Condor Economy Class Review: DE2016 Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to New York City (JFK) (September 2023)
With new routes, new planes, and new branding, can the Germany-based Condor fly into the hearts of Americans coming and going to Europe? Come with us on a flight from Frankfurt to New York on Condor.
View of a Condor Airbus A330 in “Island” livery. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Flight Review: Condor Economy Class Review: DE2016 Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to New York City (JFK) (September 2023)
Highs: Brand new Airbus aircraft with an extremely friendly staff. Large and responsive IFE systems. Super-modern USB-C built in to every seat.
Lows: Unhelpful customer service. Time-consuming check-in and boarding. Expensive headphones.
Verdict: While a major brand rework is pushing this airline for the better, the traits of a lesser Condor still lurk in certain corners.
Context: Condor Economy Class Review
I was scheduled to take Condor back to the US from Frankfurt as the return portion of my full itinerary, which included my outbound JFK-FRA leg. Due to unique circumstances, I actually missed that departure flight (JFK to FRA), but fortunately, Condor does not cancel your entire itinerary so I was able to use the return ticket anyway.
That said, contending with Condor’s paralyzing cancelation and reschedule policies put a sour taste in my mouth from the outset of this trip. After sparring with customer service over refunds and reschedules, I took the loss on the outbound but made sure I was on the return flight as planned.
Note
I learned the hard way that no changes can be made to a Condor reservation within 24 hours of departure.
As always, I look for the least expensive fare that includes one piece of checked luggage.
Condor is neither a mainline airline nor an ultra-low-cost one. Most fares on Condor are as expensive as any mainline offering. However, careful price monitoring can net you some decent deals, such as $279 one-ways to Europe and thus relatively inexpensive round-trip itineraries with luggage included.
I’d been familiar with Condor as a brand but recognized it as a type of leisure airline with specific seasonal flights to destinations that only old Germans would want to visit (think coastal Croatia, isles of Greece, Lanzarote, and so on). Condor is not a budget airline.
Having gone through a major rebrand and a renewed commitment to US destinations, Condor is seasoned with the policies of low-cost airlines such as offering a basic economy fair with no luggage included, paid seat selection, and custom meals for a fee. But by and large Condor is a mainline airline with economy, premium economy, and business class seating, meals included, and entertainment on board.
Note
The cheapest fare (Economy Light) on Condor does not include checked luggage. You must buy the standard Economy ticket for this.
The fare classes for Condor are principally broken into Economy, Premium, and Business classes. Within these major fare types, there are ranges of “Light” to “Flex Plus” fares, mostly differentiated on the flexibility of the changes or cancellations. If you need flexibility with rescheduling and canceling, you must, at the very lease, buy a Economy Flex Plus fare. Condor has some of the least flexible refund and rescheduling policies of any airline, which feels like an overhang of its less-refined era. If you book Economy Light, you’re only entitled to a carry-on bag and personal item. If you need an extra checked bag, it can run from $59-95, depending on destination and when you pay for that checked bag.
Is Condor part of any alliance?
As of September 2023, Condor is not a member of any alliance, but it does accept the use of Alaska Airlines as a partner airline for points redemption which can gain you access to Condor’s business class for as little as 55,000 points. I did not sign up for Condor’s points program nor did I apply any frequent flier numbers to this itinerary. Condor has additional agreements with several other airlines to expand its destination count.
Ticket price: $1049.98, paid with Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.
Points accrual:
This segment: N/A
Total miles for the entire itinerary: N/A
Total segments/boardings for the entire itinerary: N/A
GOOD TO KNOW
This point accrual and ticket price is based on the entire roundtrip itinerary, JFK-FRA, FRA-JFK This review is only for FRA-JFK portion of this itinerary.
Condor Airport Arrival and Check-in, Security, and Preflight at FRA Terminal 1
I took public transit to FRA (Frankfurt International Airport), located in a suburb of Frankfurt Am Main, Germany. From Frankfurt city center, the airport is accessible via both ICE (Germany’s state rail service) and Frankfurt’s S-Bahn (suburban rapid transit). Reaching the airport is easy and inexpensive at about USD$6 and takes about 40 minutes via S-Bahn. As of September 2023, Frankfurt Airport has heavy construction. Budget plenty of time if you need to transfer to or from Terminal 2. FRA is a deceptively vast airport and walking distances add up.
Good to know
Be sure to get a fare card before boarding any public transit in Germany, as almost all of Germany’s public transit is on an honor system. Being caught without a validated ticket will result in a steep fine.
