Flying to South America

[Flying mermaid]

Ok Brains Trust. South America is totally new territory for me. Have booked an Antarctica cruise for 4 of us and it appears to come with a nights accommodation in Santiago. That seems to suggest flying either QF or Lan. It would be in business class.

Any ideas as to which is better in J or is there not much difference?

I am also open to flying other carriers, although don’t want to make the trip too long, so have already ruled out going via Dubai or Abu Dhabi. . I think that probably means Air NZ as another option but don’t know too much about their J.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[Hvr]

I think @juddles could assist here.

 

[RooFlyer]

I think @juddles could assist here.

... except Juddles only flies Qantas

I've done LATAM a couple of times and it was mixed wrt service. Last time on 787 was pretty good. My comments on this here: Patagonian cruise, circum-Andean drive and a Pacific island hop back Others, both LATAM and QF here: Airline Trip Reports

QF will be an (old) 747, so if you are a fan of that, and understand the hit-or-miss QF service, then that's for you (also a direct flight Vs stop in Auckland on LATAM

I prefer LATAM 787 config over AirNZ (again, see Airline review index).

Lots of tips on arriving in SCL on the forum, but can go through them again, if you like

 

[juddles]

I think @juddles could assist here.

FM, there are only three straight options from Australia to South America - LATAM, Qantas, and NZ (via EZE - Buenos Aires). It is ages since I have flown NZ but I am sure they would be great. But between QF and LA, it really depends on what you value. I am an overly-tall person so I prefer QF - their seats on the 747 are much better. The LATAM 787 hard product is much smaller, but not bad. As for the soft product, I love being amongst australians, but the LATAM service is as a rule so much more consistent and better.

But another factor is reliability - I have no real knowledge of the reality, but in my experience Qantas has a much better track record - LATAM "seem" to suffer many more delayed/cancelled flights on the southern route.

Both Latam and Qantas have the same access to lounges leaving Australia, and again on the return. The Latam international lounge in Santiago is great - not just because it is a decent lounge, but when leaving from SCL they have a dedicated premium checkin/emigration area that is superb - the most I have ever suffered there is about 5 minutes!

In any case, I am not an expert on southern Chile and cruises, but I know the SCL airport better than the back of my hand! Let me know any doubts and will happily help

 

[juddles]

And another comment, unless you specifically want to visit Argentina, avoid it. Aside from language barriers, Chilean customs/ police/ admin is much more clear and corruption-free than Argentina.

 

[juddles]

... except Juddles only flies Qantas

I've done LATAM a couple of times and it was mixed wrt service. Last time on 787 was pretty good. My comments on this here: Patagonian cruise, circum-Andean drive and a Pacific island hop back Others, both LATAM and QF here: Airline Trip Reports

QF will be an (old) 747, so if you are a fan of that, and understand the hit-or-miss QF service, then that's for you (also a direct flight Vs stop in Auckland on LATAM

I prefer LATAM 787 config over AirNZ (again, see Airline review index).

Lots of tips on arriving in SCL on the forum, but can go through them again, if you like

As per Rooflyer, the QF service is on an older 747, so it gets back to my other post - LATAM is better for soft product, and a newer hard product, but the seats are smaller.

Rooflyer is WRONG - I actually flew LATAM last week. I am a diehard QF fan due to irrational nostalgia, but I also get dirty on the other side...

 

[tgh]

This very much a ymmv post but….
I found the latam j layout a bit communal and would actually avoid it if possible although the service was OK
SCL is a nice hub and the lounge is great.
If you have booked on Silversea they usually fly you as a group to Ushuaia out of BA.
I didn't mind BA and would like to go back sometime...

 

[Flying mermaid]

This very much a ymmv post but….
I found the latam j layout a bit communal and would actually avoid it if possible although the service was OK
SCL is a nice hub and the lounge is great.
If you have booked on Silversea they usually fly you as a group to Ushuaia out of BA.
I didn't mind BA and would like to go back sometime...

it is Silverseas, but they seem to have a charter flight out of Santiago to Ushuaia.

 

[Flying mermaid]

As per Rooflyer, the QF service is on an older 747, so it gets back to my other post - LATAM is better for soft product, and a newer hard product, but the seats are smaller.

