Seat 2A

I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get around to publishing a report about my return trip from Ushuaia to Alaska. By the time I’d commenced the journey back to Alaska I wasn’t even halfway through writing the report covering the trip down to Ushuaia. By the time I’d finally submitted that report in its entirety, I’d already flown back to Alaska, spent three sunny days in Fairbanks and then took off for Colorado, there to begin the first of three $88.00 base fare mileage runs between Denver and Raleigh, NC. On my first run to Raleigh I rented a car and took two days visiting coastal North Carolina, driving from Wilmington up through Cape Hatteras National Seashore to Kill Devil Hills where the Wright Brothers flew their first flight. What a beautiful state North Carolina is! I’ll have to come back to explore more sometime soon.

Anyway, following a few queries from fellow FTers as to whether I’d be reporting on my return journey from Ushuaia, I’ve decided to do just that, focusing primarily on the Business Class flights aboard LAN Chile between Buenos Aires and Miami. However, I’ve just returned to work in Denali National Park where my job requires eight days of pre-season re-certification, followed by actual work, something I haven’t done in awhile. I’ve also got a weeklong trip to the Desert Southwest coming up, so it could well be June by the time I get this report submitted. I’d say bear with me, but obviously you’ve already done that by now.

So – without further ado, let’s get on with the report.

Oh yeah! Pictures start HERE

Past Trip Reports can be found HERE

April 18, 2007
Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
Aerolineas Austral Economy Class * Snack
DC-9-80 LP-WGM Seat 5A
8:00p – 12:30a Flight Time: :54 / 2:23

During the planning stages of this trip back in February, I spent a good three weeks checking the Aerolineas Argentinas website looking for cheaply priced and well timed departures between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires. Ideally, I was looking for a flight departing mid-morning and arriving early afternoon. This would leave me a leisurely afternoon and evening in Buenos Aires before continuing on to Santiago the next day. Finally, a good one way fare of $124.00 USD appeared, but unfortunately it was offered only on the late afternoon and evening flights. I watched over the next two or three days as the available seats slowly disappeared before finally springing for a 4:30pm departure via El Calafate that would arrive at Buenos Aires’ Jorge Newbery Aeroparque at 9:30pm.

Three days before my departure, I received an email from Aerolineas Argentinas advising that my 4:30pm departure had now been rescheduled for 6:30pm, arriving Buenos Aires at 10:58pm. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. Ha! Now I’d hardly even have time to enjoy the hotel. I called the airline to see if I might be able to switch to an earlier flight but was told that all flights from Ushuaia were sold out that day.

On the day of my departure, I had lunch at a nice restaurant in town. An Antarctic cruise ship was docked in the harbor and a group of American tourists from the ship sat down to eat at a table nearby mine. Sadly, not one of them made even the slightest attempt to speak Spanish to the wait staff. Not only that, they spoke English to the staff in their normal speech and cadence, as if they were back home in America. Fortunately for them, a waiter was located who spoke passable English. I was relieved to finish my meal and get away from them.

Later that afternoon, following a walk down to the docks and a cold Guinness in Ushuaia’s only Irish pub, I caught a taxi out to Ushuaia Airport. Although there was only one person ahead of me at the ticket counter, it took a good fifteen minutes for the single agent on duty to finish with him, then take a couple more minutes to file some paperwork before finally waving me over. I was then told that my flight was delayed and would now be departing at 8:00pm, arriving in Buenos Aires at 12:30am. Sigh. If I’d only called to check, I would have had time for a couple more pints of Guinness back at the pub. As a frequent flyer, I really ought to know better. Thankfully the airport had a wireless Internet connection and before long it was time to board my flight.

Although booked through Aerolineas Argentinas, my flight to Buenos Aires was operated by AR subsidiary Aerolineas Austral. The MD-80 was operated in a single class configuration and every seat was taken. Judging by the crowd in the boarding lounge as well as those sat around me, the majority of the passengers onboard were from Germany and France. Seating was fairly tight, no more than a 31-inch pitch, perhaps even 30. As it was now dark outside, I found myself wishing I’d taken an aisle seat. Seats in row one were the best on the plane, offering a good three feet of unimpeded floor space between them and the galley wall.

