It was slightly after 6:00 pm, my flight boarded in 40 minutes and I hadn’t even checked in. I tried to do it online but the link was giving an error message. Coupled with the fact I had left work an hour later than I needed, I was in a pinch. Of course in true fashion, the E train stalled on the way to the airport and the Airtrain went out of service due to the abysmal construction at JFK. I knew I was in trouble when I couldn’t check in at a Kiosk. I eventually made my way to a desk agent where I finally got to check in.
I quickly rushed to the gate ignoring the SSSS on my boarding card. For those new to travel this just signals to TSA to check you three times before boarding but since I had both Clear and Global Entry this wasn’t a problem. I made it through in 11 minutes and most of that was walking to the entrance.
It was now 6:15 pm and I had 15 minutes before my flight boarded. I knew the Delta lounges would be full since it was a holiday weekend so I opted to use the Virgin Atlantic lounge. I was denied entry despite being a Virgin Atlantic Gold member (Their highest tier) since the entry was only accessible if I was flying on Virgin Atlantic or Delta (Despite the ticket being a Delta-purchased flight operated by a partner)
I like to eat before trips but I’d have to forgo this one. I typically avoid airplane food and for this, the lounges are my go-to. This time I had no choice but we’d get to that later. I boarded via group 4 and this was seamless as they had lines specific to your boarding zone. The order in which it was done was less hectic than anything I’d seen in a while. Typically customers just flood the gates even though it’s not their turn yet so I liked the order.
I had seat 43A despite picking 23J. I know I didn’t have status so I picked an aisle seat to stretch my legs but was assigned random seating. I ended up with a window so it wasn’t too bad. I also had an empty seat next to me which helped.
Two hours into the flight, food was served, and my oh my. Remember when I said I avoid airplane food? I need to change the statement to I avoid American airplane food. The choices are always the mundane chicken or pasta unless you’re in first class and the presentation always leaves something to be desired. However, Latam offered steak and potatoes and can I tell you, I feel like I was in a Michelin Star restaurant. The steak was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were extremely soft and fluffy and complemented the steak well with red peppers and washed down nicely with peach juice.
The entertainment I could never judge because I’m always asleep on flights. There was Anthony Bourdain’s Road Runner so I know what I’ll watch on my return.
The flight was pretty much smooth until we flew over the Andes approaching our descent into Chile but it was a great flight. The staff was kind, they kept the drinks flowing and the service was memorable.
All in all, it was a great flight and I look forward to my next flight with the Airline in approximately three days. The next time, I’d try to add a layover to judge service during transfers and maybe check a bag to see what’s that like. Until then, I would 100% guarantee the airline for your next South American Adventure.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any parties mentioned. None of the entities mentioned has reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content listed in this post.
