Let's fly back home now, as we enjoy breathtaking views of the Andes covered in exceptionally thick snow after this exceptionally long, cold southern winter.
All this only if I can catch my plane… because I'm late!
Catching my plane
I'm staying with family some 120km south of Santiago, in a town called Pelequén. You have seen pictures of the area if you read the tourism bonus for this report.
The thing is, whenever I stay here I just have to walk 50 meters to the Panamerican highway and hail a bus, and I'll be in Santiago in ninety minutes. But I underestimate the traffic this morning and I make it to Santiago less than one hour before departure time. Yikes! I still have to take the Metro and the bus to the airport. There's no way I can make it there on time!!
Some taxis are parked outside the bus station. Ignoring my Y class flyer instinct I approach one of the drivers and ask with urgency in my voice "How much to the airport?" He makes an estimation: "Er… between 10 and 12 thousand" he replies. Ouch!
With shaky legs and a chill running down my spine, I board the taxi. "To the airport! Quick!"
We race down the Alameda… and those numbers race on the taximeter! I'm on the verge of a heart attack. We make it to SCL in some 15 minutes, I think. The taximeter marks 11,000 CLP (17 USD). Phew! The driver was right.
The queue at the counter is huge. I have the good idea of asking a Sky Airline staff about the flight. He realizes I'm late. "The gate closes 30 minutes before departure," he informs…
…and he sends me to a special, shorter queue. God bless him!
"Your baggage is super light!" exclaims the lady at the counter. "Yes. I bought this bag for my mother. It's empty," I answer. But I'm lying! I bought it for myself but I didn't realize it was too large to carry it in the cabin. I'm giving it to my mom, anyway.
As the arrow shows, that’s the way to national departures.
The queue is long here, too, but something I love about SCL is its speedy security control. We move almost at walking pace.
Security cleared, I race down the boarding room. My gate is at the far end! They are already boarding!
Oh, my! That was a close one!
Only now can I immortalize my boarding pass before it’s ripped apart.
I will suggest the bag seller to keep one of these in his shop. ¬¬
Boarding
Look at that! New Chilean ULCC JetSmart’s aircraft feature different local birds on their tails.
That one is a loica, characterized by its red breast feathers. I left some nice photographs of loicas in this tourism bonus.
This is a special morning.
I never thoight that, even inside the jet bridge, I would get stuck in…
…a traffic jam.
Not so jammed inside the cabin.
My seat in my beloved row 24. But I still have some business to do before I take possession of it.
This way.
Sky Airline is an LCC, but it doesn’t fall short…
…in the amenities department.
Soap, toilet paper, and paper towels are available.
More relaxed now, I take the time for a better shot of the loica.
That’s a brand new A320.
I think this laminate flooring is a great choice. It looks so tidier and cleaner than a carpet!
Back in my seat…
…let’s check the contents of the pocket. The inflight magazine…
…features an article about Conguillío national park. Those are araucaria trees.
The menu. We say “exquisito” when food is “delicious” or “wonderful”. This word usually gets us into trouble when we visit Brazil, though. “Exquisito” means “weird” in Portuguese, I think. Please, correct me if I’m wrong.
Tray table. Clean.
Overhead panel. That “Please turn off electronic devices” message makes much more sense than the old “No Smoking” sign that kept going on and off when smoking is forbidden at all times.
Relaxed environment in the cabin.
Outside my window…
…the loica seems ready to fly.
By the way, JetSmart gave this aircraft the name Violeta…
…after Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra, celebrating her centennial birthday.
Good legroom. But… ew!
Plane cemetery - Taxiing
This flight will take us about 830km south of Santiago, to the green fields and fat cows of Osorno.
Time to leave!
He's tall, isn't he?
Pushback.
SCL has more cranes than Dubai these days. XD
This will be a long taxi, by the east roundabout…
…another H2 in the old livery. (Airlines take very long to repaint their aircraft! Sky Airlines changed its corporate image last year, and they only have around 15 planes)…
National departures.
National and international flights mingle on this side.
Which one is going belly up first?
As far as I know, at least one of those guys is “quasi morto”.
You again?!
Whenever I depart from SCL, we taxi past the front side of the control tower. This time we are going around it…
…a Dornier 228-100 belonging to a local charter flight company called CorpFlite…
…the Chilean airline Latin American Wings’ hangar…
…where a new 737 is being prepared to join their fleet.
I like that LAW paint their aircraft themselves. Sky Airline has them painted in El Salvador, by Aeroman.