During the short fifty-minute flight up to El Calafate, we were offered drinks and the ever ubiquitous ham and cheese sandwich. About twenty Germans disembarked in Calafate and were replaced by another group of Germans along with a sprinkling of people who sounded local. Once again, every seat was taken as we climbed into the cool night sky for the two and a half hour flight up to Buenos Aires. We were offered a dinner of … well, imagine beef stroganoff served on rice. It was tasty enough, though the complimentary red wine offered tasted watery and tart. We landed right on time at BA’s conveniently located Jorge Newbery Aeroparque and, after waiting nearly half an hour for my bag, I caught a taxi to the Goya Hotel where a superior room cost me just $39.00 USD.


April 19, 2007
Buenos Aires to Santiago
LAN Chile Business Class * Dinner
A340-300 CC-CQC Seat 1L
615p – 730p Flight Time: 1:53

I arrived at Buenos Aires’ Ministro Pistarini International Airport at 3:15pm and, after a short walk down to the other end of the terminal building, presented myself at the deserted LAN Business Class counter. LAN operates six flights per day between Buenos Aires and Santiago, and the ticket agent graciously offered me a seat on the 4:15pm departure, which I declined. That flight was operated with an A320, but I wanted to fly aboard LAN’s larger and much more comfortable A340 that was scheduled for the 6:15pm departure. I asked for and was given a seat in row 1, up in the First Class cabin of the A340. Although LAN still offers First Class service on its A340 overseas flights to Europe and Australia, for regional South American services the First Class cabin is available to Business Class passengers, apparently on a first come, first served basis. Meal service is per the Business Class standard, but the seat is definitely larger and more comfortable.

I always try to arrive at the airport well in advance of any international premium class flight so that I’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the lounge facilities. While frequent business travelers could probably care less about such mundane things, for guys like me who still get excited at the mere anticipation of premium class flight, the First or Business Class lounge is a great place to start enjoying the overall experience.

Once my baggage was checked and on its way down the conveyor belt, the agent handed me my boarding pass and an invitation to American’s Admirals Club, located on the departures level adjacent to gate 9. After clearing the sizeable mob at immigration and security, I followed the directions on the back of the lounge card and made my way to gate 9. LAN’s 4:15pm Santiago departure was just closing up and I watched for a bit as the attractive blue, white and silver A320 was pushed back from the gate.

Two receptionists were on duty in the Admirals Club this afternoon. While one of them turned away a passenger trying to gain entrance on some type of credit card, the other cordially accepted my invitation and welcomed me into the lounge. I dropped my daypack at a workstation and headed over to the self-service bar to check out the offerings. Hmm… nothing special here – just your basic mid-range spirits, liqueurs and beers. Normally I’d choose a beer but the two on offer, Quilmes and Heineken, didn’t excite me so I whipped up a gin and tonic, squeezed in a slice of lime and took stock of the food offerings. Ugh! There was nothing but a bit of cheese, crackers, pretzels, chips and a tray of cookies. I passed on it all and headed back to the workstation to savor my G&T whilst putting in some long overdue work on the report preceding this one. Two G&Ts later, I teetered out to the gate lounge where my flight was ten minutes from boarding.

Being American born and bred, I’d prefer to see airlines flying Boeing jets but objectively speaking, Airbus makes very good airplanes and LAN’s A340 is indeed one of the more handsome examples of Airbus craftsmanship. The four big engines gleamed in the late afternoon sun, and I couldn’t help but pull out my camera for a few photos before boarding.

The first sign that boarding was imminent came when one of the gate agents unlatched the cord blocking the entrance to the jetway. A crowd immediately formed and surged toward the agent who nonchalantly ignored them and returned to the podium to chat with his fellow employees. Five minutes later, boarding was formally announced, starting with Business Class and OneWorld elites. The assembled mob had other ideas however. During the five-minute interval since the removal of the cord, their frenzy to board had built to a fever pitch and now they surged forward en mass, overwhelming the poor gate agent by their sheer numbers alone. Anyone in Business Class would just have to find their own way.

