Since the beginning of the year, German American Express Platinum holders have been able to enjoy high discounts on flights with Condor. I took advantage of the offer with a friend of mine and we decided to fly to Málaga (Spain) for a weekend in the Condor Business Class. There is a €200 discount per person on Business Class flights with the credit card (valid for cardholder and accompanying person), which is why we only paid €60 for the return flight. You can't say no to such a bargain (the great Spanish weather was of course also a reason).
Details:
Route: Düsseldorf (DUS) to Malaga (AGP)
Airline: Condor
Airplane: A320-200
Departure: 3:00pm
Flight time: 2h 45min
Class: Business Class
Seat: 5A
Check-In
We had already checked in online the evening before so that I could enter my Emirates frequent flyer number (you can actually earn Emirates frequent flyer miles with Condor flights through a partnership). As we still had to drop off a suitcase, we went to the check-in counter at Düsseldorf airport. Fortunately, there was a priority counter for Business Class customers, as the line for the Economy Class counter went through half the terminal.
After 5 minutes we held the boarding passes in our hands and made our way to the priority security check, where there was no queue as well.
Boarding:
Boarding took place at gate B31, which luckily was not a bus gate. Boarding started punctually 30 minutes before departure according to groups, with Business Class passengers being called first. After our boarding passes were scanned, we stood in the gangway to the plane for another 25 minutes before we were finally able to board.
When we were finally allowed to enter the cabin, we were greeted warmly and went to our two seats, 5A and 5C (the last row of Business Class). While the other passengers were still boarding, we were offered a welcome drink in the form of water or orange juice.
Rating: 3.5/5
Seat:
The Business Class seats of European airlines are unfortunately a number of their own and are of course an absolute disappointment compared to Asian or Middle-eastern airlines. Basically, they are normal Economy Class seats where the middle seat per row is kept free to provide a minimum of extra comfort.
Unfortunately, the seat pitch on Condor is also ridiculously small, and even I with my 1.80m really had very little space.
There was also a small compartment with a shelf for newspapers and a bag in the seat as well as a small table that could be folded out. But unfortunately that's it. I was also very surprised that there was no separation from the Economy Class cabin in the form of a curtain or a divider.
Rating: 1.5/5
Amenities:
Even on the rather short flight to Malaga Condor provides a small pillow as well as an amenity kit (Condor calls it "travel organizer"). It is a small bag with Condors colourways and there was nothing inside of it.
Rating: 2.5/5
Food and beverages:
Condor offers a selection of dishes on short and medium-haul flights ("Taste the world"), which can be ordered in advance free of charge (click here for the menu). I opted for the Thai curry, which was served with a small dessert shortly after take-off.
What surprised us a little was the fact that not all drinks in Business Class were free. Nevertheless, options such as wine, soft drinks and beer were available free of charge.
We also received a small box containing a vanilla muffin and a chocolate macarone around 30min before landing.
The Thai curry tasted really good and the two chocolates as well as the snack before landing were also delicious. On the return flight I pre-ordered the Wiener Schnitzel, which unfortunately was not at all convincing as it was mushy and bland. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the food was definitely served in a visually appealing way.
Rating 3.5/5
Service:
Not much can be said about the service on this rather short flight either. The crew was friendly and helpful at all times, but we were only asked for drinks once during the flight. All in all, I would say it was rather average and I definitely won't remember this service in the future. Condor defitinely has room for improvement there and the service on our flight back to Düsseldorf was way better.
Rating: 3/5
Result:
To summarise, the flight was definitely worth it for the low price of 60 euros return. Priority check-in, security check and boarding save a lot of time and the lounge access before the flight is also a pleasant benefit. Even if the service and food were not entirely convincing, I would choose Condor again to fly within Europe. However, I would only choose Business Class if the discount offer from American Express Germany continues, otherwise the surcharge is simply not worth it.
Check-In and Boarding: 3.5/5
Seat: 1.5/5
Amenities: 2.5/5
Food and drinks: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Rating: 13/25
Comments