The two SkyTeam members KLM and Air France are currently offering discounted tickets for business class flights from Italy to Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires. You can choose between various airports of departure, such as Rome, Venice, Milan or Bologna and prices for a round-trip start at €1,434. The availability for this deal is decent more or less all year round.
The flights to Santiago de Chile are sadly no longer available. Luckily, you can still book the flights to Buenos Aires.
No matter which airport is the most convenient one for you, prices are more or less identical. By the way: you can reduce the number of stops for most trips to only one, if you decide to pay a little extra.
Depending on the carrier you choose, your first layover will be in Paris or in Amsterdam. At the carrier’s hub, you will board the aircraft that is operated on the long-haul segment. Some connections include two stops on the way back to Europe, so you might have to change plans again in South America.
KLM, as well as Air France, has an up-to-date business class product with lie-flat seats and direct aisle access on their Boeing 777 and 787. Have a look at these two flight reports if you need some input to decide which airlines you should give preference to:
Search & Book
The fare rules don’t give any indication as to how long this dal could be available. Also, there is no restriction to travel times. We’ve been able to find trips all year long, except for December.
The minimum stay requirements are six days or at least the night from Saturday to Sunday. And if you want to, you can spend up to 12 months in South America before returning to Europe.
All connections and prices will be displayed correctly on Google Flights (instructions). Once you’ve settled for a specific date, just visit the carrier’s website for booking.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Tickets for the European short-haul segment will be issued in booking class J, the long-haul flights in class O. Unfortunately, the trip between Europe and South America won’t earn you any miles at all. Only Flying Blue will credit you on a revenue base.
Information & Tips for Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile is the capital and most important economic center of Chile. With its 5.6 million inhabitants, the city is also a key cultural center which attracts numerous tourists thanks to its location near both the coast and the Andes Mountains.
From the Airport to the City Center
Two different airport busses, CentroPuerto and TurBus, run from the airport to the city. The fare is about 3€ per person and the journey takes about 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Credit cards are accepted when buying a ticket at the airport counter.
Unfortunately, none of the two buses take you directly into the city centre. The buses from CentroPuerto go to the “Los Héroes” station, from there you can walk to the central Plaza de Armas in about 20 minutes and a transfer to the metro is also possible quite easily. A taxi is a bit faster and costs approximately 20€.
Best Time to Travel
The best weather conditions for sightseeing and other touristic activities are in spring between September and November and in autumn between March and May. Temperatures during these months are moderate and rainfall is low.
→ All Dealz for Santiago de Chile
Comment (1)
On the route to SCL, Air France doesn`t provide their newer business class seats. Just flown with it.
It`s a 2-3-2 Business class with angeled flat seats.
Better choose KLM as your carrier on that flight.