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LAN / LATAM 767-300 Economy Review

Nice Way to Hit the Reset Button on Biz/First Travel

I will be the first to admit that I have a distinct preference for flying my longhaul flights in a premium cabin of some kind, even if it's only premium economy, and even then I try to get upgraded. Given that I'm pretty good at managing/earning points and miles, I'm fortunate enough to be able to get into those cabins, and I really like comparing and contrasting their differences across carriers. That said, I do believe it's good to hit the reset button and remind yourself just how amazing even a recliner business class is, let alone something like you'll read about on my Emirates First Class Suite Review.
From the West coast, LATAM (used to be LAN before LAN and TAM became LATAM earlier this year) is a great option for getting to South America via Lima or Santiago. As they're redeye flights, business class is preferred, but the universe had different plans for this last-minute booking, so I took this as an opportunity to fly econ. And, surprisingly, I was not at all disappointed with LATAM economy! Also, since I have Priority Pass from two different credit cards, I was able to hit the Korean Air lounge at LAX, which while a bit crowded, made the overall experience better. Read more and check out the photos below...
What's awesome:
  • adjustable headrests saved the day (er, night) for an 8 hour redeye flight
  • frequent service, two meals, plenty of wine
  • service was friendly and responsive
What's not:
  • recline didn't feel particularly generous
  • no air vents (gaspers to the seasoned travelers among us)

The Gallery

Getting points tickets on LATAM

As a Oneworld airline, LATAM award tickets can be booked through American and British Airways pretty easily. The British Airways Visa Signature® Card has a 50,000 mile signup bonus (as of this writing), plus a possible additional 25,000 Avios after spending a total of $10,000 on the card within the first year of having the card. Citi is the go-to card issuer for American, and it has three different AAdvantage cards:
  • the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
  • the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®
  • and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold World Elite™ Mastercard®
Each card has its pros and cons, it really just depends on how you want to earn your points.

The Bottom Line:

As you can see from the captions in the gallery above, LATAM provided a great economy experience on their 767-300 from Los Angeles to Lima. While the LATAM 787 experience is far superior and you should try to get on that equipment, you won't be disappointed with the 767.

What else?

Have you tried either the 767 or 787 from LATAM? What did you think? Tell us in your comments below!