I travelled in Jan 2019 to Buenos Aires (AEP) and then later returned from SCL to MEL with my wife, flying LATAM. The service on the long haul MEL - SCL and return SCL-AKL flights in Y was abysmal. Dinner consisted of a hot dish and a chocolate biscuit for desert, plus drinks, very similar to what one would expect on a dinner QF flight from SYD-MEL. If you were lucky you had a choice of two meals but they soon ran out and most had no choice. Near the end of the 13 hour flight they came around with breakfast (even though the plane landed at 7pm SCL time) which for most consisted of a soggy cheese toastie, which by the time they served us was cold, plus three pieces of apple plus one grape as a "fruit salad". In flight snacks were non existent. I would suggest choosing a window seat as there were interesting views at times. Travelling at about 58S in early Jan one could see twilight all night towards the pole and the approach to SCL along the Chilean coast was spectacular.
After spending the night at the airport hotel we flew LATAM again SCL - AEP the next morning with great views of the Andes as we crossed them on climb from SCL. On this 3.5 hour flight they served only light refreshments. At AEP we had a four hour wait for our LATAM Argentina flight to Puerto Iguazu (IGR). Unfortunately some thunderstorms arrived during this time closing the airport and causing delays. The Arrivals and departures screens had frozen some hours earlier and all was total chaos and there was no information about which flights were going from which gate. We met a family who had been booked on an earlier flight to IGR and had missed it because they had not known which gate it left from. We only found our flight (which was delayed by about an hour) by walking up to any gate that was staffed and asking if they were preparing for our flight. They had no idea of where other flights were departing from either. We were perhaps fortunate that our bags , that had been checked through from MEL, were on the carousel when we arrived at IGR.
IGR airport was an ancient building with only two gates. On our return flight (with AR) to AEP a thunderstorm occurred after check in. Water seeped around the leaky windows and airport staff spent time mopping up the floors. When we got to our hotel in Buenos Aires it was apparent from the wet clothing inside that the baggage had been left on the tarmac during the thunderstorm.
Our return flight LA801 SCL-AKL- SYD had the same terrible food on the flight to AKL, however they must have loaded some better food in AKL for the final leg to SYD.
I can see now why the QF SYD-SCL flights have higher seat loadings!
After spending the night at the airport hotel we flew LATAM again SCL - AEP the next morning with great views of the Andes as we crossed them on climb from SCL. On this 3.5 hour flight they served only light refreshments. At AEP we had a four hour wait for our LATAM Argentina flight to Puerto Iguazu (IGR). Unfortunately some thunderstorms arrived during this time closing the airport and causing delays. The Arrivals and departures screens had frozen some hours earlier and all was total chaos and there was no information about which flights were going from which gate. We met a family who had been booked on an earlier flight to IGR and had missed it because they had not known which gate it left from. We only found our flight (which was delayed by about an hour) by walking up to any gate that was staffed and asking if they were preparing for our flight. They had no idea of where other flights were departing from either. We were perhaps fortunate that our bags , that had been checked through from MEL, were on the carousel when we arrived at IGR.
IGR airport was an ancient building with only two gates. On our return flight (with AR) to AEP a thunderstorm occurred after check in. Water seeped around the leaky windows and airport staff spent time mopping up the floors. When we got to our hotel in Buenos Aires it was apparent from the wet clothing inside that the baggage had been left on the tarmac during the thunderstorm.
Our return flight LA801 SCL-AKL- SYD had the same terrible food on the flight to AKL, however they must have loaded some better food in AKL for the final leg to SYD.
I can see now why the QF SYD-SCL flights have higher seat loadings!