Date: July 2023
Airport: Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL)
Title: LATAM VIP Lounge.
Location: Terminal 2; 4th floor.
Airline/Alliance: LATAM have select partnerships with airlines such as Delta and Qantas.
Access: LATAM and partner business class passengers and elite frequent flyers traveling any class. Note that LATAM has left the Oneworld alliance which means Qantas Gold and Platinum frequent flyers only have access when flying on a QF flight number
Summary:
On my 2019 visit to South America, I visited LATAM lounges in Lima and Bogota and while they were both fine, the newly opened LATAM VIP lounge in Santiago, Chile, is a class above.
Staff and the entrance are friendly and multilingual and appeared justifiably proud when they pointed out the facilities available. Those facilities include the usual toilet and showers but also include a designated sleeping area, a feature loved by those with long layovers
Our flight out of Chile was the QF28 SCL – SYD which left at 13:40. We ended up at SCL 4 hours before our flight and despite the 1 hour wait to clear immigration / security, we had ample time to enjoy the lounge.
Food/Bev
When we arrived, breakfast was being served. The hot brekkie option was the usual bacon, scrambled eggs and pancakes. There was a huge range of cold options such as cereal, various yogurts, sandwiches and sweets.
Later, lunch was served. Hot options were risotto of quinoa, slow cooked beef in brown onion gravy, spinach and ricotta cannelloni or roast veggies. I tried all, except the quinoa, purely for research purposes of course. All were tasty.
One thing we both loved was the automatic orange juice machine, which, as the name suggests, crushed oranges on demand to deliver the freshest juice. There was a couple of auto coffee machines available for self-service scattered around the lounge but you’d be crazy to take this option when barista service was available at the bar. A far better option.
Speaking of the bar, while it was not self-service, it definitely was well stocked with all the spirits you could need. The barman was only too happy to mix up any cocktail requested – we tried both the Peruvian and Chilean Pisco Sours. Both were wonderful. Adequate local wine options were also on offer.
Internet / business connectivity
A small business center was availabl3e for use with Apple Mac desktops for anyone crazy enough to have forgotten their own computer. Internet was a lightning fast 173Mb/s download and an equally impressive 133Mb/s upload. I wish my home NBN connection was even half that speed.
Another impressive feature of this lounge is the sheer number of device charging options. No matter where you are seated in the lounge, you’d rarely be more than 1.5m from a charging point. Almost every table had wireless charging on top, perfect for small devices like phones or tablets. Underneath those same tables were multiple USB sockets as well as 240v/110v charge points, no matter what plug your device had.
Bathrooms/showers
Bathrooms were spotless and modern. Attendants were always nearby to ensure they stayed clean. Showers must be booked at the front desk and can get busy. On my visit I was escorted to the shower and found them to again be spotless. Shampoo, body wash, shavers, toothbrushes were all beside the sink as you enter. All appeared good quality.
Overall
Our only complaints about the lounge were a lack of natural light and a lack of staff to take away dirty plates. We waited over an hour for our dirty plates to be cleared from our nearby tables. In the end we decided to move seats to avoid the mess. When we ate again, the same thing happened.
Dirty dishes aside, the LATAM VIP lounge is one of the best in South America, though there’s an even better lounge next door – see note below.
Rating out of 10
Comfort/facilities: 8/10
Food: 8/10
Beverage: 8.5/10
Showers: 8/10
Bathroom: 8.5/10
WiFi: 10/10
Overall rating: 8/10
One more thing…
Interestingly, there’s a larger, light filled, but otherwise almost identical LATAM lounge right next door. In recent reviews I’ve read it appears many have reviewed that lounge. At the time of writing my review, that lounge was only accessible to certain domestic credit card holders flying with LATAM.