LATAM is discontinuing one of my favorite intra-Europe fifth freedom flights, and is replacing it with another service.
In this post:
LATAM adds nonstop Santiago to Frankfurt flights
As of June 30, 2020, LATAM will be launching 3x weekly nonstop flights between Santiago and Frankfurt. The flight, which will be the first ever scheduled nonstop flight between Chile and Germany, will be operated with the following schedule:
LA708 Santiago to Frankfurt departing 9:20PM arriving 5:40PM (+1 day)
LA709 Frankfurt to Santiago departing 7:25PM arriving 4:40AM (+1 day)
LATAM 787-8 in Frankfurt
The flight will operate eastbound on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and westbound on Wednesdays Fridays, and Sundays.
LATAM intends to use a Boeing 787-8 for the route, which covers a distance of 7,533 miles in each direction, and is blocked at 14hr20min eastbound and 15hr15min westbound.
This will be LATAM’s new longest route once it launches, as it’s significantly longer than their current longest flight from Santiago to Sydney, which covers a distance of 7,060 miles.
LATAM cuts Madrid to Frankfurt fifth freedom flight
Currently LATAM operates a 6x weekly flight between Madrid and Frankfurt using a Boeing 787-9, with the following schedule:
LA704 Madrid to Frankfurt departing 3:00PM arriving 5:40PM
LA705 Frankfurt to Madrid departing 7:25PM arriving 10:00PM
LATAM 787-9
This is a tag flight to their Santiago to Madrid flight.
Suffice to say that this has been a delightful way to fly between Madrid and Frankfurt, given that all the other flights on the route are operated by regionally configured planes. I’ve had the pleasure of taking this flight, and even reviewed it.
Not surprisingly, LATAM will be cutting their Madrid to Frankfurt flight as of June 30, 2020, to coincide with the nonstop flight from Santiago to Frankfurt launching.
Bottom line
It’s nice to see LATAM launching a new ultra long haul flight, especially between two countries that didn’t previously have a nonstop link.
I’m sure the numbers support it, but I wouldn’t have guessed that there was sufficient demand for Santiago to Frankfurt as a nonstop flight. Or at least I wouldn’t have assumed a flight like this was a priority. Then again, LATAM and Lufthansa do have a codeshare agreement, so there is some connectivity beyond Frankfurt.
However, I will miss the Madrid to Frankfurt flight, which was one of the most comfortable ways to fly within Europe.
Are you excited to see LATAM launch a Santiago to Frankfurt flight, or sad to see them cut the Madrid to Frankfurt flight?
LAN ADD ON . . . .
NOT cutting A N Y flights between SCL-FRA!! just adding ON flights!
LAN actually has (as of summer 2020) then all in all 16 flights a week between SCL-FRA, 3xweekly NONSTOP LA708/9, 6xweekly 5th Freedom Flight LA704/5 via MAD, LA8070/1 (777-300/350-900) daily GRU-FRA with different feeders from SCL-GRU.
@Lucky . . . . .LATAM is discontinuing one of my favorite intra-Europe fifth freedom flights, and is replacing it with another service.
NOT TRUE!!!!! BOTH flights LA709 NONSTOP 3x weekly AND LA705 6xweekly will be operating!
LA 709 357 FRA SCL 1925 0640+1 0 25OCT20 - 28FEB21 AC=788 traveltime15:15
LA 705 X2 FRA SCL 1925 0940+1 1 13NOV20 - 30NOV20 AC=789 traveltime18:15
same in opposite direction!
AMADEUS TIMETABLE -...
@Lucky . . . . .LATAM is discontinuing one of my favorite intra-Europe fifth freedom flights, and is replacing it with another service.
NOT TRUE!!!!! BOTH flights LA709 NONSTOP 3x weekly AND LA705 6xweekly will be operating!
LA 709 357 FRA SCL 1925 0640+1 0 25OCT20 - 28FEB21 AC=788 traveltime15:15
LA 705 X2 FRA SCL 1925 0940+1 1 13NOV20 - 30NOV20 AC=789 traveltime18:15
same in opposite direction!
AMADEUS TIMETABLE - TN ** FRA FRANKFURT.DE 15NOV20 22NOV20
LA 708 246 SCL FRA 2320 1740+1 0 24OCT20 - 27FEB21 788 14:20 NONSTOP
LA 704 X1 SCL FRA 1955 1740+1 1 25OCT20 - 04FEB21 789 17:45 via MAD
So i guess . . . it WILL very well be worth the add. NONSTOP flight 3x a week!
And YES, LAN will be flying in/out of Terminal 1 in FRA!
@Gn ..... that's NO LH flight as those connect in EZE, LH has no own flights to SCL!
@Hans ..... LH did fly to SCL in the 90's, but NOT Nonstop, that was direct flights, in combo with EZE or GIG.
Lucky was talking of NONSTOP flights, "sufficient demand" ;-)
To that .... i think it will ge, all the cattle farm owners from South America as well as the former NAZI...
@Gn ..... that's NO LH flight as those connect in EZE, LH has no own flights to SCL!
@Hans ..... LH did fly to SCL in the 90's, but NOT Nonstop, that was direct flights, in combo with EZE or GIG.
