quirrow

I know it is in the middle of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and I am probably a bit late but I just completed this trip report that I undertook last summer to Chile. Hope you guys enjoy this one:

Ever since I started living in North America, I had always wanted to visit the southern continent. What better time to explore South America when it is winter down south and summer up north. Truly shows the globe is round and it would make for an adventure to ski in the summer!

As I was researching on where to go in South America, there were talks of El Nino and how it could potentially lead to a period of heavier snow in the southern part as the weather became drier in the north. That made me even more excited to head down south for a bit of skiing as the last ski season has not been the best with a lack of snow forcing the early closure of ski resorts in the Pacific Northwest. Even Whistler Blackcomb was quite empty later in the spring skiing season! I settled on trip to Chile and initially I was planning to redeem my Aeroplan miles.

I had found availability in the following itinerary, one that would bring me to several places in South America. Not only that, it would allow me to experience flights on Avianca's 787 Dreamliner. Another point worth noting was Aeroplan redemption would allow me a stopover in Mexico City.

Later on, I chanced upon some good fares, all with the help from Flyertalk, to South America via Delta, and a change of plans would require me to be in Toronto at the end of the trip. I had previously been impressed with the quality of Delta's onboard offerings and lounge in Los Angeles so I had no qualms paying for the premium fares which came down to about $1,700 with taxes. That was a good price in my opinion for a more direct flight to Santiago. The long haul flight from Atlanta to Santiago was about 10 hours, which allows time to have a meal and a good sleep while the Aeroplan redemption would mean shorter flights of about 5 and 6 hours.

A bonus is that the return flight to Toronto via Atlanta would allow me a longer layover for me to explore Atlanta and a flight to Toronto would be on the Boeing 717.

As I mentioned, I had planned on skiing in Chile and wanted to stay in the ski resorts of Valle Nevado and Portillo, but my changes in itinerary meant the lower priced hotels in these ski resorts were fully booked so I settled on staying in Santiago and taking the daily resort shuttle via this tour company called Ski Total. Staying in Santiago was not a bad idea as it allowed me to break the days I skied with some other tourist activities like renting a car to visit Valparaiso and the vineyards of Chile.

In addition, I booked a cheaper stay at the Hotel Alto Nevados in Nevados de Chillan, meaning I would fly LAN Chile on a domestic flight to Concepcion and make my way to Chillan from there. The reason I picked Nevados de Chillan was the more consistent snowfall in this resort and because of its volcanic location, there was a natural thermal pool source which was complimentary for guests of the resort.

While researching on places to visit in Chile, I chanced upon images of Patagonia and decided I wanted to visit this area in the southern tip of South America situated close to the Antarctic. That would mean another domestic flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and that turns out to be another highlight of this trip. In the end while I had planned on just skiing, visiting Chile and the South American continent for the first time, I did a lot more than just ski and I hope to complete this trip journal with reviews of these places I found to be highlight of my trip!

quirrow

DL5719 Vancouver International Airport YVR – Seattle-Tacoma International Airport SEA
STD-STA: 0955-1050
Actual: 1009-1039
Embraer 175 N631CZ
Gate 87 Seat 3A


Delta's Embraer 175 at Vancouver

This report will chronicle another one of those short flights and many US-based airlines have connected Vancouver to their respective hubs. While there was an earlier direct flight to Atlanta, I chose the later flight that gives me a shorter layover. Turns out to be a bad decision as the short one-hour connection in Seattle meant my bags did not make it onto the connecting flight. I got a lift to the airport in the morning from my cousin and was dropped off curbside steps away from the transborder departure terminal.

Check in was unusually fast after a precursory look at my passport and I head to deposit my bags, for which there was a 3-minute queue. Then it was to head past security and US immigration allowing me to land in the United States as a domestic passenger. Fortunately there was not much of a wait in both sections.


Departure gate at YVR

Delta does not operate a lounge here in Vancouver since only 2 lounges exist on the Transborder terminal. That is the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge. Not a big issue for me since Vancouver’s airport does have a great free wifi and I was able to wait it out at the pleasant terminal.