Then comes a sort of aircraft cemetery with some very interesting specimens. CC-CTO, for example, used to be part of Sky Airline’s fleet, before the company turned to the A319. CC-ADZ is supposed to belong to Latin American Wings, but it’s been stored since 2015.
CC-CSW’s history is a bit confusing, because…
…Aerolíneas del Sur used to be a Chilean airline. It was formerly called Aerolíneas Austral Chile. Even though the owners were Spanish, it was part of Aerolíneas Argentinas. That’s why it has the Aerolíeas Argentinas’ condor on its tail. In time, Aerolíneas del Sur became Air Comet, until it went bankrupt and was partly absorbed by Sky Airline. I get dizzy!
CC-ADZ, mentioned above, was part of US Airways before it came to Chile.
CC-CTO still features the old Sky Airline blue belly. It was being repainted. I wonder why.
…a sort of open-air storage site for the construction of the new terminal.
Breathtaking white - The flight
That’s another bird-branded JetSmart aircraft. They have three in total.
Thanks to Marathon for solving the mystery of these CDs by the runway.
We take our position…
…and take off without delay.
The aircraft cemetery center left.
Every time I take off from SCL…
…I get more and more thrilled…
…to see how the two west piers…
…are taking shape!
The new international terminal should be ready…
…by 2020.
This winter has left…
…glorious snowy views.
One of my favorites: the snow on the highest peaks sublimating…
…under the morning sun.
I see craters everywhere…
…but we're used to that. FYI, we have more than 2,000 volcanoes in Chile. One every two kilometers.
You shouldn't die without visiting…
…some of the local ski resorts.
Portillo, for example, just a short car ride from the city.
Member Loukas laughed when I said that these mountains in the foreground are "just hills".
But it's true! They are not part of the Andes.
Rancagua and river Cachapoal.
Summers are long and warm in this area (Mediterranean weather), but river Cachapoal flows to the Pacific all year long thanks to the melting snow, just like all rivers here.
Maipo volcano is "only" 1,900mt high. But wait! It's just a small "bump" growing inside the 20km-wide cauldron of a larger, super humongous monster volcano! So this volcano is actually… 5,264 meters high!
Thank goodness it's not visible from the valley. Ignorance is bliss, they say!
That must be where river Cachapoal flows from the mountains into the Central Valley, where I spent my childhood.
I lived in several towns south of Rancagua. Requínoa, for example, is where I spent my primary school years. My most cherished childhood memories are there. I can even see my house down there, and the places where I used to play.
A bit farther south…
..there's an even smaller town…
…called Pelequén. My grandfather was 17 when he came from Asturias, Spain, in 1910 and settled here. I read some of the letters that his mother sent him. She missed him, but she never saw him again. He died in 1965.
My uncles and cousins still live there, and that crossroads is where I took the bus to Santiago this morning!
Pelequén happens to be the last town I can see from the plane this time.
From here on…
…all I can see…
…is snow-capped mountains…
…and small valleys…
…covered by native forest.
There are so many breathtaking views between Santiago and Osorno that I just can't choose the best ones for this report. So I prefer to leave them in a slideshow
There comes my favorite volcano!
Descabezado Grande…
…whose crater looks like a cup of milk.
I'm so happy…
…that on this return trip…
…I was able to see…
…all these beautiful sights…
…in compensation…
…for the cludy skies…
…of the outbound trip.
We start descending now.
It looks like…
…we will be met…
…by the usual cold, rainy weather…
…of the south of Chile…
…which reminds me…
…that this morning…
…I left my umbrella…
…in my uncle's house…
…in Pelequén! :'''(
That seems to be angus cattle.
We approach ZOS…
…amidst beautiful fields.
I wonder if my ruminant friends…
…will be waiting for me…
…outside the airport.
Aaaand…
…touchdown!
End of the runway. A bit to the right…
…and then to the left…
…and taxiing…
…back to the terminal.
>
>
>
Back at ZOS
Wow! I'm really popular! XD
And that's how this flight comes to an end. Some technical information.
As disembarking procedures commence swiftly…
…that poor guy gets bored to death after another day without an emergency…
…and the next passengers follow the action from the boarding room.
The rear door won't open…
…until he has finished his job.
Here we go. Brrr!!! It's cold. It's been raining.
Non-slip platform. But, just in case…
…he's waiting there to catch you.
ZOS terminal from the top of the stairs.
In a way, I'm happy that Sky has not repainted all their aircraft yet. Gonna miss the palm-trees. Even though we don't have those thin, flexible, tropical palm-trees in Chile, they are part of Sky's livery because the airline was born in the Caribbean.
