mvecchi4 From Venezuela, joined Apr 2012, 83 posts, RR: 0 Posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days ago) and read 5862 times:
Hello A.netters and welcome to my second-ever trip report.
Preamble
Before we started this trip, my girlfriend went to Margarita Island to spend some time with her family. I wanted to share with you a couple of pictures taken at VLN in the domestic terminal (Be forewarned, I’m not proud of VLN) as well as Aeropostal.
The insanely crowded domestic terminal. Please not that this is only for Aeropostal.
So many flights in this terminal. Can you see the error?
Closed LASER ticket counter.
I wonder what happens if you have a last minute change when you buy a ticket with Aserca.
The sign reads “All ticket changes require at least 24 hours to be processed, there will be no changes on the day of the flight. No exceptions”.
My worst experiences ever have been with Aserca.
Boarding pass. This is the regular KIU System ticket. This was almost exactly the same as StarPerú who also uses KIU.
A nice feature (not sure if it was sponsored by the airport or he came by himself). This man was playing Venezuelan music with his violin. People were clapping!.
Introduction
Looking for a place to go during the summer vacacion, I came across a great fare in Despegar.com.ve with LA (operated by LP) with a direct flight to LIM. After discussion with my girlfriend we decided that it would be an interesting place to go (other options were Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo). So without further do, we decide to purchase the tickets which were around VEF 3.300,00.
Of course we had to go to Cusco and visit Macchu Picchu so this is where it started getting tricky. I didn’t want to use the regular carriers such as LA and TA (even though I wanted the miles) but I decided to try a new airline and a new experience I could bring to this forum. Choices were Peruvian (P9), LP Perú (W4) and StarPerú (2I).
We ultimately decided for StarPerú based both on price and the fact that it would be my first time on a BAe 146. The fare on the roundtrip was around USD 180 per person.
Booking was rather easy and uneventful. A couple of screenshots for your consumption.
After making the reservation. No seat selection at this point.
After a couple of minutes I got my eticket.
Route
So today’s TR is comprehensive of the following:
The CCS-LIM segment was on LA
The LIM-CUZ segment was on 2I
Arrival at CCS
After a wonderful lunch with my brother-in-law we were on our way to CCS. Arrival was as usual (bit crowded with cars unloading luggage). But then when I get into the terminal there it was: afternoon rush hour at CCS.
Afternoon rush hour is complimentary of the European airlines such as IB, LH, UX, AZ, TP who bring their A330 and A340 and leave every half hour apart from each other. This is in addition to the works of TA, LA, AA, V0, S3, AR, JJ who also have relatively large operations in CCS.
So, here’s a look at the main hall at CCS with the crowds.
Entrance to the security checkpoint.
Hallways (not so crowded on this side)
Free Wi-Fi feature at CCS. Nice addition.
Another look at the entrance to the security checkpoint.
Tourist information booth (Not sure why it’s guarded by National Guards)
So we headed to LA s counters for the bag drop feature I read when I made the OLCI at home the night before. But I’m pretty sure there’s something wrong with it because my boarding passes were reprinted by Anthony (our check in agent) with the same seats, and everything took the normal time as if I hadn’t made any OLCI at all.
Business class entrance.
Blurry photo of the economy and web check in lines.
Check in counters.
Please note there was almost no line here. Not sure if it’s related to the efficiency of the agents or people hadn’t show up for check in yet (I arrived 3.5 hours before the flight).
After a couple of minutes we got our boarding passes issued again and our luggage checked in.
We headed for security almost immediately (since we saw the long lines earlier), turns out there was a a big line in one of the entry gates and there was basically no line in the other. We were in within seconds.
But it doesn’t end there. The security checkpoint was heavily overcrowded and the usual Venezuelan airport employee warmth was at full throttle with the security crew. Anyways after 20 minutes we were in Passport Control.
This time, I decided for the first time to try the electronic Passport Control booth which was less crowded but was slower. As I get in the line there was a german kid (I think) and he mumbled something in english and I noticed that the electronic passport control was only for Venezuelans, so I indicated him to the correct line and waited for my turn.
It was a pretty long line but I figured that the system would be slightly faster than the manual validation. This was not the case. The german kid from before went through passport control 20 minutes ahead of me, in addition, the A/C was off. We were not happy.
The screen with a video outlining the process. Pretty simple: Scan the passport, choose your flight, scan your finger, look at camera and then the sticker pops out.
View of the machine.
A view of the sticker you get from the electronic Passport control system.
Anyways, after the passport control we headed to the airside drugstore as we needed some supplies for the trip. Some pictures of the drugstore and the terminal.
IB A346 headed to MAD.
