05-Oct-2017 12:02 PM
LATAM Airlines launches first ever non-stop flight from Melbourne to Santiago, Chile
Direct News Source
05-Oct-2017 The new service marks further growth in Australia for Latin America's leading airline
LATAM Airlines Group ('LATAM') will make history on Friday 6 October, 2017 by offering the first ever non-stop service between Melbourne and Santiago, Chile - expanding the airline's offering in Australia and widening access to LATAM's comprehensive network across Latin America.
LATAM will operate three non-stop flights per week between Melbourne and Santiago, Chile - one of the airline's principal hubs - with onward connections to more than 124 destinations across Latin America. The new route is also the only direct connection between Melbourne and South America, significantly reducing travel times between the two regions.
"We're pleased to provide Melbourne with the first ever non-stop service to Santiago, making it faster and easier for Australians to experience the rich culture, culinary delights and landscapes Latin America has to offer," said Valeria Alvano, Regional General Manager, Oceania, LATAM Airlines Group. "We're confident both regions will benefit from the new route, which will help support the growth of tourism and commerce."
LATAM currently operates seven flights per week from Sydney to Santiago (via Auckland) transporting approximately 190,000 passengers per year between South America and Oceania. With the Melbourne-Santiago flight, operated by state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the airline group estimates it will transport an additional 75,000 passengers between the two continents each year.
Schedule
LATAM Airlines flight LA804 will depart Melbourne (MEL) at 20:40 (local time) on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Santiago (SCL) at 19:55 the same day (local time), with a flight time of 13 hours 15 minutes.
The return flight (LA805) will depart Santiago at 13:30 (local time) on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving in Melbourne at 17:40 (local time) the following day, with a flight time of 15 hours 10 minutes.*
In-flight experience
The service will be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 220 seats in Economy, 54 seats in Space + and 30 seats in Premium Business. Premium Business passengers can enjoy priority airport services, spacious seats that recline into full-flat beds and a newly-designed food menu, showcasing Latin American cuisine paired with premium Chilean and Argentinean wines selected by Hector Vergara, the only Master Sommelier in South America.
"We're pleased to provide Melbourne with the first ever non-stop service to Santiago, making it faster and easier for Australians to experience the rich culture, culinary delights and landscapes Latin America has to offer," said Valeria Alvano, Regional General Manager, Oceania, LATAM Airlines Group. "We're confident both regions will benefit from the new route, which will help support the growth of tourism and commerce."
LATAM currently operates seven flights per week from Sydney to Santiago (via Auckland) transporting approximately 190,000 passengers per year between South America and Oceania. With the Melbourne-Santiago flight, operated by state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the airline group estimates it will transport an additional 75,000 passengers between the two continents each year.
Schedule
LATAM Airlines flight LA804 will depart Melbourne (MEL) at 20:40 (local time) on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Santiago (SCL) at 19:55 the same day (local time), with a flight time of 13 hours 15 minutes.
The return flight (LA805) will depart Santiago at 13:30 (local time) on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving in Melbourne at 17:40 (local time) the following day, with a flight time of 15 hours 10 minutes.*
In-flight experience
The service will be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 220 seats in Economy, 54 seats in Space + and 30 seats in Premium Business. Premium Business passengers can enjoy priority airport services, spacious seats that recline into full-flat beds and a newly-designed food menu, showcasing Latin American cuisine paired with premium Chilean and Argentinean wines selected by Hector Vergara, the only Master Sommelier in South America.
Santiago, Chile and Latin America
Chile has a wide variety of climates and landscapes, from the driest desert in the world to the largest glaciers outside of the poles. Santiago, the Chilean capital, is a vibrant multicultural metropolis that has established itself as one of Latin America´s business centres.
Chile has a wide variety of climates and landscapes, from the driest desert in the world to the largest glaciers outside of the poles. Santiago, the Chilean capital, is a vibrant multicultural metropolis that has established itself as one of Latin America´s business centres.
From Santiago, LATAM offers an unrivalled network to business centres such as São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Lima, as well as to iconic destinations across Latin America including Machu Picchu in Peru, the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, Iguazú Falls in Argentina and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Through LATAM's oneworld partners, passengers in Australia can easily connect to Melbourne from locations across the country, including Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth as well as from destinations throughout Asia ranging from the metropolises of Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing to the tourist capitals of Bangkok and Bali.
Through LATAM's oneworld partners, passengers in Australia can easily connect to Melbourne from locations across the country, including Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth as well as from destinations throughout Asia ranging from the metropolises of Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing to the tourist capitals of Bangkok and Bali.