March 27, 2007
Fairbanks to Seattle via ANC
Alaska Airlines First Class * Dinner
737-900 N306AS Seat 2A
347p – 1007p Flight Time: :42 / 2:57
Now that I’m officially underway on this journey from the Far West to the Deep South, it seemed appropriate that this morning I should have breakfast in the Northernmost Denny’s in the World. Now don’t get me wrong – it’s not like I’m a Denny’s groupie or anything, but I know I’ve eaten at the southernmost Denny’s in the world, located in Christchurch, New Zealand, and quite possibly I’ve eaten at the Westernmost Denny’s as well if the Hawaiian operations in Kihei, Lahaina or Honolulu count. Denny’s may not be a great place to bring a date, but they make a decent breakfast and the coffee is quite acceptable as diner coffee goes. I suppose someday I might as well go for all four extremes and find the easternmost Denny’s wherever that is, but that’s another trip report. For the restaurant forum.
My neighbor dropped me off at Fairbanks International (Remind me to buy him a six-pack of Molson for that courtesy…) and I headed up to the empty ticket counter to check-in. For my transportation to South America and back, I’m cashing in 75,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles towards a LAN Chile Business Class award. This award entitles me to First Class accommodations aboard Alaska Airlines to the gateway city, so I headed straight to the First Class / MVP counter. The three agents gathered there were having a lively conversation but as I approached one of them quickly broke away to assist me. A baggage tag was issued all the way to Iquique, Chile – four flights worth over three separate days. This seemed like a good way to end up with lost baggage, so I asked that my pack be checked only as far as Seattle. I would re-check it tomorrow for points south.
Once inflight aboard the southbound 737-900, I reclined with an ice cold Alaska Amber and enjoyed a nice view of the Alaska Range as we climbed through 25,000 feet and sped down to Anchorage in near record time – just 38 minutes. Thankfully, the seats across from me were empty and I was able to rush over to the window at 2F just in time to get a spectacular shot of Mt. McKinley as we flew by. Our speedy flight down resulted in an early arrival in Anchorage. Faced with an hour and ten minutes until the scheduled departure time to Seattle, I headed upstairs to the Boardroom where another cold beer along with cheese, crackers, vegetables and dip awaited.
Anchorage International is the third busiest cargo airport in the world and it’s common to see new and old 747s painted in the colors of airlines like Cargo 360, Kalitta, Evergreen, NCA, Korean, Polar, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. In addition there are the large herds of Fed Ex and UPS jumbos resting quietly at the far end of the airport. Today’s highlights for me were MD-11s from EVA, World and China Eastern.
The load down to Seattle was very light this evening, so boarding was accomplished fairly quickly. Weight and balance issues meant ten people had to switch from the front of the main cabin to seats behind the exit rows. This also meant that two seats in the First Class cabin had to remain empty, no doubt disappointing a couple of potential upgrades.
It was a spectacular evening for flying out of Anchorage – clear and sunny – the kind of evening that comes along only once in a very great while during the winter and spring months. From my logbook, I know that this is the 227th time I’ve flown between Anchorage and Seattle. From all those flights, I’ve only experienced maybe fifteen days like this. I’ll never tire of the view. I snapped off picture after picture as we climbed out over the rugged Chugach Mountains and continued down the Coastal Range and past the St. Elias Mountains. Once we’d leveled out, I made a brief visit to the lav and upon returning to my seat was surprised to see that nobody on the scenic side of the plane was looking out their windows. Everyone appeared to be either reading or sleeping. Honestly, I’ve flown enough that this shouldn’t surprise me, but it still does given the beautiful panorama just outside our windows. Such beauty shouldn’t be taken for granted.
In the
not so distant past, First Class passengers on Alaska’s evening flights to Seattle would have looked forward to a beverage service with nuts followed by a three course dinner that would have included an individual salad course, a choice of hot entrees and a tasty plated dessert. Alas, the fiscal realities of trying to operate profitably in today’s U.S. airline environment have resulted in severe cutbacks to inflight services, particularly catering. This is especially noticeable aboard an airline like Alaska that accrues very little extra income from its First Class cabin. Unlike most of the other major carriers who dole out a few mileage based electronic upgrades to all but their highest level elites, Alaska allows unlimited complimentary upgrades to all of its elites throughout their eligibility. Even on the most discounted fares, MVP Golds can upgrade three days out and mere MVPs can upgrade the day before. Non elites, who must pay for their upgrades, often find none are available because they’ve all been designated – for free – to the elite passengers. The result is that Alaska’s elite Mileage Plan members enjoy a great deal, but very little full fare or upgrade related revenue is generated in the First Class cabin. The quality of the catering in Alaska’s First Class cabin absolutely reflects this. Unfortunately, so does the seat pitch.
