Review of LATAM flight Valdivia Santiago in Economy

Airline LATAM
Flight LA240
Class Economy
Seat 4L
Aircraft Airbus A320
Flight time 01:25
Take-off 10 Jan 17, 16:00
Arrival at 10 Jan 17, 17:25
LA   #35 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 212 reviews
Pilpintu
By 662
Published on 22nd January 2017
January.

Summer holidays in Chile.

Hundreds of thousands flee from the scorching heat and the suffocating smog of Santiago to the cooler south of the country, or to the beaches of the north.

Only a deranged mind, a WACKO, would plan a trip to that city this time of year!!

Welcome to my flight to Santiago :'''(


Unfortunately, there are no direct flights between cities located south and north of Santiago (SCL) so I'll have to make a stop there on my way to Iquique (IQQ), a beach city some 2200km north of my hometown, Valdivia (ZAL). This stop at hell-hot SCL is a little sacrifice I will have to make, but it's worth the pain.

This is leg 1 of 7 of this trip:
photo mapa  viaje 01
If you like, you can also read the reports for legs 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, and 7.


BUT…

…before we continue with the flight, I have some very important news:

I used to complain about LATAM's dissapointing in-flight service. This is what I was given on my last flight within Chile, when I was expecting a muffin:
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I commented that this kind of service could prove more harmful than benefitial for an airline, and that it should be changed.

Well…

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
>>>>>>>>>>DRRRRRRRRRUMROLLLLLLLLLLL<<<<<<<<<<


BEHOLD LATAM'S
"NUEVO SERVICIO A BORDO" !!!!!!

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Learn some Spanish with me:
nuevo = new
servicio = service
a bordo = on board

Get it?

The image above is part of an email I received from LATAM last November 10.

Here's the complete message:
photo boblatam2
In the blue box they tell about new fare types allowing to "pay only for what you need". In the green box they inform about a new kilometer-exchange policy. And in the pink box… they announce their new BOB service!!! Looks like LATAM is slowly adopting an LCC model!

That's great news!! According to LATAM's press release, all this will start this year in domestic flights within Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, and fares are expected to become around 20% cheaper.

LATAM will be facing a complicated scenario in 2017, with a brand new Chilean LCC—Paravai—starting operations this year, British Airways flying non-stop between Santiago and London, Alitalia and other european airlines making a comeback at SCL, and Sky Airline—the second largest Chilean airline—introducing an even more aggressive low-cost model.

Back to my flight report…


"We understand how frustrating this can be"


Excited at the prospect of visiting a new city, I purchase my ticket months in advance.

I can select a window seat immediately.
photo asiento02b
So I'm all set for flight LA247 on January 10 at 3:15 pm, right?

Yes, until LATAM drops this bombshell via email one month before the flight. In three languages, in case I want to ignore my fate.
photo we understand3
My hands start shaking and I am sweating cold. No, LATAM. "Frustrated" does not start to describe how I feel.

LATAM offers to reschedule both legs of my flight and sends me a link to their propuesta de itinerario (itinerary proposal).

Here's their suggestion, showing the cancelled and the proposed flights:
photo conf01b12
According to this, my new outbound flight will leave 45 minutes later, and my flight back home, 75 minutes later.

No big deal. I accept.
photo confirm02b2
Done. ^^


Check in


I can check in 48 hours before ETD.

In step 4 of the process I am offered a seat with more legroom in rows 1 or 13 for 4000 CLP (6 USD), or closer to the exit in rows 2 and 3 for 3000 CLP (4.5 USD).
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No thanks. I'm fine. ^^
The seat next to me has not yet been taken. Great!

I can download my boarding pass to my cellphone or as a printable PDF file.
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The smoking airport


Pichoy—which, according to some sources, means "smoking" in the local native language—is a place some 30km north of Valdivia. It is where Valdivia's airport is located.

Pichoy airport (ZAL) is one of the most easily accesible airports I have ever seen. It's barely 150mt from the only road running north from Valdivia, which makes it difficult to find some locomotion that won't take you there!

