sunyafei

Thanks, will definitely try to check-in online if possible. Historically I've had trouble checking in online for international flights on AA so hopefully it will be all right.

hbling

Hi all, I'm flying IBERIA from London into SCL, landing Monday morning 9:15am, and catching a 11:06am LATAM flight to Lima (both tickets booked separately).

I'm really getting very nervous about the 1h:51m transit time at SCL as I understand that I will need to collect my luggage, exit immigration, customer etc and re-checkin for my LATAM flight to Lima.

Am I being too paranoid or is 1h:51m doable?

Appreciate your advice and thanks very much in advance!

Thack

You'll be fine dude, SCL airport is small, so don't worry.

Eastbay1K

I'd be paranoid. SCL immigration can be a cluster. They always seem to be understaffed, or it is just peak time. And then you need to go through exit procedures after you re-check your luggage. If IB will check your luggage through, you'll be fine. All you'll need is transit security. If IB won't check your luggage through, you will cutting it very very close, assuming you're on time.

hbling

Thanks! Most forums seem to suggest that I would need 3-4 hours as it can get very slow at the airport. And I guess landing on Monday morning X'mas eve (24th December) will mean it could be worst, with staff shortages. I'm at a lost what I should do next.

jgchiker

Expect 1h30 for immigration only if you need to enter Chile.

LondonElite

I'd be concerned about this. You are on separate tickets so have no protection in case of a late arrival. If this happens, and you don't make your LATAM flight in time, expect to buy a new (return) ticket at walk-up prices. Remember that, even if everything is on time, you'll need to get off the plane, go through immigration, collect your bags, and re-check them within the required time. Any delay and you're screwed. I'd rebook that flight for much later in the day.

Bad advice. Airport size is completely irrelevant.

Benzpro2

I had around two hours at SCL and barely made it, I was one of the last to board on the flight to IPC. Not taking a checked bag will probably save you 30-45mins, so keep that in mind. I also went through the disabled line at customs, which saved 30-45mins ("got sick on the plane"). Almost missed the flight to IPC. I will build in 3hrs next time if I'm checking a bag. Either that or hope that gate agents can escort me though--I never ask.

tboons

Scl immigration is a mess. It tookme 45 to 60 mins to clear on a weekday afternoon at 3pm, not including baggage and another round of check at the customs.

hbling

Just an update on this after going through SCL. It was a busy day when I landed and the crowd was sizeable. However, I noticed that the immigration counters were fully staffed and it took me about an hour to go through immigration, custom, pick up my luggage and head up to the departure hall. Technically, I would have made my connection BUT my flight on Iberia was delayed by an hour, so I missed my connection. Both LATAM (all my flights were booked under LATAM and Oneworld) and Iberia (code share) pushed me from one to another and refused to admit responsibiity for the delay and my missed flights. So, I have to pay for new/changed flights etc. After this experience, this is what I've learned:

1) I was given a lot of incorrect information from LATAM sales office and ticketing office.

2) OneWorld is all rubbish. It's more like a chaotic world, where one partner doesn't understand what the other is doing. It could't be more ironic as they're so disconnected/disjointed.

3) Both me and my family spend at least US$50K on flights each year and I will never ever fly Oneworld from now on, both business and pleasure. Well, unless my life depends on it :-D ... I'm also a StarAlliance member and the experience is so far superior it's not even comparable.

Hope my update and thoughts will help some travellers here. Happy travelling!!!

MfromL

Well, he did warn you about it. Delay protection in separate tickets depends on the airlines. OW used to offer it, but since 2016 it has changed that policy (look here). While some airlines, like AA honour it, they are not forced to do it, and honestly, you gambled –and lost– by buying 2 different tickets instead of just one.

As someone who often does this, you should always be prepared for a delay and have a backup plan.

hbling

Here my problems with OW.

1) Misinformation number one. When I booked my separate connecting flight, I was told by LATAM UK that I will still be able to check my luggage all the way through to my final destination. I went proceeded based on that understanding.

2) When I checked in at London Heathrow, I was told that they could only issue me the LHR-MAD ticket. Due to some change in system, they couldn't issue me my MAD-SCL ticket. So I was advised to retrieve my luggage at MAD and re-checkin at Iberia (as it was operated by Iberia). AT MAD, I went to Iberia but was told to go to LATAM counter. At LATAM, I was to to go back to Iberia. I told the LATAM guy to go with me to Iberia to sort it out among themselves. Crazy? Yes, absolutely.

3) When we landed late at SCL, we went to the LATAM counter and was told to we can buy new tickets from another airline (earlier tiiming) and that the return part of LATAM flight should still be in their system for 3 days. We have time to call their contact centre and sort that out. Nope, the entire ticket was cancelled the next day, having us to buy new return tickets. Misinformation number 2.

4) Returning to London via Madrid, I had to get out of immigration and in again to connect to my Iberia flight. HOWEVER, those connecting on BA flight need not do that. Another crazy? Yes. Immagine if I need visa to enter Spain, I'll be screwed.

OneWorld? Yes, One hell of a crazy World!!!

MfromL

#1 Phone agents usually do not know the operational side of these procedures, especially if they involve itineraries with multiple countries flying with other carriers (IB was your operating carrier ex-UK, so they are the ones establishing the policy, not LA). With the ticketing agents you might get lucky or not. If you are lucky you can get your bags to the final destination, if you don't, then you have to recheck. However if they couldn't give you a boarding pass to SCL, it follows that you have to collect your bags and re-check with the carrier.

#2 This has happened to me in JFK and it seems to be something LA agents do, to dump the responsibility on the other airline's staff. That being said, what happened to was due to a cancellation and the other OW partner took care of me (not LA). In your case, being normal operations, IB should have been able to issue you a ticket since you were flying with them, independently of who sold it . So I'm guessing there was something odd about the reservation that forced LA to intervene and they just didn't want to bother. (This would be issue # 1 from my perspective)

#3: You bought separate tickets and accepted their conditions of carriage which state that only tickets under the same reservation are honoured in case of delays. Independently of what you were told by a call centre or the gate agents –I'm guessing the scenario here, but instead of dealing with you, I imagine they just lied to your face, to save time and effort, and potentially having to deal with an upset customer–, the conditions are displayed in LATAM's website and in the email that you get when you buy them. These conditions of carriage are a binding contract that you accepted when you bought the ticket. If you gambled with times and itineraries -and lost- there is little the airline can do to help you.

#4: Actually the IB entertainment system has a quite useful video explaining how to connect in MAD (that is displayed in all monitors before landing): Iberia's inflight magazine also gives information about how to connect if you have ongoing flights to third countries, that explain that if your flight is operated by OW airlines –including BA– it will depart from T4S, where there is only a security check, but no passport control, but if you connect with IB, then you have to proceed to: either T4S for security check if you are flying outside of the EU, or

Which means you have to clear immigration before. And that information is also on Iberia's website, which you should have consulted ahead of your flights.

These all seem to be a perfect set of conditions for a bad experience: contradictory info from airline [not doubled checked by passenger], delayed flight, no interlining of bags, missed connection, new tickets, etc., but I you take my suggestion, you could have avoided those by just getting all the flights in the same itinerary. Not only could you have been protected from a hypothetical delay, but since at least one of your flights should have been operated from the EU or the UK, you would have been entitled to compensation for any possible delay under EU 261/2004. I know money is always an issue, but next time you do that, give yourself a full day and a hotel to rest, which is what I do when I get separate tickets in transatlantic flights. Those £70 save many hundreds later on.