Tonight’s dinner was a warm ham and cheese sandwich with a decent side salad. Dessert was a little piece of chocolate, about the size of a fifty-cent piece. Drinks were offered prior to the meal, but neither nuts nor pretzels were offered to accompany the drinks.
The flight time of 2:57 meant that after dinner I had about an hour and a half to lay down the foundation for this trip report and start reporting on my departure from Adak two days ago.
March 28, 2007
Seattle to Los Angeles
Alaska Airlines First Class * Breakfast
737-900 N305AS Seat 2D
805a – 1047a Flight Time: 1:53
Today marks the first time I’ll get to enjoy a seat in an International caliber premium class cabin since traveling in
First Class aboard British Airways between Melbourne and Los Angeles last February 2006. To be sure, Business Class on LAN Chile’s 767 is a fair step down from First Class on BA’s 747, but it’s heads and tails above anything I’ve experienced aboard the over one hundred and forty domestic U.S. flights I’ve flown in the interim.
Be it for business or pleasure, many FlyerTalk members get to enjoy premium class travel on a more regular basis than I ever will. For most, it represents nothing more than transportation in a style to which they’ve now become accustomed - hardly exciting enough to bother writing a trip report about, much less reading about someone else’s experiences. I understand. Indeed, I am just a little bit envious of anyone who has flown so many premium class flights that they are now jaded towards the entire experience. Personally speaking however, I hope I never lose my excitement about flying, particularly when it means sitting in a large, comfortable seat while enjoying a nice glass of wine, a good meal and the beautiful view aloft. As such, this trip report, like all of my others, is written for those of you who, be it the view and/or the service, still truly enjoy the wonder of flight, even if its in coach but particularly when its in the forward cabin.
Today’s flight down to Los Angeles marks my fiftieth flight on a 737-900. Although I’ve logged over 850 flights on all models of the 737, all but two of my flights aboard the –900 model have come aboard Alaska Airlines. Boeing’s largest 737 is indeed a rare bird in North America with only two airlines – Alaska and Continental – operating it. Worldwide, less than a dozen other airlines fly it.
Don’t you just love it when you board your flight and find someone sitting in your seat? Today’s intruder was a middle-aged woman who claimed she always gets assigned a window seat and so never bothered to check her boarding pass. Cynic that I am, I suspected this wasn’t the first time she’d used that line but I told her I’d be fine in the aisle seat.
Catering cutbacks not withstanding, those of us in First Class this morning were served an excellent breakfast. It consisted of scrambled eggs with diced ham and asparagus atop an English Muffin. The eggs were moist and the overall presentation was much nicer than many other breakfasts I’ve been served on Alaska. Well done, Alaska Airlines!
Flight time to Los Angeles was a speedy 1:53. Along the way we were treated to a beautiful view of Mt. Shasta, which I managed to photograph without disturbing my seatmate who slept through most of the flight. We landed on a bright sunny California morning and taxied briskly to gate 30. I collected my backpack from baggage claim and then hiked next door to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
March 28, 2007
Los Angeles to Lima
LAN Chile Business Class * Dinner
767-300 CC-CML Seat 1A
205p – 1230a Flight Time: 7:47
More than a few FlyerTalkers have expressed their dismay at having to fly into or out of LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal. Personally, I’ve never found the facility to be all that bad. Have I seen better terminals? Of course. On the whole however, my flights into and out of the TBIT have goon smoothly.
