Originally Posted by
SASfan
Click on the LAN Chile (in Chile) website and see a big red banner pop up with a map of Chile. Previously, domestic flights were at least twice as much as a flight from Santiago - Buenos Aires. I flew to BA for $86 roundtrip for NYE.
Now, flights are almost low cost carrier type:
http://www.lan.com/promociones/data/...l/nvo_lan.html
Arica =
$65.900 Chilean pesos = ~
$130 USD
Punta Arenas =
$74.900 CLP = ~
$150 USD
If I'm doing my math right, those are good fares. Something like Santiago-Puerto Montt would only be US$100 roundtrip, right?
When Continental only charged 35,000 miles to Chile and Argentina, I used to buy my own domestic airfares. With CO now 50,000 miles, and AA only 40,000 "off-peak," I tend not to, because I burn AA miles which INCLUDE the LAN flights.
I'm not sure what to do about my itinerary at this point. AA let me ticket the award to Buenos Aires and add the El Calafate segments without charge if they ever become available. I suppose I could add a different Argentine or Chilean city in Patagonia instead if the flights never operate (maybe with a change fee). I hope LAN decides what they're going to do in the next couple of months.