So I'm not taking a transfer today. I will just wait at this ramshackle bus stop near the Calle Calle bridge and see what happens.
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Hm… a JAC to Villarrica is coming. I wonder if…
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Yes! They take me to the airport. How much do they charge me? You won't believe it: 500 CLP (0.7 USD)
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It's just a "symbolic" amount. The assistant will probably keep it.
We arrive at the airport access in about ten minutes. It was faster than I expected. So much so, that I had to get up quickly and ask the driver to stop.

The bus stop is right across the access to the airport, and the terminal is barely 100mts from the road. See that car?
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I take this photo from the place where the car was.
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Offices in yellow, the main hall at the bottom.
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Wonderful! The counters are empty. I check my bag in no time.
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I'm told that my boarding pass will have to be printed even though I downloaded it to my cellphone because of some problems with QR code readers.
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She also tells me that we will be boarding on foot through gate 3. No jetbridge today. Well, that's great news for a flight reporter!

First thing first. I need a restroom… badly. The restrooms are here on the left, next to these shops.
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Oops!
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To the second floor. I can make it…! I can make it…!

Here we are.
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Phew! That was close!
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Feeling in control of myself again, I am in the mood for a tour around the premises. The cafeteria on the second floor…
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…and some views on the main hall.
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Some local products that you can purchase at the shops on the first (ground) floor. I don't like beer, but the local one has quite a good reputation in Chile. Its production is one of the businesses started by German immigrants in the area in the 1800s. Flavored versions like this one have become very popular.
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Chocolates are another local delicacy, even though not a single cocoa tree has ever grown in Chile.
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So much for this nonsense. Let's go airside and make ourselves comfortable.

I'm the first one! I see the seats have been arranged in a smarter way.
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They used to be lined up along the wall and the window, leaving a big space in the middle, but now they are all over the room. The window is more accessible now, so I can take pictures more easily. Fantastic!
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Gate 3. Our gate today…
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…and the jetbridge that we won't be using today.
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Hola, don Arturo! SCL was named after this guy.
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Something that is becoming a chronic shortcoming in Chilean airports: the lack of charging ports for electronic devices. But I'm in for a surprise, as you will see in a future report. ^^
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I take a seat and prepare myself to enjoy the view of the apron while everything gets ready for the arrival of flight LA241. According to flightradar24.com, it will be landing in 24 minutes. Hey! I didn't know that the shortest way between Santiago and Sydney passed over my head!
photo screenshot_2017-01-10-15-12-07b

So, this will be 24 minutes of flight-reporting joy, right?

>SIGH<

Child's Play


A group made up of two posh, thin, blond women and three very noisy children come through security check. The children start running around the boarding room screaming at the top of their lungs, and—this rotten luck of mine—they choose MY group of seats to run around them once and again. At first I pretend I don't care. They're just kids playing, right? But soon it becomes too much and I feel an urgent need to stretch my leg casually and see if one of them lands on his mouth, especially this one in the photograph, that we'll call Chucky.
photo monster

Posh, thin, blond mommy and auntie do nothing at all for the first ten minutes. When they finally realize that those monsters are annoying the rest of us, mommy tries to hold Chucky by the hand, but he goes instantly into dinosaur mode, crying, screaming, and roaring uncontrollably, so she releases him again. Then she takes him in her arms, and now this THING won't stop screaming, kicking and punching her with his tiny fists, making the most terrifying noises. I don't think he needs discipline. He needs exorcism!

She just fans Chucky's red face with a magazine when she sees that he is running out of oxygen. We all comment how different things were when we were children, and how our mothers would have put an end to a tantrum like this efectively.

The dinosaur mode continues for the rest of the waiting time, when Chucky wants to open the gate himself, when he wants to run out to the apron, when he wants to board the plane, and when he wats to get off. My - god. I am thankful that I was in row 4, and they were far, far behind.

