Ok, so you read Adrian's post about the airline ticket fiasco. I recently woke up, since I sadly slept little on the plane. Here is my two cents - if you will. Cheap Tickets pretty much threw up their hands as the scenario unfolded and wouldn't even offer to buy tickets for us to solve the problem. To be clear, Cheap Tickets admitted it was their failure. Basically they set up the ticket without checking to make sure that all of the airlines had agreements with each other. If it hadn't been for three people inserting themselves in our lives in a helpful way at that moment we would be thousands of dollars in the hole and perhaps still in Miami.
We're not dropping the issue with Cheap Tickets and once we get settled in Mendoza I'll be logging serious minutes on my Telefonica card until we get some reimbursement. I'll keep you posted as we go.
On another note, for anyone who ever finds themselves in the Santiago airport for more than a three-hour layover, I suggest paying the $30 USD to stay in the LAN Mistral VIP lounge. It sounds like a lot, right? Well for someone who got little sleep on the plane, stretching out on a nice long sofa with a blanket and fresh sparkling water in an air-conditioned room was worth it's weight in gold, or at least 30 bucks. About every 20 minutes the staff moves through the lounge collecting plates and putting out new snacks as well as replenishing the juice, water, beer and wine. I'm guessing other airports where LAN flies in South America have similar set ups.
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I have found that it is a really good idea to get on the phone and force them to give you a refund or something, it usually takes time but eventually you'll get somewhere. I also have another suggestion for when you haven't been able to sleep on a long international flight and you don't want to pay money for a VIP lounge. After my most recent flight from Roma to Chicago, I chose to not pay $50 to be VIP and instead I found a sleep number bed exposition and I pretended to be interested in buying one. I was able to lay on the bed for a quick 10 minute power nap and then they told me it was done showing me the different possible sleep numbers. Then I proceeded on my way to a waiting area at an empty gate and I was attacked by the rabid mice who live in the Chicago airport. All in all it was worth saving the $50.
That sucks! Come to think of it though. Josh and I used Travelocity to make reservations for a rental car in Spain. When we got to the Madrid airport there was no record of the reservation. We jumped between the three rental agency windows that were still open - looking for the best deal - but still payed a lot more than we had planned.
As for the lounge Vs. rabid mice debate...I'm all for the lounge!
I never heard of mice in O´Hare, but hey, I´ve certainly seen rats in Chicago, so it wouldn´t surprise me.
Interesting advice about the Sleep Number Bed. What happens if you pass out?
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