Thank goodness…
…the rain has stopped…
…while we walk…
…across the apron.
Last shot of CC-AMP.
While the outbound passengers wait, we walk to…
…baggage claim. From here you go directly outside through that door, which is a bit of a problem because some people try to enter baggage claim to welcome passengers. The guard in the green jacket stops a lady: "Where are you going, madam?" She's taken aback. "I just want to say hello to someone." "You can't be here. Please wait outside," the guard replies. the lady looks a bit embarrased.
I love these little airports, where you can watch all the action…
…including when your baggage is coming…
…and is dropped on the belt.
I leave the building in no time. Transfer vans are waiting outside…
…but I prefer to walk to the road and catch a bus.
I'd better hurry before I'm caught in a shower!
Hey! How have you been?!
Mooocho gusto to see you again!
I'm not the only one using the public transportation.
To wait for the bus to Osorno, you just stand there, across the road. No cover from the rain, and it's starting to drizzle. :(
My mother taught me: Look to the left…
…then to the right.
Here we are. Now let's pray a bus comes before I get soaked.
From the time when the apron was enlarged.
Flying from ZOS turned out to be a nice experience.
Being so accessible and close to my city…
…it makes an excellent option in case I can't find a flight from my hometown
A bus at last! I'm saved!
Before I leave, let me show you something: Outside the bus station…
…you can buy some empanadas…
…or my all.time favorite: milcaos, a kind of potato cakes, traditional in the south of Chile.
I'm telling you! You have not lived until you try them!
Ah! Almost forgot! If you are fast enough, you can get this little present as a token of my appreciation for the flight-reporting community. This time it's a sticker. Penguins are a common sight in Chile, even in the desert! Yes, because they swim all the way up to Atacama (and beyond) following the cold Humboldt current. So, if you want it, just ask for it! I will mail it for free. I only have one. Good luck!
See more
Verdict
Sky Airline
8.5/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering9.0
Santiago - SCL
9.8/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services10.0
Cleanliness10.0
Osorno - ZOS
8.5/10
Efficiency10.0
Access10.0
Services4.0
Cleanliness10.0
Conclusion
Sky Airline In spite of being an LCC, it still has some interesting features. The seats are soft and comfortable, and have good legroom. Even though their inflight entertainment is limited to their magazine, it's more than just ads and a collection of photos of their destinations. Their onboard menu is varied and relatively unexpensive.
SCL I'm a fan of SCL and I'm fascinated by the fast-paced improvements carried out by the new concession holder. Great airport.
ZOS Has all you can expect from a tiny, well kept airport: efficient, clean, easy to navigate, accessible. All this in a magnificent, natural surrounding!
7 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
"What do you do if you have an adventurous spirit, but little money?" - That has never been a problem for the adventurous. ;)
" I make it to Santiago less than one hour before departure time." - Talk about a very close call. Good thing you were able to grab a taxi.
"…and he sends me to a special, shorter queue. God bless him!" - Sounds like a guardian angel in disguise. :P
"This way." - Nice carts! I can see that Sky tried to squeeze every seat that they could by just having 1 lavatory in the back.
"That’s another bird-branded JetSmart aircraft. They have three in total." - Kudos for the creative livery. Kind of reminds me of Frontier here in the U.S. featuring animals on the tail.
" I can even see my house down there, and the places where I used to play." - You are very fortunate to be able to relive those memories, especially from above. Memories become cherished treasures as we get older.
"My grandfather was 17 when he came from Asturias, Spain, in 1910 and settled here." - He chose a beautiful place to emigrate to. Leaving everything behind is not easy and not everyone can do it.
"There are so many breathtaking views between Santiago and Osorno that I just can't choose the best ones for this report." - Amazing!
Thanks for sharing another gorgeous FR. Glad you were able to see your bovine friends again.
I can see that Sky tried to squeeze every seat that they could by just having 1 lavatory in the back.
Er... I'm not sure about that. I'll check if there's a lavatory at the front next time. I visited this one because it was closer! :D
Memories become cherished treasures as we get older.
That's worries me! I'm having more and more cherished memories as of late. I guess that says something about my age!! XDD
Leaving everything behind is not easy and not everyone can do it.
Yes, it must have been very hard for him and his family. But life was lousy in Asturias in those years. My family were poor farmers. That's why I get really pissed off when people complain about immigrants. Lots of them are coming to Chile these days, but they are not moving for the fun of it. And they are definitely not drug dealers and rapists, as some pathetic clown-turned-president said.
Thank you for your report. All pictures you posted intrigued me. Mountains are quite beautiful.Therefore, Your flight seems as if it was a scenic flight.
