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Long day here and just need to gripe, had a pleasant Business class flight from JFK to SCL and then it has been downhill from there. My 3 hour layover started with an involuntary downgrade, where they forced me to take the $340 for the voucher to take an Economy seat. Not a big deal, as it is only a 6 hour flight, but now they just pushed back the 5pm departure time to 11:30pm. I speak only basic Spanish, so took me a while to figure out what is going on. My 2-day trip is going to be cut very short now...I also have no wireless access except wifi, so I hope I have some way to reach my B&B to pick me up from the airport at 3am.

IME, Skype will not work as it uses the Chile cell system which is iffy for calls to Isla de Pascua. Best way to reach them is a Movistar landline call or email (assuming they are connected often enough to check). Most likely, there is no need to contact them as they will know that the fight is delayed (small island whose life depends on tourist coming on the next flight).

Suerte.

Hey awc4,

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. We had a medical emergency here on the island, requiring an air ambulance to be sent over from Santiago, and since IPC is a single runway airport (the most isolated in the world), they're not allowed to have 2 planes in the airspace at the same time (in case one has an accident and blocks the runway). Unluckily for you, the air ambulance gets priority and LAN just has to wait in SCL until the ambulance has been and gone.

Hope you still managed to have a great time on the island.

James

Wow!

It took me a long time to figure out that was what was happening, as I speak next to no Spanish and the crowd was very unhappy when we learned of the second delay. We eventually did leave SCL at about 12:30 and arrived at IPC at around 4:15. I was glad to see a crowd of people waiting to greet their guests and my ride came after about 10 minutes after I picked up my luggage. I was very happy that they were able to get me my business class seat back, as I needed to go to sleep by then and slept through most of the plane ride.

Had my first day on the island and went with a tour guide - been a good visit so far now that I am actually in town. My visit is rather short and no one likes a 12-hour layover (especially unplanned, as I would have gone into Santiago had I known how long I would be at SCL), but I am glad I made the trip. It was just frustrating not knowing what was going on and I was surprised to read that the downgrade fee was so small for such a long flight. Fortunately, I was able to get my seat back and they took the compensation form back, as I was no longer downgraded.

Albert

Thank you for writing this note when you did. It was reassuring to read this at the airport, as I had this fear that I would get in at 4am and have no way of reaching my cabana, given my lack of transport and phone. What a way to start a vacation. Your note was really reassuring for me - thank you again.

Wow is right! Learn something new every day. Too bad LAN couldn't have communicated this as succinctly as Pirahua to their waiting pax.. or maybe they did in Spanish?

I am always conflicted about speak-little-Spanish travellers hoping to travel seamlessly in SA. They are welcome, I can see their point for sure for sure but...

and generally there is someone at airports that has enough English to communicate with that cute accent jeje

so too bad LAN couldn't have communicated better with this pax, as succinctly as Pirohua did.

Right you are. I don't know of a single person that would be aggrieved with the delay were they to know the facts behind it. A perfect chance for LAN to explain to pax that they are doing the right thing for the right reason and such things can happen at IPC.

If I had been told what Pirohua had told me I'd be perfectly content in the Pacific Club for a few hours. If I were waiting around endlessly though, I too would be fed up.

An opportunity missed by LAN

Oh and I hope awc4 is having a great time

Thanks for the replies...in my experience LAN never communicate these things in either Spanish or English, either in Santiago or this end. It's only because I live near the airport in question that I realised what was happening, and with limited medical facilities here on the island, it's not an unusual occurrence.

There's also a knock-on effect when a flight is delayed for the subsequent flight etc., and I'm always suprised that LAN doesn't mention the reason for the delay, thus highlighting their commitment to safety/serving isolated communities etc....seems a chance to turn a boring delay into something of a PR opportunity.

Best wishes to you all from the rock,
James