Waiting area by the gate

Waiting at the gate also meant I managed to capture the arrival of the aircraft and boarding was called about 20 minutes after the plane arrived. That was a fast deplaning. The boarding call was orderly and I managed to be one of the first to board after those passengers needing assistance (of which there were quite a few of them).


Boarding through the jetbridge


Domestic First Class Cabin

There were 4 rows of domestic First Class onboard this plane in a 1-2 configuration which suits me well as I was travelling alone. As usual, there was a small bottle of mineral water on the seat along with Delta's striking red blanket on the seat. Seat-wise, it is similar to my last Delta flight between LA and Vancouver so it was definitely better than the usual CRJs and propeller planes servicing the route between Seattle and Vancouver!


Bottled water and blanket

On the seat back pocket, there was an airsickness bag, an inflight magazine, the safety card and a promotional advertisement detailing the comfort features and on-time efficiency of Delta flights. The stewardess serving us for this flight also offered pre-departure beverages for the passengers in the small First class cabin.


Take-off views from Vancouver

While boarding was efficiently conducted, there was some time to taxi to the runway and I had a nice view of Vancouver on take-off since it was still quite clear in the morning. It was a short flight and we were in the air for a total of just 30 minutes so it was not like there was any other service after we took off.


Flying past San Juan Islands in Washington State

The flight passed by the San Juan islands off Bellingham and Burlington and before long we started the descent into Seattle Tacoma. It seems the ANA flight from Tokyo just landed not too long ago as well and ANA seems to have upgraded their flight to Seattle as it uses the 777-300ER now as opposed to the 787 Dreamliner previously operating this route.


ANA Boeing 777-300ER at Seattle-Tacoma


Waiting for the shuttle train at Seattle-Tacoma

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Seatback onboard Delta 757 domestic First

While the aircraft from Vancouver arrived quite early, the need to take the train to the satellite S gates meant there was some time getting to the SkyClub in concourse S. The entrance of Delta's SkyClub is surprisingly consistent with the bright facade and professional lounge agents. Thumbs up to Delta!


Entrance to the Delta Sky Club

Right by the entrance, there was a large shelf stocked with all kinds of newspapers and magazines. This was another impressive aspect of the lounge since it allows flyers who do not need any food to keep themselves occupied while waiting for their flight.


Newspapers and magazines in stock

While the Sky Club in Seattle was not that huge, it looked freshly decorated and has a crowded bar area. There is also a small buffet counter on the side of the bar, so it makes this space really crowded and noisy too! This was even more so when there seems to be some airport personnel giving a tour or something to some business people.


Bar counter

Aside from the crowded bar area, the rest of the lounge was actually quite good with plenty of seats and even tables facing the tarmac. Though the view of the airplanes were somewhat obstructed by the shape of the terminal building. Anyway I did not have much time to spare as I just grabbed some snacks and drinks before making my way to my next flight.


Delta Sky Club at Seattle

DL1750 Seattle-Tacoma International SEA - Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International ATL
STD-STA: 1150-1939
Actual: 1216-1926
Boeing 757-300 N590NW
Gate S6 Seat 4A

The good part of being in a satellite terminal is that the gates are close though the waiting area at the gate is usually quite busy. And it was no different today with lots of passengers crowding around the gate when boarding has not been called yet. The crowd made it virtually impossible even for me to even find the queue for the priority line!


Crowds at the boarding gate

Somehow I actually got past the crowds to the other side to snap a photo of the 757 that would bring me to Atlanta before I got around to queue at the Priority line when most of the Priority passengers have boarded.


Delta Boeing 757

Boeing's 757 is a narrow-body plane meaning there is only aisle. The slightly wider cross section does make it slightly more comfortable since it feels a bit more spacious when boarding. The business class section was more or less occupied when I boarded so the cabin photos are those I took when I disembarked. Even though it was an older plane, the new furnishings by Delta did enhance it a little bit. I could do with a brighter interior though since without the ambient lighting of the newer planes, it was a bit dark inside the plane.


Boeing 757 business class onboard Delta Airlines

On the 757, there was more business class seats (24 vs 16) compared to the usual 4-rows on a A320 or the 737. The 6 rows of 2-2 seats meant the cabin crew serving was that much busier and it was a full flight to Atlanta too. When I arrived, there was already someone seated on the aisle seat and after placing my bags on the overhead compartment, I excused myself to be seated on my window seat. There was already a bottle of Dasani water, the red blanket wrapped in plastic and a pillow on the seat.