When I finally did board, I was surprised to see that I was the first passenger to arrive in the small one row First Class cabin. I tried to get a picture of the big First Class seats, but just as I was pulling out my camera, my seatmate and three other well dressed businessmen showed up, all of them talking about that day’s business. Their discussions continued throughout the boarding process, during which we were offered a choice of white wine or water as pre-flight libations. After three gin and tonics, I was more than ready for a glass of white wine. Mmm… not bad…

As we taxied out, saw three classic 747s from Aerolineas Argentinas, one of them still wearing the beautiful two tone blue pre-Iberia livery. Whether any of those aircraft were flyable or were in storage is debatable. I also saw an A340 and a 747-400 wearing AR’s current and much more basic livery.

Takeoff was swift and powerful. Unfortunately, by the time we took to the air at 6:45pm, the autumn skies were nearly dark. So much for that nice sunset over the Andes I’d envisioned when I requested my window seat. I reclined my seat a notch and awaited the pre-dinner beverage service.

Alas, the cocktail service never materialized. The crew, faced with a flight time of just one hour and forty-three minutes, opted to offer hot towels instead, followed by an expeditious dispersal of the evening snack. There was no menu, nor was there any choice. Still, as snacks go I will concede that this was one of the best I’d ever had aloft. I was presented a tray bearing a delectable collection of salmon and seasoned chicken slices accompanied by a zesty sauce, a tasty salad and side plate offering of three types of cheese. Bread and crackers were offered from the basket and I was allowed to taste and approve the ambrosial red wine before a full glass was poured. Dessert was a savory fruit tart washed down with a cup of decent tasting coffee. Aside from the lack of a pre-dinner beverage offering, the service was very attentive, a big improvement over what I received from the crew on my inbound flight three weeks ago.

Over all, this was a very pleasant flight.

Seat 2A

April 20, 2007
Santiago to Miami via GYE and CCS
LAN Chile Business Class * Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
767-300 CC-CIO Seat 3A
935a – 1105p Flight Time: 4:22 / 3:00 / 3:00

Although LAN’s primary check in area is very centrally located in the main terminal, for some odd reason their Premium Class check-in area is located way down at the far end of the building, a good hundred yards (or more) away. I trudged on down there with my big backpack and checked in with one of the most beautiful Chilean women I’ve ever seen. She was as efficient as she was pretty and soon I was divested of my 50-pound pack and on my way through a special immigration and security checkpoint reserved especially for LAN’s premium class passengers.

LAN operates two different lounges in SCL’s International Terminal – the Mistral Lounge and the Neruda Lounge. I knew from past experience that the Neruda Lounge is the nicer of the two, so I headed straight there, thankful for the added bonus that my flight would be departing from gate 19, located just a short walk from the lounge entrance.

The Neruda Lounge supplied two things that I really needed at the time - breakfast and an Internet connection. A buffet area offered peach, orange and raspberry juice along with sliced strawberries and kiwifruits, a tray of ham and cheese sandwiches and a plate of sweet rolls and cookies. I put together a plate with a bit of everything and relocated to one of the empty workstations. An hour later, having checked most all of the news and sports scores of the past few days, I gathered my gear and headed up to the gate.

Although the aircraft operating my flight down from Los Angeles had been refurbished with LAN’s new Business Class cabin, only about half of LAN’s 767 fleet had so far benefited from the upgrade. Further, I understood that most of those aircraft were being scheduled on the premium nonstop services to the U.S. Would my flight – essentially a milk-run to Miami – be deemed worthy one of the newly refurbished aircraft? I could only hope for the best.

