks and boarding, reduces missed connection risk, and simplifies irregular operations handling if something goes wrong.

The timing also opens up useful same day connections at both ends. Morning and evening departures from Warsaw allow travelers to feed in from LOT's regional network, which spans dozens of cities across Poland, the Baltics, Central Europe, and parts of the Balkans. At San Francisco, LOT's Star Alliance partnership with United Airlines should make it possible to connect to and from a wide range of West Coast and transcontinental destinations on a single itinerary, potentially with through check of bags and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits.

Background. LOT is one of the oldest airlines still operating, and in recent years it has used its Warsaw hub to position itself as a bridge between Central and Eastern Europe and North America. The carrier already runs Dreamliner services to cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and it has steadily added seasonal leisure routes and new European spokes. Adding San Francisco extends that strategy to a tech heavy, high yield market that also has strong tourism appeal.

Pricing will ultimately determine how compelling the new option is, but early coverage suggests round trip fares may start around $ 800.00 (USD) in economy on some dates, which is broadly in line with or slightly below many competing one stop options on other carriers. Travelers in premium economy and business class will likely see higher fares reflecting both the long flight time and the strong corporate demand connecting Silicon Valley with European tech and finance hubs.

From a network perspective, this move also signals confidence in transatlantic demand out of Poland and neighboring markets. LOT's press release points to transatlantic flying as strategically important, and the decision to launch another long haul route, rather than trimming capacity, suggests the airline expects sustained or growing demand despite wider industry concerns about economic headwinds.

Final Thoughts

LOT Polish Airlines' decision to launch nonstop Warsaw to San Francisco flights from May 6, 2026, gives Bay Area travelers their first direct link to Eastern Europe and another widebody option on the SFO long haul board. The Dreamliner service slots neatly into LOT's existing U.S. network, strengthens Star Alliance connectivity at San Francisco, and offers new one stop paths into Central and Eastern Europe that may appeal to both business and leisure travelers. As schedules are loaded and fares evolve, the Warsaw San Francisco route is likely to become a useful new tool in West Coast transatlantic trip planning.

Sources

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