There's no shortcut for this one, and after dozens of itineraries through the region, I've made peace with that reality: business class from Albany to Katowice always routes through at least one major hub, since neither Delta, United, nor LOT Polish Airlines operates anything close to nonstop from a regional upstate New York airport to Silesia. The practical answer, and one worth remembering, is that the fastest and most comfortable routing typically means a short hop from ALB to a Delta or United hub like JFK, Newark, or Chicago, followed by a long-haul business class product across the Atlantic, then a connection onward to Katowice via Warsaw on LOT. Delta's A330neo or A350 business class, with its suite-style seats and direct aisle access, is worth angling for on the transatlantic leg if your routing allows a JFK departure, while United's Polaris seats out of Newark offer a similarly private, lie-flat experience with solid dining service.
The Warsaw connection is where local knowledge pays off. LOT Polish Airlines operates the final leg into Katowice almost exclusively on narrow-body aircraft, so don't expect business class hard product there — it's a short regional hop, and the real investment in comfort should go toward your long-haul segment. My insider tip: book LOT's WAW-KTW connection with at least a two-hour buffer, since Warsaw Chopin's transfer process between international arrivals and domestic-style departures can be slower than the schedule suggests, particularly during winter weather delays.
Seasonally, January through March and October into November are the sweet spots for this itinerary, both for award availability and softer fares, since Polish business travel to Silesia's industrial corridor dips outside peak trade fair season. Given the multi-carrier complexity and the way award space fluctuates on the JFK-Warsaw and Newark-Warsaw sectors, I'd strongly recommend setting up fare alerts rather than manually checking — this route rewards patience and quick action when a good business class fare surfaces.
