Review of LAN Peru flight Lima San Francisco in Business

Airline LAN Peru
Flight LP 2608
Class Business
Seat 5A
Flight time 09:15
Take-off 31 Dec 10, 01:15
Arrival at 31 Dec 10, 07:30
LP 16 reviews
jetsetpanda
By 2780
Published on 8th November 2013
Once I arrived LIM, I went through security for my connecting flight to SFO and spent some time at the lounges. Initially I went to the Sumaq lounge but since it was so crowded the attendant suggested me to visit the VIP one nearby. Upon entering I found it to be quiet and very spacious compared to Sumaq. I was surprised that there were few people using this lounge instead. The snacks were similar to what one finds in Sumaq with the only difference that it lacked shower rooms.

I settled myself in a quiet room that was decorated in a modern touch with a glass of guanabana juice and some munchies.

photo LIM lounge (800x600)


VIP Lounge




With plenty of time to spare, I headed back to the Sumaq lounge for a shower. I let the attendant know and she soon got the bathroom ready. When I entered there was a package with bath and hand towels, an individual sample of Pantene shampoo and a small bar of soap. No luxury brands or kits as some other lounges around the world, but it will do. The bathroom was spacious with room to place your luggage but the shower door was a bit ajar and did not quite close.

Sorry for not taking pictures of the Sumaq lounge but it was still crowded and I did not want to draw attention. I only took pictures of the bathroom.

photo LIM lounge bathroom (1) (800x600)photo LIM lounge bathroom (2) (800x600)


I then ventured into the terminal to check out some of the shops.




Pretty soon it was time to board the flight and there was already a crowd by the gate. Agents showed up about 40 min. before the flight but the gate was cordoned off with security staff. Personally I think LAN could have handled this better by allowing connecting passengers enter the secured area by showing the boarding passes. A table was set up with 3 security agents ready to check the carry-ons. I heard by name being called and a security agent took my original boarding pass to the agent working at the counter. He then came to me and asked me to wait until boarding saying that everything was ok and I could board with my original GRU-LIM boarding pass. Later an announcement was made for the connecting passengers to board. I placed my bag on the table to be inspected and the agent just opened it up and did a quick check. I entered the plane and the FA's were already positioned at the door to welcome passengers. Pre-take off drinks were offered and then amenity kits were passed. A FA introduced herself and asked me if I wanted a blanket. I accepted her offer and she opened a duvet from the plastic bag and handed it to me. Right before take off the purser came to me asking if I could switch seats with a couple in row 5 because one of the seats did not work. I will occupy the good one and no one will be seating next to me. I agreed and the couple thanked me profusely to accepting to change seats.

Cabin

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (15) (800x599)


Once airborne, hot towels were passed and FA's asked passengers to fill out the breakfast card and whether they will partake of the snack service. I decided to try the snack and filled out the card requesting juice, yogurt, bread and a hot omelette for breakfast about 1.5 hrs before arrival.

The snack service was the same that I received from Lima to Sao Paulo. Afterwards a FA came around handling bottles of water. For some reason she skipped me in the last row and I brought that to another FA's attention. Right away the FA distributing the water came to me and gave me a bottle.


Drink of choice with nuts

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (800x600)


Snack

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (2) (800x507)


I surfed through the channels and then dozed off somewhere between Quito and Mexico. I woke up and read some magazines before breakfast was brought. I tried to ring the call button for some water but discovered that it was not functioning along with the overhead light with only the individual one attached to the seat working. I brought this up to the attention of the purser when he passed by and he explained that they were experiencing some mechanical issues and asked me if I needed anything at all. My pictures did not come out very good because of the light problems.

The breakfast came and it was a real disappointment. The omelette was the ugliest breakfast that I have seen. It had dark spots around it and tasted hard and watery. I assume that the orange patty was some sort of potato hash that was salty and why even bother with the meager amount of mushrooms. It was just disgusting and I should have ordered the cold cuts and cheese instead. The warm bread was shaped like a croissant but was more doughy than flaky. It was made bearable with the dulce de leche spread and fruit jam.