Rooflyer is WRONG - I actually flew LATAM last week. I am a diehard QF fan due to irrational nostalgia, but I also get dirty on the other side...

when you say older 747, is it the Mark 1 beds, or mark 2 i.e angled rather than flat? I actually like the Qantas 747, but only if it s not angled!

This trip is going to be a quick one, as we will be travelling with our daughter and her husband, so time is an issue, but I hope it is only the first of a number of South American expeditions.

Thanks for all the help so far

 

[Flying mermaid]

So having done a bit of investigation it seems to me that you are likely to get the 4 class 747 with the old first + you might get a refurbed 3 class with flat beds? Is that right? If we can book into the old first, I don’t mind flying it. It is pretty cheap - I had a look at flights for Jan 2019 and they are under $5,000. Given I will be paying for 4 flights, that is quite attractive . Surely they must be close to getting rid of that one? I think the 3 class unrefurbed 747 is gone? I flew that once on the JNB route and it wa awful.

I don’t mind Qantas J - staff are generally very nice. It’s mianly Qantas F that I refuse to fly anymore as it is such bad value for money.

I had a look at the photos of Lan J and the seats didn’t look that enticing.

 

[juddles]

So having done a bit of investigation it seems to me that you are likely to get the 4 class 747 with the old first + you might get a refurbed 3 class with flat beds? Is that right? If we can book into the old first, I don’t mind flying it. It is pretty cheap - I had a look at flights for Jan 2019 and they are under $5,000. Given I will be paying for 4 flights, that is quite attractive . Surely they must be close to getting rid of that one? I think the 3 class unrefurbed 747 is gone? I flew that once on the JNB route and it wa awful.

I don’t mind Qantas J - staff are generally very nice. It’s mianly Qantas F that I refuse to fly anymore as it is such bad value for money.

I had a look at the photos of Lan J and the seats didn’t look that enticing.

I am fairly certain that there is only a single 4 class 747 left flying - and it has had a "makeover" of the old first seats (which are ok but nothing amazing). I score that one about one in every 5 trips between SYD and SCL. Apart from that bird with the F cabin seats, the rest of flights are Mark 2 - to me very comfortable

 

[Flying mermaid]

I am fairly certain that there is only a single 4 class 747 left flying - and it has had a "makeover" of the old first seats (which are ok but nothing amazing). I score that one about one in every 5 trips between SYD and SCL. Apart from that bird with the F cabin seats, the rest of flights are Mark 2 - to me very comfortable

terrific - I really don’t mind the 747s in J - beats the 787. We just did one each way for a trip to SFO/LAX in December.

I think I will stick to Qantas for this trip. Thanks for helping.

My main bug with flying QF J is having to use the disgusting J lounge in Sydney, but flying LAN won’t change that. We used it for the first time in many years in December and the lounge generally was very underwhelming for international J (particularly given the extortionate fares I had just paid) and the toilets were filthy.

 

[juddles]

terrific - I really don’t mind the 747s in J - beats the 787. We just did one each way for a trip to SFO/LAX in December.

I think I will stick to Qantas for this trip. Thanks for helping.

My main bug with flying QF J is having to use the disgusting J lounge in Sydney, but flying LAN won’t change that. We used it for the first time in many years in December and the lounge generally was very underwhelming for international J (particularly given the extortionate fares I had just paid) and the toilets were filthy.

Can't change the reality of the J lounge - it is what it is. I have access to the Flounge, whih is great if you want a restaurant meal. But my usual mo is to eat something there, then change to the J lounge so I can self-pour (would make sense to fellow alcoholics)

In the J lounge at SYD I grab whatever I need then head RIGHT. if you do this you end up in an area that is quiet, it is underneath the stairs that climb to the F lounge. In my experience almost no one there, so is peaceful.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Can't change the reality of the J lounge - it is what it is. I have access to the Flounge, whih is great if you want a restaurant meal. But my usual mo is to eat something there, then change to the J lounge so I can self-pour (would make sense to fellow alcoholics)

In the J lounge at SYD I grab whatever I need then head RIGHT. if you do this you end up in an area that is quiet, it is underneath the stairs that climb to the F lounge. In my experience almost no one there, so is peaceful.

