LAN taking business off the Santiago-Rio route. My travel agent has told me that LAN will only be doing an all economy service on this run which is ridiculous. It's still about a 4hr flight. I am heading to the Olympics for work and you can't get business once you arrive in SGL.
It seems they are right - maybe due to SCL being a big transit point they are trying to maximise the number of seats on each aircraft. Are there other options you could consider outside of oneworld if you really want to travel business?
1. Is your TA suggesting that this is happening on only the direct SCL-GIG-SCL route or apply to LAN's SCL-GRU-GIG flights as well? (GRU - Sao Paulo).
LAN operates both non-stop to to GIG (Rio) and also via GIG (Sao Paulo). From what I see, J Class is still being offered on the one-stop via GRU through the rest of the year. although it seems that the (5hr) SCL-GRU is in J Class and all GRU-GIG sectors (1hr) are in Economy only. TAM also offers an identical pattern for all its SCL-GIG flights.
Avianca is about your only other option, but the flight is via BOG (Bogota), which is one helluva diversion just to fly J Class. It also turns a 6-7 hour flight into a 14-15 hr one.
My recommendation is LAN on SCL-GRU in J for 5hrs and suck up the 1hr GRU-GIG sector
2. Given LAN's investment in both TAM and the dire state of the Brasilian travel market, it is not surprising that some adjustments to the LAN/TAM schedules are being made. J Class travel in Brasil for many carriers (including the US nationals) has proverbially died in the a$$. Olympics or not, a 2 week sojourn and sports-fest is not enough to justify the provision of J Class into Rio under the present circumstances. who would have thought? But then, there are reports that only 50% of tickets have been sold for the Olympics, so there's a bit of an indication. Dilma Roussef impeachment & the rapidly falling Brazilian real doesn't engender much joy either.
crosscourt
crosscourt
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
Member since 01 Sep 2011
Total posts 96
LAN taking business off the Santiago-Rio route. My travel agent has told me that LAN will only be doing an all economy service on this run which is ridiculous. It's still about a 4hr flight. I am heading to the Olympics for work and you can't get business once you arrive in SGL.
nmalon
nmalon
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 11 Jan 2013
Total posts 182
It seems they are right - maybe due to SCL being a big transit point they are trying to maximise the number of seats on each aircraft. Are there other options you could consider outside of oneworld if you really want to travel business?
AndyMelb
AndyMelb
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 22 Nov 2013
Total posts 14
When are you flying? Looking in GDS there are plenty of flights with business class.
The connections through SCL however, are not pretty if this is what is important.
kimshep
kimshep
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 11 Oct 2014
Total posts 412
1. Is your TA suggesting that this is happening on only the direct SCL-GIG-SCL route or apply to LAN's SCL-GRU-GIG flights as well? (GRU - Sao Paulo).
LAN operates both non-stop to to GIG (Rio) and also via GIG (Sao Paulo). From what I see, J Class is still being offered on the one-stop via GRU through the rest of the year. although it seems that the (5hr) SCL-GRU is in J Class and all GRU-GIG sectors (1hr) are in Economy only. TAM also offers an identical pattern for all its SCL-GIG flights.
Avianca is about your only other option, but the flight is via BOG (Bogota), which is one helluva diversion just to fly J Class. It also turns a 6-7 hour flight into a 14-15 hr one.
My recommendation is LAN on SCL-GRU in J for 5hrs and suck up the 1hr GRU-GIG sector
2. Given LAN's investment in both TAM and the dire state of the Brasilian travel market, it is not surprising that some adjustments to the LAN/TAM schedules are being made. J Class travel in Brasil for many carriers (including the US nationals) has proverbially died in the a$$. Olympics or not, a 2 week sojourn and sports-fest is not enough to justify the provision of J Class into Rio under the present circumstances. who would have thought? But then, there are reports that only 50% of tickets have been sold for the Olympics, so there's a bit of an indication. Dilma Roussef impeachment & the rapidly falling Brazilian real doesn't engender much joy either.
Looking
Looking
Member since 10 Aug 2015
Total posts 29
Yes it's a 4 hour flight but it is nothing special with regards to cabin design and layout. It already is a pretty basic product on LAN on this route.
Calm down and look out the window upon the Andes. Amazing.