LAN Airlines

The worst airline experience ever and I have been flying for 50 years. Total staff incompetence. Had to spend most of our vacation in Santiago Chile trying to sort through all of the mistakes LAN made in our reservations. The worst was their website. It was completely nonfunctional. We were told the we had to pay a reciprocity tax to Argentina as we were flying from Santiago to buenos aires. And the only way we could pay was on their website. Their website was totally nonfunctional and refused toe en take us to the pay site. We tried calling for help, no answer. Finally we had to leave for the airport and once there, we tried every way possible to pay the tax. We were told we had to pay only on line. Even the LAN staff at the airport couldnot get the wed site to work. We offered to pay cash so that we could board our flight and were toldNO WE COULD NOT PAY CASH. we offered credit cards. Anyway we missed our flight and it took another two hours to finally get s receipt showing we had paid. IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. So be forwarned!!!

Dear reader,
Do yourself a favor and do not fly with LAN if possible. I’m a frequent flyer and my recent trip to Peru with them has so far been a disaster. They lost one of my bags and they have not been able to find it, even though it has two days since it was lost. Yes, it is now day 2 and these guys are not even able to tell me where my bag might be. It boggles the mind how, in the age of digital tags on bags and databases, this airline has been unable to even localize my bag.
I wasn’t the only one. When we landed in Lima and realized one of my bags was missing I went to the baggage service desk, only to find about 15 in a similar situation as I was. Talking to my family here in Peru, they tell me this is a common occurrence, and that the average wait time to get your bag is 3 – 4 days. That this sort of inefficiencies are happening in 2015, amidst the digital age, is simply intolerable.
Do not do business with these people. They are akin to the airborne Peter Pan bus line.

With LAN you never know. They are sometimes on time, some other delayed. This time both of my flights were on time. From Miami to Buenos Aires and the return. The food was good. They offer wine, a young dry wine. It was good. The airline hostess are extremely nice to the passengers.
I highly recommend to check in in time from home. Once you get to the airport, everything becomes a mess. Mi husband and kid had to split because they didn’t have seats together.
The only thing I disliked was the lack of sitting at the gate which resulted in three long lines blocking the hallway of other passengers in walking through the airport.

Do not give LAN your money — they kept ours after we asked for a refund on refundable tickets.
We purchased refundable tickets (paying more for the option to cancel) but when we called to cancel, we were told by two different LAN customer service agents that they would not refund our money (except the taxes) because of «regulations.» This despite the fact that I have a confirmation email from LAN with the terms and conditions of the tickets, showing that they are refundable.
I then drove to the physical office listed on the LAN website in Los Angeles, only to be told by LAN check-​in counter agent at LAX that the office is permanently closed. This agent was kind enough to look up our tickets in his system and print out a receipt showing that the tickets are refundable.
I then called customer service again and the agent told me the tickets were fully refundable and that he was processing the refund. He then told me that the refunds department would be in touch. However, I never heard from the refund department, and then received a credit on my credit card for the taxes only.
I contacted the complaints department and filed a claim for the refund via email (the ONLY option). After two weeks I received a reply (via email): «We apologize for not having answered your inquiry in due time; we are working on assisting customers proficiently. If you do not receive a prompt reply next time, we invite you to call us at any of our Contact centers. Our representatives will be willing to help you in any matter.» No refund. No information about my refund. No information about my claim. Appalling that a multi-​national company can take your money and then just decide not to give it back, ignoring the terms of the ticket purchase.

First time flying LAN and was OK.
Pros:
–flight attendants genuinely helpful and friendly
–all flights on time
–new plane (A319 from Lima to Orlando)
Cons:
–food…quality was OK but tiny portions. smaller than American Airlines
–communication. Announcements in English were garbled and difficult to understand
–Entertainment: The A319 had only overhead monitors with two movie choices. Not that great.
Overall was an OK experience. I probably would fly American to South America again… service seems better, bigger planes, more entertainment options and better food.

