Hello everybody, this is the second leg of my trip from Argentina to Colombia. You can find the first leg here:
http://flight-report.com/en/report-6292.html
I had to spend more than 5h. in SCL. Santiago Airport is Lan's main hub. And because of New Year, most of the stores, restaurants and cafes were closed.
As this flight would be in Premium Business Class, I had access to both Lan lounges. Well, there was only the Neruda Lounge available, as the Mistral Lounge was under refurbishment… I'm sorry that I didn't take any picture at the lounge. I wasn't in a mood for pics… The lounge was overcrowded and the food available was very limited, just a few sandwiches and cookies. Not to mention the restrooms were dirty and smelt terrible…
I just had a tea and a couple of sandwiches and I went spotting.
There's no doubt that Lan is at home in SCL…
An interesting comparison between the B763 and its younger brother B788
The 787 CC-BBA I flew once from EZE to SCL. I find the 787's nose similar than Hawker Siddely Nimrod or De Havilland Comet's noses… Am I the only one? :P
Lan A319 (CC-BCE) rather new in the fleet
A foreigner Copa Airlines B738, after a long flight from PTY
I bet this guy went clubbing in New Year's Eve…
Finally I boarded the Lan Colombia's (4C) B763. The cabin was surprisingly too dark and I didn't want to use the flash. Sorry for the low quality pics. The seat pitch was huge, as you can expect for a full flat bed seat
There were 2 Colombian cabin crew members -female and male- in Business Class. I asked the lady: May I visit the cockpit before take off? She went to the cockpit, returned to my seat, and replied: Sir, the captain is waiting for you…
You can imagine how surprised I was feeling… I hadn't been treated so well since I flew with ANA…
This is Avionero, aka Egghead :P
I returned to my seat and a glass of juice was served together with nuts and almonds
The B763 new cabin, in B777 design
Everything was perfect except the cabina temperature… It was cold (I bet no more than 18°C).
Next to me there was a girl seated and to break the ice (literally :P) I said: The Lan cabins temperature are always cold . She answered: You are right, I travel frequently with Lan. My brother is a Lan pilot. That's great, I said. Which fleet? I asked, Boeing 767, she replied. He's in the cockpit…
She was nice, and we were chatting much about travelling but I missed the take off because of her. Unforgivable :P
After take off, blankets, pillows and oshiboris were delivered
The ptv was big enough but I just watched the map
The meal was really disappointing. No printed menu and no option. Just only one meal for everyone. Too bad Lan…
The full flat bed seat was really comfy. I slept 3 hours, till 40 min before landing.
A cup of coffee and a scone was offered. Not much and I was hungry :P
We landed at BOG El Dorado Airport on time. 5AM…
Finally in Colombia… Just one more leg to Cartagena. Before I forget, the amenity kit was quite good with Salvatore Ferragamo's products.
Someone put that Lan spoon in the amenity kit by mistake… :P
Sad to see that LAN did not oblige with the catering, not even in Business!
The arrival hour seems a bit horrid. Can't imagine working after a red-eye and what to do between 5am and 8am when work begins.
Hope to see how you fared connecting in BOG's new terminal. LAN and Copa are the only ones with domestic and international ops. on the new terminal.
Saludos!
I agree the arrival time is not pleasant at all, but don't forget the time difference between Argentina/Chile and Colombia (+2h). So, when I landed at BOG my biological clock indicated 7AM, a little bit easier time. Anyway, I was exhausted then, as you'll read in my next FR... :P
Saludos!
Thanks for this detailed and interesting report.
First, I think LAN does an excellent job in providing nice amenity kits. Perhaps because they are a Latin American carrier there is a strong emphasis in brand names and the association of its premium cabin with a quality product. When I flew them from SFO-LIM, I received the Bulgari kit but I would have much preferred yours because it looks more complete and elegant.
As Chibcha said, the timing for this flight is just horrible. This is not a short flight and LAN should either concentrate in serving a decent snack right after take off or a hearty breakfast before arrival to maximize sleeping time for passengers. The one size fits all snack without a choice and piece of muffin before arrival does not show too much care in the catering department. Sort of like a half effort without going all the way in my humble opinion.
Fortunately the great attitude of the crew made up for the catering shortcomings. In my experience, I find Colombians and Mexicans to be some of the warmest people in Latin America.
Saludos y nos estamos viendo.
Thanks for your comment.
As I told Chibcha, if we count the time difference between Argentina and Colombia, the arrival time is just ugly, not that horrible :P
And you're right, it was a muffin, not a scone in the breakfast...
Saludos!
Interesting FR, thanks for sharing it!
Those three 763 and the 787 were park or waiting for take off?
Thanks!
The B763s and the B787 were parked.
Thanks for sharing this FR
This red eye flight is not pleasant
The catering is not appetizing at all and really disappointing
Looking for your next leg
Thanks for your comment!
That's awesome that you got to visit the cockpit! I like the look of LAN's J cabins, too bad the catering was so disappointing. I guess it might have something to do with the short-ish flight, but still kind of lame for a longhaul flight. Short red eye flights are always hard to have good service on as most pax just want to get to sleep right away. I do love LAN's livery; it's especially nice on the 787!
Thanks for your comment!
I was lucky visiting the cockpit... The crew was the highlight of this flight