Review of LATAM flight Puerto Montt Santiago in Premium Eco

Airline LATAM
Flight LA78
Class Premium Eco
Seat --
Aircraft Airbus A321
Flight time 01:45
Take-off 31 Oct 22, 13:58
Arrival at 31 Oct 22, 15:43
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
KévinDC
By SILVER 2420
Published on 6th January 2023

introduction


Welcome to the fourth leg in this series of Flight-Reviews.

For years, Chile had been on the top of my travel bucket list and prominent Flight-Report member Pilpintu's beautiful Flight-Reports have always been an inspiration. However, the pandemic had other plans! As the Covid-era restricted us to travel between our two homes in Europe and the US for several years, this trip to Chile would mark our first trip outside of those two continents since 2020. 

In this review, as in the previous leg, we're having a look at LATAM's domestic Premium Economy service. This is a relatively new cabin class for LATAM, introduced on the narrowbody fleet on regional and domestic routes in January 2020, right before the pandemic. The concept is similar to intra-European Business class with forward rows having a blocked middle seat. In addition to extra space in a separate cabin, Premium Economy fares also include priority check-in and boarding, more flexibility, a higher checked baggage allowance, complimentary snacks (or meals on International flights), and lounge access on international flights

For these domestic flights between Santiago and Puerto Montt, we paid around 50% more than standard Economy fares that included checked baggage. Pricing at 235 USD per roundtrip for our dates, it seemed like a decent value for a premium cabin on a 1.5h flight. Since LATAM left the oneworld alliance a few years ago, we no longer have status on LA, so I felt it would make sense to purchase a premium cabin for priority handling in the event of any irregular operations or unforeseen issues–plus, I like trying out new cabins.

If you saw the previous review in this series, you may remember that the flight between Santiago and Puerto Montt left me with mixed feelings about the domestic Premium Economy product, mainly due to an unnecessarily chaotic check-in process and an old cabin with very tight seat spacing.

Let's see if this return flight leaves a better impression!


routing



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check-in & lounge


After a fantastic week exploring the magnificent southern Chilean lake district from the Araucania region in the north to the Los Lagos region in the south, and a bit of the Los Rios region in between, our Chilean adventure was coming to an end. We had planned one and half days and one night to explore the capital city of Santiago, prior to heading back to the US. 

We arrived at Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport a little over 2h prior to departure to drop off the rental car. 


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The beautiful Terminal building was abuzz with a bit more activity than on the way in. 


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Though there were no other passengers in the dedicated LATAM Premium Economy check-in lane, we still had to go through the whole process of printing our own boarding passes and baggage tags, and then tagging our own bags before we could queue-up for the bag drop-off. 


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It turns out that LATAM check-in kiosks are painfully slow everywhere, not just in Santiago! It took forever to get all boarding passes and baggage tags printed. And then fighting with the cheap and flimsy baggage tags to get them on without anything ripping. I'd worked in airports many years in the past, and I know how to tag a bag–these were especially flimsy and poorly designed. 


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I'm just really not a fan of this self-check-in process–maybe if the machines were faster it would be less painful, but I firmly believe that Premium Economy passengers should just be able to check-in with an agent–there are only a maximum of 12 Premium Economy passengers per aircraft so it would just be much faster for everyone. A 2 minute process is unnecessarily turned into 10 minutes or more, especially when travelling as a family with multiple checked items. 
 


Luckily security was a breeze–with no need to remove anything from bags we walked through in seconds. As we had a bit over an hour before boarding, we headed to the only lounge at PMC, the Pacific Club.


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Not a huge lounge, but sufficiently large with two main rooms offering plentiful seating. 


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There's plenty of light as the lounge is surrounded by windows, though one side overlooks the check-in area and the other side looks out to the departures concourse, so no direct outside views. 


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Food and beverage offering is fine and as one would expect for a domestic lounge. Some fresh options, including one of two hot dishes, and self-serve soft drinks, coffee, tea, beers, wine, and spirits. 