At the gate sat 767-300 CC-CIO, a fifteen-year-old aircraft that had begun its operational life with Asiana back in 1992. After two short leases to Air Europe Italy and Air Afrique, it returned to Asiana where it zipped back and forth between Seoul and other Asian cities before being leased to LAN in 2004. The plane has worn LAN’s striking blue, white and silver livery ever since. This morning it looked quite inviting whilst parked in the midmorning sunshine at gate 19.

Boarding was announced starting with Business Class. The gate lounge mob reacted in typically frenzied fashion, but I had managed to score a seat near the jetway entrance and so was able to avoid the crowd and board in a somewhat more civilized fashion.

I fly over 100,000 miles every year, most of the time in Economy Class aboard US domestic airlines. As such, when it comes to boarding any international premium class flight, I do experience a certain amount of excitement and anticipation. I’m looking forward to seeing the layout of the forward cabin, locating my spacious seat or suite, settling in and then enjoying the preflight service – perhaps a glass of champagne while perusing the menu or inflight entertainment guide.

Entering this aircraft was like being awoken from a pleasant dream with a bucket of ice water. The interior was old and worn by most airline standards. The Business Class seats were the old blue fabric upholstered ones but unlike LAN’s 767s that I flew upon two years ago, these seats had neither PTVs nor laptop plug-ins. The fabric looked worn and the carpet around my seat was frayed. Furthermore, the seat in front of me had a couple of sizeable dents and scratches in it. What am I flying here? Air Burundi?

On a more positive note, a packaged pillow and blanket set had been placed upon each seat while a menu and wine list was available in each seat back pocket. I stowed my daypack in the overhead storage compartment, then removed my shoes and placed them under the seat in front of me. A Flight Attendant stopped by with a tray bearing glasses of orange juice or water. I selected an orange juice and then opened the menu to consider the breakfast selections:


BREAKFAST

To Start
Orange Juice
Coffee or Tea

Our Cold Dishes
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Cold Cereal
Yogurt

From The Bakery
Choose your selection from our variety of bread
Served with butter and preserves


WARM ENTREES

Cheese Omelette
Accompanied by cooked ham

Cooked Ham and Edam Cheese Sandwich
Served on a croissant roll



I spent exactly no time debating over the entrée selections. After three weeks in Chile and Argentina, I’d had more than my fill of ham and cheese sandwiches. I haven’t had an egg breakfast since flying between Seattle and Los Angeles on Alaska three weeks ago. That streak would end this morning. I made sure of it moments later when a Flight Attendant stopped by to take our entrée requests.

Following a typically powerful 767 takeoff roll, we turned to the north and quickly climbed above the smoke and haze of greater metropolitan Santiago. Flight time to Guayaquil’s Simon Bolivar International Airport was announced as four hours and thirty-eight minutes, but no cruising altitude was given. I’ve never quite understood the importance of this informational tidbit aside from the fact that, much like knowing what time it is even though we don’t particularly have to be anywhere, we are then armed with a sense of perspective. Based upon the proximity of the ground below, I would estimate we were cruising at 37,000 feet. Possibly even 39,000.

The inflight service commenced about a half-hour into the flight with a presentation of hot towels. The towels weren’t scented, but they were moist and appropriately hot. A refreshing start to the service yet to come.

Well, it should be coming anytime now…

Um… is there any service beyond hot towels on this flight?

Given a flight time in excess of four hours, one would think that the crew would have plenty of time to get out a round of beverages and perhaps even a breakfast pastry before the meal presentation. Unfortunately, it was a good forty-five minutes after the hot towel presentation before meal trays were delivered and beverage orders were taken. By the time breakfast was served, it was almost 11:00am local time.

This is the fourth time I’ve flown international Business Class on LAN between North and South America (13 flight segments though) and from what I’ve experienced, a fair number of LAN’s crews either don’t know how or don’t care to provide an inflight service anywhere near that advertised by their airline. What is it with some of these LAN crews? We’re talking about people in their twenties and thirties serving their airline’s premium class clientele and yet they seem absolutely clueless as to service standards practiced not only by most halfway decent airlines but also by most halfway decent restaurants down on terra firma.

