Cheers: A long flight made easy with LAN’s product. Jeers: Lima is on my naughty list… first impressions count. Bottom Line: A great product, but it is hard to fly on a Boeing 767 after flying on a 787.
My home for 12.5 hours – the other hour was spent in the Lima airport. Too bad I was missing a window.
LAN AIRLINES PREMIUM BUSINESS CLASS FULL REVIEW:
I was excited to compare LAN’s Business Class configuration during my flight from Santiago back home to Seattle. Only a few days earlier, I had flown down on LAN’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner non-stop from Everett, WA. It was an impressive flight, and I was awestruck by the new 787’s atmosphere. I was looking forward to checking out LAN’s older product on the flight back home, to see how it measured up. (note: LAN paid for my trip to Santiago and flight back home to cover their 787 delivery).
A Boeing 767-300ER would carry me from Santiago to Lima, and on to LAX. (I had to catch an Alaska Airlines flight back home to Seattle). My schedule had me reach SCL about five hours before my flight was scheduled to depart. No problem — my premium ticket gave me access to the LAN lounge which includes complimentary food, beverages, and even shower facilities.
The time flew right on by (pun intended), and soon it was time to board the aircraft. I knew the product on the 767 was not going to be as new or modern as the 787, but I was quite delighted with what I found. The Premium Business Class is in a 2-2-2 layout, and I went for a window seat. I ended up with a vacant seat next to me ’“ I felt like I had almost unlimited space, a sensation unheard of in current-day air travel.
While everyone settled in, flight attendants came around asking if I wanted anything to drink, which is pretty standard. The lead flight attendant also went around to each customer, introduced himself, and shook everyone’s hand. This was new which I’d never seen before and I was quite impressed.
I’d never before seen Lima, so I decided to stay awake during the first leg, holding sleep off until the second leg into LAX. I didn’t think it would be easy since I was pretty tired , but I had more than enough to keep me entertained.
The food was fresh, colorful, tasty and filling on my LAN flight.
The in-flight entertainment system was a bit slow and cumbersome, but it did what it needed to do ’“ it kept me entertained. The controller lived on the side of the seat, which meant I would accidentally hit it with my leg and stop my movie a few times. I’ve experienced this with other airlines, but here I could at least get the movie to easily resume where I left it. Other comparable systems from this era required me to fast forward. I solved the issue by simply pulling out the remote and letting it dangle so I wouldn’t hit it (keep it classy people).
Initially I was pretty excited about idea of stopping in Lima. I’d never been there and figured it would be a unique FourSquare check-in. I imagined we would land and those stopping at Lima would depart while those of us going to LAX would stay on. Sigh… no, it cannot be that easy.
We were told that we would have to de-plane and re-board. Okay, sure… it is 2:00am Chilean time and midnight in Lima, but I can play this game. The problem was, we didn’t just de-plane and wait at the gate area. We had to go through customs and be re-scanned – sweet.
I suggest using the pre-set buttons. I had a hard time manually getting the seat to do what I wanted it to.
Yeah, I am used to the process. Ask me why am I was in Chile and how long I was there. Now take out my laptop and put my bag in the scanner. The security person saw something in my bag they didn’t like and wanted to do a hand search. Sure, go ahead.
As they started going through my bag, I had difficulty getting through the metal detector. I am not a travel newbie and knew I had no metal on me, but it kept going off. After a nice little pat down, it turns out that my chip in my Passport was setting it off. They apparently have those detectors turned all the way up.
Back to my bag. The agent searches through and takes out my cork screw, while giving me a dirty look and shaking their head like it was a big knife or something. Okay, fine, take my cork screw that I have flown around the world with me.
I was a bit annoyed with the Lima security, but figured it was all over when I got to the gate. Guess what? Before we could re-board, all of our bags were hand-searched again. This time they took my nail clippers…really? Again, I have flown all over the world with nail clippers, but sure, at this point I just wanted to get back on the plane.
It takes quite a bit to get me annoyed when dealing with airlines or airports, but this did it. And when I am annoyed, it means that your standard passengers are super annoyed and upset — and oh boy were they.
Many left the plane in good spirits, but those returning were not happy. Not a great first impression Lima, might want to think about having a little better customer service, because I am in no hurry to visit again.
LAN’s 767 In-Flight Entertainment product is not as slick as the 787’s, but not too shabby compared to other airlines.
