LAN from LAX-SCL many changes in first
 

To all my fellow FT who cherish the LAN flight in first from LAX-LIM-SCL. Service is really changed since last year.

1. No more caviar
2. No more separate salad course
3. Only 2 choices of entree PLUS a pasta dish
4. No hot appetizer choice

I spoke extensively with the first class purser who states that first class will be discontinued in a three to four month period on this route. She has recieved many comments about the decrease in the first class food service. Therefore for all thoses with OWE involving this routing if you loved the old LAN service just be prepared for the changes.

LAN is still a good airline.. Just not as good as it was as recently as 11 months ago..

Well, LAN announced last Nov that they were converting their 767's on the N Am routes to a new biz class seat and service. At that time, everyone assumed that FC may slowly change to less service/food/perks. LAN's FC was nice, but I was not overwhelmed. The seat on the A340 with the massage feature was great.

That's a shame. Thanks for the info. Hopefully TAM and Oneworld are looking to work something out.

Still surprises me that they didn't leave F on one North American route. Maybe JAL will upgrade their planes on the JFK-GRU routing when they join.

I flew LA F both last July and last December - on both flights, the service had been reduced. Actually, they will still plate you a salad separately and as a separate course if you ask, but it comes out on the appetizer cart, which still has 3 or 4 nice selections, but no caviar.

I am not surprised that LAX/SCL is going to the 2 cabin 767, to keep the product consistent each day - this given the several additional 767s on order, and their need for the 340s for Europe/South Pacific with more frequency (and no more 340s on order).

I had a feeling that my northbound Lan flight on 1 Jan might be my last F flight on them. I hope their new premium J cabin is good, but it just won't be F. Their F was once an absolute pleasure to fly. I suppose 6 or so roundtrips in it, on long flights, I should be happy I had them :)

Is it really that big of a suprise? After converting its B767s, Lan will be an airline with few A340s with 5 F seats each, makes perfect sence to discontinue it totally...economics of scale are clearly not there...

I was on that flight with ya' :) (Actually it was Jan. '06, I think?)
And while I did notice the things you mention, I think what the OP is describing is a far greater reduction than what I noticed in December vs. my previous flights in LA F. At least that's the way I perceived it-- my previous LA F flights were in March 2005, JFK-SCL, SCL-SYD, SYD-SCL. And personally I found the service on the December flight to be not severely reduced by comparison.

In any case, it's obviously "over" for those of us who knew and loved LA F service. :(

Well, on my southbound flight on the same trip, the soup course (while it existed) wasn't even offered, and the service was rushed. If you compare with a year ago, the service had a couple more courses, in the way it was served. Appetizers - if you wanted caviar and other selections, they'd plate the caviar course and then come back with the other items, separately plated, after you were done. Then, the salad was a separate cart. Then, the soup. So, effectively, you had up to 4 courses prior to the main course. Mem....reees....

Although the demise of F is something which sadly won't affect me, the revision of J is of great interest as I have AKL-SCL (unaffected as its an A340), CCS-SCL, SCL-LAX in October scheduled, any idea where I can find the latest info on when the new seats will be rolled out and on which services they are likely to be on? I would have thought the SCL-LAX would be very promising......

I am in the Neruda lounge in SCL as I write this. Took LAN F JFK LIM SCL on Feb. 8. No caviar. No separate salad course. Beef, fish and pasta. Wine and service were still good but food only so so.

Also had LAN flights out to Easter Island and back. The service was iffy at best.

Well, one thing that might be interesting in your case is that once the route has a new config plane at all, they will probably discontinue F on that route completely (whatever date that is.) In that case, you may be better off if the new plane -doesn't- have new J and if the plane is still configured as 3-cabins, you might be able to try and get row 1 (current F) for the price of J. Keep an eye out for that possibility.

I'm quite anxious to try LA's new J as well.