Condor has a massive presence at FRA, with a well-organized but short-staffed check-in area. Signage is plentiful, guiding you to the check-in desks. Condor operations are entirely located at Terminal 1. Condor has a special set of check-in desks for US-bound flights. Look for a document check kiosk and proceed after being confirmed by the staff member. Do not try to self-check your luggage.
Condor check-in desks at Frankfurt International Airport
Condor Airlines Check-in, Security, and Boarding
For this 11:45am departure, I reached the airport at 9:55am. Despite having about two hours before departure, there were only two staff members checking all the people flying to the US. The line grew quickly and it became painfully clear not everyone was getting on this flight. I am notorious about showing up at the airport in the last minute, but missing my first Condor flight taught me to not mess around— Condor offers no margin for error.
Good to know
The obstacle course to reaching your Condor flight at Frankfurt Airport is fraught with long walks and loads of random document checks. Go to the airport at least 3 hours early. Seriously.
This is the first time I will agree with the Boomer-era law to show up to the airport ridiculously early. As you’ll learn, the pre-flight experience is fraught with opportunities for delay.
Toward the B Gates at Frankfurt International Airport
Once I was checked-in, I went to passport control and then through some random non-spaces/duty free shopping until I reached security. The security check is staged very close to the gates, so check and double check your gate number before proceeding through security.
Security area at Frankfurt International Airport
The hike to this security point was remarkable, at least 10 minutes. Before I knew it, I was less than an hour away from departure.
Security was very efficient and I was onto the gate. Once I reached the gate area for gates B60-63, I was exhausted and shocked to find yet another document check, crowded with throngs of people boarding three different flights. I politely/sveltely cut this line because had I stood in that line patiently, I’d have literally missed the flight. It made me feel extra bad for the naïve people still at the check-in desk, at least a kilometer away and in a different part of the building who had truly no idea what marathon awaited them beyond. While I cannot recommend standing in this crazy line with delight, do not skip it, either. You must get the red stamp on your boarding pass, and only this document check person can give it to you.
Condor does not believe in boarding groups.
Unfortunately, the preflight saga does not end here. Condor has no boarding groups, so it was a dash of self-determination to get on the bus shuttle to take you to the jet, parked several kilometers away. This bus ride alone was 10 minutes.
It was this relentless series of stops and pauses that made reaching the flight nerve-racking in a way I’ve never experienced before. The elapsed time from check-in to my seat was 1 hour and 20 minutes. That is without any pauses for food, drink, rest, or toilet.
Upon boarding and reaching my seat, I found a pillow.
Condor Airbus A330neo Economy Class Interior and Seat
Condor Airbus A330neo interior
A search of the tail number revealed this Airbus A330-941/A330-900neo to be less than a year old, and it shows. With modern tech and mansion-sized IFE screens, I felt downright spoiled with the modernity of the interior and the newness of the plane.
This Condor-leased Airbus 330-941 features 30 business class seats, but 64 premium economy seats and 216 standard economy seats. Economy is arranged 2-4-2 across, which means there relatively few middle seats to get stuck with.
Condor’s Business Class has gone through major upgrades, and as Condor takes delivery of its 16 Airbus A330-900neo jets, business class travelers enjoy true lie-flat seats and soft perks such as two pieces of luggage included in the fare.
Overhead bin space can be reserved on Condor Airlines
Overhead storage was plentiful across all classes, but apparently select overhead storage bins were “reserved” to specific seats. I cannot imagine how this reservation is possibly enforced except by whomever reserved the space themselves. But to reinforce the point, my boarding pass had a unique “overhead bin” line item, which was loudly marked “NO”, ostensibly referring to access to overhead bin space.
Overhead bin storage reservations have become a new frontier in the race to the billable bottom, and it was one such aspect of Condor’s product that dips into ultra-low-cost carrier territory. For the most part, Condor has managed to stay above that line. Nonetheless, I still slot my soft-sided bag into the storage bin with no reproach.
Row of standard economy seats on a Condor Airbus A330neo
The interior is quite striking in its dark and modern tone with semi-gloss textures. Elegantly scaled and branded; seats and seatbacks are all dark in color— some sort of deep blue or black rendered in a dense woven fabric with instances of contrast stitching and silver accents.
Condor Economy Class on Airbus A330neo
Condor’s new signature brand element is the stripes, presented in five colors. Our plane’s exterior, for example, was sporting a green and white stripe livery (known as “Island”). Condor’s branding team will have you know this theme is not inspired by old-school jail uniforms, but “…by parasols, bath towels and beach chairs” and that “…vacation is stripes.” Right.