LAN Chile’s check-in counters were easily located and check-in was accomplished quickly and easily. However, the wait to have security clear my backpack was unnecessarily long. I say unnecessarily because all passengers, regardless of class, were being instructed to take their baggage over to the baggage screening area. Cathay Pacific, whose counters were located next to LAN’s, had a Hong Kong bound 747 leaving at about the same time as the LAN flight, so the line for baggage inspection was quite long – about a twenty minute wait. Just as I was thinking that they really should have an expedited service for premium class passengers, a uniformed airport employee called out for any First or Business class passengers on Cathay Pacific to get out of line and follow him. Since he wasn’t wearing a CX uniform, I thought I’d ask if his offer might also apply to those of us flying on LAN Chile.
“Are you traveling in First or Business Class?” he asked.
“Yes indeed”, I replied.
“Please come with me” he said and I joined four other passengers as we were led to another area where our bags were promptly inspected and we were sent on our way. It would have been nice however if LAN’s counter staff had made this service known to us at time of check-in.
During the check-in process I was issued an invitation to the First Class lounge, located landside just above the main departures level. Prior to the flight, I’d been curious if LAN Chile operated their own lounge at LAX or shared someone else’s. I still don’t know the answer to that question because apparently all of the TBIT lounges are being renovated. Based upon my own experiences and those of other FTers whose trip reports I’ve read, this action is long overdue. Most of the old TBIT lounges were small and stuffy, so I would hope that any renovations also include an increase in lounge size.
Until the new lounges are opened, a single lounge is available. Airport signs identify it as a First Class lounge, but the receptionist told me it that serves both First and Business Class passengers. Interestingly, there is a sign indicating a Business Class lounge at gate 118, but aside from the gate area itself, there is no other evidence of a lounge as I know it. Since gate 118 is served only by busses that take you out to remotely parked aircraft, perhaps the Business Class lounge is located remotely as well. I rather doubt this, but from what I’ve read of the TBIT, you never know…
As to the single lounge serving all TBIT airlines, it is about the size of Northwest’s WorldClub in Terminal 2 and, as one might imagine, it is a bit crowded. Were only one or two airlines sharing it, it would be fine. With numerous airlines using it however, seating is indeed limited. On a positive note, the large windows and potted plants improved the otherwise crowded atmosphere considerably. Following a brief search, I was able to locate a single seat amidst a row of five along a far wall. I placed my gear there and headed off to the buffet to check out the offerings.
By true First Class standards the buffet was a bit lacking, but I thought it was more than acceptable by Business Class standards. A variety of sushi was available, and included all the traditional trimmings. The nearby fridge was stocked with pre-packaged sandwiches such as Pastrami Ruebens, Smoked Salmon and Monterrey Chicken. Instant Cup of Noodles, Noodle Bowls and cold cereals were also available, along with the usual snack items such as cheese, crackers and peanuts. A self-service bar offered a variety of decent liqueurs and spirits, and the fridge was filled with nicely chilled mini-bottles of Corona and Heineken along with cans of Kirin, Budweiser, Bud Light and all the usual non-alcoholic beverages.
I didn’t see any Internet or workstations around, but the lounge is set up for free wi-fi and the reception staff quickly offered to provide me the access code when I checked in. I should add that while this lounge may be undersized, it is very well staffed. The reception desk had three receptionists and there was always someone in the lounge clearing away used plates and glasses or restocking the buffet.
Because the lounge is located landside, I decided I’d better head out a bit earlier than I would from an airside lounge. The reception staff assured me that I could leave as late as 1:15pm and easily make my flight, but given the vicissitudes of airport security, particularly in an international terminal, I thought it prudent to leave a bit earlier, i.e. 12:45pm.
Surprisingly, my journey through security went very smoothly, taking no more than five minutes to get through. Although my flight was already boarding, I took the extra time to call a couple of friends and brag on my lot in life before heading down to gate 112 and boarding the jam packed bus. As the agent collected my boarding pass, she informed me that there would be an aircraft switch in Lima and that we would be transferring to an A340. This was excellent news for not only had I never flown aboard LAN’s A340 but if my original seat assignment of 1A were to be honored in Lima, and I was told it would be, I’d be seated in the A340’s First Class cabin.
Our aircraft was parked out at the vary last remote gate, so during the bus ride out to the gate we were treated to close up views of other remotely parked aircraft that included 747-400s from Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Malaysian along with an Air Tahiti Nui A340-300.