Thank goodness those 24 minutes of agony come to an end when CC-BFD arrives.
photo img_9920photo img_9921

It features LAN's livery…
photo img_9925

…with a little Colombian flag above the Chilean star and red stripe. Isn't that a serious identity problem?
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Well, let's call it business.
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It comes to a halt in a remote position. Well, remote is an exaggeration here. ^^
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We all jump to our feet and queue up in a single line, as we are required, while the ground staff get down to work.
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Boarding


Gate 3 opens. Everybody hurries outside as if the plane were going to leave without them. I take it as a stroll.
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Somebody asked me about this green fire truck in a previous report. I found some interesting information here.
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A very kind male FA is welcoming the passengers at the rear door.
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Good boy. Show what you can do, OK?
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Is it really necessary to change this beautiful livery for that of an ambulance???
photo img_9951
I completely forget to take a photo of the cabin and my seat on boarding. Must be a consequence of the stress I am just overcoming. I'll solve that later.

Legroom is OK for me, but not for my much taller neighbour. I'm 170cm tall, but I feel like a dwarf next to him!
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The tray table looks OK, but don't forget that tray tables are the germiest spot on an airplane.
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Besides, it looks like a little Picasso used this one as his canvas.
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The seatback contents. This aircraft has the old seats, not the new Recaro ones.
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LATAM's inflight magazine features a beautiful cover this month.
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According to this ad, this hunky grandpa has not been photoshopped at all. Well… surgery, silicone and a lot of make up can make miracles! You don't have that skin at that age, no matter how often you go to the gym.
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Our bags have been loaded.
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Looks like they've finished their job for the moment.
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Safety instructions, both sides.
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Old-fashioned overhead panel.
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Some minutes later the safety instructions are played on the overhead screens.
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According to flightradar24.com, we are some minutes late.
photo flightradarphoto time2
The captain acknowledges this and says that he will try to make up for the delay.


The flight


Pushback at last. Maybe we were waiting for this Sky Airline to arrive?
photo img_9954

In such a little airport, taxiing is always short.
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Summer holidays… here we go!!
photo img_9963

I'm almost sorry I'm changing the green scenery around Valdivia for the dry north of the country.
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The little town of San José de la Mariquina.
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We head to the north.
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These trips to/from Valdivia have made me familiar with those two: Villarrica and Lanín volcanoes.
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Minutes after takeoff the snack service starts. Here comes the surprise. No BOB yet, but the free snack has improved greatly!

The FA hands us a sort of menu displaying four snack options: a salty pastry, a sweet pastry, a cereal bar, and a bag of mixed nuts and raisins. She says we can choose two out of those four options.
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My selection: the salty pastry and the bag of nuts.
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The cheese scone tastes great!
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The bag of nuts proudly displays the words producto chileno. Oh, I feel so proud that we can produce a bag of nuts. A tear of patriotic joy is running down my cheek. Please, let me know when we can produce a competent government, too.
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We continue our placid flight over the fields of the Central Valley with its dozens of towns where life revolves around agriculture, like San Carlos, north of river Ñuble. (It's Ñuble, not Nuble. Ñ = French GN)
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Intermitently, I watch Canadians playing pranks on their kinsmen.
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I'm happy to see that Aculeo lagoon has not run dry yet, in spite of the drought. I have to apologize. In previous reports I confused this lagoon and a nearby reservoir, Carén lagoon. I'll have to fix that.
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We reach the valley of Santiago…
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…and the southern suburbs of this monstruous, hypertrophied city.
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We're flying quite close to the center.
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That's O'Higgins park, named after Bernardo O'Higgins, the bastard son of Ambrose O'Higgins, an Irish man who served the Spanish empire in Chile. Bernardo fought for Chile's independence and everybody loves him now, even though he became a dictator.
photo img_0024

