SCL-MAD J Advice (LA or IB)
Jan 25, 2009 | 5:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,655
SCL-MAD J Advice (LA or IB)
I'm getting ready to book my next OWE. Looking at SCL-MAD options and I'm trying to decide between IB or LA in Business. I've never flown with either one. They both appear to have new lie-flat business seats. LA seems to have better IFE. However, it seems that LA's service in flight is not so great. The most important thing to me is seat comfort for sleeping as well as wine. Does either one have truly flat seats?
If you have flown both new J products please help me decide. Or do I forgo my AA Elite Bonus miles and fly BA EZE-LHR instead in NNCW?
If you have flown both new J products please help me decide. Or do I forgo my AA Elite Bonus miles and fly BA EZE-LHR instead in NNCW?
Jan 25, 2009 | 8:41 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,894
I am interested as well. IB seem to have lie-flat seat... upon reading some reviews, it seems like the seat is not fully flat (only certain rows go fully flat?)? 
LA doesn't have all of its A340s reconfigured so the chances of getting newly configured A340 on this route is a toss-up (2 of 5 are reconfigured so I'd say there is about 40% chance OR less).
I am flying on IB (under LA codeshare) because the schedule suits better. I think LA leaves at night, arriving in the afternoon time. That won't fit my schedule.
LA doesn't have all of its A340s reconfigured so the chances of getting newly configured A340 on this route is a toss-up (2 of 5 are reconfigured so I'd say there is about 40% chance OR less).
I am flying on IB (under LA codeshare) because the schedule suits better. I think LA leaves at night, arriving in the afternoon time. That won't fit my schedule.
Jan 26, 2009 | 4:06 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: SFO/OAK/CCR
Programs: AA LT PLT
Posts: 995
According to the Flash presentation linked here:
http://plane.lan.com/info_viajes/cla...ess-en-us.html
LAN's A340 conversion to new Premium Business Class with 180-degree lie-flat J seats will be completed in April 2009. On the same page however it says that the 763 fleet is both 95% complete and 100% complete, and they spell Airbus as "Aibus" so attention to detail isn't their strength. Anyway, looks like a few more months and it will be 100% 180-degree lie-flat J between SCL and MAD on LAN, and probably on all intercon routes.
IB on the other hand has angled lie-flat on their A340s. I think I've read before that the bulkhead rows actually do recline to 180-degrees, but the row numbers and cabin layout are different between the A343 and A346 so the information is never clear. IB.com has old seat maps so no help there. Given the distance, isn't the SCL-MAD route always going to be an A346? Not sure.
IB BusinessPlus does have a good reputation for wine selection and promotes this heavily. Others who've flown BusinessPlus can add their personal critique.
http://plane.lan.com/info_viajes/cla...ess-en-us.html
LAN's A340 conversion to new Premium Business Class with 180-degree lie-flat J seats will be completed in April 2009. On the same page however it says that the 763 fleet is both 95% complete and 100% complete, and they spell Airbus as "Aibus" so attention to detail isn't their strength. Anyway, looks like a few more months and it will be 100% 180-degree lie-flat J between SCL and MAD on LAN, and probably on all intercon routes.
IB on the other hand has angled lie-flat on their A340s. I think I've read before that the bulkhead rows actually do recline to 180-degrees, but the row numbers and cabin layout are different between the A343 and A346 so the information is never clear. IB.com has old seat maps so no help there. Given the distance, isn't the SCL-MAD route always going to be an A346? Not sure.
IB BusinessPlus does have a good reputation for wine selection and promotes this heavily. Others who've flown BusinessPlus can add their personal critique.