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Taken October 2003 from Los Angeles LAX to Copiapo Chamonate CPO

Lan Chile (and its affiliates Lan Peru and Lan Ecuador) are the best airlines in Latin America, both in terms of service and safety. However, their strict inflexibility with regard to changing tickets loses them points in the customer relations department. This inflexibility carries over to the flight crew also, who follow unusual flight procedures such as closing everyone's window shades while they sleep during a night flight. Invariably, I will re-open it, to be confronted immediately by the flight crew. What gives?

Notwithstanding rote adherence to policy, onboard service is generally superior to the major U.S. carriers'. Lan Chile also offers a nice variety of special meal options, including my favorite, the seafood meal. Beware the seafood breakfast, however.

If in Peru, the only airline I'll trust my life to for domestic flights is Lan Peru. All others are not up to North American/European standards. However, even Lan Peru suffers from institutionalized inflexibility, which when coupled with occasional employee ignorance (of baggage rules for connecting flights, for instance), can create some headaches.