LAN LANPASS - Lan Peru announced new nonstop from LIM-SFO

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/LAN-Peru-Announces-Service-prnews-4043831331.html?x=0&.v=1

I think its nice to see expanded more new routes from LIM-SFO is first-time ever. So this is operating four-weekly frequencies. It will put on the 767-300ER aircraft. It might to have more seriously weight restrictions due to headwinds gusted.

argh... just missed it by a month. I'm headed to Lima from SJC via LAX on LAN in early May. Woulda been nice to experience non-stop Business SFO-LIM !

argh... just missed it by a month. I'm headed to Lima from SJC via LAX on LAN in early May. Woulda been nice to experience non-stop Business SFO-LIM !

Yeah, you have to call reservation to get reissued the ticket to have exchange the flight. You should have to speak the agents to get on the flight out LIM-SFO nonstop instead of going to LAX.

Yeah, you have to call reservation to get reissued the ticket to have exchange the flight. You should have to speak the agents to get on the flight out LIM-SFO nonstop instead of going to LAX.


Hmm, I just read the news posted by Lan, and flights will begin in July...

http://www.lan.com/about_us/noticias/20100127_sanfrancisco_peru-en-us.html

EDIT: Nevermind, just read the report.

Is there any news as to what SFO gate(s) LAN will use and what lounge they will use? I sent an email to LAN but the response was less than informative (albeit polite). I'm sure it will be an A gate, and maybe the BA lounge?

Booked the inaugural flight. Woo hoo!

Tell us how it goes EastBay. I won't be on this flight till late September!

Booked the inaugural flight. Woo hoo!

Great! Try to take alots of the pictures during inaugurate ceremony for me. I would likes to see it for me. Try to take a pictures with water salute, dancing and etc.

Great! Try to take alots of the pictures during inaugurate ceremony for me. I would likes to see it for me. Try to take a pictures with water salute, dancing and etc.

I wouldn't anticipate too much ceremony.

Note that this flight is actually a direct flight between Sao Paulo and SFO with a stop in Lima;

LAN Airlines S.A. Flight LA2609 on a Boeing 767 (jet) (operated by AND MARKETED BY LANPERU)

Departs San Francisco, CA (SFO) Sat, Oct 23 1:10p 9 hrs 5 min
Arrives Lima, Peru (LIM) Sun, Oct 24 12:15a

Layover in Lima 1 hr 5 min
LAN Airlines S.A. Flight LA2609 on a Boeing 767 (jet)
Departs Lima, Peru (LIM) Sun, Oct 24 1:20a 3 hrs 40 min
Arrives Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) 8:00a

Sao Paulo, Brazil to San Francisco, CA: 6666 miles 17 hrs 15 min
LA2608 on a Boeing 767 (operated by AND MARKETED BY LANPERU)

Departs Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) Fri, Oct 29 7:35p 6 hrs 15 min
Arrives Lima, Peru (LIM) 10:50p

Layover in Lima 1 hr 45 min
LAN Airlines S.A. Flight LA2608 on a Boeing 767 (jet)
Departs Lima, Peru (LIM) Sat, Oct 30 12:35a 9 hrs 15 min
Arrives San Francisco, CA (SFO) 7:50a


How long this lasts is anyone 's guess. The GRU-LIM service originally started as part of a direct service GRU-LIM-LAX also operated by a 767 but that was discontinued and the flights between GRU and LIM were downgraded to an A320 or A319

How long this lasts is anyone 's guess. The GRU-LIM service originally started as part of a direct service GRU-LIM-LAX also operated by a 767 but that was discontinued and the flights between GRU and LIM were downgraded to an A320 or A319

There is a huge Brasilian community in the Bay Area - so hopefully they'll give this service some time to succeed.

Any idea what lounge you use in EZE and LIM when you are flying biz on LAN?

I hope the route lasts at least until November! Got my tickets booked.

Any idea what lounge you use in EZE and LIM when you are flying biz on LAN?

I hope the route lasts at least until November! Got my tickets booked.

LIM uses the Sumaq lounge - it is pleasant enough but gets quite crowded in the midnight to 1:00 AM time period.

EZE uses the Salon Basurero. I do mean the AA Admirals Club, which isn't horrible, but it is about as good as it gets for EZE lounges. In the 8pm + hour it is horribly overcrowded, and the food selection is great as long as you like chips, cheese, and olives.

I'm booked for July and Dec/Jan, so I hope the route is superexitoso!

Does anyone know what lounge LA will use @SFO yet? I'm thinking BA???

I'll be on this route in July as well. Will be interested to know which lounge to use at SFO.

