Review of Peruvian Airlines flight Lima → Cusco in Economy

Hello again,

Let's continue this trip with some intra Peruvian flights!

lima (lim)

The access to the airport is a pure mess. 90" for a bit less than 20KM and just 45'' for the last 3KM. I haven't seen anything more chaotic than here…

Inside the terminal is quite large and there is plenty of space. I head to the Peruvian counter. I had been warned that the airline is not doing well and is a big specialist of delays, cancellations and more. Today I will experience the delay and most of all the "more" … you'll see below ^^
If you watch the board, it is around 08H45, the Peruvian flight to Cusco at 0945 is cancelled, the flight to Arequipa at 0450 is at last call and the 0620 flight to Jauja is … scheduled :) :)

I give my passeport and a copy of the electronic ticket to the agent that gives it back to me. He says with my passport he'll find the reservation. Fine enough.
After a lot of typing he informs that he doesn't find anything and … asks for the printed etkt.
He has a look at the paper and notices the flight number. He tells me that my flight doesn't exist anymore since … 5 months.

So my 1120 flight is a ghost flight. Nobody at Peruvian took the time to either call me or mail me. The agent says this is pretty normal, they are understaffed and barely contact anyone. I ask him on which flight I have been reprotected. Answer : none.

He offers me the 0945 flight which is in a good hour but the flight is full so only wait list to be confirmed at the gate. He also puts me, confirmed on the 0200PM flight. No better alternative as P9 hasn't any interline agreement in Peru, nor worldwide :)

As an alternate he also offers me to contact the service center by phone to get a full refund and to rebook myself on any other airline. As the service center did not even bother to contact me to inform about the cancellation of the service, I don't bother with trying to get a refund and accept the stand by + the confirmed seat on the afternoon flight, crossing my fingers the first flight will have at least a single seat available for me :)

He hands me over my BP for both flights and I don't loose more time and go straight to the gate.

This way up to the gates:

A kind of food court:

And the security controls :

On the way to the gate:

Number 7th ground level

Boarding is in progress, expected take off 09:45

I introduce my self and I am asked to wait until the end of the boarding. I am adviced that all passengers had checked in but to be confident as there are usually always passengers that do not show up.

The boarding is a zoo, they don't scan BP's they do all by hand, the passenger gives its pass, the agent checks and crosses the sequence number on a paper, gives the small stub back and does it again for the next one. And she is alone in doing this process…
After around 20 passengers, she stops and types the numbers in the computer. And starts again !

Boarding took 30'' and at 09H30, ETD -15 8 pax are missing. It looked pretty good but … she will make no less than 7 last calls. A colleague next door went through the terminal with a megaphone to call remaining passengers to Cusco.

5 minutes before departure 6 passengers had arrived, I should then be good to go. But they will continue to look for the last two passengers for another 10 minutes and of course, they found them. They closed the gate 10 minutes past ETD. If they had closed it on time I would have gotten a seat. I am pretty angry  but ok, I'm on holiday.

The agent gaves me my boarding pass for the afternoon flight. I am glad to secure a window seat but something doesn't match : boarding 02H05P for departure 02H00P. That looks like they already have a delay. And in fact yes, the flight now leaves 0250P ..

LIM only offers 15' WIFI free of charge and roaming is not an option, I make my way to a paid lounge and will make a big mistake :)

newrest lounge lim airport

The first lounge I found was the Newrest lounge with a paid access of USD 20.- Apart from the warm welcome all the rest was almost below zero. If I had looked further, I would have noticed the LATAM lounge which is much, much better.

This is the buffet:

Juices, some cake, some fruit and far right ham. There was also a soup but that was it. The juices were at room temperature and there was no ice of any kind. There was also a soft drink fountain but without ice it is not really nice.

A few pictures of the lounge that has no view nor any window:

Toilets were ok:

For this loooong wait, I elected to seat here, at least it was pretty comfortable and the wifi worked

I wasn't the only one to wait:

Some more lounge pictures:

Some sandwiches and sweets were added to the buffet and I gave them a try:

As I was about to go to my gate a further delay was anounced: 0315PM. The flight for Jauja is now cancelled.
After a quick invetsigation it seems that P9 decided to give us the aircraft that was scheduled for the delayed Jauja flight as there was another flight leaving later in the afternoon while our flight to Cusco was the last one.

