FLIGHT#36 LAN#842 Easter Island-Santiago 767 Biz with Video & Pics
Jun 8, 2011, 10:29 am
#1
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FLIGHT#36 LAN#842 Easter Island-Santiago 767 Biz with Video & Pics
FLIGHT#36
LAN #842
Easter Island, Chile (IPC) - Santiago, Chile (SCL)
Date: May 6, 2011
Departure 14:00
Arrival: 20:45
Length: 05:45
Miles flown since start of trip: 56,956 mi.
Aircraft: Boeing 767
Seats: BUSINESS 2ACD
Welcome aboard LAN
The perfect start to our month in Chile was a quick trip out to Easter Island. We had a wonderful time exploring this Polynesian paradise. The full report of our time there will be found in a few days on our trip report for our entire year of travel:
My Son’s Fifth Grade Year, 97,737 miles, 40 flights, 6 continents, 16 countries
If you can’t wait that long, you will find lots of pictures on my photo blog:
http://travelcarl.blogspot.com
Needless to say it was a wonderful four days and I think we should have spent five or six days to fully experience everything.
CHECK-IN:
At forty-eight hours before departure, I checked us in online via LAN.com. I was able to print boarding passes for Terry and me but failed with Corbin’s. One day it’s going to work!
The only city on Rapa Nui is small. The airport is conveniently located at the edge of town. Our hotel had suggested that we check-in early and then go back into town to have lunch. It saves fighting the crowd later. Our hotel drove us to the airport at three hours before departure and we quickly checked in. Although there was a separate desk for Business Class, it was the only one open at that time. We only had to wait a few minutes though. The agent explained that since Corbin was a minor, he was not able to check-in online. Who comes up with these rules?
The only check-in desks at the entire airport!
Soon enough we were back downtown looking for a place for lunch. We settled on a little café and had some wonderful churascos (hamburger buns with sliced meat, mayo, tomato and avocado.) YUMMY! I already knew that the tiny airport didn’t offer a Business Class lounge so it was wise to have a bite to eat at this point.
Finally it was time to head back to the airport so we decided to walk! I don’t think I’ve ever walked to an airport! Back in my Peace Corps days, we would often hitchhike to the airport outside of Lilongwe in Malawi but I never walked the whole distance. Our walking journey to the airport took a total of about fifteen minutes!
Walking into the Rapa Nui International Airport
Just outside the main terminal is a “last stop” shopping hut. The prices there and in the stores inside the terminal were about 40% cheaper than in town. We all picked up some t-shirts and trinkets.
Security was a breeze and soon we were in the outdoor but covered waiting area. At one end was a small restaurant with bar. In front was a nice garden facing the tarmac and they even had a moai head so that we could all take one last picture standing with this iconic symbol of Easter Island.
Corbin in the airport garden
At one point Corbin noticed a Salon VIP and gave me a “...?” look. Why couldn’t wait in there? I’ve created a Frequent Flyer monster. At least this time I wasn’t expecting a lounge so there was no disappointment.
WHAT? We can’t use this Salon VIP?
One cool thing about the airport is that things get exciting when LAN’s 767 arrives from Santiago. The ground crew starts setting things up and then all the airplane geeks like me line up to film its landing. You do not get to do this at all airports. Here’s the video I shot for my fellow geeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hDIPg9k2Sw
Just as the plane landed and the passengers started to disembark, it started to rain. It conveniently waited until the moment people appear! The Gods were not happy! Maybe they were sad we were leaving so soon.
BOARDING:
As the cleaners boarded the plane, they asked us to get in line at the gate. Then we stood there for the twenty minutes it took to clean it. They boarded Business Class first and I was happy to see that it was less than 50% full.
The boarding gate at Rapa Nui Airport
Our LAN 767 aircraft ready for boarding
The sun even came out as we walked toward the plane! At the door we were greeted by a friendly flight attendant with a warm smile. This flight was already starting off better than our previous one.
Immediately the purser came by and introduced herself. Next another flight attendant came by and introduced herself as she gave us juice, champagne and a dish of almonds and raisins. I love getting nibbly-bits before takeoff.
Getting settled after boarding. Enjoying a Pisco Sour and Juice.
Since our cabin was half full, I decided to move back a row to a left window seat instead of staying in my seat in the middle section. This was a great idea because the views were wonderful as we took off.