My point here is that young men and women well mannered, cultured and educated enough to get themselves hired by a national airline that prides itself on its inflight service should have been exposed to proper service standards enough times in their private lives to appreciate the importance of practicing them in their professional lives.

As to the meal itself, it was decent enough. The omelette was a simple cheese affair served with a slice of ham and a croissant. It was accompanied by cold cereal and a pretty nice fruit plate that included concord grapes, kiwi fruit and orange slices. The croissant was actually flaky and the coffee was served from a coffee press – much tastier than the usual powdered stuff.

After breakfast, I asked one of the Flight Attendants about the entertainment options. Given that the seats were not equipped with PTVs, perhaps some Digi-players might be available? Sorry, was the reply. We have only the main screen. What about all the movie choices listed in the magazine, I asked? They only apply to the newer 767s, I was told. Really? The magazine seemed to indicate that a lesser variety of movies were still available on the older 767s. So, did they remove the PTVs on the rest of the 767 fleet that hadn’t yet been reconfigured? I didn’t ask since I figured the Flight Attendant either didn’t know or worse, would feed me another line of BS.

On a positive note, the old seats had a deep and comfortable recline so I used the free time to grab a couple more hours of sleep before awaking to another cup of coffee and a thorough perusal of the International Herald Tribune.

Our approach into Guayaquil took us past the eastern edge of the city before then making a big sweeping turn over the coffee brown colored Guayas River and lining up for a landing to the south. Parked at the terminal building with us were an Embraer ERJ-170 from Ecuadorian domestic carrier TAME, a 737-700 from COPA and 727-200s from AeroGal and TAME. Due to the short transit time, it was requested that through passengers to Caracas and Miami remain on board the airplane.

Flight time to Caracas was estimated at two hours and forty minutes. Perhaps because of the shorter flight time, service on this sector was presented in a much timelier manner. Following another round of hot towels, a Flight Attendant stopped by to take meal orders. Thankfully I’d taken some time on the ground in Guayaquil to study the menu options for the luncheon service up to Caracas. Following are the wine list and menu choices:


WINE LIST

Champagne
Henriot Brut Souverain

White Wines
Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Vina Litoral Ventolera ~ Valle de Leyda
Montes Alpha, Chardonnay 2005, Vina Montes ~ Valle de Casablanca

Red Wines
Don Ensamblaje 2003, Vina Santa Helena ~ Valle de Colchagua
B Crux, Ensamblaje 2003, Bodega O. Fournier ~ Mendoza, Argentina
Antu Ninquen, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Vina Montgras ~ Valle de Colchagua

Port
Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage 1997




LUNCHEON

To Start
Champagne “Henriot Brut Souverain”

Fresh Garden Salad
Fresh salad, prepared with a variety of selected seasonal vegetables

Bread Basket
Make your own selection from our breadbasket
White bread, whole wheat bread, home made puff pastry crackers and grissini

AS THE MAIN ENTRÉE, WE OFFER

Grilled Filet of Beef
Grilled filet of beef medallion, served in meat sauce with thyme
Accompanied by Ecuadorian Melloco potato and a selection of sautéed vegetables
Our Master Sommelier suggests Don Ensamblaje 2003, Vina Santa Helena – Valle de Colchagua

Pan Seared Chicken Supreme
Pan seared chicken supreme filet, served in creamy mustard sauce
Accompanied by olive rice and stewed vegetables
Our Master Sommelier suggests B Crux, Ensamblaje 2003
Bodega O. Fournier – Mendoza, Argentina

Our Pasta
Pansoti stuffed with shrimp and pumpkin, topped with shrimp sauce and Parmesan cheese
Our Master Sommelier suggests Montes Alpha, Chardonnay 2005
Vina Montes – Valle de Casablanca

Our Dessert
Passionfruit cheesecake topped with fresh blackberry sauce
Selection of fresh seasonal fruit



Every LAN menu I’ve ever seen has indicated that all meals except breakfast will start with a glass of champagne. To date, I’ve yet to see even a pre-meal beverage service, much less a glass of champagne. When my tray was delivered I requested a glass of the Don Ensamblaje, a Cabernet Sauvignon complimented with Merlot and Carmeniere vinestocks that is as fine a red wine as I’ve ever tasted inflight, including some of the First Class examples on Cathay Pacific. Since returning from Chile I’ve looked all over the country (Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Washington and Alaska) for this wine but to date have been unsuccessful. The search will continue.