I'll be on this route in July as well. Will be interested to know which lounge to use at SFO.

I emailed SFO through the website. The manager replied:

Thanks for your question. Indeed, LAN will be operating from the A-gates of the International Terminal. I am not aware of any lounge agreement that LAN has engaged in at this time. If I am able to determine they are sharing, I will attempt to follow up with you

I am on the inaugural flight, so like so many things LAN over the years, I often have to answer my own questions.

Inaugural flight is coming up EastBay, any idea what lounge they'll use?

Inaugural flight is coming up EastBay, any idea what lounge they'll use?

At this point, it looks like I'll learn on the 1st.

At this point, it looks like I'll learn on the 1st.


When you return Eastbay--please report back what the SFO to LIM was like on the new route.

I still haven't booked yet....hubby wants biz class and it is just over $4,200 for both of us, which I realize isn't that bad.

Does anyone ever actually pay $$ for these seats or are we the only ones? I have a feeling everyone else uses miles!

I didn't think the price was that bad until someone pointed out that the exact trip in reverse (LIM-SFO-LIM) was $473 each way, for Biz class...can't exactly put my finger on it but it irks me (because it is the SAME exact flight, SAME exact time, etc.).

I am still thinking about going over Biz class and returning economy. We did it that way on Qantas and managed to survive (15 hours in economy)....

Let us know....I am waiting to book and haven't seen any changes in the cost of the flight.

Dawn

When you return Eastbay--please report back what the SFO to LIM was like on the new route.

I still haven't booked yet....hubby wants biz class and it is just over $4,200 for both of us, which I realize isn't that bad.


LAN sells a lot of these seats, I think. There are usually 3 fare buckets for business (J/D/I). This is my second trip booked in "I" this year. Sometimes the "I" fares are very attractive, other times not so much (or have more restrictions, like a 7 day min. stay).

LAN sells a lot of these seats, I think. There are usually 3 fare buckets for business (J/D/I). This is my second trip booked in "I" this year. Sometimes the "I" fares are very attractive, other times not so much (or have more restrictions, like a 7 day min. stay).

I'll have to do a little more research to understand the various "fare buckets," but regardless....do you think a little over $4,200 for two people, RT, in the "Premium Business" class (now I'm not even sure if that is the top level!).....is a good price?

Unlike many others than use points for upgrades, that has not been we we've earned points. Because my business travel is only state-wide, I don't fly anything other than SWA so we typically have to suffer through economy or pay for biz class/first class. We've paid $5,000 for RT to Budapest and home, but it was on Delta and it was NOTHING like the Biz Class we experienced on Qantas when we flew to Sydney (first time we were on a plane that had a second level, which is where we were). So Delta's first class was equivalent to a dentists' chair....nothing like the Biz Class on Qantas! So I do realize not all first class/biz class is the same and I know nothing about LAN.

Do you think that is a good price? It is straight through which is nice--but obviously, I can get that same flight in economy seating for just around $1450, RT, total. So do we spend $1,450 or $4,240? Is it that much nicer?

I always feel like we are the only ones that actually pay cash for flights!

:)

I'll have to do a little more research to understand the various "fare buckets," but regardless....do you think a little over $4,200 for two people, RT, in the "Premium Business" class (now I'm not even sure if that is the top level!).....is a good price?


It is a great price. LAN has great seating - flat, with decent pillows and blankets (albeit quite narrow) and great IFE. 35+ movies, about 500 CDs, and all kinds of other games and shows. The wine selection is quite nice (typically 3 reds, 2 whites, and a moderate-level French bubbly). The food is variable, and so is the service. I usually prefer the Chile based crews over the Peru ones, but I don't have much long haul experience with the LP crews. (Others will argue about this.)

It is a great price. LAN has great seating - flat, with decent pillows and blankets (albeit quite narrow) and great IFE. 35+ movies, about 500 CDs, and all kinds of other games and shows. The wine selection is quite nice (typically 3 reds, 2 whites, and a moderate-level French bubbly). The food is variable, and so is the service. I usually prefer the Chile based crews over the Peru ones, but I don't have much long haul experience with the LP crews. (Others will argue about this.)

I really appreciate your feedback. I was definitely going to do it going over to LIM...the flight leaves just after 1:00 p.m. from SFO....it was the return flight that I was having a hard time shelling out the dough. We leave basically at midnight so we are paying $2,000 for a flat surface to have a decent night's rest. We get in around 6:00 a.m. so we'll not be quite as rummy when we make out way to Bart to catch the train back to SMF.

It will be a great way to end our trip to Machu Pichu....it's been on our bucket list for some time now.

