jgold

LAN has just sent me an e-mail with some schedule changes for my South American Airpass. While many of the changes are just a few minutes in either direction, my formerly early-morning flight from Punta Arenas (PUQ) to Santiago (SCL) now leaves roughly 7 (!) hours later, which forces me to miss my mid-morning connection from SCL to Buenos Aires (EZE). Assuming I still want to arrive in Buenos Aires on the day I had originally planned to arrive, I'd have to fly in the night before to SCL, but I would only have one hour to connect from my PUQ-SCL flight to my (new)SCL-EZE flight.

So, the question is: Is this realistic, i.e., to have a one-hour connection from a domestic PUQ-SCL flight to an international SCL-EZE flight (the connection would be occuring in the evening in SCL)? Both tickets would be on LAN, although on different tickets and record locators (the first segment is a LAN South American Airpass, while the second segment is part of a OneWorld round-the-world ticket, which means that I can make date changes for free).

Thanks very much.

Huentetu

There is only the one terminal with international at one end and national at the other. Arrivals is at ground level and departures on level 3. So connections are usually hassle free as far as distance is concerned. However, you will have to wait for your bags to arrive and then head for check-in for your international flight. No, I don't think it is enough time. Even the slightest delay would throw everything off. I don't even think you would be able to check in so close to the flight time to BA. I would phone LAN and explain the situation. See if they can accommodate you on a later flight to BA.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I've done several domestic-to-international LAN routings through Santiago, first checking in in Puerto Montt, Temuco and Iquique, and they will never issue me boarding passes for the international flight, nor will they check my luggage through. "Pick up your bags and check in again in Santiago" are always the instructions I get. For that reason, I always make sure to allow myself plenty of time but it surprises me that LAN can't or won't do that. They seem so efficient in every other way, that this seems something lacking to me.

Susan7

Can you check if they will allow you to check your luggage all the way through and get all the boarding passes at the outset? Then, I think an hour connection might be possible.

The two times I have flown LAN from Sydney to Sao Paulo (changing planes at Santiago) they have checked my luggage all the way through and on one occasion I got all the boarding passes, on the other I didn't. I have seen long queues for boarding passes.

jgold

Thank you for the three responses. This is part of our round-the-world trip, and we've committed to only having carry-on luggage to avoid the otherwise-inevitable loss of a bag. So, the only issue here is can we get from our PUQ-SCL flight to our SCL-EZE flight in time. I will actually have a paper ticket for the second LAN flight, although I don't know know whether the PUQ airport will issue me a boarding pass for the international flight later that day. Will a domestic terminal issue a boarding pass for a subsequent international flight on the same airline? I would assume the answer is yes, but am not sure...

Huentetu

I doubt they will issue you a boarding pass but you may be able to check in online and print one out. If you have no luggage to wait for, you might make it if your flight in is on time. I would still phone LAN as the problem seems to be that they are only seeing part of your itinerary.

jgold

Okay, thanks very much. I'll see what they can do.

jgold

LAN seems to think a 1-hour connection at SCL between domestic and international flights on separate itineraries is infeasible, since the domestic terminal in Punta Arenas apparently won't check me in for my later international flight from Santiago. They recommend 1.5 hours for connection. Although I'm tempted to risk it, maybe it's better to do a night by the airport at SCL and connect to Buenos Aires in the a.m. Thanks for the advice.

Susan7

I wouldn't risk it then, tight connections like that are very nerve wracking. On the upside, Santiago is a nice airport to hang out, if you do end up with a long wait there. There are a number of bars, cafes and shops to while away a few hours. They all accept US dollars.

jgold

Thanks. I guess we'll do the overnight in Santiago. Traveling from Torres Del Paine to Buenos Aires is a much bigger trip/ordeal than I think I realized...

Huentetu

Of course you may have another schedule change before you fly and a longer gap than you think! It seems all airlines are shuffling schedules to try to stay on top of rising fuel costs.
You can get to/from the airport easily and it never takes more than 30 mins by taxi to virtually any hotel. There is a bus and shuttles which might take a bit longer and are cheaper. You'll probably have an airport tax to pay on departure.