As for the meal, once again it was quite good with a tasty salad, flavorful chicken and a delectable passionfruit cheesecake. Whatever shortcomings LAN may suffer via its lackluster cabin crews, it more than makes up for with what must surely be some of the best food aloft. It would have been nice if the crew had offered us a choice from the breadbasket, but the plated roll was quite sufficient.

After the meal, I put in some long overdue work on the southbound trip report. We landed in Caracas on an overcast, rainy evening and taxied in to gate 12, located right at the very end of the International Terminal building. Parked in the distance were 737-200s bearing the liveries of Venezuelan carriers Aserca, Venezoliana, Comviasa, Avior Airlines and Rutaca. Also in town was a 747SP wearing Iran Air’s colors. I don’t believe Iran Air flies a Tehran to Caracas route just yet, so perhaps President Chavez was entertaining some Iranian dignitaries?

Through passengers to Miami were instructed to collect all their gear and disembark the aircraft. Once in the terminal, we would be escorted through a security checkpoint, after which we were free to roam the terminal until our departure for Miami. The reason behind this procedure has something to do with post 911 security protocol for all passengers traveling into the United States. After all, who knows what kind of contraband we may have gotten ahold of since clearing security in Santiago or Guayaquil.

Regardless of the reason why, I was happy to be able to get off the aircraft, stretch my legs and have a look around Caracas’ Simon Bolivar International Airport, which I might add bears the same name as the airport in Guayaquil. The international terminal building was bright and modern with attractive shops and a very nice food court. I also noticed that all the electrical outlets are the same as for North American appliances, so I wasted no time in recharging my laptop battery while I awaited the re-boarding of the aircraft.

The load was light for tonight’s three hour flight over to Miami. I would estimate that the plane was only one third full, a factor that may have contributed to a short takeoff roll of just 26 seconds. As we climbed away from Caracas and headed west towards Miami, I took a few moments to review the menu in anticipation of the hot snack soon to be served:


HOT SNACK

To Start
Champagne “Henriot Brut Souverain”

Bread Basket
Make your own selection from our breadbasket
White bread, whole wheat bread, home made puff pastry crackers and grissini

A Fresh Salad
Assortment of fresh greens with seasonal garnishes

AS THE MAIN ENTRÉE, WE OFFER

Crepes Filled With Chicken and Ricotta Cheese
Topped with Neapolitan Sauce and slices of melted Parmesan cheese

Our Dessert
Selection of fresh seasonal fruit



Shortly after we’d leveled off, I pushed the call button and asked the Flight Attendant if I could order a Pisco Sour before dinner. She returned shortly with a small glass of the tangy cocktail but unfortunately, it was delivered without ice resulting in a room temperature cocktail. Interestingly, my seatmate had asked for a beer on the flight up from Guayaquil and it too was served warm.

Is there any ice available? I asked
No.
Not on the entire airplane? Not even in coach?
No.
Regretfully, I returned the Pisco Sour and settled for a glass of water.

I understand that due to an oversight or a broken down ice machine somewhere, these things happen occasionally. But to happen on two flights in a row? One would think they would have restocked such an important item as ice in Caracas. One would think it would be the Flight Attendants’ duty to notify the caterers of this, especially since the same crew was continuing on to Miami and would once again have to serve lukewarm sodas, cocktails and beer. Maybe the issue with this crew isn’t a matter of training or caring. Maybe they’re just stupid.