If you’re of average height (I am 5’ 9”), you’ll find the main cabin to be comfortable if not a little tight. The space in standard economy is of average quality. I grazed the seat in front of me with my legs crossed. I sat in 35G, a standard aisle seat. Given that the plane was not completely full, I was able to take half the row for myself. Originally, my row was full, but the window seats were empty at takeoff, so my seatmate escaped to the refuge. Along with a two-hinge tray table, the seat features a handy device shelf which was the right size for also placing snacks and other items temporarily. When it comes to economy class, the more surfaces, the better.
Economy seat on a Condor Airbus A330neo
The seats are narrow, but not completely uncomfortable. The seats do have an adjustable headrest (both the wings of the headrest and up/down), an IFE, a tray table, a light, but no personal air controls. The overhead light is controlled by tap on the IFE.
Economy seat on a Condor Airbus A330neo
Power and device shelf in an economy seat on Condor’s A330neo
There is no AC power to the seat, but the growing support for USB-C has made AC power almost obsolete. Proving the plane’s newness, the seat features a USB-C port, USB-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the IFE. The USB-C was able to charge my iPhone quickly and later, my full-size MacBook. Hopefully you didn’t forget your headphones as they are expensive aboard the aircraft.
Headphones on Condor are about $4.00. Nein, danke!
The seat included a pouch featuring the in-flight shopping magazine, which was heavily promoted during the flight.
There were four lavatories serving this cabin, and I waited to use them both times as they were very popular! I’d avoid sitting near the center or rear of the plane for this reason. The lavatories were kept clean and stocked for the duration of the flight and had a selfie backdrop-worthy stripe wallpaper, bringing some branded interest to a very predictable part of an aircraft.
Lavatory aboard Condor’s Airbus A330neo
The cabin lighting is simple but calming, staying mostly white but then to a sunset/sunrise hue as preparations for landing took place. At no point was the light uncomfortably bright or annoyingly dark. I was never uncomfortably warm or cold during the flight which was important as there are no controls for air at individual seats.
Condor Airbus A330neo with the lights dimmed
Crew Experience and Meal Service in Condor Economy Class
The crew seemed to be fairly international but primarily German, and all announcements were made in German and English, with German announcements first. The crew was friendly and engaged, but mostly concerned for your safety and mild comfort rather than satisfying to your every demand. With several children aboard, I was really impressed by how accommodating the staff was with them. One flight attendant even let one of the kids join in offering water to passengers. I’d never seen that level of friendliness towards kids.
The safety demonstration was extremely lengthy, and presented in full in both English and German via IFE. The safety video was very low quality, with unsettling animated characters going through the motions of flight safety. This video and presentation felt inappropriate amid an otherwise refined experience. The safety card was available for review in the seat-back pocket.
The pilot was friendly and spoke English and German. This pilot had a rare enthusiasm for the nerdier aspects of the flight, which he shared over the PA a few times as he described windspeed, geographical landmarks below, and other amusing details about the flight and destination. We took off about an hour late. The in-flight service began around an hour into the flight (a duration of about 8 hours 50 minutes total airborne).
While Premium Economy and Business Class enjoys a premium menu, standard economy passengers enjoy a standard menu which includes a hot meal and a snack. Of the two options offered, I opted for the pasta with vegetables, which comprised of a main course, a salad, a cheese wheel, a bread, and panna cotta for desert. The meal had relatively low waste (packaging etc) in line with Condor’s overall goal of being environmentally respectful.
Condor Economy Class Meal
Fortunately, the main course was steaming hot and releteively flavorful. Unfortunately, I was still hungry after finishing the food and even having a second piece of bread. The wooden flatware was difficult to eat with, but offered low environmental impact.
All non-alcoholic drinks such as water, coffee, tea and soft drinks are free when flying on a Condor long-haul flight. Alcohol is not free but Condor offers spirits as well as white and red wine. Water (both sparkling and still; this is a German airline, after all) was offered at very regular intervals during the course of the flight. Water was also available at all times in the galley.
Good to know
All passengers in standard and basic economy enjoy a standard meal on Condor long-haul flights. Premium menus are available for pre-order and at additional cost.
Premium Meals (such as vegan and vegetarian) are available to Standard Economy passengers at a cost, but it wasn’t clear if special order meals due to diet such as gluten free or halal are also subject to this cost as well.