This experience was not LAN’s fault; they have no control over what happens when they land at Lima. “When we have a stop-over in Lima, the government dictates whether or not our passengers are going to have to deplane and go through customs, or just deplane and then get back on the same plane for departure,” LAN spokesperson Megan Kat Williams told AirlineReporter.com. “We realize that this can be a huge inconvenience for our passengers, but we usually do not have much notice as to what they are going to require us to do.”
I was happy to get back on the plane. I was planning to get some rest, but was almost done with a movie that I wanted to finish while we took off. Argh! Even though I had the same seat, the system must had been re-started, because I had to fast forward. Normally not a big deal, but I was pretty grumpy after my experience with Lima.
After takeoff, I finished my movie and it was time for sleep. The seats fold flat and do their job well. I slept for six hours but, I have to admit, it wasn’t super comfy. If LAN would let passengers have a padded cover to put on top of the seat before going to sleep, it would make a huge improvement.
I think that LAN provides a great business class product on their Boeing 767 and upgrading to the 787 is only better. I only wish there was no need to make a stop in Lima.
Celebrating the official handover to Qatar Airways of its first 787 Dreamliner in Seattle are, from right: Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al-Rumaihi; Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker; and Boeing Commercial President and CEO Ray Conner. Photo from Qatar Airways.
Last night, Qatar Airways officially took delivery of their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner and are scheduled to fly the aircraft to Doha at about 1:10pm PST today from Boeing Field (BFI).
Over the next few months Qatar Airways will launch 787 service on a number of new routes, including Belgrade, Serbia (November 20); Warsaw, Poland (December 5), Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).
Qatar Airways is the first middle east airline to take delivery of the 787.
Special sign on the outside of Alaska Airline’s first Boeing 737-900ER. Image from Alaska.
For my “real” job I am a Career Counselor at a local state university. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is helping veterans transition from the military and college life to the working world. In December I will be presenting at a conference on hiring veterans and highlighting companies that are doing some pretty cool things with veterans. One of those companies is Alaska Airlines (I love when my world’s collide). To celebrate Veteran’s Day this year, Alaska has shared a story, that I wanted to repeat on the blog. To all of those who have served, are serving or are planning to serve — I thank you and hope to be able to assist you in your future career aspirations. Here is Alaska’s story:
In the days leading up to Veteran’s Day, Horizon Air Captain Lawrence Pavlinovic has a number of people to thank, gratitude to express and wisdom to pass along to his two sons. Born to immigrant parents, Pavlinovic not only understands the concept of freedom, he fights for it, and works for a company that generously supports his efforts.
Pavlinovic has worked as a pilot for Horizon Air since 1998, and since that time has experienced several military deployments lasting from one to two years. Each time he’s returned to Horizon, his job was waiting for him.
“It’s hard to describe how that feels, to know that your job will be there when you return from active duty,” says Pavlinovic, who is a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserves, working in logistics and specializing as a linguist. “I can serve my country without worrying whether I will have to look for a job when I return home. When you serve in a hostile region, you need to be very focused on your work, and not whether your employer back home may hire somebody else for your job.”
Greg Smith, Alaska Airlines project manager with the Project Management Office, recently returned from three weeks of military training. He is grateful that his colleagues filled in while he was away, and thankful to a company that supports his efforts by keeping his job open for him. During his last deployment to Afghanistan, Smith, who worked for Verizon Communications at the time, returned stateside to discover his job was gone when the telecommunications giant sold off certain segments of the company. “My job was basically eliminated,” says Smith, an Army Reserves major working in Afghanistan as a logistician. “It’s very stressful when that happens, and it happens more often than you know.”
Under the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, reservists and National Guard members who are called to leave their jobs to perform active duty are given rights to re-employment in their civilian jobs, according to Laura Harlos, Alaska Air Group’s manager of compliance and diversity programs. Additionally, employees returning from active duty are entitled to all rights, benefits and seniority they would have received had they never left.
Surprisingly, despite the law, some employers are less enthusiastic about employees leaving to serve their country, according to the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Some employers look for ways to circumvent the law, or find loopholes. Companies can downsize, lay off employees or sell the business to another company and returning soldiers often fall through the cracks.
Not at Alaska Air Group. The company has won several awards from the ESGR in the past few years for supporting employees deployed to war or to training.
iPhone photo I was able to take of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 and the fallen soldier baggage cart at the airline’s maintenance facility in Seattle during a special Veteran’s event in November 2011.
