Condor: What to Expect When Flying with the Airline?

Condor, short for their official name Condor Flugdienst GmbH, caters primarily to leisure travelers seeking affordable flights to popular vacation destinations for almost seven decades.

As one of Germany’s largest airlines, Condor operates from the largest airports in the German-speaking area (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), connecting 9+ million passengers to 100+ destinations across mainly Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and South America… and with partners such as Marabu, Alaska Airlines, or Emirates the network extends even further, to places such as New Zealand. By now, only Antarctica is not covered!

This article also includes a Condor review covers all you need to know about Condor, from travel classes to onboard services, helping you make an informed decision for your next flight.

Established in December 1955 with its first tourist flight in March 1956, Condor has grown into a leading leisure airline headquartered in Neu Isenburg, right next to Frankfurt. The airline connects travelers to numerous destinations worldwide and focuses on providing the best deal by offering high-quality service and affordability. With a modern fleet and a customer-centric approach, Condor stands out in the competitive airline industry.

Condor’s fleet includes over 50 aircrafts, with a mix of the latest Airbus models and the fleet continuously modernizing. The highlight is the Airbus A330neo, which is used for long-haul flights only and offers enhanced fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.

The fleet also includes the A32Xneo series for short and medium-haul routes, ensuring a consistent and modern flying experience.

Condor’s brand identity “Condor is vacation. And vacation is stripes.” is well established in the new aircraft livery and you can easily spot Condor planes with their bold colors and distinctive stripes.

Condor serves over 75 destinations around the world and connects travelers to a wide range of different tourist destinations, making it a convenient choice for leisure trips of all kinds.

Here are all countries covered by Condor:

Key long-haul destinations include cities in North America such as:

Condor offers three travel classes catered to the destination and length of the flight. Condor’s fleet includes planes with both two-cabin and three-cabin configurations. You can book your seat while purchasing your flight accordingly and check the seatmap in advance. The service of the travel classes may differ based on short vs. medium vs. long-haul.

Premium Economy offers mainly additional legroom compared to standard economy seats. While the seats are similar in design, the extra space and improved service level including enhanced meal options combined with extras on board (e.g. comfy blanked and extra wide pillow) make this class a more comfortable choice especially for long-haul flights.

The long-haul business class on Condor’s A330neo aircraft boasts fully lie-flat seats and direct aisle access for all passengers in an especially quiet cabin. The newly introduced Business Class Prime seats offer even more perks, such as additional legroom and the option to dine face-to-face with a travel companion. This is the travel class to ensure you arrive at your destination well rested and if you want to treat yourself already on the way there.

Condor does not have its own loyalty program, but it is an affiliate of both Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan (50-200% miles) and Emirates Skywards (50-215% miles), enabling you to earn miles on Condor flights.

I personally have flown a few times with Condor economy in the past for short flights – nothing too memorable stands out besides it being a leisure airline that I connect a bit with nice holiday memories. The economy standard is comparable to other airlines.

What really intrigues me is the new long-haul business class… but unfortunately, I don’t have such a flight planned yet. Thus, I also asked a bit in my personal frequent flyer circles as well as digging a bit through online reviews to distill the following:

Condor excels with its modern fleet, extensive route network, and relatively appropriate comfort across all classes. The recent upgrades to their business class have been particularly well-received and friendly staff has been mentioned various times as a plus point. Overall, the good value for price and the possibility to find a great travel deal is a significant driver for the popularity of Condor. Last, but not least, is also rated quite a safe airline and this becomes apparent as the last significant accident happened in 1988.

Some travelers find the economy class legroom a bit limited compared to other airlines and some older planes may not have all modern amenities. Additionally, some reviews mention that the boarding process can be less organized during peak travel periods as destinations are usually popular tourist destinations.

Some passengers have reported issues with lost luggage and customer service responsiveness (but this is almost always the case with any airline?!)

I personally was probably lucky enough to not have any of these bad experiences above… and especially my airport time is quite relaxed usually due to lounge access via Priority Pass (that I got through my Amex Platinum).

Condor continues to offer a reliable and enjoyable flying experience with its modern aircraft fleet and comprehensive services. Condor Airlines provides a gateway to exciting destinations, and its commitment to leisure travelers makes it a solid choice for those seeking adventure or relaxation. Especially for leisure travel, Condor’s focus on passenger comfort and wide partner network make it a top choice.