Seat pitch onboard Delta business class (also referred to as domestic first)

Somehow the seats did not feel as spacious, so even though the seat was adequate for my size, I felt the seat pitch was less than generous for a Business class seat. It does make it convenient to access the touch screen inflight monitor though! Boarding did not actually take long though there was no offer from the steward serving the cabin with regards to welcome drinks since it seems the boarding was a bit chaotic. Fortunately for the bottle of water!


Alaska Air 737 with the Disneyland theme

We were actually pulling back not long thereafter and passed by an Alaska Air plane with a Disneyland livery on the way to the runway. Take-off was smooth under the clear summer weather and that also meant great views of the airport and the greater Seattle area as well.


Planes parked on Sea-Tac seen during take-off


Greater Seattle from the air

In fact for the 15 minutes after take-off, I was more or less glued to the window as we flew by the Cascade mountain range with its assortment of glacier lakes and craggy peaks.


Cedar river valley


Glacier lakes of the Cascades


North Cascades mountain range

Until we passed by the Columbia River in central Washington State did the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign and the crew started service.


Columbia river valley in Central Washington state


Inflight map

The flight steward distributed headphones, hot towels then took our meal orders. What was interesting was that the headphones were packed like Economy class ones though it seems passengers were welcome to take them off the plane. We were also asked for our preferred choice of beverage. For the main course selection, it was a choice between salmon with salad or sausage and pepperoni calzone.


Billboard branded headphones


Hot towel

I got myself a can of ginger ale for drinks and was served with the beverage after they laid the table cloth over the meal tray. Total time served was actually quite fast and I was glad since I was getting thirsty and a bit hungry as well.


Ginger ale for post take-off beverage

I got for myself the salmon with salad as I have had good experiences with the healthier choices selection onboard Delta flights. However the salad served on this flight was actually kind of disappointing. While the portion was actually generous, I did not think it was to my taste. I did still eat finish most of it and I still consider them to be better than the stuff served on other North American airlines in their premium cabins.


Inflight meal service on Delta business class (or domestic first)

Fortunately the dessert and grapes included in the tray made the meal whole! I really enjoyed the chocolate cake included in the meal. Cabin crew came around asking passengers if they would like tea and coffee after the meal as they collected the tray.


Cheese and dessert

After the conclusion of the meal, I went on to watch a movie on the inflight entertainment. Delta has a decent selection of movies and programs and the screen resolution was also very good for this regional flight. In between, the cabin crew also came around to serve snacks from the basket and I was able to enjoy some chips in between the flights. Beverages were also served with this mid-flight snack.


Clouds formation somewhere along the flight

There was not really much else to write about for this uneventful flight as the nice weather made the flight much more bearable. Most passengers were also just enjoying the movies or working on their laptops on this day flight. The hours just passed and we were soon starting our descent into Atlanta where the terrain was certainly much flatter than where we started from.


Residential suburb of Atlanta

It was also a nice sunset over Georgia and I got to see residential suburbs and got a nice view of the Atlanta city skyline in the distance during the landing.


Sunset descent into Atlanta

As expected, landing at Hartsfield-Jackson meant there were lots of Delta planes. Surprisingly enough the taxi was quite fast for such a busy airport and we were out of the plane in no time too! I was the last Business class passenger out of the plane since I wanted to take some photos of the cabin and I was in no hurry with a decent layover until my next flight to Santiago departing later in the evening.


Landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

There was no surprises from Delta on this flight and while the crew did their job, they weren't the best or the friendliest since they forgot little things like welcome drinks and they did not seem wanting to interact with the passengers at all. Compared to some of the earlier Delta flights, I have to say it was not as nice but still better than my onboard experience with other North American carriers.

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Atlanta is Delta’s major hub and the airline is so huge here that there are several SkyClub in the airport itself. Once I got off my flight, I head to the nearest SkyClub in Concourse A. This allowed me to check with the reception on the departure gate for my next flight and she even recommended me to head to the SkyClub in Concourse E.


