Wickersham's Conscience

WC had the pleasure of flying on LAN from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, Argentina and back on a trip to Antarctica. If there was a battle for competitively-priced, quality air travel, the American carriers have lost.

WC has flown to South America on Continental Airlines, American Airlines and now LAN. WC would compare Continental and American to, say, Greyhound Bus Lines, but lacking Greyhound’s class and creature comforts. LAN is more like Pan American Airlines was 30 years ago. Except better.

• Leg room? American Airlines has the seats so close together WC’s legs cramp. Continental has them so close together that, if the person ahead reclines their seat, WC’s legs are broken. LAN provides both leg room and foot support. In Coach class.
• Service? LAN’s flight crews are friendly, actually ask you if they can get you anything, and courteous. Continental’s cabin crews treat you like something the cat dragged in; American’s are actively hostile, and seem to assume WC is there to hijack the aircraft.
• Price? LAN is much less expensive. For WC’s trip, Business Class was only US$20 more than Coach on American.
• Maintenance? LAN flew a Boeing 757. The aircraft was sparkling clean inside and out. Much cleaner than American. Continental has sunken to Continental Trailways standards.
• Food? Elegantly prepared, healthy and tasty meals on LAN. American not so much. Continental, for $10 you can buy a meal in a cardboard box and, frankly, the box is probably tastier than the meal.
• Creature Comforts? Personal television screens, foot rests, power supplies for electronics, seats that really recline, headrests, blankets, pillows. American and Continental? None of the above.
• Timeliness? All four of WC’s flights departed and arrived on schedule. American and Continental, maybe 50% of the time.
• Luggage? None of the stupid fees. The luggage arrived at the carousel both ways in less than ten minutes. American? Luggage fees and a 30 minute wait; Continental has lost WC’s luggage – twice – so it’s difficult to even see how to measure.

WC thinks that if LAN could lawfully fly U.S. domestic routes, the U.S. carriers would be filing Chapter 11 the next day.

Based upon what WC has seen, U.S. domestic carriers simply do not compete. WC wants to be as supportive as the next citizen of American industry, but he draws the line at being knee-capped if the guy in the next row ahead reclines his seat. Or finding a moldy, half-eaten taco in the seat pocket in front of him.

U.S. domestic carriers claim to be barely making expenses, file Chapter 11 far too often, and tag WC for money at every possible opportunity (although the coin-operated toilets are not yet installed). There was a time when the U.S. was the model. That day seems to be long past. A country like Chile, LAN’s home, runs a much classier operation, at a lower price, than the U.S. does.

WC, after too many years as a lawyer, shamelessly quizzed both Alaska Airlines and LAN flight crews as to their wages. They were essentially the same. It’s not wages. And don’t try to tell WC that a third world country like Chile is subsidizing LAN.

WC doesn’t think it has to be this way. WC thinks the president of Alaska, American and Continental Airlines needs to take a flight in Coach on LAN. And then Coach on their own line. Anonymously.