Turning on to our runway
Up the south west coast of the island
An aerial view of Rano Raraku crater and Tongariki. Bye Easter Island!!
LAN #842
Easter Island, Chile (IPC) - Santiago, Chile (SCL)
Date: May 6, 2011
Departure 14:00
Arrival: 20:45
Length: 05:45
Miles flown since start of trip: 56,956 mi.
Aircraft: Boeing 767
Seats: BUSINESS 2ACD
Welcome aboard LAN
The perfect start to our month in Chile was a quick trip out to Easter Island. We had a wonderful time exploring this Polynesian paradise. The full report of our time there will be found in a few days on our trip report for our entire year of travel:
My Son’s Fifth Grade Year, 97,737 miles, 40 flights, 6 continents, 16 countries
If you can’t wait that long, you will find lots of pictures on my photo blog:
http://travelcarl.blogspot.com
Needless to say it was a wonderful four days and I think we should have spent five or six days to fully experience everything.
CHECK-IN:
At forty-eight hours before departure, I checked us in online via LAN.com. I was able to print boarding passes for Terry and me but failed with Corbin’s. One day it’s going to work!
The only city on Rapa Nui is small. The airport is conveniently located at the edge of town. Our hotel had suggested that we check-in early and then go back into town to have lunch. It saves fighting the crowd later. Our hotel drove us to the airport at three hours before departure and we quickly checked in. Although there was a separate desk for Business Class, it was the only one open at that time. We only had to wait a few minutes though. The agent explained that since Corbin was a minor, he was not able to check-in online. Who comes up with these rules?
The only check-in desks at the entire airport!
Soon enough we were back downtown looking for a place for lunch. We settled on a little café and had some wonderful churascos (hamburger buns with sliced meat, mayo, tomato and avocado.) YUMMY! I already knew that the tiny airport didn’t offer a Business Class lounge so it was wise to have a bite to eat at this point.
Finally it was time to head back to the airport so we decided to walk! I don’t think I’ve ever walked to an airport! Back in my Peace Corps days, we would often hitchhike to the airport outside of Lilongwe in Malawi but I never walked the whole distance. Our walking journey to the airport took a total of about fifteen minutes!
Walking into the Rapa Nui International Airport
Just outside the main terminal is a “last stop” shopping hut. The prices there and in the stores inside the terminal were about 40% cheaper than in town. We all picked up some t-shirts and trinkets.
Security was a breeze and soon we were in the outdoor but covered waiting area. At one end was a small restaurant with bar. In front was a nice garden facing the tarmac and they even had a moai head so that we could all take one last picture standing with this iconic symbol of Easter Island.
Corbin in the airport garden
At one point Corbin noticed a Salon VIP and gave me a “...?” look. Why couldn’t wait in there? I’ve created a Frequent Flyer monster. At least this time I wasn’t expecting a lounge so there was no disappointment.
WHAT? We can’t use this Salon VIP?
One cool thing about the airport is that things get exciting when LAN’s 767 arrives from Santiago. The ground crew starts setting things up and then all the airplane geeks like me line up to film its landing. You do not get to do this at all airports. Here’s the video I shot for my fellow geeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hDIPg9k2Sw
Just as the plane landed and the passengers started to disembark, it started to rain. It conveniently waited until the moment people appear! The Gods were not happy! Maybe they were sad we were leaving so soon.
BOARDING:
As the cleaners boarded the plane, they asked us to get in line at the gate. Then we stood there for the twenty minutes it took to clean it. They boarded Business Class first and I was happy to see that it was less than 50% full.
The boarding gate at Rapa Nui Airport
Our LAN 767 aircraft ready for boarding
The sun even came out as we walked toward the plane! At the door we were greeted by a friendly flight attendant with a warm smile. This flight was already starting off better than our previous one.
Immediately the purser came by and introduced herself. Next another flight attendant came by and introduced herself as she gave us juice, champagne and a dish of almonds and raisins. I love getting nibbly-bits before takeoff.
Getting settled after boarding. Enjoying a Pisco Sour and Juice.
Since our cabin was half full, I decided to move back a row to a left window seat instead of staying in my seat in the middle section. This was a great idea because the views were wonderful as we took off.