Received an email from this company stating I had purchased airfare. I did not. Someone in Chile has obtained my information. I have tried to resolve this with the airline but have received little cooperation. They refuse to tell me if I am the purchaser unless I offer up my credit card information. Why do they need my credit card number and expiration date? Seems odd that they refuse to answer a yes or no answer without my credit card info. Beware of this company and it’s practices.

Worst customer service. Changed my itinerary 3 times, sent me the wrong flight confirmation times then charged ME for the new flight. Not only charged me, but WAAAAY more than I was quoted. Be prepared to spend several weeks-​months and 20+hours on the phone trying to get any issue resolved. Thieves. Don’t trust giving them your credit card unless you don’t mind paying interest on mystery charges. The service at the gate and onboard isn’t much better. No English and refused water to take my epilepsy medications was told to wait for the drink service.

THIS AIRLINE IS NOT LEGITIMATE. THEY ARE CROOKED.
I did not make a flight with a ticket that was sold to me as fully refundable.
I was ill.
They required my travel agent to send them a letter from my doctor, which I provided exactly to their specific requirements. I spent 40 minutes each time on 8 different phone calls with them and my travel agent getting the runaround from LAN.
It was quite clear they were looking for any excuse to deny the refund.
I just received an email from my agent saying the airline had «denied the refund.»
I have flown dozens of airlines worldwide but I have never had to deal with THIEVES before.
Especially if you are a frequent business traveler like me, I urge you to avoid this airline at any cost.

CROOKS! I REPEAT THEY ARE CROOKS!
DO NOT FLY WITH THIS AIRLINE IF YOU HAVE ANY CHOICE AT ALL!
I’m a frequent flier through American Airlines/​One Word Alliance. I have never experienced any issues flying domestic or international.
I flew from Buenos Aires to and from Mendoza in Argentina on LAN airlines and both flights were complete disasters. When we got to Mendoza my baggage DID NOT arrive with the plane. My husband and I had to wait 5 hours in the airport hoping it would come on the next flight because the customer service rep said she thought the bag might be in Cordoba or on a following flight. My bag arrived on the following flight as if it had been dragged through the mud. I was ecstatic the airline had not lost the bag because we had another week and a half of travel left and I read terrible things online about how the airline delays reimbursing you for items they lost. However the delay caused us to lose an entire day in Mendoza as well as our dinner reservations and hotel transfer.
This brings me to the return flight from Mendoza to Buenos Aires and the reason I am writing this review. Aside from the flight delays that day, I was so thankful my bag made it with the airline this time as we had a family friend waiting for us to drive us to Junin. When I unpacked my bag in Junin (4 hours west of Buenos Aires) I saw that all my jewelry including my designer watch was STOLEN. I was so upset. My husband tried to calm me down saying they would reimburse me and I was hoping he was right. As soon we got back to the states we called LAN and were told to submit a claim online. No one ever got back to us and when we called again they said it could take up to 30 days to be acknowledged. We called again of course after not hearing back only to be told that I was not going to be reimbursed at all for any of it because there was «nothing» they could do.
I looked online to see if this happened to anyone else traveling on LAN and of course I saw tons of reviews written by people in my position where they were certain the airline stole their leather jacket, their boots, designer sunglasses, etc and either nothing was done about it or they were reimbursed a minimal amount over a year later.
Save yourself the delays in your flights, delays in receiving your baggage, and risk of losing your valuables at the hands of these crooks and book another airline for your traveling needs!

LAN is basically the only reason that Miami’s airport doesn’t make me want to die. The employees are so friendly and helpful, and my 9.5 hour flight to Argentina was a breeze. The on flight food was not bad (which is saying loads for airplane food) and the booze is free– even liquor! At first we thought they only offered wine and beer at dinner, but if you ask, they’ll bring you a nice full glass of whiskey on the rocks, if you so choose. which I did, at least. The flight also came with over 100 movies to choose from and some TV shows and games. I mostly spent my trip playing Sudoku and watching the in-​flight map-​tracker-​guy with aforementioned Heaven Whiskey until I conked out.
Thanks for making every other flight I’ll probably ever take seem like a nightmare! Luff u LAN.

