Nice way to hit the business class “reset button.”
I will be the first to admit that I have a distinct preference for flying my long-haul 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 when desired, and I really like comparing and contrasting the differences between airlines. That said, I do believe it’s good to hit the reset button and remind yourself just how amazing even a recliner business class seat is, let alone something like you’ll read about on my Singapore A380 business class review.
In this post...
Reviewed in 30 seconds
What’s Hot
- 2-3-2 configuration means no middle seats by the window
- Adjustable headrests saved the day (er, night) for an 8-hour redeye flight
- Frequent cabin service intervals, two meals, plenty of wine 🙂
- Service was friendly and responsive
What’s Not
- Small movie selection in the seatback IFE
- Seats don’t recline very far
- No air vents? One of those things you don’t miss unless you actually need it…
Predeparture3.5
Cabin4.0
Seat3.5
Sleep3.5
Work3.5
Lounging3.5
Food & Beverage3.5
IFE2.5
Amenities4.0
Cabin Crew & Service4.3
How I Got Here
From the West coast, LATAM 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 economy. 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.
How to Earn Points & Miles for flying on LATAM
As a Oneworld airline, LATAM award tickets can be booked through American and British Airways, both of which have great branded credit cards to choose from. The British Airways Visa Signature® Card is offering 4 Avios per dollar spent on eligible purchases in your first cardmember year, which is pretty sweet if you’re a Oneworld person and fly BA, Iberia, or Aer Lingus often. Follow this link to see how the BA card stacks up against other top airline miles credit cards.
As for American Airlines AAdvantage miles, there are a few options out there from Citi and Barclaycard:
- the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
- the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®
- and the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card
- The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard from Barclaycard.
Each card has its pros and cons, it really just depends on what your spending patterns are, as each card offers different bonus categories and other perks like Admirals Club access.
The Seat
The good thing about the 767 on LATAM is that it is a 2-3-2 configuration, which means there’s no middle seat except in the very middle of the aircraft! Cabin configuration aside, the LATAM economy seats offer all you’d expect on a long-haul economy seat – IFE, adjustable headrests, good cushioning, and some nice storage perks you don’t find on domestic/regional seats.
My seat was 35C, and while it was well towards the back of the aircraft, it worked out well – not too close to the lavatory and galley in back or in front. The adjustable headrest cradles your head nicely, so it’s possible to actually get some sleep in this seat, even though there isn’t a ton of seat recline. The benefit of that is the person in front of you can’t recline to the point where your laptop is all but unusable, and the person at the window can squeeze out without too much trouble. Overall this is a solid economy class hard product, and the pillow and blankets were a nice touch…
The Amenities
Economy class isn’t exactly known for providing much in the way of amenities, but on long-haul flights, you do usually get some extra amenities. LATAM gives you a pillow and a blanket, headphones (though not noise-canceling, so bring your own noise-canceling headphones!), and in the lavatory there was mouthwash and hand lotion.
The Food
On this ~ 8-hour flight we were served two meals – a dinner service after takeoff and a pre-arrival breakfast meal. I ordered the vegetarian special meals and they were what you’d expect for airplane food. Wine was free-flowing for the dinner service, which was nice because I’m pretty sure it helped me fall asleep 😉 I did think it was funny that I had a piece of Delta siverware with dinner – something I hadn’t seen happen before! Maybe it was a sign that I’d end up flying on a Delta One Business Class on the 767-400 on my way home??
The In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)
A video screen is a requirement for long-haul flights, and fortunately, LATAM isn’t one of the airlines pushing a streaming entertainment service, so there is a seatback screen in LATAM economy. The controller pops out of your armrest for ease of use, though it is usable while in its stowed position as well. The movie selection wasn’t particularly inspiring, but there were one or two new releases I ended up rewatching. That said, I fly all the time, so it’s pretty hard to not run into the same video selection over and over…
The Bottom Line
In some ways I was dreading this flight because I knew it would be hard to sleep on a redeye in economy, but I was pleasantly surprised. LATAM’s economy won’t be winning any awards, but as you can see from this post, LATAM provided a great economy experience on their 767-300 from Los Angeles to Lima. I think the LATAM 787 experience is far superior and you should try to get on that flight if you can, but you won’t be disappointed with the 767 economy experience.
Have you flown LATAM before? Let us know what your experience was like in your comments below!
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