Lucky was talking of NONSTOP flights, "sufficient demand" ;-)
To that .... i think it will ge, all the cattle farm owners from South America as well as the former NAZI an GDR people who reside in Chile and surrounding countries in South America . . they will fill those 3x weekly open seats, that Business people win't fill.
It will work, i guess!
We'll wait and see, what DL has to come up with in the future on that airline too.
Maybe CDG, AMS, FCO ... who knows?
@Lucky ..... thank god for still some (few) REAL Business Class flights within Europe on TK and there A330 or sometimes 777. To me, i still don't understand how somebody could from there on will, book LH, LX, OS, BA, IB or any other lousy 5* airline within Europe if you could get TK with REAL Business Class, of course LA was more modern, but 1 flight a day only. No wonder TK is the ONLY STAR Airline that is NOT in T2 with LH, LH should be scared to death by that Airline! Rather stupid EY is at home at T2 in Munich with 2 flights a day (NOT being with STAR) !!! Just 1 example how corrupt that LH Group is?
I think, LH had it ALL calculated after AB (airberlin) was wiped out and EY was available to team up with them as a Codeshare! .... did we speak of corrupt? Just mention LH Group!
Recent action within the Group show the next stage of how that Airline works! 5* rating for non existing things yet, Hire & Fire like ME Carriers under German Laws :-o , influencing the states and governments all over, to get there target done. = LH Group!
Avoid them wherever possible!
Read into them, a book called "Die Millionen Dollar Crew, Stephan Lewerenz" it will blow your mind! https://www.amazon.de/Die-Millionen-Dollar-Crew-Enthüllungsroman-über-Fluggesellschaft/dp/3891361114?language=en_GB
LH went to court, to take it off the market! Still available on amazon! You won't believe corruption still happens ..... it does!
Back to the LA flight, THAT'S why that nonstop SCL-FRA might be a clever move, as those rich caddle farmers are mostly from German decent.
I might even think, the frequency will go up soon! .... and with the options of connecting traffic via FRA on LH and still connect with Middle East, Asia, Africa and of course entire Europe with the LA flight times to/from FRA, that was a clever move by LA!
Lufthansa offers a flight from Frankfurt
https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/flights/city/santiago
Please correct me but I think many years ago LH had already a flight FRA to SCL.
One would have expected LATAM to fly to CDG or AMS rather, because SkyTeam and connectivity onwards. Not sure what they hope to findin FRA.
@Florian and @Charlie: Don‘t take that for granted. There are two non-schengen zones at MAD, one in T4S and the other one in T1. T4S is basically for IB and friends (e.g. oneworld, but also AV) and T1 for the rest of the airlines.
Now with LA leaving OW and, at the same time, UX being purchased by IAG, the parent of IB, I would not take for granted that LA stays in T4S ... more likely, LA (and others) are thrown out of T4S and UX moves in ...
That clown heading AA still has a lot to answer for letting delta take the LATAM stake and see them leave 1W.
@Charlie when I flew LA705 in September, we arrived in MAD in the non-schengen area of the Terminal 4 satellite. I wouldn't see why that would change. Sad though that LA705 will be discontinued.
Yahoooo!!! I usually take the one with stopover in MAD to then connect to TXL. I hope LATAM offers a better schedule for connecting LH flights, as there are almost hourly departures from FRA. Before, the SCL MAD FRA flight would offer few options into TXL with LH.
What a shame! I have taken the Frankfurt-Madrid flight in business class and found it to be fantastic. Sleeper seats (although it's only a 2 1/2 hour flight) and paid $175! Cheaper than the pseudo business class flights on LH,IB and others. I will miss it.
BTW- half the people that were on the plane were Madrid bound so it will be interesting to see if they fill the plane on the direct flight to Chile even with the smaller dreamliner.
@ MAX: I know, but BA has a cooperation with many airlines and you don't get Tier Pints not even Avios in every booking class. One example ist Alaska (even in First), another Aer Lingus other than on codeshare flights with BA flight number. It would be nice, if I would get Tier Points but I think you'll only get Avios.
They are not using the LH Lounges, thats a plus. The AC Lounge is so much nicer.
Will LATAM remain in Terminal 4 at Madrid, or will they move over to Terminal 1 as a non-Schengen carrier?
@Betty Eventhough LATAM is leaving oneworld, they will continue cooperating with basically all oneworld airlines except American Airlines. So you might still be able to earn TPs when crediting LATAM flights to BAEC.
And they will definitely stay in FRA T1 as they have an extensive codeshare-agreement with LH and lots of passengers connecting to LH flights.
@Max, you’re right! I stands corrected.
Not interested when they are leaving oneworld. No tier points = no LATAM. I'll wonder if they'll still use the Air Canada Lounge or if they'll switch to T2.
I liked the FRA-MAD flight, it was often very cheap and 80 TPs. A no brainer. But sometimes quite strange. They served the same food on all flights to and from FRA.
@Andesbrian they now fly some days directly to Sydney and some days vía Auckland. It started last year.
@Lucky LATAM does have a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa and you can eve earn LATAM Pass miles flying Lufthansa, so they should have some connectivity there.
Latam has a nonstop to Melbourne, but not to Sydney. Their Sydney route is a direct flight, with a stop in Auckland. Qantas flies a 747 nonstop from Santiago to Sydney.