Time passes quickly with a tasty meal and a good book. Before long we were banking over the Everglades and lining up for an on-time touchdown at Miami International. We parked on the A Concourse and I bid adieu to the smiling Flight Attendants at the door. After a half mile walk to the customs facility over on the E Concourse, I was welcomed back into America and soon was on my way to a weekend on the beach in Everglades National Park.


IN CLOSING

Despite the apathetic service from the cabin crew, this flight wasn’t entirely bad. The seats, though worn and dented, were comfortable. The meals were generally very good. The wine was excellent. Nevertheless, traveling in the premium cabin aboard an airline of LAN’s stature does come with a reasonable expectation of attentive, caring service beyond a larger seat and free drinks. As South America’s largest airline and a longtime member of the OneWorld alliance, I expected better of LAN.

If you read reports on industry awards for inflight service, the airlines that are consistently acknowledged as offering the best overall service have one thing in common – their attention to detail. Any airline can provide you with a bigger seat and an airport lounge. However, when you’re being asked to pay thousands of dollars more for a seat in the Business or First Class cabin, the little things count for a lot, especially on longer international sectors.

Possibly, observations such as mine may be taken as the ramblings of a pretentious old goat who places unreasonable expectations on the crew and the airline. After all, not every airline can be like Singapore, Cathay or Emirates. True enough, but when you’re paying a couple thousand dollars more than an Economy Class passenger for your seat, (or shelling out twice as many award miles) I think it’s not unreasonable to expect an airline of LAN’s experience and stature to provide its Business Class passengers with things like ice, pre-meal beverage service, an IFE that offers more than just one movie and a crew that’s attentive, caring and proficient in the language of its foreign destinations.

LAN’s got an excellent product in its new Business Premium Class lie flat beds and AVOD inflight entertainment system. Retrofitting its fleet with the new interiors will be a lot easier however than improving the uninspired service currently provided by some of the cabin crews. That will require instituting a culture of excellence in combination with better training to insure that its Flight Attendants provide a level of service commensurate with that of the world’s better airlines. Based on the flights I’ve recently experienced, LAN has a difficult task ahead. I wish them much success.

Kiwi Flyer

Great report as usual. You've given me some more ideas for another trip.

UNITED959

I like your "personal route map." I'm going to do that for myself someday...

ianmc26

Seat 2A,
I adore your reports - I close my eyes after reading and I can imagine that I was there experiencing it myself!
Best,
Ian

Eastbay1K

Where was this new premium class immigration/security line @ SCL?

Mats

Beautifully written--once again.

bawr

Very nice report. Actually, there is a scheduled IR THR-CCS direct flight. See this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=656326

ElvisNYC

Regardless of the reason why, I was happy to be able to get off the aircraft, stretch my legs and have a look around Caracas’ Simon Bolivar International Airport, which I might add bears the same name as the airport in Guayaquil. The international terminal building was bright and modern with attractive shops and a very nice food court. I also noticed that all the electrical outlets are the same as for North American appliances, so I wasted no time in recharging my laptop battery while I awaited the re-boarding of the aircraft.

The new name for GYE is now Aeropuerto Internacional Jose Joaquin de Olmedo. I like the new airport !

Btw, great report - as always !

senor hamachi

Thanks for the great report, as always! This may be a dumb question, but how do you always manage to get the registration numbers and histories of the planes you fly on? I'm interested in keeping track of which planes I have been on and where else those planes have served, but I'm not sure how. It's often hard to spot registration numbers from the gate. Is there an online source for this info? Thanks

PresRDC

It is a shame to see how bad Lan's Business Class has become. The best flights I've ever taken were in Lan First Class b/w SCL and North America.

Now that Lan no longer offers F to North America, it is dead to me.

Seat 2A

Thanks you all for your comments, corrections, updates and kind words regarding this report. They are all appreciated and the least I can do in return is answer a couple of questions raised:

Question 1: Where was this new premium class immigration/security line @ SCL?

It's located just to the right of LAN's Premium Class check in area at SCL.