The last time I departed from a remote gate at LAX was thirteen years ago, coincidentally while flying LAN Chile to Santiago via Mexico City and Lima. That aircraft, a 767-200 production built for LAN Chile, now flies back and forth between London and Newark wearing the livery of the new all-Business Class airline SilverJet. Since leaving the services of LAN Chile in 1996, it has served Trans Brasil, Air Madagascar and the Cameroon Government. It then spent almost two years parked in the desert in Victorville, California before FlyJet, the parent company of SilverJet, returned it to service across the Atlantic.
Our remote gate at LAX was housed in a small building with a jetway attached to the airplane. There was no gate lounge type seating inside. Instead, we proceeded directly off the bus into the building where we walked up a long ramp to get to the jetway. The line inside the jetway was long and I was thankful that it wasn’t a hot day.
As for the aircraft operating this flight, it was a nine year old 767-300 that had first seen service with the Russian carrier Trans Aero before moving on to serve LAPA, Southern Winds and Air Atlanta Icelandic. LAN Chile took delivery of it in 2004. From the outside, it looked quite smart in LAN’s attractive blue, white and silver livery. Indeed, it looked clean and shiny enough to have come off the production line just last week. Despite its multiple owners, this plane was in the prime of its life.
Over the past year, LAN has been refurbishing its 767-300 fleet by removing the old First and Business Class cabins and replacing them with a single Business Class cabin branded as Premium Business Class. The improvements include:
Sleeper seats that offer 180-degree full-flat recline
A backshell that surrounds each seat, providing improved privacy and quietness
Seat pitch has been increased to 74 inches
Dividing panels between seats allow for maximum privacy
Four pre-programmed seating positions
15.4 inch high resolution video monitors mounted in each seatback
AVOD IFE offering 30 movies, 20 short programs, 14 video games, 10 audio channels and 100 music CDs
Noise canceling headsets
Arm rests that lower when changing the seat position to a bed, resulting in a five-inch greater width for sleeping
I had read about these improvements at LAN’s website as well as at FlyerTalk’s South American Airlines forum, and I was very much looking forward to trying out the new service. However, I tempered my excitement with reports that as of January 1st, less than half of LAN’s 767 fleet had been refurbished.
Upon boarding, I was greeted at the door by a pair of pretty, dark haired Flight Attendants who inspected my boarding pass and directed me to my seat by pointing to the Business Class cabin. Unfortunately, boarding was through door 1L, so the normally quieter, less hectic pre-flight solitude of the forward cabin was shattered as throngs of Economy Class passengers trudged through on their journey to the nether regions of the aircraft.
On a more positive note, I am happy to report that today’s aircraft, CC-CML, had been very nicely refurbished to the new Premium Business Class standard. The overall effect was very positive. The new cabin is comprised of five rows of 2-2-2 configured seats upholstered in subdued blue and grey patterned fabric. The video monitors are indeed huge and the faux cherry wood wall panels lend a nice, if somewhat sharp accent to the cabin.
A prepackaged blanket and pillow were at each bulkhead seat, though for the non-bulkhead rows these were stored in a floor level storage space located in each seatback. As I was stowing my gear away, a Flight Attendant stopped by to relieve me of my jacket. A couple of minutes later, another one stopped by with a tray bearing glasses of Champagne, water and orange juice. Following long established tradition I selected a glass of Champagne, the perfect preflight libation for premium class travel regardless of transport.
Amenity kits were presented next. Each kit was packaged in an attractive grey nylon case that measured about 8” X 5” X 2.5”. The case opened into three sections. Here are the ingredients:
SECTION ONE
2oz tube of L’Occitane Ultra Rich Cream
2oz tube of L’Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream
2gm dispenser of L’Occitane Anti-Drying Lip Balm
Folding Mirror
SECTION TWO
Cotton eye mask
Cotton socks
Nylon carrying bag
SECTION THREE
Toothbrush with tiny toothpaste
Packet of soft tissues
Packet of earplugs
Comb
Shoe horn
By Business Class standards, this is a pretty nice kit. However, aside from the toothpaste, eye mask and socks, I rarely if ever use any of the other items included. Even for this trip I’ve got my own toothpaste, toothbrush and eye mask with me, so - as with all the other kits I’ve compiled from my many flights with British Airways and Cathay Pacific, this one will make a nice stocking stuffer for next Christmas.
