Update: Read my full LATAM Business Class 787 Mexico City To Santiago review.
Hello from Santiago! Ford and I just took the 7hr20min flight on LATAM from Mexico City to Santiago, which was operated by a 787-8. This was my first time flying LATAM Chile on a “longhaul” flight (if you can call it that), as my only previous flight on them was from Madrid to Frankfurt.
LATAM’s 787 business class is in a 2-2-2 configuration, with fully flat seats spread across five rows. LATAM is one of the airlines with the most “open” 787 layout, as the two business class cabins are sort of turned into one.
While I ultimately prefer a reverse herringbone seat, these seats are pretty awesome if you’re traveling with someone, since you can actually sit next to them and talk to them.
Since there’s not all that much to say about the hard product, let’s talk about the soft product briefly. For the most I was impressed. The “hostess” (as she referred to herself) taking care of us was Claudia, and she was incredibly sweet and professional. It’s nice to have a single flight attendant taking care of your section who you get to know a bit, and that’s something LATAM does well in terms of crewing.
The amenities onboard were excellent. After boarding we were offered one of the most well stocked amenity kits I’ve ever received in business class.
The pillow and blanket on LATAM are phenomenal as well. The blanket itself might be the best business class blanket there is.
It’s the meal service I’m a bit conflicted on. Let me start by saying that it’s really hard to get service right on a 7hr20min redeye. On the plus side, I appreciated the pre-departure champagne or pisco sour, both of which were served with nuts.
However, after that it was over two hours until we got our next drink. After takeoff dinner was served, which was a relatively straightforward meal, with a salad, main course, cheese, and dessert. I appreciate that everything (with the exception of dessert) was served on one tray, though I felt like the service was quite slow, as it was over 90 minutes into the flight before we had our meal. There were no pre-dinner drinks or anything (I had two salads because I chose the shrimp salad as my main).
Then 90 minutes before landing breakfast was served. While there were no menus for dinner, for breakfast they had cards you could fill out, so that breakfast would be served per your preferences as soon as you woke up. Really this is too short of a flight to enjoy two meals, and I only woke up for breakfast for the purpose of the review, but it was under four hours between the meals.
The food quality was quite good for both meals.
Overall LATAM impressed — our flight attendant was great, the amenity kit and blanket were top notch, the food quality was solid, and I loved the Chilean wine. However, I do wish that the service would have been a bit quicker. That’s not at all our lovely flight attendant’s fault, as she hustled, but rather it seems like that they don’t staff the business class cabin with enough staff to perform a quick service.
If you’ve flown LATAM business class, what was your experience like?
Flying with Buenos Aires to Jfk LA 532 flight. The best experience with Business Class. Very comfortable seats, tasty food and A+ service. Highly recommend
Flying this on Bogota-Santiago route in december with my 2y/o
@John
With all the premature ageing from years of prolonged flying he looks 10-15 years older than his true age. Hardly pretty.
@Otavio: But makes sense on your route, since it was operated by TAM.
And I hope they retire those 777. I hate the seats in Y, always felt like seating on a ironing board.
@notjh, I'm still here, I haven't gone anywhere. all i said was that it looks shit. business class should allow you to have aisle access, if it doesn't, I don't see the difference between that and economy
Sorry typing error. Flew that route two months ago.
And I've heard none of TAM773 aircraft will receive LATAM livery.
Indeed. That's the same travel kit (necessaire) . Received on LATAM (TAM) 773 I flew 2 ) ago from JFK to GRU. Probably they are saving costs.
It's funny to see that the amenity kit has a card with the old TAM Airlines logo on it, even if the route was originally operated by LAN.
@ZxM
Give him a break; Lucky is too pretty to be required to count properly.
I just flew LATAM JFk-Lima (8 hours) last week in Economy.
One of the better economy experiences Ive had in years, although like you, I thought the food service was slow. Was about 90 minutes in before it was served. Also a tad warm.
However, even in Economy, we were given a menu for dinner and hot breakfast.
Taken the Sydney - Auckland route (and reverse) many times on their 787. Service is far better than QF, decent food for the short three-four hr flight and always super friendly crews. I don’t mind the open seating layout - cabin is never full on that route.
I love the Dreamliner 787 of Latam Airlines, we flying this November 25 fron Bogota to Chile, we did not want eat because we did it in the lounge, but everything was too nice and slept all the time very confortable, the staff nice too
It is called LATAM and not LATAM Chile. It used to be LAN Chile back in the past but now just LATAM after the merge between LAN and TAM.