I recently flew LAN Argentina to, well, Argentina. ;)
I was expecting mediocrity and was pleasantly surprised.
Checkin was a breeze, and they even overlooked that my checkin bag was a bit over the weight limit. They also allow 2 50lb bags for free, which was a surprise as well.
The flight was on time round trip, on take off and landing. The crew was professional, polite and extremely accommodating.
The food was quite edible and the portions were just right. I even got free booze and I was in coach.
There was a good selection of movies, games, and a map of our location inflight. They also provided a blanket, pillow, earplugs and mask which I used for the long overnight flight.
The only drawback, which is typical of any airline lately, is that the seats in economy are a bit hard to get in and out of. But once you’re in the seat they are relatively comfortable.

I’m flying international for over 40 years with few problems, this is the absolute worst customer service extortion in my experience.
I was 2 hours & forty five minutes early for a JFK-​BUENOS AIRES flight and was told the check in was closed. Nobody at JFK to assist, called the LAN 800 number which is a very bad internet line to Chile, it was almost impossible to understand them. Then they said I must pay $ 650. extra for a flight the next day. This is criminal.
One month later I found out the new fare did not give miles, I spent a small fortune and no miles, fuk them. They never mentioned this when I paid the extra $ 650.
NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, EVER, FLY THIS AIRLINE, PERIOD!

I flew Miami-​Buenos Aires-​Cordoba. The Miami flight got delayed 12 hours, so I decided to buy another ticket to Tucuman instead of going to Cordoba, because I would have missed the connection. So from Buenos Aires I took the Tucuman connection. When it was time to return to Miami, I FIND OUT THEY CANCELLED MY RETURN FLIGHT because of company policy. NO ONE TOLD ME. AND IT WAS THEIR FAULT. I HAD TO PAY A FULL ONE WAY TICKET TO RETURN. Of course they said «we are sorry». BUT THAT WAS IT. I WILL NEVER, EVER FLY THEM AGAIN.

The customer service is located in England and unhelpful.
I was not able to get anything back after my entire flight plans were canceled. Lost $ 400+/
Do not book unless you have confirmed plans. I have no idea if flight insurance will make a difference.

In the past I’ve flown Air Canada to and from Chile. This time I flew LAN between NY’s JFK and Santiago’s SCL. And, gripes with LAN that I have heard aside, it was a pretty flawless experience.
Even in economy I was provided a sleeping mask, headphones, blanket, earplugs and pillow. And the food, THE FOOD. When is the last time you had airline food that was actual food? The food was served in a ceramic dish and was actually recognizable as a tasty beef/​rice plate. It came with a wedge of brie, crackers, a small glass of wine, asparagus and strawberry cheesecake. ACTUAL, strawberry cheesecake. The food on the flight back wasn’t as amazing but, hey, good enough in one direction.
The seats are very comfortable and the entertainment system, although not live, provided enough material to keep me interested for my 10 hour flight.
My only concerns: For whatever reason in the airport the kiosks would not allow me to check in at the kiosk and the line for desk service was HUGE. I would ponder that it is because I was traveling on US passport but the kiosk indeed had the ability to check passports. And flying AC I have always been able to check-​in at the kiosk and scan my passport automatically instead of having to report for a passport check.
Also, I feel LAN’s website and Mobile phone app could be brought up to that level of other airlines with real time flight status, as some flights back to NY were cancelled (due to blizzard) and it was only reported on a grid from a link on the front page of the website.
Beyond that, great service this time around. Many thanks!

