1

I found LAN to be pretty punctual for flights in South America. I didn't have a problem with them. Others will say the opposite. 3 hours is about right for a connection though. I would try to book your bags through to your international flight.

2

I would never try to connect from a domestic to an international flight anywhere in SA. You need to monitor that flight leading up to the date. LAN has a habit of changing flight times or consolidating flights. If they change your departure time from PA you may have less time for your connection. If you bought directly from LAN they usually email you with changes but if you went through a travel agent or third party booker, they may not. Personally, I would arrive in Santiago the day before your flight.

3

Well said 2.

As some have pointed out on other threads, the major reason they ask you to check-in is because they sometimes change the schedule without notice. LAN is infamous for doing this, often at the end of the month. My daughter had a flight out with LAN on January 2, checked in with LAN for the flight on December 31 and not told of any change, and fortunately she got a message on January 1 from her conscientious travel agent (who was in the habit of checking himself, he was not notified), that the flight out had been moved up 5 hours. She would have missed her flight (without recourse) had the travel agent not gone beyond the call of duty.

Many others here have posted several stories. Do not expect the airline to advise you of any change of schedule, even if you leave a forwarding email or telephone number.

The check-in requirement of the airline is to avoid legal responsibility for the airline for such changes due to lack of sufficient notice.

Check the status of the flight the day before the flight if you can and day of the flight to make sure there have been no schedule changes or cancellations.

4

It's true South American airlines make a hell of a lot of schedule changes, which is a huge pain for both customers and travel agents. Because the flights are booked separately, LAN will not help you out if they change their flight time and stuff up your connection. For this reason you would be taking quite a risk booking this flight.

5

I didn't really know of this. I did have one flight changed (with TAM). And wasn't told til I checked my luggage in at the airport that my flight was leaving earlier.

6

thank you all for your responses.

7

Just saw this post while looking for information on LAN airlines. I do confess I'm a little worried, and I do not have a choice regarding transferring from an LAN flight directly to an international flight out back home (I live in Singapore).

The itinerary is as follows: I fly out from Easter Island on 30 December (they only have two flights per week from EI to Lima I heard) to Lima (arrive Lima 2310 hrs), and then I have to catch a connecting flight from Lima to Sao Paulo that leaves approximately two hours (depart Lima 0120 hrs on 31 Dec) after touching down in Lima from EI. I'm so worried we will miss this, or if LAN screws up the schedule, because I need to be in Sao Paulo on 31 Dec in order to fly off that evening back home.

Is there a way to monitor the flight during my stay in Easter Island? Would I be able to get the hotel/hostel I'm staying at to help me out? Am also not sure how much earlier I should check in because the usual is two hours ahead of flight time, but if people on this thread have said that LAN has previously shifted the flight to FIVE HOURS EARLIER, I would've missed it if I stuck to my usual two hour rule.

Pretty worried, can someone help alleviate these fears? :) I would appreciate any info so much.

• Hannah

8

Well, the best thing I can say is that LAN often changes their flights at the beginning of the month at the last minute, not the end, so that is positive.

Surely you could get access to the internet or phone somewhere to check for the LAN schedule, you can check the flight status of nearby flights on the LAN website. I have never been to Easter Island, but I find it hard to imagine it is not wired in. I think your biggest danger is flights being delayed in taking off, more common.

I am sorry you have so tightly booked your connecting flights, if a travel agent had done it he should be charged with negligence, especially for the tight multiple connections just before the flight home. Probably all will go well.

9

You have two international connections in there so you are going to have to stay on top of it. You can check a flight status online from wherever you are. Is it all bought as one ticket? Have you checked if you can check your bags all the way through to your final destination?

10

Hannah, you have time, so I would seriously consider changing the time of your flight home to Singapore from Sao Paulo, even if it involves an extra charge. As vnrose intimates, that is way too many connections to be sure of your flight home. Spend a full night in a hotel in Sao Paulo, and relax before your long final flight home.

11

noted, thanks all for the expert advice. I didn't have much of a choice because this trip was planned at quite the last minute, and many LAN flights are fully booked up. though I have so many internal (South American) flights, I couldn't get a South American Airpass either, cos' all the seats on that premium were fully booked already. I squeezed in Easter Island because it's unlikely I can pass this way again for many years.

I will try to adjust the flight timing on the way back from Sao Paulo, but I'm not sure about it (esp since we sorta have to be at work the very next day). thanks again! :)

12

oh and one more thing - I arrive in Sao Paulo at 9am on 31 Dec, but my connecting flight out is actually at 5pm in the evening. I'm not so concerned about missing my flight out then - as long as the delays don't exceed 5 hours! anyone have that experience with LAN?