In the seat pocket in front of me was LAN’s distinctive cork covered wine list. The dinner menu had been inserted inside. Most airlines do this the other way around, placing the smaller wine list inside or presenting it along with the larger menu. However, quality wines have been synonymous with Chile for some years now and so LAN takes great pride in the quality of its inflight cellar. I can’t imagine a more appropriate housing for a wine list than LAN’s cork covered booklet. All of the wines within were very nicely presented with a photo of each bottle and a detailed description of each wine. Let’s have a look:
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
The Captain made a short announcement – first in Spanish, then in excellent English welcoming us all aboard and informing us that flight time down to Lima was estimated to be about seven hours and fifty minutes. No significant turbulence was expected, so we should be in for a fine afternoon of flying. Announcements like this are music to my ears and while I would like to have celebrated it with another glass of Champagne, no refills were forthcoming.
Shortly thereafter, a Flight Attendant stopped by to take my meal order. Interestingly, despite my appearance and surname not looking or sounding anywhere near Spanish, neither she nor any other member of the crew ever addressed me in anything but Spanish. Perhaps the fact that I responded in passable Spanish to the initial greeting and pre-departure beverage offer resulted in the crew feeling no need to address me in English but I found it surprising that initially at least, English was not spoken. Indeed, aside from the captain, none of the cabin crew sounded at all comfortable speaking English and what of it they did speak was very rough.
Between either physical appearance and/or the crew’s familiarity with the smaller passenger manifests in the forward cabin, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to determine who speaks English and who doesn’t. When flying to or from an English speaking country, I think it would certainly behoove an airline that strives to be one of the world’s best to have at least one or two members of the cabin crew proficient in the language of that country.
Now about those entrée choices, I was so taken with the wine menu that I hadn’t yet taken the time to look over the luncheon menu. I explained as much to the Flight Attendant who waited patiently with pen and paper while I perused the afternoon’s meal options:
LUNCHEON
To Start
Champagne “Henriot Brut Souverain”
APPETIZERS
A Great Flavor
Smoked Salmon Tartar, served with marinated tomatoes, steamed asparagus and its salad
Comforting and Fresh
Cream of Asparagus soup
Seasonal Salad
Fresh salad, prepared with a variety of selected seasonal vegetables
Bread Basket
Make your own selection from our bread basket – 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 with red wine sauce, sautéed vegetables and steamed parslied potatoes
Our Master Sommelier suggests Don Ensamblaje 2003, Vina Santa Helena – Valle de Colchagua
From The Sea
Creamy rice with Parmesan cheese, vegetables and selected shrimp
Our Master Sommelier suggests Montes Alpha, Chardonnay 2005
Vina Montes – Valle de Casablanca
Our Pasta
Home made selected vegetable ravioli, served in a creamy chive and mushroom sauce
Our Master Sommelier suggests B Crux, Ensamblaje 2003
Bodega O. Fournier – Mendoza, Argentina
* * * * * * * * *
Cheeses
Assorted cheeses served with dried fruit
Dessert
Home made crème caramel topped with caramel sauce
Selection of fresh seasonal fruit
Afterwards
Freshly brewed gourmet or instant coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal teas
Liqueurs
Mmmm… every one of those appetizer selections looked delicious and as I read over each description, I envisioned myself enjoying each and every one of them. Just as I was about to inform the Flight Attendant of my desire to do just that, she informed me that we were only allowed a choice of one appetizer. Something in her tone of voice indicated that she’d probably dealt with gluttonous passengers requesting more than one appetizer before. I got the distinct impression that she took some pleasure in informing me that I was allowed just the single choice.
I felt like Oliver Twist asking Faggin for another bowl of soup when I asked “If there are any extras after you’ve taken the orders, may I order one of those as well?”
“No.”
Her answer and brusque demeanor brokered neither argument nor appeal, so I ordered the salmon appetizer, followed by the grilled filet of beef. Even dessert required a choice, which was surprising since most premium class services offer fruit anyway after the meal. Of course I chose the unhealthy dessert option.
