Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > LATAM | LATAM Pass
Reload this Page >

Suggestion for anyone attempting to extract their LANPASS card from LAN.

Suggestion for anyone attempting to extract their LANPASS card from LAN.

Old Aug 10, 2014, 2:36 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOGish. VLCish. It's complicated.
Programs: BA
Posts: 625
Suggestion for anyone attempting to extract their LANPASS card from LAN.

There was a thread here a while back about the difficulty of obtaining one's LANPASS card in a timely manner. Can't find it now, so:

After repeated calls to LAN I finally connected to an agent to suggested getting the Bogotá town office involved. She promised to investigate and get back to me, which you'll be surprised to know never happened.

What /did/ happen though, totally unexpectedly, was that my card actually arrived, sent from said town office a week later.
IanWorthington is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2014, 9:52 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MEX
Programs: LATAMPASS, Copa ConnectMiles Gold
Posts: 266
Amazing -- it's a miracle! For me, it's eight months and counting, multiple attempts to extract it from them, and zero results. I didn't think it was possible to find any company, in any industry, that could be so atrocious in attending to what should be its best customers.
DarrenChannel is offline  
Old Aug 11, 2014, 7:51 am
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOGish. VLCish. It's complicated.
Programs: BA
Posts: 625
SA does seem to excel in redefining customer service.
IanWorthington is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2014, 4:05 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: BWI<MCI< PHL<DEN<SCL<EZE<CHO<PHL<ABE
Programs: UA Silver / FA
Posts: 939
Impossible to get. Took me 2 additional months to get one here in the US. Including 5 different emails from cust service "managers" saying the exact same thing:

"We've sent it to our back office to process, and will inform you once sent."

Who is this back office? And why do they hold all the cards!
Tblack15 is offline  
Old Aug 20, 2014, 6:12 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chile
Posts: 326
Suggestion for anyone attempting to extract their LANPASS card from LAN.

I have both my office and home addresses in my LAN profile, and when I qualified, they asked where should they send my card. I replied home address, I don't travel for work, I work at a big company and my coworkers can be somewhat jealous I get to take time off and fly a lot for vacation, so I didn't want them to know I got an elite card from LAN.
So, conveniently, LAN sent it to my office!! Mail room guy now always wants souvenirs from my trips and gives me hard time on how he never gets to travel abroad... Thanks LAN back o(ri)ffice!
Matt340 is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 7:06 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
Originally Posted by Tblack15
Impossible to get. Took me 2 additional months to get one here in the US. Including 5 different emails from cust service "managers" saying the exact same thing:

"We've sent it to our back office to process, and will inform you once sent."

Who is this back office? And why do they hold all the cards!
Who is the back office? Well, I assume the font office is the customer facing part of LAN, the ticketing offices, check in desks etc. The back office is clearly huge, having to deal with a zillion customer service problems, web site failures etc. I envisage it to be a huge dungeon with disconnected dark passageways to avoid any cross communication. Employees lacking basic reading skills and only capable of sending automated replies. They keep their head down fearing they will be flogged if they make a mistake or use any common sense. They receive regular updated training on how to repeat the same silly answer no matter the question. Oh and For any further questions, please call any of the number listed below.
bingocallerb22 is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2014, 6:03 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Small town near RNO
Programs: Delta 1MM/PM, BAEC GGL, Asiana Diamond Plus(Lifetime), AC *Tangerine
Posts: 888
I've had the problem multiple times getting my card. The best way I've found is to post an accurate nasty on the LAN Facebook wall with the comment being about how the Back Orifice hasn't got it to you in the posted time frame (the last I saw was 18 days for Comodoro) and ask for a response. I've had the social media team to actually get things moving in about a week. I've also had good luck with a couple of the ladies on the english speaking side getting things going, including sending the BO a nastygram that they hadn't got things done per policy and the ladies have brought in a manager a couple of times as well. PM me if you want their names.

Last time around it only took me about 2 months and then they sent me a second kit 2 months later. You can also make a stink about how you're flying on another OW carrier and that you need the card to access the lounge and have them FEDEX it to you. They're likely do do it if it's been more than 45 days, which is the official time you need to wait for delivery of your kit. Also you will need to keep repeating anything you send them in an email since the BO and CS replies from LAN don't include anything but their reply!

