SCs posting for LAN flights

[rotor]

Hi,

I was wondering whether anyone had any experiences with the time it takes for SCs to post for flights taken with LAN/LANEXPRESS? I'll be on LA750 (operated by LANEXPRESS) next week, with this flight giving me enough SCs to attain SG... (for the first time!).

I'll be flying back from GRU to SCL only 4 days later - is it likely that they will have posted by then and therefore give me lounge access?

More to the point, am I likely get lounge access despite presenting a Silver/Ruby card? (I.e. would their systems be able to recognise that I have Sapphire?)

I'll be coming back through AKL, so I can at least use my "complimentary pass" received with my PS pack.

And what have your experiences been like on LAN? What can I expect?


Thanks in advance!

 

[cmon0005]

When I flew LAN end of last year, took 11 days for SC's to post.

LAN itself is a great airline (can't speak for South American domestic flights) as I only did SYD-AKL return in Business.
Crew were obliging and very friendly and seats were great.

As for being Silver/Ruby, it won't get you into the lounge.

 

[oz74]

My +1 and I have done Sydney Auckland trip a few times and it's always taken a week or two for the flights to post.

As for the service on LAN we have always found them to be great! The only negative I can think of is the OMG early flight from Auckland.

Have fun and enjoy!

 

[rotor]

Thanks for your posts.

As for being Silver/Ruby, it won't get you into the lounge.

Do you mean that regardless of being SG/Sapphire "in the system", presenting my Silver card won't get me in? I.e. the dragons computer will say no?

I guess I should keep the complimentary pass in my back pocket for AKL?

 

[cmon0005]

Thanks for your posts.


Do you mean that regardless of being SG/Sapphire "in the system", presenting my Silver card won't get me in? I.e. the dragons computer will say no?

I guess I should keep the complimentary pass in my back pocket for AKL?

I found that the LAN boarding pass didn't show my QFF status, not sure if it was just a bug our that's how it works on LAN..maybe others can elaborate whether their status showed on their BP

 

[QF2220]

Hi there

I live in SCL and so use LAN a bit. I am SG with QF.When I fly, my boarding pass says Preferente which is the LAN way of signifying their status holders (that is if my PA/travel co has added my QFF# to the booking that is). LAN's system recognises my SG/oneworld status this and marks Preferente on the BP, which I have found to be the magic word when in SCL airport. Once you have this, you should be able to get into the lounge. If you can, I reccomend the Mistral lounge, though this will close around 2130 and you will have to move to the Neruda lounge towards the end of the night as this one is the one they keep open for the QF322/LA801 to AKL/SYD. Be warned though, in the checkin queues before you have Preferente, they do not give any attention to oneworld sapphire (though you wont have the card so this probably wont be a problem for you).

Which takes us onto the SCs. It always takes more than 7 days for my flights to post. I guess it must be a fortnightly processing process. I know that LANs res system is SABRE and QF doesnt recognise the booking refs out of it, so there is a manual process that they go through to get the points where they need to be. Your best bet is probably to call the QFF team and explain it. I would think in a best case scenario, they will probably get you to scan your BP and send it through and if they are generous, they may push it through for you somehow. However, that is the only way I can think that it will happen. SCL is an average airport outside of the lounges, so give it a try if you can.

Regardless of how you get into AKL Lounge, make good use of the facilities, eg shower, breakfast etc. I find it is the perfect start to the day back in Aus and beat the jetlag! Depending on how long you are in SAmerica, I find the jetlag here is pretty tough, given it is (timezone wise) between JFK and LHR which already have bad enoug lag.

And to support the comments on LAN, they are good. Better than AA, but still not QF of course.

QF2220

 

[rotor]

Thanks a lot for those tips QF2220. I'll only be there 3 days so it's going to be a bit rough, which is why I was hoping to get into the lounges. I'll take your tip to make sure I use the AKL lounge. Thanks again.

 

[love_the_life]

I have had to put in a claim for missing points both times we have flown LAN. Some of the points and SCs have shown but some missing - therefore several weeks to get them posted. This has been LAN in SA both domestically and between countries. Hope yours are posted in time for you to use lounges.

 

[QF2220]

Just had a thought, perhaps the QFF team could replace your guest access pass if you were to use it in AKL when the points eventually show up? Doesnt help your SCL problem though which depending on the connection time, it would be good to have access too.
Keep us posted!

 

[farstar]

Hi there

Be warned though, in the checkin queues before you have Preferente, they do not give any attention to oneworld sapphire (though you wont have the card so this probably wont be a problem for you).

