This was my first time in PRG and it was a charming and beautiful revelation. I enjoyed exploring this city and will share some impressions in the bonus at the end in addition to my stay at the Intercontinental hotel and the apartment that I rented in Josefov. in the meantime let's get back to the actual trip report.
The anticipation of flying a new airline (in this case CSA) is always a welcome experience worth getting excited about for every aviation geek. As I said in the beginning, this trip was very similar to J intra-European experience minus the cost. This particular segment cost me USD 44.40 (EUR 42.15) and I also pre-ordered a business class meal for USD 8.92 (EUR 8.47). I used my AZ's Freccia Alata Plus level to get priority check-in, boarding and lounge access at PRG. The only disappointment was the inability to pre-reserve a seat, even for elite Skyteam members. I played the seat lottery and waited until 24 hrs before dept. to select a window seat in the last row hoping that the flight would not be full.
I arrived at the OK counter and used the designated Skypriority line. Check-in by the smiling agent was smooth and courteous. I went through security in a breeze and headed to the Erste Lounge. PRG airport has an utilitarian feel lacking charm and sometimes it reminded me of a warehouse setting.
After security I went to the Erste lounge.
Erste lounge.
I thought that it was odd that OK did not have its own lounge at its hub and instead it refers its passengers to one that is managed by a third party entity. I presented my boarding pass along with AZ Skyteam Elite card and was welcomed inside. The club has two sections but the right side was less crowded. In addition there were WC's right after the reception area.
Entrance.
Reception.
Once I stepped inside I felt that the silver hanging lights and see-through "bead curtains" gave this place a 70's disco era ambiance. It was a one of a kind type of lounge for sure.
The buffet area had pastries, cookies, crisps, and pretzel sticks. The hot items consisted of chicken and pork schnitzels, pasta primavera and beef broth. Refrigerators were stocked with crudites and a variety of open faced sandwiches.
Cold items.
My snacks.
There was also a kid's corner inside the lounge.
I left for the lounge as soon as the gate was assigned for my flight.
My plane at the gate.
Eventually the crew arrived and boarded the airplane.
Around 50 min. before dept. the gate agents arrived and prepared the gate for boarding. Wheelchair passengers were given priority folowed by J and Skyteam Elite passengers.
A FA was positioned at the door welcoming passengers as they entered. I made my way to the back where another FA was stationed. I said "hello" and she replied back, but did not seem very engaging.
Cabin.
My seat.
Contents of seat pocket.
View from across.
After everyone boarded, my gamble paid off and I won the seat lottery with the whole row to myself. Another passenger eventually moved to the row across and took the other set of seats for himself. i raised the armrests and got pretty comfortable.
A couple of views from my window seat.
Plane spotting during taxiing.
David & Goliath.
Take off on a foggy day. Bye PRG.
Once we reached cruising altitude, the service began quickly. One of the FA's in the back galley handed me my pre-ordered meal. I was only able to order the cold meal option because my flight was under 3 hrs. It consisted of cold cuts, sliced cheese, garnishes, two pieces of bread and a tiramisu cake. I saw a few people buy the baguette sandwich which seemed like a good value because it was big.
Interesting tray table design.
Pre-ordered J meal.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and soon we were landing in CDG. I was supposed to have 3 drinks with the pre-ordered meal but I never requested anything else besides the hot tea and the FA's never asked. During the descent one of the FA's asked me to lower the armrests for the row in preparation for landing.
Taxiing to the gate.
A shot of my plane parked at the gate.
***BONUS***
IC Prague.
I met my family at the Intercontinental hotel where for the first 24 hrs I just stayed put and had all my meals at the Club lounge. It was raining when I arrived and I needed time to recuperate from the jet lag.
Entrance & lobby.
Executive Suite.
Bedroom.
WC #1
WC #2
View from the room.
Club Lounge.
Golem.
Business Center & Dining area.
Interior.
Buffet.
Zatecka No 14 Apartments.
Very nice and big apartments located in Josefov. I loved the convenience of having a kitchen and washer/dryer. The apartment had 3 bedrooms and 2 WC's.
Kitchen.
Rooms.
WC #1
WC #2
A few sights of PRG.
Old Town.
Charles Bridge.
Prague Castle.
Lokal restaurant
Hearty lunch with sausage appetizers, friend cheese, beef shin goulash and potato dumplings.
U Parlamentu restaurant.
Pancake stuffed with spinach covered with cheese appetizer, roast pork knuckle, roast duck with bread & potato dumplings and sauerkraut.
See more
Verdict
CSA
8.1/10
Cabin9.5
Cabin crew7.5
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering8.5
Erste Premier Lounge
7.9/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering7.5
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Services8.0
Prague - PRG
8.4/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.5
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0
Paris - CDG
8.6/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.5
Conclusion
PRG is not that big and it felt very functional. The Erste lounge did its job and it was a nice place to relax before the flight. The decor had a retro feel to it that I found unique. Catering is basic but the attempt to offer a few hot dishes is appreciated.
