The Comprehensive Chile - Part I
Jan 2, 2003, 9:13 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,654
The Comprehensive Chile - Part I
The Comprehensive Chile 2002
Part I
This is a lengthy multipart trip report, which I know many of you have requested, at least in part. As much of Chile seems to be fairly unknown as far as Flyertalk goes, I thought this would be a good comprehensive look, at least with respect to my most recent (3d) trip there – it will cover air, hotel, car rentals, driving conditions, language issues, and so on. When prices quoted in Chilean pesos, the rate was approx. US$1 = CH$700
The trip, in general, consisted of 2 Alaska Airlines partner awards (on LanChile (LA))– SFO/LAX/SCL/PMC/SCL/LAX/SFO (100,000 miles – F), and SCL/IQQ/LSC/SCL (25,000 miles – Y).
18 Dec – Four Points SFO. Received a decent (by calling the hotel directly) rate for hotel and 14 days’ parking. Hotel decent as usual. Upgraded to suite.
19 Dec – SFO/LAX AS 244F. An uneventful flight. Boardroom visit was fine. As I had almost 3 hours in LAX, I wanted to short-check the bag to LAX and walk it over to the Int’l Terminal, where I would make sure it would make it to the LA counter and get the priority tag. Oops, this makes you a security risk and requires secondary screening. So, I had the agent reverse it all and just have her check it directly through to SCL.
19 Dec – LAX. It’s a short walk from AS to the Bradley Crap-o-terminal for LA 601F LAX/SCL (1 stop LIM). I know LA is strict on carryon, even somewhat in Int’l F, so I bought a smaller bag at Costco which has an odd shape. More to follow on this, but I did get the coveted “equipaje a mano” tag from the agent even though it was over weight.
The security line at LAX was an absolute joke. The entire terminal had 2 screening stations open, one for crew and everyone late for a flight, the other for everyone else. After ½ hour in that line, two more x-ray machines were opened.
Finally made it to the shared lounge (BA/QF/LA). Adequate but not special. If this is where the BA F Pax sit at LAX, they must be disappointed.
Boarding was MUCH IMPROVED from one year earlier. Although LA rarely gets a real gate, at least this year the lounge pax were put on a small van directly to the plane.
The plane was a 763, which is much less comfortable than the A340s on this route. Pre-departure drinks were offered, but they do not have any liquor permit for on-ground US service. No big deal. Although the routing is LAX/LIM/SCL, it is treated as one long Int’l flight, servicewise, with one menu. Dinner after takeoff, snack prior to LIM arrival, and breakfast prior to SCL arrival. There is one row of 5 seats. There were 2 passengers. The other one slept most of the time.
Menu (not detailed)
_______________________________________
Dinner
Appetizer cart – Caviar service & Sushi selection. I had both, with the Tattinger Comtes de Champagne, which was not quite chilled enough, but was fine. There is a separate elaborate wine menu you can’t take with you which consisted of, I seem to recall, 7 red and 2 white wines.
First Course – Choice of Salad, Smoked Salmon Plate, or Cold Cuts. I had the salmon, which was delicious and generous in size, with the Anakena Vigonier, which was superb.
Soup Course – I skipped. Carrot cream with ginger and coriander.
Main Course – Filet of Beef, Coq a Vin, Balsamic Tuna Fish, or Ricotta Rolls. I had the tuna, which was a bit overdone, with a light red wine of some sort, which was adequate.
You also receive your own bread basket with an assortment of rolls.
Cheese and Fruit Course – I skipped. Pre-plated.
Dessert – Caramel Flan or Godiva Chocolate Ice Cream. I had the ice cream much later. The menu also says that there are chocolates. None were offered and I didn’t ask, but I’m sure they had some onboard.
Dinner service was friendly and efficient, and when it became a bit rapid (as I was the only one eating, with 2 flight attendants to myself), I asked them to slow it down.
Snack
Foie Gras with toast.
Choice of Fresh Salad, Baked Snapper, or Filet Medallion. I had the dead cow. It was ok. Another bread basket served, and then more cheese and fruit, and then tiramisu. I think I may have had some fruit, and that was it.
Breakfast
I didn’t eat. There were choices of Omelette, Banana Hot Cakes, or a Ham and Cheese on Croissant.
Other inflight service notes. This aircraft didn’t have the audio/video on demand system. When it isn’t mealtime, there is no attentiveness, but upon any request, they will drop everything immediately. I think if I had simply requested to always have a glass full of water, it would have happened.
Arrival in SCL (20 Dec 600a)– Immigration, baggage, customs, all quick and efficient. I fortunately paid only $61 last year for the “reciprocity fee” and am on my 3d visit with 8 more years on the passport. I made a deal with a cab driver in the terminal, and he also tried to help me find a cellphone rental place, but nothing was yet open at that hour.
Sheraton Santiago – Room was ready early, per my request, and received platinum upgrade to a nice little suite.
Prior to my trip, I learned that one of my favorite bands, LUCYBELL, was playing in Santiago that night (the 20th). I didn’t use the Platinum Concierge, but rather faxed the hotel concierge and arrangements were made. I was one of the oldest people in the crowd, which didn’t bother me a bit. I was in Santiago, seeing LUCYBELL, en vivo. As it was their first concert back in Chile after a lengthy tour, the crowd was overly enthusiastic!
As this was my 3d time in Santiago, I wasn’t overly concerned about doing much, except the concert, and relaxing by the pool, etc. My second night there when I was actually downtown, I decided that I wanted to be there longer, but it wasn’t to be, as I had a 715am flight.