QF2220

Do they have Business class check in counters/queues?

 

[QF2220]

On the checkin for the QF flight (QF28), I beleive they have the lines that we are used to for QF. For the LAN flights (including in my experience the codeshare operated by LAN (QF322), they use the standard LAN lines. This has a line for Comodoros (eq to WP) and often does not include the signage for the oneworld emerald. My next flight Im going to experiment with that line and see what sort of response I get from the LAN checkin line staff (though I wont be doing a DYKWIA). Everyone else has to go through the standard lines (including their Premium Silver level (SG equivalent flyers).

Also, I guess reading this over before I post, QF SG holders, you have better treatment from QF compared to your LAN equivalents!

 

[rotor]

Currently sitting at the eisenbahn in GRU, no SCs from the arriving flight, as expected, so 20 points away from the lounge. The views are pretty good though.

 

[rotor]

So the flight from SCL to AKL was cancelled last night, so spent the night in a hotel. Right now I would have been 2 hours away from AKL...

The points from my LA750 flight did finally come through today, giving me the 20SCs I needed, but my status hasn't updated on the Summary page, so I have 700 SCs but no SG

Interestingly, and annoyingly, I only got 20SCs for the LA750 flight. It should be 40 as the T&C set out.

 

[QF2220]

No good about the flight but congrats on the SCs. I am taking it myself in about 3 weeks, fingers crossed!! Enjoy the hotel till your flight. It might be a benefit in disguise - call the centre if you can to see if you can get the status 'forced' through and then you can get the magic Preferente label. And save your access card for later instead of using it at AKL. Though, do you have 4 QF flights in your total flights for your membership year....?

I think the SCs are right though. If you check out the SC earning table, oneworld airline economy is class Y, all other booking classes credit status at the discount economy rates.

 

[serfty]

...
Interestingly, and annoyingly, I only got 20SCs for the LA750 flight. It should be 40 as the T&C set out.

...
I think the SCs are right though. If you check out the SC earning table, oneworld airline economy is class Y, all other booking classes credit status at the discount economy rates.

Unless the actual fare bucket for LA750 was "Y" then the SC's earned are correct.

The Airline earning table only indicates when SC's may be earned, and not how many. You need to look here to find that out: Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Status Credits

 

[Knid]

On the checkin for the QF flight (QF28), I beleive they have the lines that we are used to for QF. For the LAN flights (including in my experience the codeshare operated by LAN (QF322), they use the standard LAN lines. This has a line for Comodoros (eq to WP) and often does not include the signage for the oneworld emerald. My next flight Im going to experiment with that line and see what sort of response I get from the LAN checkin line staff (though I wont be doing a DYKWIA). Everyone else has to go through the standard lines (including their Premium Silver level (SG equivalent flyers).

Also, I guess reading this over before I post, QF SG holders, you have better treatment from QF compared to your LAN equivalents!

I've always found LAN to recognize OW* as equivalent to their own frequent flyers. They even helped me out as a OWE with when TAM decided to involuntarily deny boarding & then told me to find my own overnight accommodation in GRU.

Would be surprised if they even raise an eyebrow.

Knid

 

[rotor]

Hmm I thought the T&C, with it's outlining of Discount Economy, Economy, etc (from the screenshot I included) was used to determine the SC earn... Hadn't seen the fine print on the SC earn table...

So, no, I didn't enjoy the hotel in SCL - they put us in the "GEN" hotel (HOTEL GEN) - rooms look nice but it's very basic - the dinner was terrible - salty soup and chewy grey steak - only warm soft drinks available. At least there was free wireless.

What really sucked though was that they rescheduled LA801 for 16:00 the next day, which meant it missed all flights out of AKL - so we had to stay for ANOTHER night in AKL. This time it was the Sudima hotel - much nicer. When I got to AKL they didn't have a flight for me the next morning so I had to ring Qantas to check, and I was on QF50. That was my original flight, but being 6AM I only got a few hours sleep in before leaving the hotel at 4AM.

My SG status did come in, and I got to use the NZ Customs preclearing desk, then had my first experience in the business lounge. I wasn't impressed with the food - dry sausages and terrible scrambled eggs, but the coffee was good and it was nice how quite the place was - very relaxing.

Overall, I didn't enjoy LAN - they handled the cancelled flight very badly. Many passengers weren't even told it was cancelled until it was boarding time. Also, I would have expected at least one or two of the staff to speak english given it's a OW airline.

QF2220 was right - they don't recognise Sapphire - Preferente is only for Emerald, and the OW status doesn't even show on their systems (the check-in girl didn't even know what OW statuses were).