Turning on to our runway
Up the south west coast of the island
An aerial view of Rano Raraku crater and Tongariki. Bye Easter Island!!
Jun 8, 2011, 10:30 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Digital Nomad
Programs: AA2MM LIFETIME PLT, Turkish Miles&Smiles Elite, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,024
IN FLIGHT SERVICE:
By the time we were leaving the ground, I was already really impressed with the flight crew. There was a night and day different between them and the crew that brought us to Easter Island. Throughout the flight they continued to be wonderful and made the trip very enjoyable.
Flying back to the continent
Almost immediately the meal service began. First they offered a hot towel. It felt good to get a layer of tropical sweat off my face and hands. Next came a nice vodka tonic and more nuts & raisins.
My pre-lunch V&T
For our main course, we had a choice of filet of beef, grilled tuna or artichoke pasta. Corbin chose the beef and Terry and I had the pasta. All the food was delicious. The mushrooms and sweet potatoes were a great accompaniment to the tuna. The dessert was not the crčme brulee as mentioned in the menu but I enjoyed a couple of bites. I enjoyed a nice white wine with my meal but I don’t remember which one it was.
The filet of beef lunch tray
My lunch tray
Grilled tuna with sweet potato mash and mushrooms
A lovely side salad
Does this look like crčme brulee with Baileys to you?
The lunch menu
The beverage choices
The champers
The white wines
The red wines
I ended the meal with a nice port and finished up my mindless movie on the “in” entertainment system. The size of LAN’s screen is very good and makes watching movies in the air passable.
SEAT:
LAN’s seat is very comfortable both in the seated and bed positions. As I have written before, any airplane “bed” benefits by putting a couple of duvets underneath to smooth out the bumps. Because many of the seats were free, I created a very comfortable cocoon for my “after meal” siesta. I slept a good couple of hours.
After my nap, I enjoyed a very nice café con leche to wake me up a bit for our transfer into Santiago.
The fully horizontal seat
My boys towards the end of the flight
LANDING:
We arrived on time into Santiago and our bags came out among the first. We were walking away from baggage claim while people were still arriving from the plane! We used a pre-paid taxi to bring us to the center and we arrived at the Ameristar Apart-Hotel in no time. I love this place. A modern, two bedroom apartment in Bellas Artes for only $72. That’s hard to beat!
OVERALL:
This flight was a huge improvement over our flight out to Easter Island. A crew makes a big difference with any flight. I had a nice time chatting with the crew in the galley. They were all seasoned professionals who enjoyed their work.
I hope that the rest of our LAN flights are this good.
Previous reports in this year of travel:
My Son’s Fifth Grade Year, 97,737 miles, 40 flights, 6 continents, 16 countries
FLIGHT#35: LAN#814 Santiago-Easter Island 767 Biz with Pics
FLIGHT#34: Air Canada#412 Buenos Aires - Santiago 767 Biz with Pics
FLIGHT#32: Emirates A380 First Class AKL-SYD
FLIGHT#31: Emirates #412 A380 First Class SYD-AKL Shower Pics/Video
FLIGHT#28: QF32 A380 Biz Class & QF/CX SIN Lounges with photos
FLIGHT#27: Five OW Lounges & JL 719 NRT-SIN Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#23: BKK CX/QF/BA Lounges CX751 BKK-DEL Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#26: Delhi Green Lounge & JL 740 Business Class with photos
FLIGHT#22: SGN International Sasco Lounge & TG 551 Business Class with photos
FLIGHT#20: SGN Dom Sasco Lounge, VN452 SGN-NHA Biz Class and Sheraton Nha Trang
FLIGHT#19: BKK Royal First Lounge & LH772 BKK-SGN in First Class with photos
FLIGHT#18: TG242 KBV-BKK in Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#17: TG245 BKK-KVG in Biz Class with Photos
FLIGHT#16: THE CABIN & CX751 HKG-BKK in Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#15: CX748 JNB-HKG Biz Class with photos
By the time we were leaving the ground, I was already really impressed with the flight crew. There was a night and day different between them and the crew that brought us to Easter Island. Throughout the flight they continued to be wonderful and made the trip very enjoyable.
Flying back to the continent
Almost immediately the meal service began. First they offered a hot towel. It felt good to get a layer of tropical sweat off my face and hands. Next came a nice vodka tonic and more nuts & raisins.