Anyway the LATAM Dreamliner business class is far superior to their 773 and 763 aircraft.
Have fun with this. I did the Mex-SCL-IPC RT back in August and I found service to be hit or miss.
Business class on the SCL-IPC route was rowdy both ways -- LATAM was giving out free upgrades to a whole bunch of people at check in so the crowds certainly seemed like they had no experience flying biz before.
The SCL lounge is absolutely pathetic -- I arrived at 5 am or...
Have fun with this. I did the Mex-SCL-IPC RT back in August and I found service to be hit or miss.
Business class on the SCL-IPC route was rowdy both ways -- LATAM was giving out free upgrades to a whole bunch of people at check in so the crowds certainly seemed like they had no experience flying biz before.
The SCL lounge is absolutely pathetic -- I arrived at 5 am or so before departing my flight a few hours later. Worse than any other lounges I've been in the world so it'd be interesting to hear your take on the lounge. But overall, enjoy the moai's and all the seafood out there. Just an awesome experience all around.
The slow meal service problem is not unique to that route. I just had the same experience flying SYD-AKL, with the meal served 2 hours after take-off, on a 3 hour and five minute flight. There was a lot of poorly-organized activity with crew moving back and forth, swapping carts around, and generally getting in each other's way. I don't understand what LATAM cabin crew can't get their act together with the meal service.
As...
The slow meal service problem is not unique to that route. I just had the same experience flying SYD-AKL, with the meal served 2 hours after take-off, on a 3 hour and five minute flight. There was a lot of poorly-organized activity with crew moving back and forth, swapping carts around, and generally getting in each other's way. I don't understand what LATAM cabin crew can't get their act together with the meal service.
As for the hard product on the 787-8, I agree with other commenters that it needs a more thorough review than the one you gave it, Ben. Issue #1: there is almost no storage. The footrest is a shelf, when it should be a locker with a hinged lid with the footrest on top. Issue #2: there is no privacy. There is a pull-out divider between the seats, but nothing like Cathay's headrest wings along the aisle.
Finally, the IFE selection is terrible.
I enjoyed both the hard and soft product on this route. I seemed to have a higher number of cabin crew looking after me than you did. I agree the meal service & drink took too long to arrive after departure.
On IPC you should eat at Haka Honu with great seafood run by the local LGBT community. Also don't miss the chef at Kotaro. Simply spectacular experience
I did the exact same itinerary last month. We had the same issues. The service on MEX SCL was professional and friendly but after take off there was no separate beverage service. You wait forever for a meal and drink, especially if you are sitting towards the back of Business Class. We waited over 1 hour after take off for our first drink. It needs to change. The beds are comfortable. I used the duvet...
I did the exact same itinerary last month. We had the same issues. The service on MEX SCL was professional and friendly but after take off there was no separate beverage service. You wait forever for a meal and drink, especially if you are sitting towards the back of Business Class. We waited over 1 hour after take off for our first drink. It needs to change. The beds are comfortable. I used the duvet as a mattress and asked for a regular blanket from economy. Service SCL IPC was basic similar to domestic service in the U.S. The lounge in Santiago was excellent. Service on the return was much better and the crew on the SCL MEX leg delivered a much faster service. As far as the food goes, the tray is crowded because they use a small charger under the main course plate. The salad was simple but good and the main courses were tasty. Food was better out of Santiago. The wines were good with a choice of Chilean or Argentinian. I believe they have a nice product but they need to address sequence of service. There is a little more legroom on the 787-9 on the SCL IPC SCL legs, because the plastic liner around the foot rest was removed. Overall I enjoyed the flights and loved returning to Easter Island twenty years after my first visit.
I was a bit turned off by the open cabin at first, while flying solo. But sitting in the center section with the privacy divider up, it really wasn't any worse than B/E Diamond seats. I found LATAM onboard service to be exceptional and like you said, the blanket was probably one of the best of any I've had in the air. The cabin was kept too hot for the heavy blanket, though, so it didn't work out for a good sleeping arrangement.
Would like to know more about the hard product, not sure why there wasn't much to say. Just because it's not all aisle access?
Well, everyone, looks like we've found our new "Credit"...@jh. It was nice while it lasted.
it looks shit. If you want to fly with someone next to you or stepping over you, why not just save money and fly economy. there's really no difference.
Here's my friend's LATAM 787 experience: https://www.uscreditcardguide.com/visiting-easter-island-latam-787-dreamliner/
@ZxM
Maybe you could send a picture of your enthralling Sunday afternoon to make it up to 10?
There are nine pictures (not including the header which we shouldn't count as is already in the text).