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boarding


We headed to the boarding gate just a few minutes before boarding was due to begin. The lounge is located towards the middle of the concourse so it wasn't a long walk. 


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As I walked up to the gate to see our aircraft, I was wowed by the view! On this perfectly clear and cloudless day, we could see not one, but two volcanoes behind our aircraft!


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Boarding began on time with Group 1 through the separate Premium lane.


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Yes! The new cabins this time!!


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A much better first impression than the inbound flight! A much more modern cabin with a much more spacious Premium Economy cabin, which is properly separated from Economy with a curtain cabin divider. 

The legroom is night and day with the old cabins, offering a whopping 34" seat pitch in Premium Economy on these aircraft.  


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While there are no central tables, like in the older cabin, there's tons of space for my huge backpack in the middle seat on this aircraft. 


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Each seat in Premium Economy has access to one AC outlet and 2 USB ports!


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The legroom really is fantastic! 34" seat pitch with slimline seats is very spacious and better than anything any Euro-biz cabin I'd flown (In comparison, BA, IB, AF are all mostly between 30" and 31" of pitch).


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the flight


Boarding wrapped up quickly–as it was October 31st, both cockpit and cabin crew made announcements wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. 


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We pushed back right on time. 


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Fantastic volcano views from the right side, as we taxied to the runway. 



After a very short taxi time, we were off. 



I'd intentionally gotten a window seat on the right side for this northbound flight. In the early afternoon, the sun was to the aircraft's left making for perfect lighting of the Andes!


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What an absolute treat to see such majestic natural beauty on such a perfect cloudless day. Four volcanoes were visible along the shores of Lago Llanquihue (and Lago Todo Los Santos), from left to right: Puntiagudo, Osorno and its perfect Fujisan-like cone, El Tronador, and Calbuco.



Such an elegant, perfect cone! Osorno, you are gorgeous!


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Unlike the A320 with the old cabin on the way down, there was a proper cabin divider on this flight, and curtains were closed right after takeoff. 


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This aircraft was equipped with streaming entertainment to personal devices, but I made no use of it with such breathtaking scenery outside. I briefly described the IFE in the previous review.

Lago Ranco, one of the bigger lakes in the Lakes District, with many islands, some of which are very sacred places in the Indigenous Chilean culture.


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A little further north from Lago Ranco, Lagos Riñihue, Panguipulli, and Calafquén


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And the very active and imposing Volcán Villarrica, which we'd climbed a few days earlier, nestled between two beautiful lakes.  


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The in-flight service began about 25 minutes into the flight. Once again, very limited choices of drinks with only coffee, tea, water, juices, or soda–no Chilean wines or beers, sadly. Premium Economy passengers may select two items from the snack basket, whereas Economy passengers receive one small snack. The overall catering experience can be improved–no need for a meal on such a short flight, but would be good to have the option of a small sandwich on these meal-time flights. But the drinks selection would really make the experience more premium–flying the Chilean national airline, I expect to see at least a Chilean wine in the premium cabin. A missed opportunity, in my opinion, and lack of alcohol always feels less premium. 


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Crystal clear skies the whole way up to Santiago ensured I was glued to the window. Majestic volcanoes and mountains and lakes everywhere as far as the eye could see–just stunning. 



As we approached Santiago, I noticed several wildfires. Compared to the chilly temperatures we'd experienced in the South (10-16C for highs, with lows close to freezing), temperatures around Santiago were close to 35C!


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Some fires were larger than others. 


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This one was getting close to Santiago, but the wind did not blow the smoke towards the city, so we did not have any pollution issues during our 2 days in the capital, though several days later the city was hit with thick smoke from wildfires. 


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The landscapes become more and more urban as we approach Santiago during our descent. 


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We fly around some tall hills during final descent where we then turn back south to land from the north. 



Arrival


We landed on time and arrived to the gate a few minutes ahead of schedule. 


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Prior to opening the door, the crew asked that families with children deplane first as they had some Halloween treats to distribute–so thoughtful!