I was glad that I had a chance to fly a new airline and CSA proved to be a decent carrier. The ability to pre-order a premium meal was a big plus and the price was quite reasonable. For a cold meal the quality was fine. I did not find the crew overly friendly or very proactive but they did their job efficiently. It was a luxury to get a whole row for myself and by taking advantage of the Skyteam Plus benefits I had a very close intra-European J experience on this particular segment. A minor annoyance is the lack of free seat assignment for other Skyteam elite members.
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Another great report of your travels! Prague looks beautiful, and what a great looking breakfast spread at the Intercontinental Hotel! (I'm reading this before breakfast so perhaps it's making me extra hungry :)
It looks like you had a nice flight with CSA; I forgot they were a SkyTeam Partner. That's great that you were able to order a J class meal.
Thanks for your visit. I appreciated the option to pay for a premium meal with OK and I find their B.O.B. prices to be very reasonable as well.
The next segment will be a long and detailed one. For one I will be flying in one of the best premium cabins in the world and then I will stay in my favorite city - Paris. I have a hard time trying to choose which pics to feature in the bonus. I would share them all, but I don't want to bore people to death.
Thanks for sharing the flight report! Great aerial shots from the plane^^ As a 3rd party managed lounge, its design looks stylish and IMO the food offerings are nice. What a great deal of flight and the J meal^^ I like the option that you can buy the J meal. And the meal looks good given this price (compared with the snacks shops in US airport…) Also thanks for the Prague bonus! BTW did you visit the Lennon Wall? Look forward to your next report! I am waiting for the JL F and UA Queen :P
Thanks for this FR. I am once again shocked at how ugly the seats are ! For 60Eur all in it is indeed a decent experience, however the crew seem to have been quite neutral.
The CSA logo reminds me of Vicks and its association with cough and cold medicine. Anyways the seats might not be the best looking, but they had good cushion and felt comfortable.
I can't complain about the price. As for the crew they did their job in a courteous and efficient way which is all that I ask for. Charm is an extra bonus. At least they were not rude.
"The "Relax" part with those seat covers are a bit overwhelming IMO." - Can you imagine if they play the song "Relax Don't Do It" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood during boarding? :P
"my first time in PRG” - So uncultured ;) PRG is a nice city although a little rough outside of the tourist areas. Your bonus was beautiful and even included some goulash^^
“I also pre-ordered a business class meal for USD 8.92 (EUR 8.47)” - Well, that SK sandwich isn’t such a good value in retrospect^^ I’d find this to be light catering for an actual J flight from PRG-CDG, but the value is quite good for the price paid. The food was nicely presented and looked fresh.
“I thought that it was odd that OK did not have its own lounge at its hub” - If memory serves me correctly, I don’t think there are any airline run lounges at PRG. JU obviously has the best lounge in the Eastern Europe category, but this lounge isn’t too bad offering several hot buffet items. It’s better than lounges I’ve seen at other airports in this region (SOF, OTP, ZAG). PS: The bead curtains are coming back into style^^
The seats are super busy, I wonder where they found that fabric. Maybe from the same supplier of the bead curtains in the lounge? Definitely no recline in your row, lol^^
That B2 spotting just reinvigorates that unhealthy desire to fly them^^ Did you know B2 just got a new livery? No longer as Soviet looking as the old livery.
Beautiful aerials on arrival into CDG!
The IC could use with a remodel, but the location is excellent and probably much more reasonably priced than the Four Seasons.
"Your bonus was beautiful and even included some goulash^^" - Glad you enjoyed it. Goulash is such a comfort food, isn't it? ;) Kind of reminds me of Japanese curry with rice and pickles.
"I’d find this to be light catering for an actual J flight from PRG-CDG, but the value is quite good for the price paid. " - If you are flying in J, you can't help but feel shortchanged. As a Y pax I got the full value of my money's worth.
"It’s better than lounges I’ve seen at other airports in this region (SOF, OTP, ZAG). PS: The bead curtains are coming back into style^^" - I'm not an expert when it comes to that region but I will take your word for it. I'm sure some cats will have fun with the bead curtains. :P
"Definitely no recline in your row, lol^^" - Who cares about recline when you can lie flat? ;)
"Did you know B2 just got a new livery? No longer as Soviet looking as the old livery." - I didn't know that. You learn a new thing every day.
"The IC could use with a remodel, but the location is excellent and probably much more reasonably priced than the Four Seasons." - I can't complain. At the price plus the free upgrade and club access, I can tolerate the "retro" feel of the property. ;)
Thanks for your comments as usual. See you around.