My pre-lunch V&T
For our main course, we had a choice of filet of beef, grilled tuna or artichoke pasta. Corbin chose the beef and Terry and I had the pasta. All the food was delicious. The mushrooms and sweet potatoes were a great accompaniment to the tuna. The dessert was not the crčme brulee as mentioned in the menu but I enjoyed a couple of bites. I enjoyed a nice white wine with my meal but I don’t remember which one it was.
The filet of beef lunch tray
My lunch tray
Grilled tuna with sweet potato mash and mushrooms
A lovely side salad
Does this look like crčme brulee with Baileys to you?
The lunch menu
The beverage choices
The champers
The white wines
The red wines
I ended the meal with a nice port and finished up my mindless movie on the “in” entertainment system. The size of LAN’s screen is very good and makes watching movies in the air passable.
SEAT:
LAN’s seat is very comfortable both in the seated and bed positions. As I have written before, any airplane “bed” benefits by putting a couple of duvets underneath to smooth out the bumps. Because many of the seats were free, I created a very comfortable cocoon for my “after meal” siesta. I slept a good couple of hours.
After my nap, I enjoyed a very nice café con leche to wake me up a bit for our transfer into Santiago.
The fully horizontal seat
My boys towards the end of the flight
LANDING:
We arrived on time into Santiago and our bags came out among the first. We were walking away from baggage claim while people were still arriving from the plane! We used a pre-paid taxi to bring us to the center and we arrived at the Ameristar Apart-Hotel in no time. I love this place. A modern, two bedroom apartment in Bellas Artes for only $72. That’s hard to beat!
OVERALL:
This flight was a huge improvement over our flight out to Easter Island. A crew makes a big difference with any flight. I had a nice time chatting with the crew in the galley. They were all seasoned professionals who enjoyed their work.
I hope that the rest of our LAN flights are this good.
Previous reports in this year of travel:
My Son’s Fifth Grade Year, 97,737 miles, 40 flights, 6 continents, 16 countries
FLIGHT#35: LAN#814 Santiago-Easter Island 767 Biz with Pics
FLIGHT#34: Air Canada#412 Buenos Aires - Santiago 767 Biz with Pics
FLIGHT#32: Emirates A380 First Class AKL-SYD
FLIGHT#31: Emirates #412 A380 First Class SYD-AKL Shower Pics/Video
FLIGHT#28: QF32 A380 Biz Class & QF/CX SIN Lounges with photos
FLIGHT#27: Five OW Lounges & JL 719 NRT-SIN Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#23: BKK CX/QF/BA Lounges CX751 BKK-DEL Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#26: Delhi Green Lounge & JL 740 Business Class with photos
FLIGHT#22: SGN International Sasco Lounge & TG 551 Business Class with photos
FLIGHT#20: SGN Dom Sasco Lounge, VN452 SGN-NHA Biz Class and Sheraton Nha Trang
FLIGHT#19: BKK Royal First Lounge & LH772 BKK-SGN in First Class with photos
FLIGHT#18: TG242 KBV-BKK in Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#17: TG245 BKK-KVG in Biz Class with Photos
FLIGHT#16: THE CABIN & CX751 HKG-BKK in Biz Class with photos
FLIGHT#15: CX748 JNB-HKG Biz Class with photos
Jun 11, 2011, 10:53 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
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Posts: 16,347
Thanks for the update. Good to see that LAN redeemed themselves on this flight.
What camera are you using now? I take it this is not the replacement for the stolen one
What camera are you using now? I take it this is not the replacement for the stolen one
Jun 11, 2011, 11:03 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Digital Nomad
Programs: AA2MM LIFETIME PLT, Turkish Miles&Smiles Elite, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,024
The one I lost in BA was my crappy, old backup camera.
Jun 13, 2011, 10:14 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 155
Just discovered your trip reports. Nice report on your LAN flights. We will be taking the same flights in July on our trip with my 7 year old to Easter Island. Looking forward to reading the full report on where you stayed and what you did on Rapa Nui.
I did my RTW trips when I was in my 20's and single. Much harder now with a family and am jealous that you can get the time off to do so.
I did my RTW trips when I was in my 20's and single. Much harder now with a family and am jealous that you can get the time off to do so.