The board gives a good image of what P9 loves the most: delays. Jauja, cancelled, Tacna 02H30 delay, Cusco 01H15. Peruvian is now bankrupt, sad for the staff but so much better for the passengers.

the flight … at least!

At 02PM ways too early, I am fed up with the lounge and decide to head to the gate area.

If Peruvian says "Confirmado" we shall be good.

An airport map:

Upstairs there are connected gates, downstairs it is bus only.

Star Peru is another strugglin Peruvian airline:

LAN or TAM or LATAM,  A320:

Our gate screen:

Boarding started at 0230P and as for the morning flight it was a mess. Two flights were boarding next to each other, two by bus. See the bus straight ahead that is ours, but the lane right was also boarding … in the bus behind!

After a long wait, we finally met our plane! This old 735 was delivered new to Lufthansa in 1991. In 2016 LH stored it and P9 took it over in 2017.

Let's go:

The door:

Fuselage shoot:

Before climbing the stairs I saw a stewardess in the galley but upon entering the plane, nobody anymore. Here the galley, void of humans and … trolleys :)

The cabin was still in the LH outfit, with clearly the worst seat we have in Europe (the LH seats are hard, slim and mostly hated by all passengers here!). And again, no sign of the crew:

Two cabin crews were chatting in the rear galley and the purser was chatting in the cockpit :(

Note the various reclines of the seat. My recline button stays in my hands when I tried to use it :)

No, that cabin is definitively not good looking:

Look at the space between the seat "cushion" and the seat back. Even my co-pax seems not to believe that ^^

PSU:

Boarding in process:

Safety card:

P9 became just a few weeks before a BOB airline:

There isn't that much but at least, it wasn't expensive. There is also a nice onboard magazine. And in english :)

Le pa(cha mama)s est bon :

The pitch was good:

We waited a solid 20 minutes until the second bus came.

As there is nothing else to do, I went to check the back of the plane:

Rear Fuselage Shoot:

Without the door:

The cabin as seen from the back:

A/C map:

I go back to my seat:

My god, those seats were so uncomfortable!

LH cabin wall, that was the original pannel:

Next to us a LATAM A320:

Eventually the doors were closed, the flight isn't completely full:

Viva and LATAM:

Peruvian 733:

ATSA, Fokker:

A320neo LATAM:

733 P9:

Taxiing:

Runway 15 for us:

Some military birds and more P9 birds:

This Cargo Antonov just arrived:

I miss those good old 732!!

Viva Air also bound to CUZ:

Some more 737:

Almost sure that those732 will never fly again:

More aircrafts and helicopters:

Off to Cusco! Can't wait!!

Lima:

Miraflores:

I stayed the night before at the JW Marriott below: (the black building)

Sadly more clouds, I don't think I'll see the Andes this time :(

I give the BOB a try:

I took an Inca cola and a sandwich ham and cheese for 2€50 in total, really cheap. Lots of foreigners do not like the Inca cola but I have to say, I kind of liked it :)

Close  to Cusco, the sky begins to clear a bit:

And it's beautiful:

I need to fight with the wing to take good pictures!

Cusco in sight!

Cusco's airport is in the middle of the city!

We need to pass it first before making a U-Turn. Mountains and the city are surrounding the terrain.

Cusco is quite big with 400'000 inhabitants:

The approach is really something!

We make a sharp turn:

As the terrain is above 3'500 meters the landing might be something!!

Speachless…

Almost on ground:

And here are we:

Flaps, spoilers, slats, reverses all together! And you still having the feeling you don't decelerate!

No taxi way here, U turn on the runway:

.

We parked there:

Two last interior shoots:

And deplaning, the purser was standing at the door but neither did she bid farewell nor did she smile. Sad.

Arrived! At least!

My bag was, again, one of the last delivered :)

Thank you very much for reading, stay tuned for the return leg in business with Avianca!