SAAS Drugstore.
Waiting areas. I think this is gate 22 or something.
Fully stocked drugstore. Right!!!!
IB ground crew almost starting the boarding process.
IB A346 – You can also see TA and LH in the far left side.
More IB
Pio Baroja is the name of this bird.
Terminal.
Then we headed to the Admiral’s Club to relax after the excessive heat in passport control.
The refurbishment of CCS’s Admiral’s Club is well under way. The last part of the remodeling is going on at the very entrance, so they’re using a temporary access door.
Closed main access door.
Temporary access door.
The refurbishment is going wonderfully. The change is apparent. You can see my previous report and see the difference.
Admiral’s Club
TV
A TA bird could be seen from the lounge.
Frangelico, white chardonnay and some chocolates (bear in mind I went to lunch with my brother in law).
High chairs.
They had outlets everywhere so I could charge my devices
Another look at the lounge.
American Way and my wine. Priceless.
Not sure what bird this is.
Terminal.
At the time of boarding (according to the boarding pass we headed to the gate), only to find this.
LA B767 just arriving.
We then went back into the AA lounge and waited for a half hour and then returned.
There was a heavy air conditioning issue in this gate (Gate 16) so going to the lounge was our only option basically.
AF A346 F-GLMZ, the same one that took me to Paris in April.
LA arriving at the gate area.
Ramp crew hard at work.
CM (Colombia) bird.
Back in at the gate a half hour later the situation remained the same.
The B767 being serviced.
I almost catched the crew going in.
Unhappy, delayed passengers.
Passengers lining up for boarding.
The screen at CCS
Lining up for boarding.
These stairs go to the bus boarding area for outbound passengers (down) and to the Passport Control for inbound passengers (up).
The Flight
Date: August 5th 2012 Carrier: LAN Airlines (Operated by LAN Perú) Flight Number: LA2565 Departure City: Caracas (Maiquetía) – Venezuela (CCS) Arrival City: Lima (Callao) – Perú (LIM) Aircraft Type: Boeing 767-300 Registration: Scheduled Departure Time: 1855 Actual Departure Time: Scheduled Arrival Time: 2245 Actual Arrival Time: Flight Duration: 3:45 Seat Number: 27J Configuration: 2-3-2
Inside the jetway.
Another one inside the jetway.
Entrance to the aircraft. Oneworld logo to the right.
Inside the aircraft.
Today’s seat 27J.
LA does heavy promotion of their destinations during the boarding process. As does AV.
Does this count as an Amenity Kit?
Classic legroom shot.
At this point the IFE was activated and we were able to relax, even before pushback (which seemed kind of weird).
Bear in mind that were about an hour late and a few minutes later the pilot went on the PA to apologize for a late arrival of the aircraft from LIM (resulting in the delayed departure). Very polite indeed.
This was during the PA.
Then I noticed while reading the inflight magazine that the Y seats on this aircraft were equipped with power outlets. This seemed like a great feature for a Y seat in South America. I remember when I flew Y+ in AF back in April that one of the perks (or the “premium” part of the economy) was the power outlet. Great job for LA.
While attempting numerous times to take a picture of the outlet we ultimately decided to change the camera (I was using my crappy camera and we changed to my girlfriend’s).
Power outlet between seats.
The Y cabin.
Safety video.
Lights were turned off shortly after takeoff.
The IFE handset. Not too good for my liking.
Anyways, about 20 minutes after takeoff the meal service started.
No choices, you were just given this tray.
Happy to see metal cutlery even with LA branding.
The label reads “Gourmet Sandwich: a selection of the finest cheeses, hams and the freshest vegetables for your enjoyment during this flight.”
This was a regular turkey ham sandwich. Slice of gouda cheese, couple of slices of turkey ham and some mayo. That’s it. I was pretty disappointed, not only by the taste (or the selection itself) but by the size. It was rather small.
I’m guessing its something related to this specific route. Load seemed nice for a Sunday flight (I was told while boarding the flight was full). But this does seem like a profitable route for LA as it allows Venezuelans to connect to important destinations within South America from their LIM hub.
Glass of water.
My phone connected to the power outlet. Battery was dead so I was happy.
This is the bottom of the glass of water.
Safety card.
B763
The rest of the flight went on uneventful and the landing was normal.
IFE thanking us for flying with LA.
A peek outside the aircraft.
You can barely see the CM plane over there.
Emptied Y class.
And to on the other side.
A look at the business class seats.
The jetway. As usual, HSBC welcomes you to a country.
First views of LIM.
Baggage claim and Passport Control as well as connecting flights.