River Mapocho flows through the city from east to west, going round San Cristóbal hill.
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The most well-off part of the city is beyond San Cristóbal hill. In this photo you see the business district, also called Sanhattan, tongue in cheek.
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Bottom right, Santiago's pride and joy: Costanera Center, its tallest tower. You can climb to the observation deck on its top. Take some paracetamol with you for a possible headache caused by the height.
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U-turn. We are approaching the runway now.
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Down, down, down…
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…military aircraft…
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…and touchdown.
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The domestic flights area of the terminal. We will surely park next to that Sky Airline aircraft.
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Yep, here we go.
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Now we'll turn right…
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…eh? What's wrong? Why are we going to the left?!
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Ah, we'll park in a remote position across from the terminal.
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Well, that's OK with me. I have a nice view of the cranes working at the new terminals, and I love a bus ride around the apron. I'll take it as a bonus.
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Everybody in the airplane seems to love Santiago. They vie to get off first. They must be running away from Chucky, who didn't stop roaring (yes, ROARING) the whole flight.
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I'm not in a hurry. I take the time to get this pic of the worn armrest…
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…the antimacassar…
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…and my seat.
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Finally, a snapshot of the empty cabin. This very friendly FA has no inconvenience in posing for the photograph. He's very nice, isn't he? R U reading this, Sky Airline???
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I completely forget about the shuttle bus and keep taking photographs as I climb down the stairs. Then I realize that all the passengers are already on the bus… waiting for me!! I jump into the bus and the closing doors almost pinch my buttocks. I take this photo from inside the bus.
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I'm not their favorite person at the moment.
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Even though we are just across from the terminal, the bus ride is long and intrincate. We go west…
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…and then east…
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…and west again, until we are dropped at baggage claim.
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Remember this is the first leg of my trip to Iquique. The flight from Santiago to that city is scheduled for the next day at 6 in the morning. I have family in Santiago, but there's no point in crossing the whole city in order to sleep four or five hours, so I decide to stay at the airport overnight. I think I can sleep on those comfortable airport seats.

I should have thought twice.

Anyways, I kill the time walking around the terminal. I find a stand with information about the building work.

An informative flyer, both sides:
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There's also a looping video on which high executives of the Nuevo Pudahuel concessionary tell about the new airport… with a strong French accent.
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Even though SCL's official name is Aeropuerto Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez, people used to call it Aeropuerto Pudahuel for short, since that's the name of the area where it's located.

I go outside and take some photos of the construction site.
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The night will soon fall over Santiago. I'd better go inside and find a place where I can sleep until 4 a.m. If only I had known how terribly long this sleepless night would be!
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See more

Verdict

LATAM

1.3/10
Cabin1.0
Cabin crew2.0
Entertainment/wifi1.0
Meal/catering1.0

Valdivia - ZAL

9.3/10
Efficiency10.0
Access10.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0

Santiago - SCL

8.0/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.0

Conclusion

Great domestic flight with LATAM. Snack service redesigned, renovated and improved in spite of the annoucement that it will be replaced by a BOB within this year.

Lovely cabin crew.

Information on the route Valdivia (ZAL) Santiago (SCL)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 15 avis concernant 3 compagnies sur la ligne Valdivia (ZAL) → Santiago (SCL).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est LATAM avec 7.2/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 1 heures et 27 minutes.

  More information

4 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 382963 by
    jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
    Hi Nelson and thank you for sharing another fascinating intra-Chilean FR.

    "BEHOLD LATAM'S "NUEVO SERVICIO A BORDO" !!!!!!"
    - For a moment by just looking at the picture I thought that LA will be serving a sandwich and fresh squeezed orange juice to everyone on domestic flights. That would have been an improvement of seismic proportions.

    "Looks like LATAM is slowly adopting an LCC model!"
    - So is BA on intra-European flights. Maybe it's a fever afflicting Oneworld carriers.

    "The bus stop is right across the access to the airport, and the terminal is barely 100mts from the road. See that car?"
    - Part of the charm of a small airport.

    "Isn't that a serious identity problem?"
    - It has a multinational identity. The best of all world. ;)

    "Phew! That was close!"
    - I'm relieved to read that you were able to make it. :P

    "These trips to/from Valdivia have made familiar with those two: Villarrica and Lanín volcanoes."
    - Stunning shot!

    Gorgeous aerials of SCL and the informative narrative is appreciated.

    Gracias de nuevo y hasta pronto.
    • Comment 383105 by
      Pilpintu TEAM AUTHOR 997 Comments
      Hola!

      That would have been an improvement of seismic proportions.

      Cataclysmic, indeed. But it's not gonna happen. :(

      Part of the charm of a small airport.