This is apparently what you can expect when you book a flight on LAN Airlines:
Flight to Rio de Janeiro was cancelled with only an email notification through Orbitz and no offer of a replacement flight was given.
Good thing I checked email or I would’ve found out on my travel day that I was stranded in Miami after originating in LA.
Called Orbitz at 10pm and they said to call back in the morning. Called in the morning and they contacted LAN Airlines who said to call back in 24hrs. LAN actually offered a replacement flight on American Airlines for a moment (they are partner airlines) but rescinded the offer and said the class of my flight didn’t permit me to switch to American. Very bold of them after canceling my flight!
Itinerary is LAX-​MIA on American, then MIA-​RIO on LAN. I’ve phoned Orbitz 5 times, LAN Airlines once and American Airlines once and no one seems to be able to help me. Hotels are booked and non-​refundable in Rio and there is currently no way to get there.

Here’s my terrible experience with LAN airlines when I was traveling for my wedding to Ecuador:
1. They weigh carry on luggage (8kg limit).
I had two carry ons with me and I was transferred from Delta to LAN. They both weighted 11 kgs, which is OK for carry ons, but they made me move items from one carry on to another so they could check it and CHARGE ME for it!!! terrible.
2. Lost luggage service is AWFUL
They (of course) lost my luggage where I had wedding items that I needed within that week. The lady at the airport couldn’t care less, didn’t even check her computer to verify where my luggage was, didn’t even give me a TRACKING NUMBER!!! She gave me a 1 – 700 number in Ecuador that cannot be dialed form a regular telephone, and it’s been 2 days and haven’t heard squat. I’ve figured out a number by searching in Google one of their airport offices and have spent 6 hours on the phone total trying to get a hold of someone. So far, I have just been able to talk to one person and my bag is lost.
There is only a $ 50 compensation for lost luggage that is given after the 3^rd day! So I’ve been wearing the same thing for the last 2 days. Worst airline that I could’ve ever traveled with.

My family and I flew on LAN Airline going from NY to Cuzco. The flights were all on time and the employees were very helpful and professional. We were given a headset to use, but must give it back at the end of flight. Food was OK. Drinks included red and/​or white wine. Our luggage arrived at the final destination through several connecting flights. We had a wonderful experience with LAN Airline and would fly with them again without hesitation.

Very clean operation. The AirbusA320 on this international segment gives a lot of legroom and cushy leather seats with a few more inches of width than domestic carriers offer. Annoucements were clear and boarding orderly.
On board food was Latin and hot. So glad that this airline didnt decide that food should be either eliminated or offered for a fee.
I had to laugh to hear their obligatory announcement just out of Miami about bags shifting in the overhead compartment. instead of warning passengers that bags might fall on them, they warned that heavy, falling bags could break the seats’ armrests. Now that’s hard evidence that Latin America doesn’t sue as much as it’s Continental neighbors to the North.
Cute uniforms too. Stylish suits, though I really admire Avianca’s international teams and their international teminal swagger in red capes, accessorized by red bowler hat. Very respectful of both culture and progress.

I have to give this airline a good review just cause they were nice to me when they lost my bag.
I asked over and over when i checked in if I have to get my bag at my first point of entry and I was assured that I didn’t have to get my bag. Well… not only was my bag a carry-​on that they made me check in… But turns out I did have to get my bag at my first point of entry. ARG! So my bag wasn’t at my final destination. My bag decided to take a vacation from me. ha ha
But what was good, is that they were really good about it. They weren’t nasty. In fact they were kind and took the time to find my bags location and delivered it to my hotel the next day. And I really can’t fault an airline because one stewardess got it wrong. Most of the time when my bag goes missing, most airlines are really horrible and make you wait in a room for 2 hours while they get around to helping you. I only had to wait about 40 minutes for them to find it. Not bad really.
The plane was nice and roomy, and they had TVs on the back of every seat. I’ll happily fly this airline again. And I will refuse to check in my carry-​on size bag! ha ha