LAN availability / SCL interchange time
Mar 19, 2008 | 8:05 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 278
LAN availability / SCL interchange time
Got a bit of a surprise today. ExpertFlyer says LAN has 4 seats inventory in both A and D class for SYD-SCL on the days I want to travel, but as soon as I committed to book it, both BA and LAN say there is zero availability, thereby completely screwing my RTW plans. Anyone else hit this and know how to work through it? Looks as though I'll have to fork out big money to buy SYD-SCL as this is now a gap in a crowded RTW itinerary...
Also:
on SYD-SCL-GRU there seems to be one hour connection time in SCL. This looks very tight. Anyone had experience with this route? Should I be pessimistic and book SCL-GRU 24 hours later and have a day in Santiago?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Also:
on SYD-SCL-GRU there seems to be one hour connection time in SCL. This looks very tight. Anyone had experience with this route? Should I be pessimistic and book SCL-GRU 24 hours later and have a day in Santiago?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Mar 19, 2008 | 8:14 am
#2
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY/OW Emerald (AY LT Gold)
Posts: 4,326
1. Remember that you need to cross the pacific ocean on your RTW ticket, otherwise it's not a valid ticket and won't be issued. There could be an option to have transoceanic surface segment if you start from SWP, though (didn't check the rules but I am sure you have..)
2. Why worry about the "tight" connection if it's legal, if you cannot make it LA will protect you and get you a hotel in SCL if needed? For the rest (like possibly missed hotel reservation in GRU) there's a thing called travel insurance. SCL is quite efficient airport and 1hour is more than enough for the transit including a bit of lounge time if your inbound flight is on time.
2. Why worry about the "tight" connection if it's legal, if you cannot make it LA will protect you and get you a hotel in SCL if needed? For the rest (like possibly missed hotel reservation in GRU) there's a thing called travel insurance. SCL is quite efficient airport and 1hour is more than enough for the transit including a bit of lounge time if your inbound flight is on time.
Mar 19, 2008 | 8:52 am
#5
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY/OW Emerald (AY LT Gold)
Posts: 4,326
I don't know if LA offers the option for cash upgrades ex-SYD (or in general, for that matter) but I am sure others will have more insight. There's always the option to confirm L at ticketing and check if D/A becomes available closer to your travel date.
Mar 19, 2008 | 8:56 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Madrid, Spain & Santiago, Chile
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,181
It is not offered or permitted in the rules. It could be offered by LAN itself at the airport, however, that I don't know. I doubt, however, that LAN will consider L as a valid upgrade platform (I realize you paid A, but you'd be flying L and that is what LAN will get for that segment).
Mar 19, 2008 | 9:44 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 42,498
The good news is that LAN has a great on-time record. I had a 1 hour connection @ SCL 2 days ago and it was just fine, and had a 1:30 connection a few days' prior and had at least 1/2 hour lounge time.
Mar 19, 2008 | 11:38 am
#9
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,593
Also check AKL-SCL availability -- sometimes it is different than SYD-SCL. Though it would be pretty wierd to fly SYD-SCL in L with empty F seats and then AKL-SCL in A on the same plane -- but it can happen. Otherwise your only other option would be to fly SYD-PPT on a separate ticket and then PPT-SCL on LA (which does count as a pacific ocean crossing).
Mar 19, 2008 | 1:31 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 278
Very helpful suggestions from everyone as usual! However, I still seem screwed by availability ... they don't even have any L inventory on this route. Aargh. It does seem very strange that I can't pay them for one sector where there is no availability...
Meanwhile the ExpertFlyer help desk has shown me that if I search on LA specifically, rather than OneWorld, I get accurate results. This is a tip for others too (although it looks like a bug to me). I tried again now, and on one date the availability is now consistent but on another, search on oneWorld vs LA does generate different A class results.
Meanwhile the ExpertFlyer help desk has shown me that if I search on LA specifically, rather than OneWorld, I get accurate results. This is a tip for others too (although it looks like a bug to me). I tried again now, and on one date the availability is now consistent but on another, search on oneWorld vs LA does generate different A class results.
Mar 19, 2008 | 1:42 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Madrid, Spain & Santiago, Chile
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,181
It looks like a bug to many but EF isn't inclined to look at things that way. This issue of EF reports giving one set of information when searching on airline X and another when searching on a wider filter (that includes the same airline) has been present on EF for as long as I can remember.
Mar 19, 2008 | 1:50 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Madrid, Spain & Santiago, Chile
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,181
Mar 19, 2008 | 1:55 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 278
Mar 19, 2008 | 2:08 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Madrid, Spain & Santiago, Chile
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,181
SYD-EZE is a new direct flight that QF will start in Nov. Again, without details of your travel plan this is probably not applicable to you but it was offered as a possible solution.
Mar 19, 2008 | 2:56 pm
#15
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,444
That said - I haven't been paying as close attention to reliability on this flight. Maybe it is better this year. Last year it was fairly bad.