The Back Orifice is were things go to die at LAN. I'm convinced that they send the worst people from LIM there as a reward for making as many frequent flyers as possible miserable and for superior Customer "Service".

Last edited by ttuna3; Aug 22, 2014 at 6:06 am Reason: Senior Moment
ttuna3 is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2014, 11:08 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MEX
Programs: LATAMPASS, Copa ConnectMiles Gold
Posts: 266
Originally Posted by ttuna3
I've had the problem multiple times getting my card. The best way I've found is to post an accurate nasty on the LAN Facebook wall with the comment being about how the Back Orifice hasn't got it to you in the posted time frame (the last I saw was 18 days for Comodoro) and ask for a response. I've had the social media team to actually get things moving in about a week. I've also had good luck with a couple of the ladies on the english speaking side getting things going, including sending the BO a nastygram that they hadn't got things done per policy and the ladies have brought in a manager a couple of times as well. PM me if you want their names.

Last time around it only took me about 2 months and then they sent me a second kit 2 months later. You can also make a stink about how you're flying on another OW carrier and that you need the card to access the lounge and have them FEDEX it to you. They're likely do do it if it's been more than 45 days, which is the official time you need to wait for delivery of your kit. Also you will need to keep repeating anything you send them in an email since the BO and CS replies from LAN don't include anything but their reply!

The Back Orifice is were things go to die at LAN. I'm convinced that they send the worst people from LIM there as a reward for making as many frequent flyers as possible miserable and for superior Customer "Service".
Thanks for the tips, ttuna3 ... my next move is for another public post on Facebook and Twitter, shaming them, followed by a request for them to FedEx my card to me. After nine months of them doing absolutely nothing to my repeated inquiries (while insisting that they are in fact taking action), I've long since passed the level of being merely "fed up" with these clowns.
DarrenChannel is offline  
Old Sep 2, 2014, 5:45 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: New Zealand
Programs: Air New Zealand Gold / Korean Air Morning Calm / Qatar Gold / Hilton Gold / Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 81
I have to disagree with most of you guys..

I was upgraded to Comodoro a few weeks ago and wanted to make sure that LAN sent out my card to the address on my file so I e-mailed the LAN help desk asking that my elite pack get sent ASAP. They replied within 48 hours saying that they will enquire to their 'back office' and get back to me. Within another 48 hours, they replied back saying their 'back office' had confirmed that my elite pack will be sent out shortly and I should receive it within the next 3~4 weeks.

And approximately 3 weeks later, I received my elite pack and card in the mail. No hassle whatsoever. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical it would turn up, reading all the posts on FT.

Maybe because I'm a Comodoro elite, they treat me differently? I don't know but I'm certainly not complaining.
minjunkwak is offline  
Old Sep 2, 2014, 6:28 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Small town near RNO
Programs: Delta 1MM/PM, BAEC GGL, Asiana Diamond Plus(Lifetime), AC *Tangerine
Posts: 888
To be somewhat fair to LAN I've only had a problem 3 out of the 8 years I've had status with them.

The issue generally seem to be related to IT messing up my address given that my cities (I've moved) don't appear in their drop down menu and it takes several times on the phone and emails to get things right. The address problem has also happened out of the blue before I moved (at that point 14 years in the same place) so it's not just changing towns involved. Every time this particular LANism happens it usually takes months to resolve and I've actually had to get up to supervisor level a couple of times at OW lounges to get access because I didn't have my card yet even with my status showing up on my ticket and boarding pass along with my expired card.

The biggest issue is a couple of the male Customer "Service" reps will just parrot back to wait for the time to process even if they're well over the 45 day window or reminding them that per lan.com the package was due out within 15 days(now it's 18) and copping an attitude while their doing it. Ended up talking to the same one on the phone and then he gives me the line about how I can't talk to a supervisor, Facebook comment got me an email from a manager with a tracking number. One of the good ladies told me when I was dealing with a seating issue that somebody up high had mentioned something to the CS management about annoying the elites and not being truthful wasn't good for bonuses. Of course there's still the Back Orifice involved in a lot of this.
ttuna3 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.