You're quite right! I think I was very lucky this time. The day was clear and we flew close to the mountains. Sometimes we fly closer to the ocean, which is less attractive. The mountains are not always this white. In fact, this winter was exceptional because it was the first really cold and rainy winter after some six years of rain shortage!
Hey Nelson, thanks for the lovely report, as always. You know, most people want to visit touristic attractions in the USA, Europe, Asia... but we forget the most beautiful landscapes and places in the world are really near from us: Chile, Peru, Brasil, Colombia... I'm so proud to be a Latin American!
"The menu. We say “exquisito” when food is “delicious” or “wonderful”. This word usually gets us into trouble when we visit Brazil, though. “Exquisito” means “weird” in Portuguese, I think. Please, correct me if I’m wrong."
You're correct! As Spanish and Portuguese are very similar languages, we have a lot of these false cognates. For example, in ES, "extrañar" means "to miss (something/someone), while in PT, "estranhar" means "think something's weird". Many Brazilians get confused while in Spanish-speaking countries - that's why Portunhol is so common...
Looking forward to your next reports. Até breve! -João
we forget the most beautiful landscapes and places in the world are really near from us
I couldn't agree more with you! South America is beyond fascinating in all aspects. Of course, the opposite is what we are compelled to believe because it serves a purpose. That might be the reason why we tend to forget this fact.
we have a lot of these false cognates
I was in Brazil (Santa Catarina) the last week of October. You wouldn't believe how we laughed when we talked to our guide!! He gave us so many examples of false cognates and confusing expressions that we laughed until we cried!!
In Chile, when we are bitten by a bug and this leaves a little bump on our skin, we say "Tengo una picadura" (from the verb picar = bite). The guide told us we should NEVER say that because Brazilians will hear "pica dura"!!! I would have never thought of that!! XDDD
And in Brazil you say "vou chupar um pirulito". That's unthinkable for us!!! XDDD Well, unless you have a pica dura!!!! XDDDDDD
Oh my. I'm gonna piss my pants if I keep laughing like this.
I'm not sure if I should be amused or saddened by the fact that nearly all airlines have the same 25x35x55 cm carry-on luggage maximum size (unless they fly really small aircraft), but have varying maximum weights, some as little as 8 kg total including any duty free item. I suspect it has little to do with safety or fuel consumption, and a lot to do with the checked luggage fee. At 10kg for the luggage, excluding the "accessory", Sky Airline is reasonable on this.
Neat Jetsmart livery !
Interesting flooring; I had never seen one like that before !
"As far as I know, at least one of those guys is “quasi morto”." Do not underestimate European skills in futile medical care, when it comes to a flag carrier company.
Good to know that you are no longer worried by these CDs. Whether they worry the birds remains to be proven.
Superb slideshow,... and a piece of bittersweet family history
When Sky implmented what they called "the second stage of their low cost model" I was quite annoyed to learn that carrying baggage in excess of 10kg would become a paid service. But reading some reports here I can see that Sky is still reasonable, as you say. Besides, the checked-baggage fee is only 5000 CLP (8 USD). LATAM's is 16 USD!!
Do not underestimate European skills in futile medical care, when it comes to a flag carrier company
We have some devilish doctors in the neighborhood, too: https://www.lmneuquen.com/ninguna-low-cost-podra-cobrar-menos-que-aerolineas-n560125
Hi Nechus! Thanks for another amazing report with Osorno cows and breathtaking mountains shots (I still can't believe how these mountains close to the Andes can be just hills...). Osorno airport looks so funny, so small and in the middle of this green countryside. I didn't know you have so many volcanoes and I had no idea that Maipo is the name of one of them (I know only Vina Maipo - quite popular chilean wines in my country). The Andes look simply wonderful! Looking forward to seeing soon new Santiago terminal in your reports! Have a nice day! Bye!
Osorno airport looks so funny, so small and in the middle of this green countryside
es, ZOS has a unique atmosphere to it, from which I think they could take better advantage and even profit more. Being a symbol of the region, cows could be better represented in ZOS, I mean, in the form of souvenirs, their logo, signage, etc. They would be promoting the city and Osorno would be in the spot among flyers. But something like that in Chile.... hhmmmfff.... unthinkable.
I had no idea that Maipo is the name of one of them
Ah, there are many things "Maipo" (or "Maipú") here and in Argentina: a river, a district in Santiago, a valley, a canyon... you name it!
Looking forward to seeing soon new Santiago terminal
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#75 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings.
58 reviews
12 Comments
"What do you do if you have an adventurous spirit, but little money?"