Thanks.

Dawn

I fly a minimum of three fully paid J class flights lim-lax-lim each year. As I posted previously, your price is in line with current Peru - Calif. ticket prices. Sometimes however they make a mistake on their web-site. Last Fri. during the Chile - Spain world cup game, they had RT J Lim-Lax-Lim tickets for under $1000 w/o tax for departure in Sept. Obviously a mistake...however one taken advantage of by at least one person.....Total with Peru taxes came to about $1200.

Last Fri. during the Chile - Spain world cup game, they had RT J Lim-Lax-Lim tickets for under $1000 w/o tax for departure in Sept. Obviously a mistake...however one taken advantage of by at least one person.....Total with Peru taxes came to about $1200.

This is not a mistake... it's a promotion that I think ended on Saturday:

Vuela en Premium Business con la comodidad que necesitas (http://www.lan.com/es_pe/promociones/data/sudamerica/pe/todo_el_mundo/20100608_pb_norteamerica.html)

Premium Business round trip from Lima to:
Santiago, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Sao Paulo, Punta Cana at $999
Ciudad de Mexico, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, New York at $1199
Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Rome at $2499

It appears now that LAN will be using the BA lounge @ SFO. I've never been in there so any feedback is appreciated.

It appears now that LAN will be using the BA lounge @ SFO. I've never been in there so any feedback is appreciated.

I've never been in there either but from what I've seen in pics, it's not very impressive.

andreadbc,

I never received that promotion nor saw it, shows how alert I am. It was hard to imagine LAN making that kind of a mistake. I thought someone was so engrossed in the game, that they slipped up. Well I bought a ticket anyway, its the lowest price I´ve seen in many years.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1087798-sfo-terraces-lounge.html

Link from BA forum

This is not a mistake... it's a promotion that I think ended on Saturday:

Vuela en Premium Business con la comodidad que necesitas (http://www.lan.com/es_pe/promociones/data/sudamerica/pe/todo_el_mundo/20100608_pb_norteamerica.html)

Premium Business round trip from Lima to:
Santiago, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Sao Paulo, Punta Cana at $999
Ciudad de Mexico, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, New York at $1199
Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Rome at $2499


I think the mistake he is talking about was going the other way.

In an earlier post, it was already stated that the same exact trip (LIM-SFO-LIM) is less than $1,000 RT. That is partly why I am overly cautious to book the SFO-LIM-SFO route. If it was a different flight, that would be one thing. But it is kind of irritating that it is so much less if you are coming out of Peru.

Oh well....still not a bad price.

In an earlier post, it was already stated that the same exact trip (LIM-SFO-LIM) is less than $1,000 RT. That is partly why I am overly cautious to book the SFO-LIM-SFO route. If it was a different flight, that would be one thing. But it is kind of irritating that it is so much less if you are coming out of Peru.

That is no reason to be "cautious." Such asymmetries are a fact of life with airlines. The same is true in most any international market. If you fly such routes frequently, one learns to nest round trips to only pay the high fare once.

More to the point, one of the main selling points of premium fares is to reduce stress. From the sounds of it, you've been stressing over these tickets so much it may not be worth it. If you can afford it, buy them and forget about it---that will get you the most value for your money ;)

That is no reason to be "cautious." Such asymmetries are a fact of life with airlines. The same is true in most any international market. If you fly such routes frequently, one learns to nest round trips to only pay the high fare once.

More to the point, one of the main selling points of premium fares is to reduce stress. From the sounds of it, you've been stressing over these tickets so much it may not be worth it. If you can afford it, buy them and forget about it---that will get you the most value for your money ;)

Stressed? Not at all actually. But I guess you would have to know me. That is the downside to email...you can only surmise what you can through a few sentences--and through your own experiences as someone else describes their experiences.

This whole planning process is half the fun! Odd, but I've always felt that way. Trust me, the actual trip is the highlight, but the research and planning portion is nearly as much fun!

Also, after I make a flight--I never look again. There is just no reason to. I've always felt that way.

I have a handful of emails to various tour operators/private guides and I'm waiting for a couple more to come in...go over a few itineraries/options with my hubby and THEN I'll make the flight. But it is slightly premature to make the international flight reservation at this point (too many things have to come together).

So, in the meantime, it may sound like I'm "stressed out" about the flight, but I can assure you that I am not and I'm having a blast! And if you actually knew me, you wouldn't even use that word (stressed out) and my name in the same sentence. I am really having fun doing the research and reading various posts/threads and learning from pros. We've been so fortunate to be able to vacation twice a year, typically two weeks at a time, and we always leave the country and experience another culture. Some things you can't plan for and others you can...but I thoroughly enjoy all the research and wouldn't give it up for nothing!