Delta transfer desk in Atlanta

The Sky Club in Concourse A is close to gates A17 and has the consistent branding on entrance. Ever since my first visit to a Delta Sky Club in Los Angeles, I became a fan of the airline. While there wasn’t an art gallery in this lounge, the entrance was as stylish with the cool blue backlighting. And the agents were as professional too while checking me into the lounge.


Reception for Councourse A17 Delta Sky Club

There is a small buffet counter on the side after entering the lounge with a large seating area. There is a disabled-friendly pathway to an upper tier that leads to the bar area with more seats. On the upper section, there is also views out towards the tarmac.


Buffet counter at the A17 Sky Club


Interior of the A17 Sky Club


Bar area at A17 Sky Club

I did not spend much time exploring this lounge and instead took the shuttle train to the E concourse, as it was nearest to my departure gate and has the shower rooms I needed.

[img]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/565/22225596242_4ef6e7a36e_b.jpg[img]
Entrance to the Concourse E Sky Club

First impressions of the Sky Club on the E concourse was that it was definitely more modern in terms of decor. It feels more similar to the one in Los Angeles. Of course the first thing was to request for one of the shower rooms and I was directed to the other end of the lounge. I passed by a kind of relaxation corner with dim lighting and comfortable loungers with footrests.


Relaxation corner in Concourse E Sky Club

There is another receptionist by the desk and I had to pass to her my boarding pass, while she handed me a shower amenity that included some neat amenities like a comb, deodorant, mouthwash, toothbrush and.shaving kit.


Shower amenity kit

Inside the individual shower room itself, there are additional bath gel, soap, shampoo and body lotion. The decor of the shower room is bright and it is one of the most spacious I have been to. The shower compartment is separated by a wall, allowing guests to bathe without causing too much of a mess and it is brightly lit. There is a wooden bench by the side which is large enough to place a backpack and a cabin size carry-on luggage. Amenities provided are 'Juara' branded and is quite nice to use. I also liked the fact it was paraben-free.


Sky Club shower room


Bath amenities inside the shower room

After a refreshing shower, I head back out to the bar to grab some mineral water and requested some soda from the bartender.


Bar area at the Concourse E Sky Club

Then I went back to get a seat and called for an attendant. Passengers travelling on Business Class to international destinations are provided the 'Delta ONE' treatment. That includes a menu from which passengers could order some food from. This menu was provided upon checking into the lounge.


Boarding pass and lounge menu

The selection for that day includes a tapas plate consisting of Southern style shrimp cocktail, fresh Heirloom tomato salad with a balsamic glaze, sweet corn and black bean salad and a dessert of chocolate chip brownie. There was also the vegetarian option of an antipasto skewer. A suggested wine pairing was included with the light bites and the wine that day was the Fonterra Sauvignon Blanc 2013 which happens to be a Chilean white wine.


Delta ONE appetizer plate

While the presentation of the snack was immaculate, the dishes were hit and miss. The shrimps is not likely to make people complain but the colour of the tomato was a bit off. The corn and bean salad was probably something that came out of a jar from Trader Joe's. The brownies were also probably off the shelves, but combined, they actually make a decent serving that I can't complain. At least Delta tried to make it work by supplying some differentiated catering for the premium passengers.


Concourse E Sky Club interior

The rest of the Sky Club cannot really be faulted. There was good wifi connection, a lot of seating space since the Sky Clubs seems to be quite empty in the evening. The ambience was also pretty quiet ensuring most passengers could get some work done if they so wish.


Buffet counter with soup and vegetable sticks

Finally, guests who are still not filled by the light bites provided could also help themselves to assorted cookies, and popcorn or soups, bread and cut vegetables from the buffet counter.


Snacks of popcorn and cookies

For the hub airport lounge, I was expecting some special lustre from Delta but it seems the lounge offering was standard like most of their other lounges. There does not seem to be anything special but the large network of Sky Clubs in Atlanta should ensure occupancy be spread out and thus the lounges does feel comfortable. I did also enjoy whatever little snacks they provided rather than nothing. There was a small disappointment since there does not seem to be a huge range of newspapers and magazines available in the Sky Club here compared to my previous short stop in Seattle. While it would not defeat the flagship lounges of other US airlines like the United Global First Lounge in SFO, it is decent for a Business Class lounge.

