Review: LAN Business Class 787 Madrid To Frankfurt

Ben, it's exactly TK 77W or A330 business class seat.

Lucky that is the main Iberia lounge. The other is their regional and intra-europe lounge

You should fly Air Serbia (Etihad Partner). They have real Business Class Seats in their A 319 and A 320 Fleet

Was able to get fly the 787 four times last year on a trip to chile. Sadly the 13 hour flight to Santiago from Madrid was in Economy, and even with a free middle seat it wasn't the most comfy flight. But service & food was fab and all flights were on time.

LAN is also flying the 787 to the easter island, and the Economy fare was more exensive then the C fare. Service for the 5 hour flight wasn't that great, and the catering lacked a bit but being ill on both flights I was just happy to sleep with the thick duvet all time.

Mood lighting picture seems to be the wrong one. It's showing up as a view of the engine on my screen.

Never mind the earlier comment ^^ refreshed it and the picture switched.

Thanks for your review - that snack looks pretty nice!

Those are grissini, non crostini.

@ ringingup -- Fixed, thanks!

I flew them on the 767 about five years ago, and this seat looks pretty much the same. The seat was totally fine, but it's kind of disappointing that they haven't made much effort to innovate or improve with the 787. Regarding the soft product, I remember the service being pretty blah (I flew Easter Island to Santiago, Santiago to Lima, Lima to Los Angeles). I guess it all comes down to the specific crew you get.

Looks good for a short flight, thanks for the review.

"I wish more airlines had mugs line LAN’s."

I wish more airlines had mugs LIKE LAN’s.?

Agree with what Alex said the non-schengen lounge is the main one.

Lucky,

Since it lookes like the LAN flight departed and arrived in the international concourses in both Madrid and Frankfurt, did you have to clear passport control at both airports? Since this is a fifth freedom flight, is it not considered a route in the EU and theirfore and international flight? I am scheduled to be on this flight in the next few months and want to know if I should allow more time at the airport to clear passport control, or is it not nessary? Thank you

@ No Name -- Fixed, thanks.

Great report! In my experience AMS is similar to MAD in taking 20+ minutes to walk to the gate, they even have walk times on the departure board to let you know how long the walk it.

The Chilean cocktail is called Pisco Sour. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco_sour)

I think your cocktail was a Pisco sour? Sorta' the norm in Chile and Peru.

That seat looks great for an intra Europe but for a long haul flight, it looks pretty old and worn out. I'm not sure id like to sit on it for 6+ hours on a long haul flight.

My husband and I flew business in the Lan 787-8 last year from Santiago to Madrid. As you mentioned in the review, the hard product was fine, traveling as a couple. However, it was the soft product that really shone. The food was excellent, and the wine was even better, with a quality mix of Chilean and Spanish reds (I’m sure the Chardonnay would have been good, as well). Like on your flight, the service was impeccable.

We also flew the 787-8 in business on the shorter Santiago to IPC route. The food was similarly pleasant to what you got. The wine and service was also great.

We’re looking forward to trying the Lan 787-9.

The cocktail is a pisco sour from Peru but they always say it's a "Chilean Cocktail".
I take this flight all the time, and I'm glad you liked it. The crew is always very good, I've never flown an airline (one that I use on a regular basis) that has so much regularity in their crews. Food is always good even if the cheese disappeared from the tray last august, and wines excellent.
In summer they sometimes fly the 789 on this route. Imagine the same but with a much better hard product.

Your flight definitely did not touch down on runway 18, which is a takeoff- only runway heading directly south (as the number suggests, directed at approx. 180 degrees) This runway can't even be used for takeoffs in the opposite direction. As you came in from the east and noticed the distance to the terminal, your flight probably touched down on runway 25R (which is a landing-only runway, also to be used in opposite direction as runway 07L).

"Usually intra-Europe business class is just economy with a blocked middle seat, so this flight delighted in just about every year."
every year?

Would be interesting to hear the answer to Ted's question above - I believe the R section in MAD is all behind the non-schengen passport control, so did you have passport checks upon arrival to FRA as well?

You landed on 25R, you cannot land on 18 in EDDF since it is only a departure Runway.

Lucky actually you were landing on the "new" runway 25R which is around there since 2011. Runway 18 in Frankfurt is departure only while 25R is landings only except for B747 and A380.

I'm pretty sure that this flight is classed as a non schengen flight as you can travel all the way from SCL-FRA without leaving the plane and they can't distinguish between those who boarded in Madrid. Would be nice to know if this is the case.

@Moritz
"The cocktail is a pisco sour from Peru"

No, it's not. There is a Chilean version and a Peruvian version of Pisco sour which taste quite differently. On board LAN of course they serve the Chilean version.

It feels very constrained with the center bins. Compare to Qatar's airy and open feeling. Wrong decision, LAN!

Dali may have been the most influential artist of his generation if not century. But he didn't paint Las Meninas. Velazquez is the main lounge.

Did those silly germans settle lucky?
Omg the nerve of some foreigners seriously its starting to sound like bogota all over again.
Im glad you got to frankenfurter ok

Just flew SCL to AKL. The seats are exposed. If traveling with someone, not a big deal. If not, there is no real partition between seats. That said, the seats are HUGE for business class. As noted, the comforter is very nice; as is the pillow. If traveling with someone this is an excellent option.

I've been enjoying your blog for quite a while now and cannot help but to make my first comment as I certainly know my way around Frankfurt Airport:

"We passed Frankfurt and then turned back East to commence our descent."

Judging from the pic you were arriving from the West, passing the airport on an easterly heading and then turned back West.

I also have to second my fellow commenters in that there is no way you landed on runway 18 unless there was a severe emergency. Judging from your pics again (as well as the long taxi to the gate) I guess that's runway 25R.

Keep up the great work. I really like the blog!

Ben did you just access the fast track facility using your boarding pass or did you show your AAdvantage Exp card? Was just denied access to fast track despite holding business class boarding AND LATAM emerald card.

I just recently took this flight as well, and I thought I'd answer the questions left here. 1) As a LANTAM Premium Business passenger, you do not have access to the Fast Track security as Barajas. If you have One World status though, you will likely be allowed through...but not just based on flying in business class alone. The lady at the security enterance said that LATAM does not pay for the service. 2) Yes, you do clear immigration and customs at Barajas and Frankfurt. The agents at Barajas just waived us through when we told them we were flying to Frankfurt. In Frankfurt, however, you are subject to the normal immigration and customs clearance. It's not really a big deal, but it ads. I'm kind of surprised the customs procedure is not mentioned in this report, because for a MAD-FRA flight....it is abnormal procedure for sure.

You had no problems to use the Priority Line? They told me that LATAM BUSINESS CLASS guests are not allowed to use it

Dear Lucky,

again thanks for the great website. Like the style and the compilation of images and text.

Would have been happy to meet that German couple 🙂

Let me add a valuable information for all aircraft enthusiasts and/or people flying between Frankfurt and Madrid.

The website of the airline has (if I recall it correctly for 10+ years) very, very good offers for the Business Class. Especially in view of the seat pitch and 2-2-2 configuration.

So it is a long time commitment of LAN Chile -> LATAM to make good offers on this leg of their longhaul operation.

Much lower than Lufty's Business Class savers on the route.

Only downside is that you "loose" one day in Madrid due to the schedule.

But I am convinced that this is worth. Also and especially for younger travellers to have more than a glimpse to a Business Class product and enjoy the flight to/from a weekend trip.

Best regards

Gerd