I was pleased to see how much TA, AV and CM were promoting their entrance into Star Alliance. Never thought to see CM and AviancaTaca cooperating like this.
Passport control was chaotic.
Even with a dedicated line, these people waited for hours.
Passport Control at almost 11.30pm
Cusqueña beer.
It took us about an hour to go through Passport Control. I was not happy.
Once landside, I spotted our ride and went on to look outside the terminal. It was very cold at this point. It was past midnight.
Ramada @ LIM
LIM
Conclusion
So this concludes the section of this trip report with the CCS-LIM segment.
Besides the delayed departure LA delivered a rather uneventful flight. This was much like my experience with them last year on the CCS-SCL route although the food was way better back then. I’ll give then B- on the catering. Also, the size of the wine glass was dreadful, you could only get about one sip and a half with that glass. I’m not sure if they do it on purpose, but I was not happy at all.
I also experienced the common “non warmth” of South American carriers, which means that you get great service but you rarely get a smile or feel like you’re been taken care of with the utmost attention. I read a few reports a couple of weeks ago (I think about SOL of Paraguay?).
Anyways, LA is totally recommended. And since I’m a oneworld geek I got my AAdvantage miles for this trip so I was extra happy.
Thanks for dropping by. Hope you liked it. Feedback always appreciated.
Miguel.
WHAT ABOUT THE LIM-CUZ SEGMENT?
When writing this report I noticed that it was too long for me to include the LIM-CUZ segment in it, so I created Part II which you can access below.
I only know the international terminal, but sorry to say but for me VLN airport is crap!
only + points are the small international terminal meaning, everything should be quite fast and the cargo ops in VLN is really good compared to CCS.
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): I wonder what happens if you have a last minute change when you buy a ticket with Aserca.
the Venezuelan carriers are really a shame these days.
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): Looking for a place to go during the summer vacacion, I came across a great fare in Despegar.com.ve with LA (operated by LP) with a direct flight to LIM. After discussion with my girlfriend we decided that it would be an interesting place to go (other options were Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo). So without further do, we decide to purchase the tickets which were around VEF 3.300,00.
not bad - but quite normal fare for LP to LIM if you book some in advance.
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): Tourist information booth (Not sure why it’s guarded by National Guards)
aaa my friends from the Guardia Nacional... a unique level of intelligence ....
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): Not sure if it’s related to the efficiency of the agents or people hadn’t show up for check in yet (I arrived 3.5 hours before the flight).
quite sure its point 2, LA check in was in my case never fast in CCS even on Business Class.
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): This time, I decided for the first time to try the electronic Passport Control booth which was less crowded but was slower
I am wondering why the system is not working also for foreigners with residential visa..
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter):
The refurbishment of CCS’s Admiral’s Club is well under way.
it was needed!
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): AF A346 F-GLMZ, the same one that took me to Paris in April.
its a shame what happened with the catering on LA on these flight during the couple of the last years... around 5 to 4 years ago they still served hot food, what in my opinion should be the standard for an early evening 4 h flight, than it was downgrade to an cold cut tray, which was still good but not hot, and now only the sandwiches...
I love the LA business class, used them in the past several times on CCS-LIM-EZE-LIM-CCS and LAX-LIM
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): I was pleased to see how much TA, AV and CM were promoting their entrance into Star Alliance. Never thought to see CM and AviancaTaca cooperating like this.
yes - and now based in CCS they are won my business back, I am changing from LA - OneWorld to * using mostly of the time carriers like CM, TA, AV and LH of course
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): It took us about an hour to go through Passport Control. I was not happy.
well 1130pm is the absolutely peak in LIM, and if your flight was slightly delayed your are down because all other LA/LP flights are before you, also I have to recognize that immigration in LIM is quite good compared to CCS for exampele, also CCS changed in a very positive way the last years!
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): Once landside, I spotted our ride and went on to look outside the terminal. It was very cold at this point. It was past midnight.
oh yes, I am missing LIM but for sure not the cold and humid weather...
summa767 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 2387 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (8 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 4652 times:
Thank you mvecchi4 for a detailed trip report. Its good to see the different aspects of CCS, and of the LAN experience.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2): its a shame what happened with the catering on LA on these flight during the couple of the last years... around 5 to 4 years ago they still served hot food, what in my opinion should be the standard for an early evening 4 h flight, than it was downgrade to an cold cut tray, which was still good but not hot, and now only the sandwiches...
Only a sandwich, but curiously 3 piece metal cuttlery to go with it!