One more busload of passengers boarded, and by 2:00pm the jetway had been retracted and we felt the first mild jolt as the tractor began to push us back and away from the gate. The thirty seat Business Class cabin was only about half full. In fact, with only two exceptions, everyone seated along each window had the seat next to them empty. Unfortunately, I was one of the exceptions. Back in row two, a center pair of two seats sat empty and I eyed them conspicuously, hoping that my seatmate might also take note and consider them himself. After all, he was closer to them and didn’t have a window anyway.
As we turned and positioned ourselves for takeoff, I couldn’t help but notice the large 24R on the runway. Now some trip reporters consistently mention runway numbers, something that I’ve rarely bothered to do if only because I’ve rarely if ever bothered to noticed the number anyway. Even so, I can’t help but wonder if there might be a contingent of readers out there who get some thrill from knowing details of this nature.
“Hey honey – check this out. The guy writing this trip report took off from LAX on runway 24! What do you mean, so what? That’s the exact same runway we took off from when we flew to Hawaii last month. That is so cool!”
Well if there are enough such readers, all you need do is let me know in the reply section following this report and if the response is sufficiently overwhelming, I’ll be happy to include runway numbers on a more regular basis in my reports.
One thing worthy of note about taking off from LAX on runway 24R is that you immediately climb out over the Pacific ocean, so those fortuitous enough to have selected a window seat are treated to a beautiful vista of the southern California coastline regardless of which side of the airplane they’re seated on.
A 25” television screen mounted in the center bulkhead was turned on to the AirShow map and between the screen and the views out my window I watched with interest as we turned south and proceeded down to coast towards San Diego and Ensenada. I’m quite familiar with that land down there and so it was interesting to watch it glide by and know exactly where we were as we continued to climb towards our ultimate cruising altitude of 35,000 ft.
About forty minutes into the flight, hot towels were presented. My towel was warm but otherwise completely devoid of moisture. I mentioned it to the Flight Attendant who took it, offered no apologies, and returned five minutes later with table linen for the luncheon service. Surprisingly, no initial beverage service was offered.
The menu indicated that the meal would begin with a glass of Champagne. That never happened. Instead, after the table linens were placed, we were presented with trays bearing our appetizer selection, a cheese plate and the dessert. LAN’s new service includes stylish new porcelain plates and bowls which I thought looked quite classy, a nice improvement over old angular dishes of years past. As to the salmon appetizer, it was a real winner! Moist, flavorful and beautifully presented, it likely would have been nicely received in most any terrestrial restaurant. Our beverage selections – the ones that we’d requested with the meal - were then presented with the appetizer tray.
The filet was, like most airline meats, a bit well done but not overly so. The red wine sauce compensated nicely for any moisture related shortcomings and over all, I was pleased with the entrée.
By the way, my wine selection was the Don Ensamblaje 2003. Wow! I could practically live on that delicious elixir! It was rich and full bodied, most definitely a wine that I will try to purchase a case of when I get home. Hopefully I’ll have better luck finding it than I did with locating the Warre’s 1986 Old Tawny Port that BA used to proffer to its International First Class clientele. A big additional thank you goes out to all you FTers who emailed me that you’d taken time to look for that port on my behalf. What a crew you are!
Unfortunately, the breadbasket never made an appearance, so our bread selection consisted of a slice of dry white bread and a package of Melba Toast. Thankfully, I was offered a second package of Melba toast to accompany the cheese.
The caramel dessert was essentially a flan with caramel flavored syrup. It was light but flavorful, so I have no complaints. I accompanied the cheese and dessert with a glass of the port, which was okay but hardly memorable. Then again, it wasn’t a regional port. Considering the quality of LAN’s wine cellar, perhaps they might consider providing a locally produced port.
By the time I’d finished the last of my port, we were just off the coast of La Paz, Mexico. The Flight Attendants distributed water bottles throughout the cabin and I decided to check out the flat seat function and take a nap.
I’m very impressed with LAN’s new Business Class seat. There are twelve different positional controls – four of them preset – but the bottom line is that you can maneuver the seat into just about any position you desire. I just hope that all the controls that allow one to do this still work in harmony with one another five years from now.