After dinner, I ordered a Bottega brand prosecco sparking wine from the Skyline inflight menu, which came out to about USD$7.00. Other spirits and wines are priced similarly. The bottle was a split size, offering about two solid pours. The inflight menu offered other items including small snacks, beers, and helpful accessories like headphones and neck pillows. I also ordered a Twix bar to hopefully hold me over until the next meal, many hours later.
Prosecco and a Twix on Condor Airlines
At some point, the crew came around to collect any refuse. About an hour before landing, we were offered the “hot snack”, which comprised of a somewhat depressing-looking but warm pizza. I liked the simple and charming packaging of this course, which would have been nice to see in the main meal earlier.
Tech, WiFi AND IFE in Condor Economy Class
Given this was a grueling midday flight with a 11:45am departure and 2:45pm arrival (adjusted for time zone), being entertained for essentially two whole afternoons wasn’t going to be an easy task. A midday Europe to USA flight will test every inch of patience you have. Thankfully, the touchscreen IFE is huge (13.3”), crisp, responsive, and adjustable should you prefer a different viewing angle or the seat in front of you reclines.
IFE in Condor Economy Class
The IFE comes two modes (Adult and Kids) and in several languages by default. This “Kids Mode” feature on the IFE, along with the tolerant flight attendants left me pleasantly surprised by how accommodating Condor is to children. It’s a truly differentiating aspect among other European airlines. Regardless of which mode you choose, the IFE is organized in a meaningful and practical way, primarily composed of tappable tiles of varying sizes and purposes. All your quick needs (such as settings, flight info, overhead light toggle and call button) are situated at the top of the screen at all times. One nice feature is the ability to place the content inside of the view, allowing you to possibly view flight info while continuing to watch a movie or scroll the shopping while listening to music.
In terms of IFE accessibility, some content is dubbed and some content has subtitles, but not everything has everything. The IFE itself offered in a wide range of languages. There is no live TV offered on Condor. Films on offer are relatively new and include many recent blockbusters and classic films. During my flight, I watched Lady Gaga in A Star is Born, played a good deal of 2048, then got about halfway through All the President’s Men.
Live flight tracking on Condor Airlines
The live flight tracking and map is very dynamic and offers an unusually wide range of information, so I had it playing for a while as well. Passengers can use the device shelf to watch content on their own devices. As always, crew announcements will interrupt your programming.
WiFi (known as FlyConnect) is offered but the prices are high for the limited access. Broken into two main categories, full WiFi access was limited to 4 hours and cost $20 as of September 2023. The cheapest option for full access WiFi is the “Basic” option, covering two hours for the price of $12. There was no option to buy Wi-Fi for the entire flight. Despite the time limits on full WiFi access, it is possible to buy the ability to use messaging apps for the full duration of the flight for $7. Interesting.
Passengers can connect their own Bluetooth headphones to their individual IFE system, but I didn’t have Bluetooth headphones to try this with. I’d assume AirPods can work with this system.
A little over halfway through the flight, passengers (many deep into movies and other entertainment) had their IFE hijacked by a 2-minute-long advertising spot for the in-flight shopping program. While this on its own was innocuous (if not a little boring), the timing of this un-skippable advertising was pretty distracting. Had it been presented at the beginning of the flight or at a meal time, it might have been more effective. After this spot finished, flight attendants moved through the cabin with products for sale. I was tempted by the inflatable Condor plane (priced at USD$15) but decided against the purchase.
Sleep and Comfort in Condor Economy Class
Condor claims this plane has the “quietest cabin of its kind“, but I didn’t pick up on any unusual acoustic talent. I still had to repeat myself with flight attendants and turn the IFE volume up fairly loudly to hear. I don’t think any plane will be as quiet as an Airbus A380 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Regarding sleep, the timing of the flight exempted me from really trying to get substantial rest. There were no orders to close the window shades, so it was fairly bright in the cabin for the entire flight. Blankets were offered upon request only. Given this is a nearly 9-hour flight, I was able to nap freely, and the strong adjustable headrests helped me stay in a comfortable position. I eventually took advantage of the free seat next to me to arrange a small sofa but I never tired to sleep deeply.
Landing and Conclusion
Condor Airbus A330neo at FRA
There was absolutely no turbulence on this flight and we landed about an hour behind schedule. Contrasting the bus ride experience at FRA, we utilized a jet bridge at JFK, putting us directly at the gate at Terminal 7.
Overall, we can recommend Condor Airlines for getting to and from Europe. If not for the modern fleet, take the quickly-expanding destination network and revamped soft product. It is clear Condor is working hard to get a favorable reputation in the New World and it is getting close to getting it right.
Book flights at https://www.condor.com/us/.