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Getting candy from a pilot in a clown mask made it a special Halloween for my son! hah


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Arrival experience was smooth on this domestic flight and baggage was out within 10 minutes of deplaning. It was then easy to book pre-paid taxi transport into the city. 


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Thanks to Pilpintu's recommendation, we went with Transvip, and they seemed to be the most popular as they had the longest queue of the 4 or 5 official transportation companies. Despite, the high demand, they were quick, efficient, and friendly. 


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Tourism Bonus


2nd Chile Tourism bonus photos and videos below 


Bonus : Click here display
See more

Verdict

LATAM

7.5/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew9.5
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering4.5

Pacific Club

7.5/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering7.0
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Services7.5

Puerto Montt - PMC

8.3/10
Efficiency8.5
Access7.5
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0

Santiago - SCL

8.6/10
Efficiency8.5
Access8.5
Services9.0
Cleanliness8.5

Conclusion

Night and day experience between the inbound and outbound flights. Of course, all else being the same, the entire difference in the experience was due to a new cabin. Cabin crew were fantastic once again, and very into the Halloween spirit. It was so much fun to see the First Officer handing out Halloween candy to the kids on board! The aircraft was equipped with streaming on-demand entertainment, but with such beauty outside the window, I made no use of it this time. Catering was once again meh--definitely could be improved with some Chilean wines or beers.

Information on the route Puerto Montt (PMC) Santiago (SCL)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 3 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Puerto Montt (PMC) → 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 43 minutes.

  More information

8 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 618404 by
    ThomasDutch SILVER 633 Comments
    I have had similar issues with the check-in electronic kiosks here in Thailand, but luckily enough there was always a check-in counter available for us to bypass those systems. One may think that airliners could've worked out those issues already with the current technology we're having...... Thanks for an excellent report once again and it does seem like a wonderful place to visit!
    • Comment 620090 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Thanks for your comments Thomas and sorry for late reply--it's been a crazy year so far!

      but luckily enough there was always a check-in counter available for us to bypass those systems.

      I don't usually mind checking in on kiosks if I don't have checked bags, but these were a pain with having to tag your own bags. And yeah, I think it's crazy that Premium cabin passengers can't just check in with an agent.

      Thanks for an excellent report once again and it does seem like a wonderful place to visit!

      Thank you! It really is a fabulous area and country. I highly recommend a visit (p.s. prices to Chile are usually cheap ex-Spain for Europeans. I would recommend doing a separate AMS-MAD/BCN to get a good price. Even in J it's often under 2K EUR, even close to 1.5K when buying 300+ days in advance)

      Thanks for stopping by!
  • Comment 618419 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1963 Comments
    Hi Kevin, thanks for sharing the next installment.

    I firmly believe that Premium Economy passengers should just be able to check-in with an agent

    I think all passengers should have that option. Going ULCC route just looks bad on LA’s part. Even FR doesn’t sink that low on its higher end tickets.

    Not a huge lounge

    I bet it made you feel nostalgia for the office with that water cooler you could hang around pre-flight. Was that a fertility bull on the wall?

    A much nicer hard product visually and seat pitch looks quite good for a short haul. With the charging and LATAM Play, good connectivity as well. The catering on the other hand will remain meh, but at least they gave you a fancier cup this time.

    Getting candy from a pilot in a clown mask made it a special Halloween for my son!

    Hopefully no nightmares!

    Fantastic aerials; looked like a perfect day for flying with clear skies and no smog over Santiago, must have rained the day before. Beautiful bonus, a belated Oktoberfest in Chile?
    • Comment 620092 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Hey Michael, thanks for your comments and sorry for the late reply!

      I think all passengers should have that option. Going ULCC route just looks bad on LA’s part. Even FR doesn’t sink that low on its higher end tickets.

      Definitely! It's a strange value proposition and confusing branding to have a "Premium" cabin product, but with such a ULCC do-it-yourself check in and bag-tagging. It really gets the experience off on the wrong footing. The in-flight experience is perfectly fine, but the first impression at the airport is poor and sticks with you.