- That has never been a problem for the adventurous. ;)
" I make it to Santiago less than one hour before departure time."
- Talk about a very close call. Good thing you were able to grab a taxi.
"…and he sends me to a special, shorter queue. God bless him!"
- Sounds like a guardian angel in disguise. :P
"This way."
- Nice carts! I can see that Sky tried to squeeze every seat that they could by just having 1 lavatory in the back.
"That’s another bird-branded JetSmart aircraft. They have three in total."
- Kudos for the creative livery. Kind of reminds me of Frontier here in the U.S. featuring animals on the tail.
" I can even see my house down there, and the places where I used to play."
- You are very fortunate to be able to relive those memories, especially from above. Memories become cherished treasures as we get older.
"My grandfather was 17 when he came from Asturias, Spain, in 1910 and settled here."
- He chose a beautiful place to emigrate to. Leaving everything behind is not easy and not everyone can do it.
"There are so many breathtaking views between Santiago and Osorno that I just can't choose the best ones for this report."
- Amazing!
Thanks for sharing another gorgeous FR. Glad you were able to see your bovine friends again.
Er... I'm not sure about that. I'll check if there's a lavatory at the front next time. I visited this one because it was closer! :D
That's worries me! I'm having more and more cherished memories as of late. I guess that says something about my age!! XDD
Yes, it must have been very hard for him and his family. But life was lousy in Asturias in those years. My family were poor farmers. That's why I get really pissed off when people complain about immigrants. Lots of them are coming to Chile these days, but they are not moving for the fun of it. And they are definitely not drug dealers and rapists, as some pathetic clown-turned-president said.
Glad to hear from you!
Best ^^
Mountains are quite beautiful.Therefore, Your flight seems as if it was a scenic flight.
You're quite right! I think I was very lucky this time. The day was clear and we flew close to the mountains. Sometimes we fly closer to the ocean, which is less attractive. The mountains are not always this white. In fact, this winter was exceptional because it was the first really cold and rainy winter after some six years of rain shortage!
Glad to know you liked the pictures! ^_^
Best
"The menu. We say “exquisito” when food is “delicious” or “wonderful”. This word usually gets us into trouble when we visit Brazil, though. “Exquisito” means “weird” in Portuguese, I think. Please, correct me if I’m wrong."
You're correct! As Spanish and Portuguese are very similar languages, we have a lot of these false cognates. For example, in ES, "extrañar" means "to miss (something/someone), while in PT, "estranhar" means "think something's weird". Many Brazilians get confused while in Spanish-speaking countries - that's why Portunhol is so common...
Looking forward to your next reports. Até breve!
-João
I couldn't agree more with you! South America is beyond fascinating in all aspects. Of course, the opposite is what we are compelled to believe because it serves a purpose. That might be the reason why we tend to forget this fact.
I was in Brazil (Santa Catarina) the last week of October. You wouldn't believe how we laughed when we talked to our guide!! He gave us so many examples of false cognates and confusing expressions that we laughed until we cried!!
In Chile, when we are bitten by a bug and this leaves a little bump on our skin, we say "Tengo una picadura" (from the verb picar = bite). The guide told us we should NEVER say that because Brazilians will hear "pica dura"!!! I would have never thought of that!! XDDD
And in Brazil you say "vou chupar um pirulito". That's unthinkable for us!!! XDDD Well, unless you have a pica dura!!!! XDDDDDD
Oh my. I'm gonna piss my pants if I keep laughing like this.
Neat Jetsmart livery !
Interesting flooring; I had never seen one like that before !
"As far as I know, at least one of those guys is “quasi morto”."
Do not underestimate European skills in futile medical care, when it comes to a flag carrier company.
Good to know that you are no longer worried by these CDs. Whether they worry the birds remains to be proven.
Superb slideshow,... and a piece of bittersweet family history
Thanks for sharing !
We have some devilish doctors in the neighborhood, too:
https://www.lmneuquen.com/ninguna-low-cost-podra-cobrar-menos-que-aerolineas-n560125
Thanks for commenting!!
es, ZOS has a unique atmosphere to it, from which I think they could take better advantage and even profit more. Being a symbol of the region, cows could be better represented in ZOS, I mean, in the form of souvenirs, their logo, signage, etc. They would be promoting the city and Osorno would be in the spot among flyers. But something like that in Chile.... hhmmmfff.... unthinkable.
Ah, there are many things "Maipo" (or "Maipú") here and in Argentina: a river, a district in Santiago, a valley, a canyon... you name it!
I'm eager!!
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