Question 2: How do you always manage to get the registration numbers and histories of the planes you fly on? I'm interested in keeping track of which planes I have been on and where else those planes have served, but I'm not sure how. It's often hard to spot registration numbers from the gate. Is there an online source for this info?

As for getting the registration numbers, I just look on the airplane itsef. The registration number is generally located on the rear fuselage just in front of and below the tail. When I can't see it, there's usually a fleet or ship number on the front nosewheel door. On some U.S. airlines you'll find an FAA certificate just above door 1L as you enter. In a worst case scenario where you can't see any of these, just ask the pilots for the registration number as you're leaving the airplane. If they look at you weird (Not many people ask the question), just tell 'em you keep a log.

As for locating the histories of individual aircraft, there are a number of different online databases available for this purpose. My personal favorite is airfleets.net. Here's a link to the search function:

http://www.airfleets.net/recherche/?file=recherche

Quote: Now that Lan no longer offers F to North America, it is dead to me.

I believe LAN still offers First Class on its A340s flying between South America and Europe. Perhaps you're business will have you plying that sector someday...

snowhoney21

My husband and I are booked on an Lan Argentina flight, business class, from Miami to Buenos Aires, February 2009. Would appreciate it if I could get some opinions on the quality of the business class seats and the service on board this airline. I have been reading a few of the posts on the quality of Lan Chile but didn't find any for Lan Argentina and it seemed a mixed bag of experiences. Also read about the upgrading of equipment by mid-2008 so I am hopeful it will be completed by Feb. 2009. Is this just a fervent wish?

Our final destination will be Ushuaia and then an Antartica Cruise (Quark Expeditions). This is a dream trip for us and it sure would help if the dream could start in our comfy airline seats with pleasant service.

Also, if anyone has been on a Quark trip (doing The Peninsula trip on the Shokalskly), would be curious to hear of your experience.

Seat 2A

LAN Argentina is owned 70% by LAN Airlines and 30% by Argentinian investors. Here's a link to reviews of LAN flights over the past couple of years. One of the reviews from August 2007 states:

Miami-Buenos Aires, LAN Argentina Business Class on July 22, 2007. I have flown LAN in business class several times over the last few years and generally prefer to any of the US airlines that fly to South America. LAN tends to have excellent service, comfortable seat, nice cabin ambiance. This flight was undoubtedly the worst experience and disappointing trip to date. The LAN Argentina 767 was old, cabin was shabby, seat uncomfortable and several things did not work properly. The very old video system with small screen and six channels was essentially inoperable. Only two of the channels could be viewed and even those had very poor video quality. The seat leg rest didnt work properly and reading light was inoperable. The cabin crew explanation was that LAN Argentina does not fly the same equipment as LAN Chile, LAN Peru, etc and while LAN Chile has new style business class environment with full reclining seats etc that LAN Argentina does not. LAN does not inform you about this on their website so beware. It is disappointing that LAN´s typically excellent business class experience is nowhere to be found on this route, which tarnishes the reputation of the other LAN airlines

This was only 9 months ago and the primary concern here would be the aircraft configuration. Hopefully LAN Argentina has gotten some of the newer aircraft. If it were me and I could do so without incurring substantial penalty, I'd see if I could re-book LAN via Santiago and take a couple of days in that fine city before continuing across the Andes to Buenos Aires. The MIA-SCL route operated by LAN would be far more likely to offer the 767s with the new interiors.

Regardless, Business Class will be more comfortable than Economy. I wouldn't place high expectations on the quality of service from the crew though. They might be good, they might not...

snowhoney21

After reading your reply to my question regarding business class service on Lan Argentina, I checked with my travel agent and found I could switch for a nominal sum.

I would fly Lan Chile to Buenos Aires via Santiago, Chile. My current reservations are on a Lan Argentina non-stop flight from MIA-BA, so it scored high for convenience, however seat and cabin comfort are important as well.

Do you think it's worth giving up non-stop service from MIA-BA on Lan Argentina for a one stop flight from MIA-BA on Lan Chile?

Thank you in advance for your time.