Idioteque

Ok, I posted this on tripadvisor as well but maybe this is more successful


Hello all,

I was wondering whether somebody can help me with this as it already gets VERY frustating!!!

The LAN South America Airpass website has been down for about two weeks, I keep getting redirected to this: lan.com/sitio_personas/servicios_no_disponib…

I am trying to book four flights through SA (3 in Peru and 1 Peru - Brazil) but of course, I cannot anymore due to not working website.

After extensive search on the web I found an ... indirect link to the airpass website: lan.com/en_us/…saairpass_mapaf.html

This looks different than the one I was using when I did the price simulations a few weeks ago (and, also quotes me a slightly higher fee, though not a lot higher, about 10%). I could make a reservation two nights ago which I didn't pay because I first thought of calling the LAN helpline to get some answers. The reservation expired (after 23h) and now I'm not really able to make a new one anymore (not sure why, I keep getting an error!!)

But ok, back to the questions. I fly to South America with TAM which is part of LATAM so I should be able to get the cheapest fare.

The website asks for the booking reservation which I assume is the 6 letters code that I got when I did the initially reservation. It also quotes me about 1550 US dollars for 2 people for the 4 flights.

When I called LAN helpdesk, they asked for the E-ticket number (not the reservation code!) and quoted me about 2000 UK pounds, that's almost double the price!

WFT? Where do the differences come from? Anybody that booked (or used) the LAN south america airpass lately can englighten me about this? I would highly appreciate it!

avrooster

idioteque: may I have the link to your post on TA? We are always particularly eager to help people who are unhappy with TA.....

I was able to get into this, but not into the links you provided above:

http://www.lan.com/es_ar/sitio_perso...ass/index.html

I was unable to get an English version. Are you from the UK?

Well, let me know if the above link helps.

Idioteque

Hey avrooster,
thanks for trying to help. I'm in NL actually but there is no Dutch website because LAN does not fly from the Netherlands so it does not really matter for me which one it is (UK or Other countries Europe are the "closest", but I have tried the US, Spain and Peru ones as well0).

Yes, the link you posted is the one I used to do the simulations some time ago however the Flash app does not work for me anymore! It loads the initial page but if you press continue (Arma y compra tu circuito) the map is empty and I cannot select anything!! That's the frustrating part. I tried all kind of browsers on more platforms (IE10, IE11, Chrome, Opera, Firefox, on XP & Windows 9, Safari on Mac, Blackberry Pad, Dolphin & Chrome & Opera on Android) but none of them can load the flash properly. The frustating part: it worked about two weeks ago!!!

Idioteque

The second link I posted is actually this one:

http://www.lan.com/en_us/ promociones/data/norteamerica/ us/todo_el_mundo/ saairpass_mapaf.html

(no spaces, I don't know why fodors truncates it)
It's a similar map but not the same one.

avrooster

I'm supposed to be knowledgeable about forum matters, but all those browsers you mentioned are Chinese for me.

May I have the link to your post on TA? I have been unable to find it.

I'll keep working on "arma y compra tu circuito".

Have a great time in our continent.

Idioteque

Oh, it's one of the latest in the Peru subforum

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...pass-Peru.html

PS: If you click Arma y compra tu circuito, are you able to select any cities on the map or do you get an empty blue map? If you are able to select something than maybe they blocked NL from the universe!

avrooster

You are right, I was unable to go any further, just like you.

Idioteque

Anybody?

avrooster

Perhaps you should consider this alternative, but it does NOT allow planning much ahead:

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...cash-pesos.cfm

mlgb

Same thing. The website looks slightly different, also.

LAN is pretty miserable with the customer service by phone. Half the time you get an unusable connection. You wind up in either Chile or Peru. The agents seem unable to help with anything having to do with online reservations. However if the airpass IS still available, I can't see why they wouldn't help you. Not that logic matters. The number that one would enter to get airpass quotes online was the 6-letter reservation code, not the ticket number.

As I recall, you needed to make reservations two weeks before departure. And flying on a partner airline didn't get you as good a price as flying in on LAN itself.