Continued in Part II
Part I
This is a lengthy multipart trip report, which I know many of you have requested, at least in part. As much of Chile seems to be fairly unknown as far as Flyertalk goes, I thought this would be a good comprehensive look, at least with respect to my most recent (3d) trip there – it will cover air, hotel, car rentals, driving conditions, language issues, and so on. When prices quoted in Chilean pesos, the rate was approx. US$1 = CH$700
The trip, in general, consisted of 2 Alaska Airlines partner awards (on LanChile (LA))– SFO/LAX/SCL/PMC/SCL/LAX/SFO (100,000 miles – F), and SCL/IQQ/LSC/SCL (25,000 miles – Y).
18 Dec – Four Points SFO. Received a decent (by calling the hotel directly) rate for hotel and 14 days’ parking. Hotel decent as usual. Upgraded to suite.
19 Dec – SFO/LAX AS 244F. An uneventful flight. Boardroom visit was fine. As I had almost 3 hours in LAX, I wanted to short-check the bag to LAX and walk it over to the Int’l Terminal, where I would make sure it would make it to the LA counter and get the priority tag. Oops, this makes you a security risk and requires secondary screening. So, I had the agent reverse it all and just have her check it directly through to SCL.
19 Dec – LAX. It’s a short walk from AS to the Bradley Crap-o-terminal for LA 601F LAX/SCL (1 stop LIM). I know LA is strict on carryon, even somewhat in Int’l F, so I bought a smaller bag at Costco which has an odd shape. More to follow on this, but I did get the coveted “equipaje a mano” tag from the agent even though it was over weight.
The security line at LAX was an absolute joke. The entire terminal had 2 screening stations open, one for crew and everyone late for a flight, the other for everyone else. After ½ hour in that line, two more x-ray machines were opened.
Finally made it to the shared lounge (BA/QF/LA). Adequate but not special. If this is where the BA F Pax sit at LAX, they must be disappointed.
Boarding was MUCH IMPROVED from one year earlier. Although LA rarely gets a real gate, at least this year the lounge pax were put on a small van directly to the plane.
The plane was a 763, which is much less comfortable than the A340s on this route. Pre-departure drinks were offered, but they do not have any liquor permit for on-ground US service. No big deal. Although the routing is LAX/LIM/SCL, it is treated as one long Int’l flight, servicewise, with one menu. Dinner after takeoff, snack prior to LIM arrival, and breakfast prior to SCL arrival. There is one row of 5 seats. There were 2 passengers. The other one slept most of the time.
Menu (not detailed)
_______________________________________
Dinner
Appetizer cart – Caviar service & Sushi selection. I had both, with the Tattinger Comtes de Champagne, which was not quite chilled enough, but was fine. There is a separate elaborate wine menu you can’t take with you which consisted of, I seem to recall, 7 red and 2 white wines.
First Course – Choice of Salad, Smoked Salmon Plate, or Cold Cuts. I had the salmon, which was delicious and generous in size, with the Anakena Vigonier, which was superb.
Soup Course – I skipped. Carrot cream with ginger and coriander.
Main Course – Filet of Beef, Coq a Vin, Balsamic Tuna Fish, or Ricotta Rolls. I had the tuna, which was a bit overdone, with a light red wine of some sort, which was adequate.
You also receive your own bread basket with an assortment of rolls.
Cheese and Fruit Course – I skipped. Pre-plated.
Dessert – Caramel Flan or Godiva Chocolate Ice Cream. I had the ice cream much later. The menu also says that there are chocolates. None were offered and I didn’t ask, but I’m sure they had some onboard.
Dinner service was friendly and efficient, and when it became a bit rapid (as I was the only one eating, with 2 flight attendants to myself), I asked them to slow it down.
Snack
Foie Gras with toast.
Choice of Fresh Salad, Baked Snapper, or Filet Medallion. I had the dead cow. It was ok. Another bread basket served, and then more cheese and fruit, and then tiramisu. I think I may have had some fruit, and that was it.
Breakfast
I didn’t eat. There were choices of Omelette, Banana Hot Cakes, or a Ham and Cheese on Croissant.
Other inflight service notes. This aircraft didn’t have the audio/video on demand system. When it isn’t mealtime, there is no attentiveness, but upon any request, they will drop everything immediately. I think if I had simply requested to always have a glass full of water, it would have happened.
Arrival in SCL (20 Dec 600a)– Immigration, baggage, customs, all quick and efficient. I fortunately paid only $61 last year for the “reciprocity fee” and am on my 3d visit with 8 more years on the passport. I made a deal with a cab driver in the terminal, and he also tried to help me find a cellphone rental place, but nothing was yet open at that hour.
Sheraton Santiago – Room was ready early, per my request, and received platinum upgrade to a nice little suite.
Prior to my trip, I learned that one of my favorite bands, LUCYBELL, was playing in Santiago that night (the 20th). I didn’t use the Platinum Concierge, but rather faxed the hotel concierge and arrangements were made. I was one of the oldest people in the crowd, which didn’t bother me a bit. I was in Santiago, seeing LUCYBELL, en vivo. As it was their first concert back in Chile after a lengthy tour, the crowd was overly enthusiastic!
As this was my 3d time in Santiago, I wasn’t overly concerned about doing much, except the concert, and relaxing by the pool, etc. My second night there when I was actually downtown, I decided that I wanted to be there longer, but it wasn’t to be, as I had a 715am flight.
Continued in Part II