      You should visit Temuco airport (ZCO). Getting there is not charming at all. It's 200 meters from a main road, but they managed to place the access as distant from the terminal as possible. :P On the other hand, I'll be reporting on La Serena airport (LSC) very soon, and it is even better than ZAL in this aspect!!

      I'm relieved to read that you were able to make it.

      Thank you. Me too. :3

      Nos vemos! ^^
  • Comment 383127 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    ¡Hola Nelson! Your reports are always guaranteed entertainment, laughs, and always visually stunning.

    I am surprised that LATAM don't fly any point-to-point routes from Southern to Northern Chile. Sure SCL is well located as a central hub for North/South flows, but surely there must be enough demand for some point-to-point to popular destinations in the summer.

    "BEHOLD LATAM'S "NUEVO SERVICIO A BORDO" !!!!!!"
    - Ay Qué emoción! Y pues...nada :-P You build me up with excitement and it comes crashing down! Womp womp...I had a feeling that would be B.O.B.

    "Learn some Spanish with me"
    - Hah! I ove it. Language lessons inside FRs; what a good idea!

    "and fares are expected to become around 20% cheaper."
    - Yeah, right....we'll see if that happens!

    "In step 4 of the process I am offered a seat with more legroom in rows 1 or 13 for 4000 CLP (6 USD)"
    - Granted the prices are reasonable, but row 1 isn't really worth it. The legroom isn't better, if anything it's worse because of the wall, you can't stretch out your legs.

    "Well, remote is an exaggeration here. ^^"
    - LOL, yeah, it's more like adjacent

    "Is it really necessary to change this beautiful livery for that of an ambulance???"
    - I know! What a travesty. The LAN livery is seriously one of the most beautiful liveries! The new LATAM livery is sooooo boring, and that squiggly tornado looking logo...wtf is that!?! Yeah, I know it's meant to be in the shape of South America, but it's just looks like a red tornado. Maybe the new colors will grow on me. I need to see them in real life. I didn't like the AA livery at first, but now I love it. So I may change my mind, lol

    "Besides, it looks like a little Picasso used this one as his canvas."
    - Or another Chucky!

    Beautiful aerial shots as always! Looks like it was a perfect clear day for flying. And Santiago is looking smog-free, unlike Lima :-)

    "I have a nice view of the cranes working at the new terminals,"
    - Any idea when the new terminals are due to open?

    "'so I decide to stay at the airport overnight. I think I can sleep on those comfortable airport seats.
    I should have thought twice."
    - Ack! What a scary thought! Was there no lounge open overnight that you could have paid to access to relax for a few hours?

    Thanks again for another great report! It's a LATAM week on Flight-Report this week!
    • Comment 383222 by
      Pilpintu TEAM AUTHOR 997 Comments
      Hola Kevin!

      surely there must be enough demand for some point-to-point to popular destinations in the summer.

      In theory it should be like that, but LATAM and other airlines don’t seem to think so. However, there are regular flights between cities IN the north, and between cities IN the south. In fact, I’ll be reporting on an Arica - Iquique flight very soon, but even in that flight Iquique was a stop on the way to Santiago.

      I had a feeling that would be B.O.B.

      LOL I’m sorry. It was too good to be true.

      The new LATAM livery is sooooo boring, and that squiggly tornado looking logo

      LAN changed its livery a lot of times in the past. My favorite was the one with the red and blue ribbons running from tail to nose, with the LanChile logo. Of course, that was when LAN was still the Chilean flag carrier. I cross my fingers that this horrible current livery will be only a transition to something better.

      Any idea when the new terminals are due to open?

      No idea. They say the works should be finished by 2020. In Chilean time, that would mean somewhere near 2060.

      Was there no lounge open overnight that you could have paid to access to relax for a few hours?

      Yes, but for some silly reason I thought I would be able to sleep comfortably on the floor or on a seat, and then I became a real Uncle Scrooge and thought that paying for a couple hours of rest would be a waste of money. I’m not repeating the experience, anyways. I’ll pay happily next time. ^^

      Your reports are always guaranteed entertainment

      Happy to hear that! The next report is almost ready and will be posted soon.

      Thanks for commenting!! ^^

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