Review: LAN Business Class Miami to Buenos Aires

Great review! Lousy airline... LAN will never see my money with that kind of service. Not a chance! That's not service, that's just plain rudeness. Why would I pay to be treated like that (with miles/points/cash)?

Makes me shutter to think how they service their planes mechanically!!

Ben, we just got back from SCL, MIA-SCL on LAN and SCL-MIA on AA, LAN FA is famous of their "what do you want attitude?" while AA is more friendlier. I still prefer LAN flat bed seat over all.

Totally different experience on the MIA-SCL routes. Very nice FAs, smiles, pisco sours whenever we wanted them... 🙂 The lay flats are a little short if you are tall (I'm 6' 5"), but you could hang your feet off the side and it was just as nice since the cabin was pretty hot (why do most airlines do that on overnight flights??) I'd fly LAN again in a heartbeat.

Echos my experience on JFK-SCL and SCL-MIA, downright horrible, especially that steak. I'd rather fly UA or AA to South America. Also, the shoulder room on those seats is way worse than you made it out to be in my opinion.

It seems you found a crew with more anger issues than some COdbaUA crews! I like that you are willing to test out the business/first products of a bunch of different airlines so we know what to expect.

As for the service,I think that breakfast menu tells the whole story, Ben. Or shall I call you 3J?

Hi Lucky. The remote gate deal isn't an accident, LAN is fighting with the airport about the cost of gates. Nothing surprising considering it's Argentina.

LAN's superior service is exactly their on board experience.

If anything, whatsoever, goes wrong do lower your expectations for their ground service, and lower even more for their customer service experience.

Truly glad you did not have to assess their other experiences...

I agree with Brady. I had a great experience from MIA-SCL and back. Service was friendly and the food relatively good. It's definitely not the most warm and fuzzy service in the sky but I'd definitely prefer LAN over AA for this route!

I had a pretty good experience on LAN MIA-SCL-IPC and back. 3/4 segments were with their new product, which has a very nice IFE.

I also got a horribly overcooked steak out of MIA, they need to work on catering there. The one of out SCL was great though

Ben a couple of things you may not know.. The government gives piority to the local airline Aerolineas, and does not have any good relationship with LAN therefore they will assign the farest bridge or not give you a bridge at all on purpose. They also make you wait LAN bags one hour on purpose. The custom agents were negotiating how much money they will get under the carpet instead of making the travelers pay the official tax they should be paying that is 50% of everything.

Did you have the new business on any of your flights?

Ben, A suggestion, when you do the pictures, do you mind taking one from the overhead.
I am interested in knowing which airlines/aircraft have individual air vents and which ones don't. Thanks

I just got back from flying MIA-SCL-JFK on LAN and had the opposite experience. Crews were terrific and extremely friendly and kind, even chatty.
On the ground, same experience. I had an agent in SCL that I *loved*. So for my experience, personnel were terrific. Product not as good.

I had the steak and agree with you there - skip it. Shoulder room just sucks in J, especially at 4A or 4L (one of three windows missing and is a wall). Odd lack of storage for personal items. Old J better than new J, shame, really. Oddly jumping right into service without cocktails (you can ask, but still, sort of downgrades service). Cheese course delivered with starter? Weird.

Whoever is designing there inflight service should be fired - they are not doing themselves any favors.

@ Shahin -- I'll try to include that in the future, though for what it's worth LAN didn't have air vents.

I took them one-way from YYZ to JFK back in 2010. Smooth ride and the seats were alright and I got a good nap in.

However, the service was some of the rudest I've ever gotten as the FAs were not friendly at all. They were indifferent and could have cared less about helping the passengers.

Hi Ben, I'm planning an anniversary trip with my wife next March JFK-EZE. Would you recommend LAN or AA for that in business?

Very decent wine list. Love it they serve Louis Roederer, which I rate higher than a Veuve Clicquot. The Terrazas and Zuccardi are also quality drops.

Did the same flight last night. Have to concur. We did NOT get champagne on the ground -- just water or OJ. FA blamed it on "US regulations."
Also took LAN to SCL on my wat to IPC, Those flights (hard and soft product) were better.

I was wondering why there were so many South American wines and then it occurred to me! I like how they show the bottle next to the description of each offering.
That's awful that your friend had to check his rocking horse. 😉

I had similar experience in LAN Ecuador, JFK-GYE. decent seat, terrible service.

My recent experience on LAN in J (JFK-SCL-IPC-SCL-MIA) was exactly the opposite. Some of the best flights I have ever had (better than a recent CX J).
You get what you give...

Oh I read your experience and just thought it is the way chileans and LAN are. I had all sorts of mishappenings in a trip BSB X SCL like the check in attendants charging for one bag who was overweight and I had pretty much some weight I could distribute but the lady told me only after she dispatched the bags. They said no "fragile" bag tags available. I ended up with a brokeng bag at the arrival, which the company refused to acknowledge as their responsability. All in all awful experience.

In Santiago I was yelled at the street by a lady who had bumped into me and she got crazy about it. I was the one standing and she was the one rushing.

Now that LAN has bought TAM, the quality of service in TAM has gone downhill. My last flights of TAM I see them incorporating the new owner's spirit.

We had inconsistent experiences on our MIA-SCL-IPC-SCL-MIA flights. Some surly crews, most mediocre, but one crew of friendly, funny young flight attendants who were wonderful. Overall, I enjoyed the dinner food (didn't try any meat, though) but thought breakfast was pretty blah.

The trend based on comments so far (and my own experiences) is that SCL-based crews tend to be quite good. I had a very proactive, cheery bunch of FA's in both directions MIA-SCL-MIA (and both with the new J seats which have their shortcomings).

I flew Business MIA-LIM and later many more flights in SA and back to MIA.

Great airline. Great service.

I hate seeing photos of dead animals on plates. Think about the pain, suffering and eventual murder including the awful fear before death. Make the connection!

I only order vegan food!

It is the only moral way of life!

Took the same flight as you and returned last week.

Took the same flight as you and returned last week. Had the exact same experience and sat in 3 J as well. They had a problem with seat 3 A and the business class cabin was full and they insisted on moving my daughter to economy and offered either a $3060 voucher or $2050 cash. Promised to serve her business class meal and drinks but it did not happen. One of our carry on bags mysteriously disappeared and most probably one of the passengers walked away with it. I filed a claim in Miami and the guy there did not care , just fill up the paper work and we,ll get back to you. Last month i flew LAN Chile to Santiago in business class too and it was a better experience. Argentina and most South America are corrupt countries, laden with with crime and petty theft . I guess I am dine with this continent and would rather enjoy the civilized world from now on, Europe in particular.

I live in the Falkland Islands, which are serviced weekly by a LAN airbus A320. I must say that I have had the pleasure of flying LAN business class, and say that the service was great. they are definately my favourite airline; much freindlier than partner airline TAM

This is one of the first reviews that i read critizing LAN, i flew lan from buenos to miami in economy and the service was excellent. I think it depends on the flight attendants. You may get friendly crew that smiles or rude angry crew. And as you mention customs at ezeiza is the worst i had ever seen, scanning every bag from every passenger that arrives. I read horror stories of people waiting about 2 hours in customs to exit.