You could try calling the main number again and getting different agents. Be sure you ask about LAN South America Airpass and say there is a problem with the website. Have a nice beer or tea ready while you get transferred around in circles.

Sympathies about having to deal with them on the phone. After a few hours of headache you may decide to follow avroosters other idea.

Inside Peru you may want to try one of the domestic airlines, which do not jack up prices for Cusco/Puerto Maldonado. They are Star Peru and Peruvian Airlines, Star is the nicer of the two but neither flies to Juliaca.

There is also TACA, but it may be that you find high prices booking online from outside Peru.

avrooster

I'm sorry, my latest post above of 10.07 AM only works for Argentina and the OP is NOT coming to Argentina.

Idioteque

mlgb, you had the SA airpass from LAN, didn't you?

Yeah, I also figured that the online version asked for the 6 letters reservation code that's why I found it weird that the guy on the phone asked for the E-ticket number!

The thing is, via the "different" link I can still do the booking of the pass and the payment with the prices I want. But I wonder if I can have any problems afterwards. Does anybody check the booking of the ticket with which I come in South America or once the website issues the tickets nobody cares?

I'm concerned because the website just accepts the booking code from TAM but I don't know if I should trust the website or not. TAM and LAN are since recently in the LATAM alliance. On the "good" version of the site TAM was also mentioned in the terms and conditions for the SA Airpass but now that I cannot access it!! Argh!

I know about the cheap internal flights but my biggest problem is the Lima to Iguazu which is 500 Euros by itself if I don't buy the pass.

I think I'll just go ahead and book it. As long as the website gives me tickets, why not? Or?



I don't think I want to get in contact with their call center, that was the crappiest Customer service experience ever.

mlgb

I did have a SA Airpass on my first trip to SA, when I went flew in to Lima and then onwards to Punta Arenas Chile. I didn't have any issues actually using it, in fact when ALL the flights from Lima to Cusco were cancelled one day, it seemed like I had a higher priority than many other people.

You are able to get the SA Airpass booked, and if you get reservation codes then check back to be sure you also get ticket numbers. I think with ticket numbers you should be okay.

Seriously. About LANs call center..."True Dat!!!!"

Elizabeth_S

Flyertalk.com is a great resource for various airlines. Here's a link to the LAN forum

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lan-lanpass-689/

crellston

Wow! After reading all of this I am lad I decided not to bother with the Lan Pass. I still haven managed to join there loyalty scheme after 6 months of trying!

Idioteque

Well, I managed to make the reservation again. Only on the US version of the "hidden" website, for all the other countries I could not finish the reservation!! Though the website is identical.

Anyway, when wanting to pay the reservation, I keep getting an error. On googling for it, it seems they don't accept mobile phones (should be put as home phone) and also the country code should be with 3 digits. Okay, I did that. Still wrong. I guess the expect an US phone number while I have a Dutch one.

OMFG! If I don't manage to sort this out if a few days I'll just say, scr*w you LAN! This is unbelievable. And I have only so much time on my hand for dealing with them.

I'll just buy the tickets on TAM for the flight to Brazil (which is, funny enough, operated by LAN!) and buy from local companies for the Peru internal.

Elizabeth, I read the flyertalk forums but I could not find many reports of people using the SA Airpass. Thanks though.

PS: did anybody ever read the Facebook page of LAN US? Only complaits! The Joy!

Elizabeth_S

Idioteque - I meant for you to post this question there - .....lots of helpful people there.

Huentetu

I thought the airpass had to include more than one international flight? Flights within Peru are not that expensive and you can get a good deal on the Lima to Brazil flight by booking early.

mlgb

From what I remember from pricing it on other occasions, you had to have three flight legs but they could all be within a single country. eg if you flew into Lima (on LAN or a partner), you could use the airpass to buy three domestic flight legs, eg Lima-Juliaca, Juliaca-Cusco, Cusco-Lima. I can't recall if you had to close the loop or not.

Idioteque my sympathies.

Idioteque

Nope, no closing the loop. Just three flights. Like a normal multi-city but with better prices.