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45 reviews
15 Comments
It looks like you had a nice flight with CSA; I forgot they were a SkyTeam Partner. That's great that you were able to order a J class meal.
Looking forward to your next segment!
Thanks for your visit. I appreciated the option to pay for a premium meal with OK and I find their B.O.B. prices to be very reasonable as well.
The next segment will be a long and detailed one. For one I will be flying in one of the best premium cabins in the world and then I will stay in my favorite city - Paris. I have a hard time trying to choose which pics to feature in the bonus. I would share them all, but I don't want to bore people to death.
Thanks for dropping by.
As a 3rd party managed lounge, its design looks stylish and IMO the food offerings are nice.
What a great deal of flight and the J meal^^ I like the option that you can buy the J meal. And the meal looks good given this price (compared with the snacks shops in US airport…)
Also thanks for the Prague bonus! BTW did you visit the Lennon Wall?
Look forward to your next report! I am waiting for the JL F and UA Queen :P
Unfortunately I did not get a chance to see the Lennon Wall. Perhaps on a next visit. ;)
I got a nice deal by flying OK and when I booked this ticket it was the cheapest option available.
Thanks for your comments.
I am once again shocked at how ugly the seats are !
For 60Eur all in it is indeed a decent experience, however the crew seem to have been quite neutral.
The CSA logo reminds me of Vicks and its association with cough and cold medicine. Anyways the seats might not be the best looking, but they had good cushion and felt comfortable.
I can't complain about the price. As for the crew they did their job in a courteous and efficient way which is all that I ask for. Charm is an extra bonus. At least they were not rude.
Thanks for stopping. by.
Ah Prague, a really nice city to wander around in.
Nice pictures from the lounge.
Great spotting shots at PRG, nice catch of that EK 388!
The "Relax" part with those seat covers are a bit overwhelming IMO.
Great to have those two seats for yourself!
The meal looks good for the price.
Amazing bonus pictures!
Thanks for sharing. Have a good one, see you.
PRG is a lovely city indeed.
"The "Relax" part with those seat covers are a bit overwhelming IMO."
- Can you imagine if they play the song "Relax Don't Do It" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood during boarding? :P
Thanks for visiting.
"my first time in PRG”
- So uncultured ;) PRG is a nice city although a little rough outside of the tourist areas. Your bonus was beautiful and even included some goulash^^
“I also pre-ordered a business class meal for USD 8.92 (EUR 8.47)”
- Well, that SK sandwich isn’t such a good value in retrospect^^ I’d find this to be light catering for an actual J flight from PRG-CDG, but the value is quite good for the price paid. The food was nicely presented and looked fresh.
“I thought that it was odd that OK did not have its own lounge at its hub”
- If memory serves me correctly, I don’t think there are any airline run lounges at PRG. JU obviously has the best lounge in the Eastern Europe category, but this lounge isn’t too bad offering several hot buffet items. It’s better than lounges I’ve seen at other airports in this region (SOF, OTP, ZAG). PS: The bead curtains are coming back into style^^
The seats are super busy, I wonder where they found that fabric. Maybe from the same supplier of the bead curtains in the lounge? Definitely no recline in your row, lol^^
That B2 spotting just reinvigorates that unhealthy desire to fly them^^ Did you know B2 just got a new livery? No longer as Soviet looking as the old livery.
Beautiful aerials on arrival into CDG!
The IC could use with a remodel, but the location is excellent and probably much more reasonably priced than the Four Seasons.
"Your bonus was beautiful and even included some goulash^^"
- Glad you enjoyed it. Goulash is such a comfort food, isn't it? ;) Kind of reminds me of Japanese curry with rice and pickles.
"I’d find this to be light catering for an actual J flight from PRG-CDG, but the value is quite good for the price paid. "
- If you are flying in J, you can't help but feel shortchanged. As a Y pax I got the full value of my money's worth.
"It’s better than lounges I’ve seen at other airports in this region (SOF, OTP, ZAG). PS: The bead curtains are coming back into style^^"
- I'm not an expert when it comes to that region but I will take your word for it. I'm sure some cats will have fun with the bead curtains. :P
"Definitely no recline in your row, lol^^"
- Who cares about recline when you can lie flat? ;)
"Did you know B2 just got a new livery? No longer as Soviet looking as the old livery."
- I didn't know that. You learn a new thing every day.
"The IC could use with a remodel, but the location is excellent and probably much more reasonably priced than the Four Seasons."
- I can't complain. At the price plus the free upgrade and club access, I can tolerate the "retro" feel of the property. ;)
Thanks for your comments as usual. See you around.
PRG is pretty affordable and it is a buyer's market. I loved the location of the apartment within walking distance to the main sights.
Thanks for your comments.
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