Oddly enough, I’ve found I sleep better with the back of my seat at a slightly higher angle than the rest of me. I don’t mean a flat seat completely angled like Singapore or Cathay’s new Business Class seats but rather more like a chaise lounge with the bottom half flat and the upper part slightly raised. In any event, I had no difficulty adjusting my seat to the desired position and I subsequently napped soundly for a couple of hours. When I awoke, we were about 500 miles southeast of Acapulco, cruising along at a sprightly 522 mph. I tried to sleep a bit longer but it just wasn’t gonna happen. At this point I’m sure my inability to sleep had nothing to do with the seat but was instead due to the fact that it was only about 6:00pm California time. In normal day to day life, I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night. I never nap.
So – since further sleep was out of the question, I decided to check out the movie guide. LAN has installed an AVOD system onboard its newly configured 767s. The TV screen looks a lot bigger than the advertised 15.4”. It’s a huge improvement over the little 6” screens that LAN used to offer and certainly better than anything I’ve experienced on any US carriers, many of whom seem to think that DigiPlayers are the best thing since sliced bread. Maybe for domestic flights, but AVOD is where it’s at for International standard First or Business Class.
The new entertainment system offers thirty different movies along with twenty-five different television shows, cartoons and documentaries. All movies and television shows are available in Spanish and English, and some movies are also available in either German, French, Portuguese or Japanese. The movie selection included recently released movies such as Casino Royale, The Queen, The Departed and Flags of Our Fathers along with some not so new films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Big, Runaway Jury, Sideways, I am Sam and Master & Commander. I decided to watch Casino Royale. My neighbor had loaned this movie to me last week, but I’d never got around to watching it. How fortuitous that I should now have the opportunity to do so just a couple of days later.
Casino Royale runs over two hours in length, so by the time it was over, we were only about an hour from landing in Lima. It was time for the Midnight Snack:
MIDNIGHT SNACK
To Start
Orange juice, coffee or tea
Gourmet Sandwich
Roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwich served on white bread
Our Sweets
Home made carrot and walnut cake
Fresh seasonal fruit
There are no choices here – you get what’s offered and that’s that. The “Gourmet Sandwich” was no larger than a dinner roll and was in fact served on what appeared to be a multi-grain roll. The roast beef and cheese filling was quite tasty though, and the carrot and walnut cake was good as well.
We made a nice smooth landing in Lima and were parked at the gate about twenty minutes ahead of schedule. Through passengers to Santiago were reminded of the aircraft switch, which thankfully would be departing from the gate next door. Unfortunately, exiting the aircraft and repositioning next door meant walking down the length of the terminal, heading down couple flights of stairs, then climbing up another two flights of stairs where we went through a security checkpoint before once again being released into the departure area of the terminal.
By now it was about 12:30am and the onward flight to Santiago was not scheduled to depart until 1:45am. Lima’s airport looks like a decent enough place to while away an hour or two, though. It’s bright and well lit with a nice variety of shops and a good looking restaurant and bar. It also offers a lounge called the VIP Club Lounge. Neither the cabin crew nor LAN’s ground staff ever indicated to the Business Class passengers that a lounge would be available in Lima and so far as I knew, none was. Thankfully however, my Priority Pass membership was accepted at this lounge, so I checked in and then spent the next forty-five minutes with a cold beer and a good wi-fi connection. I should also note that LAN’s Business Class passengers are indeed welcome in this lounge. It sure would be nice if LAN’s staff would inform them of that fact, especially since there are no signs outside the lounge clearly indicating its use for LAN passengers.
March 29, 2007
Lima to Santiago
LAN Chile Business Class * Breakfast
A340-300 CC-CEX Seat 1A
145a – 605a Flight Time: 2:53
At about 1:15am, I signed off the Internet, finished my beer and headed out to gate. Out the windows, I could make out the two engines on each wing of the aircraft parked at 19. Awright! My first flight on a LAN Chile A340! No US airlines fly the A340 and Air Canada is the only North American operator of the type. As such, my experience with the A340 is limited to five flights aboard Cathay Pacific and South African.
Boarding was underway, so I headed up to the jetway entrance to find out if my assigned thru-seat to Santiago, 1A, would still be honored or if, since 1A is a First Class seat on the A340, I’d been reassigned a new seat in the Business Class cabin. The gate agent gave my boarding pass no special attention, so I strolled on down the jetway, turned left and proceeded through the Business Class cabin to my seat in five seat First Class cabin.