“We value their service we don’t consider it a burden, we consider it a valuable asset,” says Scott Lautman, Alaska Air Group’s human resources manager for maintenance, engineering and safety. “Along with the Alaska Spirit, enthusiastic support of our reservists has become part of our DNA.”
For Pavlinovic, the Air Group’s support of his military service comes to mind when he talks to his sons, age 14 and 17, about how fortunate they are to be Americans. A proud Croatian American, Pavlinovic’s parents came from Croatia and Pavlinovic, who was born in Seattle, spent many years living with his grandparents in the “old country.”
“I want my boys to understand how fortunate they are to have opportunities, to have the support of a country and to have freedom,” says Pavlinovic. “Many in the world don’t have that freedom and some who have it take it for granted. Not at my house.”
Pavlinovic joined the military to pay back his country for giving his parents a home and giving his father the opportunity to work to support his family. His father worked for Pan Am at the ticket counter at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for many years, and Pavlinovic always wanted to be a pilot. Wearing corrective lenses, the Seattle native could not be a pilot in the military, so he became a linguist instead. He saved his money and paid for flying lessons so he could become a commercial pilot.
In January of 2010, Pavlinovic was deployed to England to work for the Joint Analysis Center for European Command. He worked closely with LaMar Haugaard, chief pilot for Horizon Air, to schedule the time off, and upon return, to enroll in ground school for any updates he might have missed. Pavlinovic returned to Horizon in October of 2011.
“I can’t thank the company enough for their support,” Pavlinovic says. “I really missed flying and when I contacted Horizon to tell them my deployment was finished, they said to come on home.”
Both Pavlinovic and Smith say there are certain observances throughout the year when a thank you doesn’t seem adequate.
“Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day those are the times when you reflect on what you are doing, and those around you that support what you are doing,” says Smith. “It’s a time when I stand a little taller, and allow myself to feel pride熔f my service, of my employer and of my country.”
I have almost gotten over my addiction with Gangnam Style (don’t judge me), sung by South Korean author Psy. It does not help when SpeedbirdHD recently posted a video highlighting Korean Air flights to/from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the song Gangnam Style. Two of my favorite things combined, equals I want to share. The video shows Korean Air’s Airbus A380, A330, Boeing 747-400 and 777-300ER at LAX.
Even if you are sick and tired of the song, hit mute or put on your own tunes and watch this video.
Alaska Airlines first Boeing 737-900ER (N402AS) is seen at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Image from Alaska Airlines.
Yesterday, Alaska Airlines introduced their first Boeing 737-900ER. This aircraft is the newest that is in production for the 737 family and adds a number of firsts for the airline.
Each 900ER delivered (Alaska has ordered 38) will feature the Boeing Sky Interior, new Recaro seats and 181 total capacity (16 in First, 165 in economy), which is nine additional passengers than the 737-900. The -900ER was not stretched over the -900;the additional room comes from re-designing the rear bulkhead to be flat rather than curved.
“Boeing’s Sky Interior and our new custom-designed seats represent the most significant cabin upgrades for Alaska Airlines in more than 20 years and are part of our goal to make flying more comfortable for our customers,” said Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines’ president and CEO. “In addition to an improved cabin experience, the 737-900ER has environmental benefits, as well. On a flight between Seattle and Newark, New Jersey, for example, the 737-900ER burns 3 percent fewer gallons per seat than a 737-900.”
Here are the new Recaro seats on Alaska Airline’s Boeing 737-900ER. Image by Alaska.
The new Recaro seats still have those headrests that I have come to love on Alaska’s newer aircraft and they offer a pocket for magazines/safety card above the tray table and a net below. Something not as noticeable, but still very important, is the fact that seats are lighter. They are estimated to save 8,000 gallons of fuel per year per aircraft, which will really add up once all 38 are in operation.
“The Boeing 737-900ER is a great addition to Alaska Airlines’ all-Boeing fleet, providing industry-leading efficiency and passenger comfort,” said Brad McMullen, vice president of North America sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The airplane’s Boeing Sky Interior coupled with Alaska’s excellent customer service will provide passengers a flying experience no other single-aisle airplane can match. The 737-900ER also offers the best seat-mile cost on the market, which is especially important with today’s high fuel prices.”
The Boeing Sky Interior provides updated and larger overhead bins, as well as LED lighting. Image from Alaska Airlines.
Alaska’s new 737-900ERs will fly routes between the west and east coasts and is ETOPS certified to operate to the Hawaiian Islands. Alaska also recently announced 50 737 MAX aircraft in an effort to expand and modernize their fleet.