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Staggered seats on the 767-300ER

With the boarding gate for the flight conveniently located beside the Sky Club in Concourse E, which is also the international terminal for Atlanta, I took my own time to head to the gates. I had arrived at what seems to be a relatively empty gate, and there was not much crowds for a wide body international flight! It seems the loads would be pretty low for this flight today.


Delta's Boeing 767-300ER at Atlanta

DL147 Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson ATL – Santiago Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez SCL
STD-STA: 2158-0830
Actual: 2225–0829
Boeing 767-300ER N194DN
Gate E14 Seat 3A

It was already late and when I boarded, most of the Business class passengers have already boarded save for a couple of people.


Delta ONE Business Class

Delta's business class seats on the 767-300ER have a staggered layout in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring aisle access for every seat with a full flat-bed. This is a generally a good product though it can get cramped at the foot cubby holes and I generally find the best seats to be those located by the windows meaning seats 1,3 and 5 on the A and D side. The even numbered seats are situated closer to the aisle and lacks privacy for individual travellers. On the other hand, couples would probably want to choose the centre column to be seated side by side.


View from Seat 3A

On every seat there was a set of Westin-branded 'Heavenly bed' mattress pad and pillow. In addition, there was also headphones, a TUMI-branded amenity kit that was in a hard case format and a bottle of water located on the armrest console. Somehow the international flights have some premium mineral water that isn't Dasani.


TUMI amenity kit, headphones and bottled water

There was still about half of the cabin empty during this time after I settled down in my seat, thus I went to walk around the cabin to take some photos. I also noticed the curtain around seat 5A that would designate it as a crew rest seat. I believe it was used by the flight crew during the flight as it was closed.


Delta Airlines Business Class cabin

During this time, the Chilean steward serving my aisle came around with a tray of welcome beverages. There was champagne, water or orange juice. He was very professional about his job and made the effort to chat with the passengers while serving them. Hot towels were also provided to freshen up before the flight.


Seat 6A with the curtain on seat 5A

Boarding took some time and this allowed me to explore the various seat functions. For someone of my size (~1.75m), the seat was actually just nice and while it was a bit narrower, it still is adequate to get some rest especially considering it can become lie-flat.


Legroom on Seat 3A

While waiting, the cabin crew also came around to take meal orders from passengers. The menu for the flight was as follow:







When boarding was completed, the cabin crew came around to ensure the cabin is prepared for take-off and the safety video was played. For those interested, Delta actually created the video by combining spoofs from various YouTube personality. Below was the safety video, which I thought was a bit cheesy. I think Delta was just trying to be 'cool' but I do not think so.


Once we attained cruising altitude, the cabin crew started to work immediately and placed the table mats. The tray tables are stowed under the armrest console and it is easier to unlatch and setup than other business class seat tables, in my opinion. Then he asked me for my choice of beverage, which I got a cranberry apple cocktail served with ice.


Cranberry apple cocktail after take-off

Shortly after serving me my beverage, the steward returned with a small bowl of smoked pecans that was really tasty and he also asked if I wanted some wine to go with it. I got the Chardonnay to go with the pecans and switched on the inflight entertainment to watch a movie while waiting for the dinner service.


Smoked pecans and drinks before the meal

Dinner service began with the starters, salad and soup served on a wooden tray. The starter was a country pork pate with pepper crust, pretzel crostini and prosciutto, served with grain mustard and pepper jam. Salad was arugula salad with snow peas, snap peas and carrots topped with avocade creme fraiche. The steward also asked if we wanted soup which was poured onto a bowl from a flask. The soup that day was tortilla soup. In addition, the crew also came around with a bread basket and I got myself a pretzel breadstick. I actually enjoyed all the starters and it was a fine start to the meal. The meat plate was tasty and the pepper jam made it even more enjoyable while the warm soup filled me up while waiting for the main course.