Avianca From Venezuela, joined Jan 2005, 5857 posts, RR: 40 Reply 4, posted (8 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 4652 times:
Quoting summa767 (Reply 3): Only a sandwich, but curiously 3 piece metal cuttlery to go with it!
looks liek that LA tries to maintain high service standards.... well they even have a preplaced wineglass for breakfast service, in my opinion they should upgrade better the meal by itselfs.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2): + points are the small international terminal meaning, everything should be quite fast and the cargo ops in VLN is really good compared to CCS.
Fast? Not at all. Clearing security and passport control takes around 30-40 minutes as there is a single security line and 1 (sometimes 2) passport control agents.
Everything is done manually and there are 2 checkpoints with the national guard (one after security where they open the carry on bag -- even after the x-ray scan and the other just before getting on the plane where you get hand searched).
But I would take flying out of VLN anyday before travelling to CCS. I would love to have a VLN-CCS flight for connections but the land trip is hideous.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2): I am wondering why the system is not working also for foreigners with residential visa.
Remember they usually require additional documentation for resident aliens and even nationalized citicens (Gazette). Another perk of being a "transit" country for drug traffiking they have to increase security in this stage.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2): small correction its a A340-300
Oopsy... thanks.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2): its a shame what happened with the catering on LA on these flight during the couple of the last years... around 5 to 4 years ago they still served hot food, what in my opinion should be the standard for an early evening 4 h flight, than it was downgrade to an cold cut tray, which was still good but not hot, and now only the sandwiches...
To me is unacceptable for a mainstream south american carrier. LA is top of line in South America and should have a better meal. Early evening for crying out loud!.
When I flew to SCL last year they did have hot food and even a pre-arrival snack, but then again that was a 6.5 hr flight.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2): well 1130pm is the absolutely peak in LIM
Didn't know that. Could've mentally prepared myself for that!.
Quoting summa767 (Reply 3): Thank you mvecchi4 for a detailed trip report. Its good to see the different aspects of CCS, and of the LAN experience.
Thanks. You might want to stay tuned for the ex-VLN report next week. That should be interesting.
Quoting summa767 (Reply 3): Only a sandwich, but curiously 3 piece metal cuttlery to go with it!
I didn't think of that. But you're absolutely right!
luisde8cd From Venezuela, joined Aug 2004, 2516 posts, RR: 34 Reply 6, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 4137 times:
Thanks a lot for the report, great pictures and lots of detail! I felt as I was travelling with you.
I flew this route earlier this year in business class and was amazing. The LAN 763 business class seat + IFE is top notch, compared to the other options in the region. The food was very good and the alcohol choices were also extensive. Lastly, regarding the inflight service, in the inbound flight I had a Peruvian crew (smiles) and the return was Chilean (no smiles).
Best Regards,
Luis
Viasa we miss you!. Good times will return after Chavez is gone!
stipica From Croatia, joined Feb 2011, 398 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (7 months 3 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 3278 times:
Hi Miguel !
wow you are the first trip reporter who show us inside of CCS in every step ...sorry and 797 I think ...thanks for that ...
off course nice reading ...stipica
abrelosojos From Venezuela, joined May 2005, 4918 posts, RR: 55 Reply 8, posted (7 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 3027 times:
Quoting mvecchi4 (Thread starter): The screen with a video outlining the process. Pretty simple: Scan the passport, choose your flight, scan your finger, look at camera and then the sticker pops out.
= The process is relatively new so has a few kinks I think ... but I LOVE it. It is actually the only one of its kind in the world which gives you the nifty sticker to self put. Very cool. Also, I have used it and have had mixed results in terms of speed.
= As much as I LOVE LIM, this is the one thing that puts me off each time. I once landed on the AV flight from BOG and spent 2 hours in the line even though I was one of the first ones out of the J cabin.
Quoting Avianca (Reply 2):
unfortunately the crude reality in CCS...
= And in many parts of LatAm.
Quoting luisde8cd (Reply 6): Lastly, regarding the inflight service, in the inbound flight I had a Peruvian crew (smiles) and the return was Chilean (no smiles).
Best Regards,
Luis
= Completely agree! I was very close to once tell a LAN Chilean crew member who was treating an obvious immigrant worker from Peru with disdain that without all of us Latins, there would be no LAN success.
Great report. Seems like LA Y continues to be decent by LAC standards. Thanks for sharing.
Avianca From Venezuela, joined Jan 2005, 5857 posts, RR: 40 Reply 9, posted (7 months 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 2939 times:
Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 8): As much as I LOVE LIM, this is the one thing that puts me off each time. I once landed on the AV flight from BOG and spent 2 hours in the line even though I was one of the first ones out of the J cabin.
the big issue is the massive hub wafe they get, for sure you arrived on the mid night arrival on AV - just after all the LA/LP wafe... but yes in generall the process is still to slow
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