“The Champagne will have to wait,” I told Kel as our LATAM Airline’s 787-9 Dreamliner accelerated down the runway in Santiago de Chile, pressing us back into our Business Class seats. Traveling to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the South Pacific, one of the most remote islands on Earth, was a bucket list adventure for both of us. So, why not arrive there in style?
Such was the thinking when we booked the six flights needed to travel roundtrip from Austin, TX, to Rapa Nui, Chile. To balance our spending, we flew Economy Class for five of the six flights (including two overnight flights between Panama City and Santiago on Copa Airlines). The daytime flights from Santiago to Easter Island are about five hours and forty minutes, which helps keep the cost of Business Class seating down.
It would also mark Kel’s first time flying Business Class, an experience I’ve relished on carriers like Turkish Airlines. My firsthand account of flying Business Class on LATAM Airline’s 787-9 Dreamliner from Santiago to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) follows.
What’s in a name? Rapa Nui is the indigenous name for Easter Island. Dutch explorers named it Easter Island simply because they discovered it on Easter. It’s also known as Isla de Pascua, the Spanish translation for “Easter Island.” In my writing, I prefer to lead with Rapa Nui; however, I’ll also refer to it as Easter Island, as it’s more commonly known.
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL)
We arrived at the Domestic Terminal (T1) of Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport via Uber at about 7:15 a.m. for our 10:55 a.m. flight to Rapa Nui. We found the LATAM Airlines counter on the third floor and checked in through the Premium line.
Only about a half-dozen people were ahead of us, so it went quickly. As check-in with a human is required for foreign travelers, access to the Premium line was a nice benefit for Business Class passengers.
LATAM Airlines is a Chilean company and the sole carrier flying from South America to Rapa Nui (one to two non-stop flights daily). I’ve taken LATAM flights several times in my travels around Latin America, including the short flight from Lima to Cusco to visit Machu Picchu in Peru. But this was my first time flying Business Class with them.
After we confirmed our seats (3A and 3C), we followed the signs for Rapa Nui downstairs. We presented the required travel…
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