Starters, salad and soup

For the main course, I chose the turkey meatball with pasta. While the presentation of the dish was terrible, both the meatball and pasta was actually better than it looks. The meatball was of a generous size and I could take multiple bites out of it. It was also juicy and not dry as what could sometimes be expected out of turkey meat. The pasta was cooked nicely and something that I could enjoy on a bistro. More work on the presentation would be welcome for this dish.


Turkey albondigas in Sofrito sauce

Even though I was getting quite full after the light snack at the lounge and finishing the starters, soup and the main course, I couldn't say no when the crew came around with the dessert tray. I got for myself the ice cream sundae and had it with chocolate syrup and nuts as the topping. In addition I asked for some grapes and strawberries on the side. This made for a sweet finish to the meal service.


High Road Vanilla ice cream sundae

With the conclusion of the meal service, there was some time before the trays were collected. My guess is that some of the passengers actually finished dinner early to sleep for the remainder of the flight since the cabin was dimmed throughout the meal service. Thus the crew did not really want to walk around the cabin too much.


Folded tray table

Once my tray was collected, I opened the amenity kit to get ready to freshen up before retiring for the night. The contents of the kit was actually pretty good as it includes a set of Malin + Goetz moisturizer and lip balm. There was also an eyeshade, pair of socks, a pen, a mouthwash, toothbrush, earplugs and a packet of tissue. I extracted the dental kit and asked for another bottle of water to brush my teeth in the lavatory. The lavator


Contents inside the TUMI amenity case

The lavatory up front was a good size with room to manoeuvre which was better than I expected since the 767 is a narrower aircraft in all account compared to the usual 777 used for long-haul routes. It was also nice to see the Malin + Goetz handwash and hand cream inside the lavatories.


Lavatory on the 767

Once I returned to my seat, I reclined my seat and prepared to get ready for bed. Unsurprisingly with the long flights starting from Vancouver, I was dozing off in no time. The low load in business class also meant I could get extra pillows and these are really huge fluffy ones that makes the sleep much more comfortable. In fact I actually got quite a nice sleep for the night as I awoke only upon hearing the clanking sounds of cutleries.


Flat bed with Westin Heavenly bedding

Apparently while I had asked to be woken up for breakfast, the crew might have forgotten. I did, however wake up with about 50 minutes to go before we arrived.


Inflight map prior to breakfast

The steward came around to hand me a hot towel as he came back with my breakfast set. It was a nice touch to start the service with another hot towel.


Hot towel before breakfast

For breakfast, I had the scrambled eggs with cream cheese and chives. The eggs were served with chicken apple sausage, spinach with mushrooms and lyonnaise potatoes. I do think the portion was a bit on the small side and could do with a bit more. They did fortunately have a bread basket where I got a nice warm and fluffy croissant. A small fruit bowl was included in the breakfast tray. I also got a cup of coffee with the breakfast.


Scrambled eggs with cream cheese and chives; served with chicken apple sausage, spinach with mushrooms and lyonnaise potatoes

Maybe because the portion is quite small, most passengers finished the breakfast quickly and I still had time to head to the lavatory to freshen up after breakfast.


Sunrise in the horizon

The remainder of the flight, I just spent relaxing in the seat and finishing up my cup of coffee. The large armrest console made it easy to place beverages without the tray table blocking your lap.


Convenient tray table for beverages

It was also nice to be able to the enjoy the sunrise as we descended into Chile, starting with the view of the northern coastline.


Sunrise descent off the coast of Chile

As we gradually got closer to Santiago, the Andes mountains came into view with the towns, farmlands and mining landmarks dotting the landscape. It was definitely a great end to the flight to be able to enjoy this view!


Flying past the town of San Felipe with the Andes mountain range in the background


Copper mine reservoir north of Santiago


Rural region north of Santiago


LAN Chile Airbus A320 at Santiago

Santiago might be the largest air hub in Chile and one of the predominant airports in South America but it did not feel that busy. It might be due to the early arrival of the plane. Disembarkation was conducted only through the door between Business and Premium Economy so that can result in passengers in premium economy getting off at the same time. There is a long walkway that looks quite old leading to the immigration.


Arrival walkway

Queues for immigration was actually quite short and I was through in no time. However I had half-expected my luggage not to make it in time after <a href="https://quirrow.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/hola-from-chile-misplaced-luggage-and-tourist-scams/">tracking it on the Delta app</a>. thus even after waiting for most of the luggage to appear and not spotting it, I filed a missing baggage report.