Breakfast

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (10) (800x599)


What the heck is this? Not fit for human consumption.

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (8) (800x584)


At least we had dulce de leche spread to make things bearable.

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (11) (800x551)


Bad bread

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (9) (800x600)


Cabin before landing

photo LA 2608 LIM-SFO  (17) (800x561)

We landed on time and the bags for J passengers took forever to arrive at the carrousel, obviously not following proper priority protocol.


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Verdict

LAN Peru

6.5/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew7.5
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Meal/catering2.0

Independent Sumaq VIP Lounge

7.4/10
Comfort7.5
Meal/catering7.5
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Services7.5

Lima - LIM

8.0/10
Efficiency7.0
Access7.5
Services8.5
Cleanliness9.0

San Francisco - SFO

9.2/10
Efficiency8.5
Access9.5
Services9.5
Cleanliness9.5

Conclusion

My flights on LAN were for the most part quite enjoyable (except for this last segment back to SFO) and FA's were professional and well groomed. The service style tends to be very formal and structured, unlike the more casual and chatty attitude that Americans are accustomed to. Perhaps that is why some people tend to perceive them as aloof and cold but personally I tend to prefer this type of style better. Call buttons were answered right away and FA's were very proactive in helping passengers settle down. Having said that, there were a few quirky things that I noticed when flying with them. For example, during the SFO-LIM flight, FA's tended to looked everywhere for duvets and pillows before their breaks and even asking passengers if they will use theirs. In addition, when requesting for items that they didn't have, they limited to answer no with a smile. Maybe it is a language issue but it would be more professional to apologize for the lack of things and then say no. I would not hesitate to fly them again in J and I think overall they perform better than its North American counterparts.

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8 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 92152 by
    lagentsecret 12186 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this FR

    LIM's lounges are average at best and the shower is basic

    Collation doesn't look appetizing and the breakfast is even worst

    A flight to be forgotten as soon as possible :(



    • Comment 283829 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      I hate red eye flights, especially long haul ones that serve snack and breakfast (two of my least favorite inflight meals).

      You are right, this is a flight to be forgotten. Unfortunately bad experiences find a way to become memorable.
  • Comment 92169 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Another great report....although this is the first that doesn't make me hungry at all, LOL. Surprisingly VERY disappointing catering; kind of inconsistant with all previous reports on LAN. But still a great product all in all. Considering LAN is probably the best airline in the Americas, I think we hold them to a higher standard...that catering on a N. American Airline would have seemed normal :-)

    The lounge in Lima is interesting; I like the Mid-century Modern look--it's warm and inviting and gives an impression of more space.
    • Comment 283831 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      I kind of like the modern touch too. It sort of reminds me of Brussels and their fascination with comics.

      I had a choice between flying AA or LP from LIM-SFO and chose LP expecting a better experience.
  • Comment 92180 by
    indianocean SILVER 7572 Comments
    The 2-2-2 configuration in a B767 gives the impression of a crowded and narrow cabin.
    When I see the pictures, I concur that LAN Business class product is not overwhelming.
    Thanks for sharing
  • Comment 92236 by
    jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
    I agree that there is not much for privacy with these type of seats, but they are not bad as far as comfort. Nowadays with the new generation J seats privacy seem to be a main focus. Let's hope that LAN install new ones soon.
  • Comment 92272 by
    Leadership TEAM BRONZE 5461 Comments
    What the heck is that catering? It's usualy quite good with LAN and this is clearly a letdown.

    Regarding crew and cabin comfort I agree with you.

    Thank you for this new flight-report ;)
    • Comment 283862 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      I think their catering in LIM really missed the mark with the quality of this breakfast and perhaps the crew overheated the eggs inside the plane. Could be a combination of factors. I also think that LAN should refine this dish. There is too much empty space in that omelette casserole. Instead of the orange patty add some potato cubes and a protein like sausage links. Thx.

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