I don’t mind it being noisy, I don’t even care about the food offering - I am going to get as much food as I want on the plane and the J meals are quite nice. I hardly drink alcohol, so once again the amount I get on the plane is more than enough for me. I do object to toilets that aren’t working properly and leaving feces in the toilet. Yes I walked into one that looked disgusting and tried to flush it and found it wasn’t working. Then walked into another that had a sticky floor with paper all over it. Walked into a third that had fluid on the floor......

If it wasn’t for the fact that Ms FM and husband are restricted on no of days, Mr FM and I would be flying via the Middle East, just so I don’t have to use the Qantas J lounge again .

 

[Boca68]

Like juddles,I do this route regularly. (4 to 5 times a year). I prefer QF, but usually end up flying LA. But that's only because of the connections onwards to Lima are slightly better. And on the return, gets me in the AM to MEL, flying LA 800/801 SCL-SYD is AKL. Usually alight at AKL then QF to MEL. rather than evening with QF. I have done the new LA MEL-SCL direct once on the outward.

I find LA to be generally vgood soft product, but average hard product. Except for the breakfast service, last 4 times I've flown, ordered scrambled eggs, everytime get an omelette. Even highlighted it in big letters, still an omelette comes. But, no biggy really. Staff are great, english is widely spoken, but I'm bilingual .

The 2-2-2 layout is not great, but I usually pick a centre seat with aisle access. The seats are ok, lay flat is just ok. I find the controls very unusual in the sequence it chooses to get to lay flat, but eventually it gets there. QF i really enjoy, I find the staff very good, food can vary. just wish the timing was better, I'd do it more often.

 

[juddles]

Everything Boca said is spot on. IMHO LATAM hard product sucks - but that is my own fault because I am over-tall, and their "lie-flat" becomes "lie-bent" to me. On Latam I also choose an centre aisle seat. As for the eggs - LOL

 

[RooFlyer]

Staff are great, english is widely spoken, but I'm bilingual .

Reading your comments I was going to ask if you spoke Spanish! The thing I commented on in all my LATAM flight trip reports is the different service given to Spanish speakers Vs none ( like me). Effusive, chatty, friendly to the former, as brief as possible contact with the Anglos. Still OK, But very noticeable difference.

Now it's obvious why, and likely a confidence issue rather than a snub, but it's more pronounced on LATAM on this route than with other airlines where the crew would have English as their second language.

 

[Boca68]

Reading your comments I was going to ask if you spoke Spanish! The thing I commented on in all my LATAM flight trip reports is the different service given to Spanish speakers Vs none ( like me). Effusive, chatty, friendly to the former, as brief as possible contact with the Anglos. Still OK, But very noticeable difference.

Now it's obvious why, and likely a confidence issue rather than a snub, but it's more pronounced on LATAM on this route than with other airlines where the crew would have English as their second language.

Would tend to agree RooFlyer, I have noticed it before. Most LA staff see me as a gringo, but it changes quite when I answer in spanish.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Ok all booked QF27 over and QF28 back. I couldn't get 4 seats in the nose - half seem to be missing - I assume for codeshare with LAN, plus some reserved for status people. We are only 2 x LTG, 1 x LTS and 1 x silver, so don't count At the moment both flights look like a 3 class, but as we are nearly a year off (booked for Jan 2019), I assume things could change later. Anyway at the moment we have the exit row upstairs for both flights and will probably stick with that and keep fingers crossed we don't get the 4 class coming back - Mr FM will be seriously cranky with me if we do as he cant sleep on the old J beds.

Thanks for comments everyone - very helpful in making up my mind.

 

[Mattg]

Ok all booked QF27 over and QF28 back. I couldn't get 4 seats in the nose - half seem to be missing - I assume for codeshare with LAN, plus some reserved for status people. We are only 2 x LTG, 1 x LTS and 1 x silver, so don't count At the moment both flights look like a 3 class, but as we are nearly a year off (booked for Jan 2019), I assume things could change later. Anyway at the moment we have the exit row upstairs for both flights and will probably stick with that and keep fingers crossed we don't get the 4 class coming back - Mr FM will be seriously cranky with me if we do as he cant sleep on the old J beds.

Thanks for comments everyone - very helpful in making up my mind.

You'll almost certainly get the 3-class configuration. There's only one 747 left with the old first class seats, and I expect it will be retired in the next 6 months or so. But you never really know with Qantas.