      I bet it made you feel nostalgia for the office with that water cooler you could hang around pre-flight. Was that a fertility bull on the wall?

      Yes, and I have no idea what that bull is haha...maybe?

      The catering on the other hand will remain meh, but at least they gave you a fancier cup this time.

      Hah...it still wasn't a branded cup so feels like they're randomly buying whatever's on sale at the supermarket haha

      Beautiful bonus, a belated Oktoberfest in Chile?

      There were definitely some Oktoberfest celebrations going on, though the festival in Puerto Varas was officially a celebration of the 170th year after founding.

      Thanks for stopping by!
  • Comment 618498 by
    Pilpintu TEAM 997 Comments
    Yes! The new cabins this time!!

    Oh happy day!! XD I was crossing my fingers that latam would somehow make up for the bad impression caused by the inbound cabin. Gosh. Me trying to show the best of my country, and latam spoiling my efforts. Ay, latam!

    tons of space for my huge backpack in the middle seat on this aircraft

    Hey! Why don't I have one of those flight-report.com baggage tags?? I can't seem to find them on the site. I purchased some fr.com badges years ago, but they're tiny! Is it illegal if I make a bigger one for my travel bag?

    from left to right: Puntiagudo, Osorno and its perfect Fujisan-like cone, El Tronador, and Calbuco.

    You learn quickly, padawan. I'm proud of you.

    the drinks selection would really make the experience more premium–flying the Chilean national airline

    Er... not the national Chilean airline anymore. Remember that they call themselves "Latin American" now. Gosh.

    I'm very happy that this trip turned out to be a bit better than the previous one. The aerials are stunning! Actually, besides the good weather, I think you are a gifted photographer. I see very good composition in your photos. I think I'll hire you as the official photographer for my wedding. That is... never!! hahah

    Happy Sunday! :D
    • Comment 620093 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Haha, I'm finally getting caught up!

      I was crossing my fingers that latam would somehow make up for the bad impression caused by the inbound cabin.

      It worked!

      Me trying to show the best of my country, and latam spoiling my efforts. Ay, latam!

      Your country made a fabulous impression all on its own...is spite of LATAM 🤣 But to be honest my overall opinion of LATAM is pretty positive, just the check in experience is grueling

      You learn quickly, padawan. I'm proud of you.

      What can I say, I love mountains and volcanoes haha

      Er... not the national Chilean airline anymore. Remember that they call themselves "Latin American" now. Gosh.

      Haha true, but they'll always be LAN to me. Hell, half the planes still say LAN on the outside hahaha

      I think you are a gifted photographer. I see very good composition in your photos.

      Why thank you I'm flattered!

      I think I'll hire you as the official photographer for my wedding.

      With pleasure. I do much better landscapes than people, but I have a good DSLR haha

      Thanks for your comments!
  • Comment 632628 by
    767 traveller 53 Comments
    Hi Kevin!
    Nice report! I had the chance to visit the area in late december/early jan a few years back and really liked it. Your pics certainly made me remember that visit. We crossed the border into Argentina where we got the chance to stay at the beautiful Llao Llao hotel near Bariloche.

    I quite like LATAM's international premium economy in short-haul and mid-haul international flights within South America. You get a business class quality meal (too bad you only get a main and dessert, but no starter though) and a full bar, though the wine selection was poor with only one choice of mediocre red and white. I do agree that in domestic flights the product could benefit from some mild enhancing to make it more attractive to consumers.
    • Comment 632703 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Hi 767 Traveller, thanks for your comments!

      We crossed the border into Argentina where we got the chance to stay at the beautiful Llao Llao hotel near Bariloche.

      Awesome! I would have loved to cross the border into Argentina--next time!

      I quite like LATAM's international premium economy in short-haul and mid-haul international flights within South America.

      Yes, their Premium Economy product on short-haul International is very nice, but on domestic it's little more than a free middle seat. Would be nice to have a little better service to make it more attractive to buy up to on domestic flights.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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