Now I hate to rain on a potential tale of First Class luxury to follow here, but I must say that the First Class cabin of LAN Chile’s A340 is without a doubt the bleakest premium class cabin I have ever sat in. The entire cabin is whitewall, from the window panels to the ceiling to the bulkhead paneling. There were neither pictures nor carpeted bulkheads to offset all the white. The cabin exuded no warmth or pleasant ambience at all. To the contrary, the overall effect was downright sterile. The seat, however, was very comfortable.
The second downer is that it was 1:45am. Interestingly, the current time in Peru is GMT –6, the same as what we Americans call Central Daylight Time in places like Chicago and Dallas. Having commenced today’s journey in Seattle, which is GMT –8, my body clock said it was 11:45pm. I was well and truly tired, very much looking forward to reclining that big First Class seat into an almost 180° position and catching as much sleep as possible prior to our landing in Santiago which was just three short hours away.
The result here is that I slept through the entire flight and so cannot comment on any aspect of either the flight or the service. The same crew that worked the flight from LA rejoined us for the trip into Santiago. If they were as tired as I was, I can’t imagine that there would be any improvements over the lackluster service they provided between LA and Lima. Either way, I fell asleep shortly after takeoff and didn’t awake until all seat backs had to be returned to their full upright positions. Breakfast smells lingered in the cabin, but unfortunately there wasn’t time for even a cup of coffee. I can, however, provide you with a transcript of the menu:
BREAKFAST
To Start
Orange juice, coffee or tea
Our Cold Dishes
Fresh seasonal fruit
Yogurt
Cereal
WARM ENTREES
Fluffy Omelette
Served with Canadian loin
Two Specially Selected Sandwiches
Kassler loin and melted “Mantecoso” cheese served on white bread
Cooked ham and Gouda cheese served on whole wheat bread
From The Bakery
Choose your selection from our variety of bread served with butter and preserves
The only remotely “fluffy” omelette I’ve ever seen on an airplane was aboard an Alaska Airlines flight between Seattle and Miami back in the days when Alaska still provided a worthy trans-con breakfast entrée in First Class. That remains the best omelette I’ve ever had on any airplane, First Class or Coach, international or domestic. It would have been interesting to see what LAN Chile would have served, because their inflight fare is generally quite good.
We descended through clouds and haze into Santiago, landing quite smoothly at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport. I don’t recall ever hearing the thrust reversers, but then perhaps the A340, like the 747-400, slows with carbon fiber brakes. In any event, we parked between a pair of LAN 767-300s and I trudged off the plane and headed towards customs and immigration. It was 6:05am local time and I was practically asleep on my feet.
As to LAN Chile’s new Premium Business Class, I have mixed feelings. With the removal of the First Class cabins from its 767 fleet, LAN markets its new Business Premium service as blending the best of its old First and Business Class services. This is certainly true with regard to the new seats and the inflight entertainment system, and it may be true with the meal service as well depending upon whether the cabin crew is able or willing to provide the service as described per the menu. The new seats certainly meet and indeed exceed the standard set by most of the world’s finest airlines. The amount of personal space around each seat is generous and the overall cabin ambience is pleasant. The new AVOD inflight entertainment system, while not to the standard of Singapore’s or Cathay’s, is still a very good system. The meal was also quite good, though it would have been nicer had it been presented per the menu description. On a strictly personal note, I’d like to have more options with those appetizers, too. The lounge situation is unfair to judge at this point since everyone at the TBIT has to use the current temporary lounge. As to the failure to notify us of the lounge in Lima, I’m willing to give LAN the benefit of the doubt for now and call it a simple oversight.
As to the crew, I would say that for the most part they were pleasant but otherwise uninspired. I’d even go so far as to say they were either poorly trained to provide a modern day Business Class service or didn’t care to do so. From language skills to presentation of the inflight service, this crew was consistently average to below average. Unfortunately, this same slack standard was evident the last time I flew in LAN’s Business Class two years ago. Based upon what I experienced this flight, definite improvement is needed if LAN wants to be considered amongst the world’s better airlines.
Here is how I would rate this flight:
Check in: B
Lounge: B
Preflight: B
Comfort: A
Service: D
Meal: A-