Rather than post this on the San Francisco forum I thought I'd try here first given that a few regulars and tourists visit here from that area of the world.

Having always wanted to visit SFO I've been searching for awards to the California area on and off for a while now with mixed results. This would be a BAEC redemption so obviously limited to OW carriers. With no direct service to SFO or LAX it will of course mean a change somewhere along the route....either through LIM,GRU or a US gateway.

Any advice on which routing would offer the most relaxing experience? If day flight routings are available I might consider economy depending on the luggage restrictions especially on the return. Time of year would probably be April/May/June or the northern autumn.

SFO/LIM is being suspended end of March. Your only lie flat (or close to flat) option the entire way is EZE/JFK/SFO. From time to time there are widebody AA services that connect via MIA or DFW, but not always, so you can get stuck with a 5+ hour westbound transcon sitting up in domestic F after a red-eye. AA is starting GRU/LAX soon, so maybe you can find some award space there with short EZE/GRU and LAX/SFO tags on either end.

Brilliant....usual LA IT cock-up. Their timetable shows it running three days a week in May.

Thanks Eastbay1K the other options are not so good. Would rather get to SFO than LAX so the GRU routing would be a pain having to change twice. Looks as if it would have to be with AA then.

Sipo, I'm currently evaluating my options. This affects me a lot more than it affects you.

Last year I took AA via DFW coming back through MIA. Avoid MIA if possible, the amount of Argentinians with 3 carry ons each make it quite chaotic.
PS: I'm not sure but didn't LAN Chile had some direct flights from Santiago?

LA has seasonal (and not daily) SCL/LAX nonstop service, still causing a 3 flight trip from EZE.

I was even thinking of just going to Miami for a holiday instead as it would save a connection but I think I'd prefer SFO as Miami might be too hot and I have heard it's a bit of a nightmare to get through immigration.

Remember that all passengers go through customs and immigration at the first landing in the USA, even if on a direct flight to another USA destination. On flights to the USA, it can thus be desirable to find a nonstop flight from somewhere overseas to the USA destination--i.e., connect in SCL rather than LAX/MIA/JFK etc. Some international gateways are widely reputed to be far worse than others, with MIA considered to be very bad and LAX/JFK considered bad (although at LAX some USA carriers have their own customs and immigration facilities rather than arriving at TBIT and then changing terminals for the domestic connecting flights).

I couldn't be bothered with any more than one change so I'd rather put up with clearing customs and immigration at MIA if it meant having one less flight. Availability via DFW is hard to get and JFK impossible or we would have gone there instead.
Would have chosen the LIM routing but sadly that's not an option any more so it looks like it'll have to be via MIA if we decide to go. Or we might just decide that Europe is a far easier and less stressful option altogether.

TAM are joining Oneworld in March next year so that might open up other possibilities.

BUE-MIA-SFO should be your best option. I don't know why ppl complain about MIA (from BUE), if you take the early fligh on AA, you will avoid the crowd. I have Global Entry, but I'm just arrived this morning on AA900, the ETA was 4:20 and we landed around 3:45am, we still have to wait until 4:05am because Customs does not open until 4am .
We were the first passengers arriving on MIA, I had to use the regular US Citizen line (no kiosk) because I was with my mom (she is a visitor), I was out of the airport by 4:40am.

I had a similar trip 5 weeks ago and it was the same, both lines (visitors and us citizens) were short, but that time I did use my GE

I am giving Aeromexico a try next week in J. I've read mixed reviews, but since I am starting in SEA and going to MVD, the Aeromexico works well for me.