Thanks for thinking of me though!

:)

This whole planning process is half the fun! Odd, but I've always felt that way. Trust me, the actual trip is the highlight, but the research and planning portion is nearly as much fun!

Planning Vacations Make you happy (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2010/02/20/planning-vacations-makes-you-happy/)

Planning Vacations Make you happy (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2010/02/20/planning-vacations-makes-you-happy/)

Great little read--it's so true.

I've been planning our vacations for nearly two decades now and I'm so glad I ended up being the "planner" of the two. It wouldn't work so well if he too was a planner. He never complains, will do ANYTHING (very adventurous fellow)...best travelling buddy in the whole world. Who knew it would be so important to us when I met him at 26 years of age! Ha!

Nice article....thanks.

:)

The flight officially starts tomorrow operating GRU-LIM-SFO 4 weekly with the B763.

Rgs,

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1087798-sfo-terraces-lounge.html

Link from BA forum

Hi Eastbay1K - Did you use the BA lounge for your SFO-LIM flight? I'm looking forward to my flight next weekend.

I spent some time testing if this non-stop
is available in business award for 60K AA.

Didn't find anything yet.

Hi Eastbay1K - Did you use the BA lounge for your SFO-LIM flight? I'm looking forward to my flight next weekend.

Yes, the BA lounge. It was supposed to board right from the lounge but they were having problems with the door. It is a nice space with a marginal food selection (but better than, i.e., a domestic US club).

The flight is very convenient. I will probably write a trip report soon. It reinforced my opinion that the LP crews really aren't that good. For a 9 hour flight they made every effort to make sure the 3 course dinner service was served and cleaned up within 45 minutes. I spoiled their plan because I ate slowly, and saved my cheese course until later. (The meal quality was good). They then served the pre-arrival snack a full 2 hours prior to arrival. The main FA serving my side was really amarga y congelada - the other side seemed a bit more personable but the difference between that crew and my LA crews LIM/SCL and then today, SCL/EZE were like night and day.

The SFO ground crew was quite nice. They were having some 1st day pains, but other than check in a bit slow and departure a bit late, the ground service was fine. I saw someone who looked like an LAX staff member assisting. It is also a pleasure to fly out of SFO as the international gateway.

awesome Eastbay, can't wait for the full report!

Lan has said that they are planning on increasing the Lim-Sfo flight frequency to seven days a week by the end of the year at the latest.

Yes, the BA lounge. It was supposed to board right from the lounge but they were having problems with the door. It is a nice space with a marginal food selection (but better than, i.e., a domestic US club).

Thanks Eastbay1K. Looking forward to your trip report.

I hope Eastbay 1K is ok. Looks like he had a pretty bad trip. I hope this isnt a reflextion of the new route.

I hope Eastbay 1K is ok. Looks like he had a pretty bad trip. I hope this isnt a reflextion of the new route.

Report (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1105990-lan-inaugural-sfo-flight-scl-eze.html)

Wasn't the best trip ever, but there's the report. I came home, with a cold, and swamped with work, but now you can read away.

Lan has said that they are planning on increasing the Lim-Sfo flight frequency to seven days a week by the end of the year at the latest.

Any updates on this? I haven't read this anywhere else. I'm trying to book an award for Dec and sure would like the additional 3x frequency.

Any updates on this? I haven't read this anywhere else. I'm trying to book an award for Dec and sure would like the additional 3x frequency.

I think I read about this in a local newspaper or magazine...

Looks like they increase to 4X/week, Mon/Tue/Thur/Sat.

Looks like they increase to 4X/week, Mon/Tue/Thur/Sat.

It has been 4x since the start. It is supposed to go to 7x next year at some point. Loads are apparently 80%+

for those willing to use AA miles for the flight- usually plenty of seats starts appearing 2 months before flight. Not earlier than that.

for those willing to use AA miles for the flight- usually plenty of seats starts appearing 2 months before flight. Not earlier than that.

I used BA miles for this flight over the holidays and saw availability all the way up to 10 months ago.

I used BA miles for this flight over the holidays and saw availability all the way up to 10 months ago.

Same here. Saw a lot of seats until 4 months before flight, and then they suddenly disappeared. Now they show up again.

With other words, newer give up on checking for seats availability.

Same here. Saw a lot of seats until 4 months before flight, and then they suddenly disappeared. Now they show up again.

With other words, newer give up on checking for seats availability.

The other thing was that LAN does seem to open up flights a few days before. I was able to change my BA award to a better connection before my trip commenced.