Baggage claim at Santiago

Since I was in Business Class, the agent filing the claim handed me a 'SkyTeam' branded amenity kit. The amenity kit was quite good as it even included a T-shirt. Fortunately enough, I did prepare some change of clothes and daily necessities on my hand-carried luggage. The delay in the luggage meant I had to alter my itinerary a bit since I would not be going to snowboard the next day as the luggage could only be delivered the next day as Delta only has one flight per day to Santiago.


Skyteam amenity kit provided for the misplaced luggage

The experience of not getting the luggage in time was a stain in an otherwise pretty good experience. I was eventually reunited with my checked luggage so in the end everything's fine. For the price of the ticket, I think the flight was very good value in providing a comfortable long haul flight that I could rest and even have a nice meal. The little things like the large pillows, bottled water and TUMI amenity kit made the flight more memorable. It might not be first class but it sure beats some business class service by other carriers.


Delta Airlines 767-300ER

quirrow

Instead of posting all the segments of my TRs, I would instead post just selected photos. Those interested to read up on all the accounts, can find the whole segment-by-segment here.

I figured posting each of them here would make it too long. I would post a summary of the trip at the end though to kind of conclude the TR.


Lobby of the Hotel Altiplanico Bellas Artes


Bicycles for rent


Under the glass-domed atrium in Museo de Bellas Artes


Residential blocks


Museo de Bellas Artes at night


Springtime in Parque Forestal


Friendly Chilean wave


Cyclists along Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins


Sights of Santiago


Under the Cherry Blossom


Assorted Nikkei Sushi at Panko Sushi


Santiago at Dusk


Inside the Ox restaurant


Flat iron wagyu


Sea urchin ceviche


Santiago Cathedral


Costanera Centre


Taking the funicular to Cerro San Cristobal


Las Condes at dusk


Circular skylight atrium at the Grand Hyatt Santiago

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Morning sunshine on the slopes at Valle Nevado


At Valle Nevado


Restaurant Bajo Zero by the chairlift


The Mirador quad chairlift


Resort complex at Valle Nevado


Panorama from the top of Andes Express

Ski Village at La Parva

Golondrina magic carpet at La Parva


Panorama from Camino La Muela


Wind-swept snow at Barros Negros


Chairlift over Barros Negros

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Andes mountains around Portillo


Panorama at Tio Bob's


Lunch with a view


Las Lomas Run


Mountain pass to Portillo


Laguna del Inca View


Hotel Portillo


View from the top of Plateau with the Argentina - Chile border crossing in the distance

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Entrance to Vina William Cole


Casablanca Valley View


Creamy pea soup with bacon and scallops


Conger eel in abalone sauce


Chirimoya in Orange mousse


Port of Valparaiso


Plaza Sotomayor


Town of Valparaiso


Classic VW Bettle along Urriola


Colourful row of townhouse


Sunset by the port


Haparazzo Restaurant


Passageway with graffiti


Balcony with an Ocean View


Pastel de Choclo


Playa Caleta Abarca


Sunrise from the Sheraton Miramar

Culture Guru

Great TR. Santiago is a nice place. ^

saturnino3

Gorgeous pictures! ^^^

isaifan

Very nice report and pictures.

camsean

Great TR. Thanks for posting.

Parterre

Another truly fantastic quirrow TR. Enjoyed it from start to finish. Your pictures are always not just beautiful to look at, but meticulously taken-- every little thing captured. You really give the reader a feel for what it's like, allow us to step into your travels and experience some of it. I always like to sit down with a nice cup of tea and read your TRs, so I'm a very happy man right now!

EDIT: What camera do you use? Any add-ons or anything of that sort? Your pictures are marvellous and I wish I could take photographs like those!

UAL250

Great TR, quirrow. The quality of the pictures is stunning! Very well done. DL looks pretty decent. South America doesn't seem to have the same quality options as Europe and Asia do. DL is probably pretty competitive to SA, no? I don't know much about LAN and other SA airlines though.

Once again, well done. I really enjoyed the pics and commentary.