Hi All,

I am in the middle of my DONE4 and am about to leave SA for NZ. I would be grateful if someone could advise me on the following:

1) Best place and airline to reissue tkt my options are AKL or SYD?

2) Any chance for AKL-SYD being on BA metal as would like to reach my minimum 4 BA for Silver

3) Just out of interest what would you recomend as a place to visit Fiji or Cook Islands (seperate tkt)

Some observations

- I have now flown with LAN twice and would like to comment on the airline and service.

Flew an A320 from GIG to SCL I have to admit the plane configuration was better than BA with 2*2. Much more space.

Checkin was like BA with a dedicated Business desk though the lounge used in GIG was AAs which I found a bit plain.

SCL - I really like the Neruda lounge much nicer to me than the terraces (minus Motlon Brown of course). Nice wine and snacks, good selection of papers and an excellent business area with 10 computers

SCL-LIM 767-300

I was disapointed with this flight. the seats were comfortable if a bit narrow but the AVOD was great. I was actually disapointed by the service (slow and incompetent) and the low quality of food (BA was much nicer). I am glad I didnt go all the way to NY with that flight. Also was is the deal with the pathetic amnenties bag literally a large bag with nothing inside.

I am hoping for better on the A340 to AKL I have seats 5D/H

Finally at the moment best place for reissues is Rio in the Lan Chile office very competent

If anyone would like some more info please ask

Thanks for your help

J

2) BA don't fly to NZ at all. Their flights are code-shares with QF...

1) QF at either AKL or SYD

3) Depends on what you want (and possibly when). Fiji is very family oriented and also couples, some very nice resorts. Very popular with NZers in winter. Cook Islands is more for couples, quiet pace and less developed feel. Both are easy to get to from AKL.

Thanks for the replies.

I am currently in the Neruda lounge at SCL. A nice place to hang out for a few hours (never that busy). Though I feel sorry for all those trying to fly to UIO (Equador). The plane has been sitting on the tarmac for the past 4 hours. Nothing worse than being at the airport ready to go on holiday only to see a revolution going on at your destination.

That is too bad about the BA codeshare. Any chance of getting on BA metal with Aus?

So QF at either SYD or AKL - I guess I will go with SYD (and will report back)

As this is a couply RTW - Cook sounds good.

J

Actually, there are socks and eyeshades inside the bag. Most passengers seem to simply discard the whole package, without even opening it, and the FA's go around retrieving them all from the floor, seat pockets, seat cushions, and other places at each stop. They then hand them out again on the next flight. They also take the opportunity to retrieve the printed menus and carefully store them for future use. Not to mention that the FA's keep a very stern eye on the toilet, perhaps in order to pin down passengers using an excessive amount of toilet paper.

There is one hitch to all this tight cost control. LAN's pillows and blankets are a very attractive plaid design that seems to attract a certain number of admirers among the passengers. Some executive committee will have to figure out a way of decreasing this obvious loss. Perhaps magnetic strips that would set off a sensor at the exit?

I don't usually use the bag but I have had people ask me to save it for them. It's a shoe bag and apparently is valued by the better sex more than me. You get a full kit in F with lots of interesting things. In all fairness, though, most amenity kits are absolutely useless to many people, including me, and I couldn't care less as to what's inside.

Actually, I did use one of the bags. I used the material to sew a camera bag. Worked well.

The girls at work go nuts over these things. GFs too.

The C seats on the LAN A340 are much nicer than on the 767. Also 6 across, but since the 340 is wider (8 seats in eco vs. 7 on the 767) the seat is wider and the pitch and recline is also much better.
So if you have a choice between the 340 and the 767 (like on SCL-LIM-LAX) try to go on a day with the 340.

LAN is one of the most difficult airlines to deal with in my view.

If you call them for seats on a code share they never find the booking.
They seem to find it hard to reissue RTW tickets.
The often change planes resulting in the loss of a First Class service.
Their flights seem to regularly run late which makes mileage runs too risky.
The staff try but the 767's are tired and old and they do not have enought 340's.
The stop to/from LAX, JFK and SCL are a nightmare. They ruin sleep but so few airlines offer F now on the South America routes that there is little choice.

BA does use it own metal for international Aus routes (with QF code share) while the remainder is BA code share on QF metal. I think BA metal operates SYD & MEL to SIN, then onwards to LHR. Not sure about other cities in aus.