We recently flew from Sydney to Auckland on LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 on their Business Class. The flight left mid morning and arrived in the evening and was a quick three hours!

As a Business Class passenger, we were entitled to priority security and boarding, as we had already checked in on our flight from Adelaide to Sydney. This made the process much quicker, and we managed to get through security efficiently.

Being a codeshare partner of Qantas, we were able to relax in the Qantas International Lounge before our departure which provided a comfortable start to our journey.

The lounge didn’t announce boarding times so we were regularly checking the departures board. We had noticed that our flight was delayed by about an hour, yet when it came to our original departing time of 11.35am, the board was saying ‘Final Call.’

We quickly had to run from the lounge to our Gate which was about 6 minutes away. The lady at the Gate told me she didn’t know why the board had messed up but seemed quite-non apologetic for it.

So this was not the best start to the journey as it made us quite stressed and staff didn’t seem to have a reason to provide us with why it happened.

Airlines Welcome/Boarding

After the boarding debacle we were greeted by staff onboard who were welcoming and polite. We boarded through the front of the aircraft and to the left was the Business Class cabin. We were seated in 2A next to the window. It was nice to see the menus already placed by the seat as well as a full bedding kit with a comforter and pillow. There was also an Amenity Kit and bottle of water placed inside a storage compartment next to our seat.

We were surprised that we didn’t get a welcome drink of any sort offered to us- something that really makes a difference in Business Class as opposed to in Economy. A warm towel was provided about 15 minutes into the actual flight itself, which was also different from the standard time of being almost as soon as you arrive.

The staff came around and took our orders for food, however there was a bit of a language barrier as they didn’t seem to speak English very well.

LATAM Airlines Cabin Layout and Seats

We were onboard the Dreamliner 787-9 which is considered one of LATAM’s older Business Classes. Therefore, it didn’t feel as luxurious as some of the other Business Class cabins or as on newer planes.

There were 30 seats in the cabin in a 2-2-2 layout, with all seats facing forward. It was a predominantly full flight, but there were some empty seats here and there. The layout meant that not every seat had direct aisle access. A standout to us was the lack of privacy between you and the person next to you. It would have been nice to have a screen that divided the seats or even a curved headrest that would block out a little bit. We would recommend these seats if you are flying with a companion, otherwise expect to be quite close to the person next to you.

We really enjoyed the amount of personalisation you could do with the seat controls. They were really easy to use, a little slow, but did the job! Since we were only on a three-hour flight we only had a short lie down on the fully flat bed! We were really happy with the fact they provided us with a plush pillow and soft quilt- making it very cosy. It felt more private lying down as there was a bit of a divider created from the middle compartment.

LATAM Airlines Amenities and Entertainment

We found there to be an ample amount of storage for us onboard. Although the bedding took up a lot of room, we were pleased by the little compartments next to our seat and in front of us.

The Amenity Kit was on the seat on arrival and was quite disappointing. It didn’t feel up to standard with other Business Class amenity kits, with only a wooden toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, eye masks and socks inside. It felt felt little on this thin side. We would have enjoyed some type of hand cream and maybe some slippers to enhance our journey.

There was a TV remote located in the left-hand side of the seat, with charging outlets on the right-hand side that also had some extra storage. Next to the TV screen were good quality headphones that were wrapped in an eco-friendly bag. We did appreciate the efforts LATAM went to with their environmentally friendly packaging of the quilt, toothbrush and earplugs.

The screen was a good size, however it felt very far away from the seat. The touchscreen was a little clunky to use at times, being a little slow, and also felt inconvenient as you had to lean so far forward. We would definitely recommend using the remote! There was a decent amount of movies, TV shows and entertainment on-board, as well as a lot of foreign and Spanish films.

LATAM Airlines Onboard Dining

Since we boarded at 11.30am local time, we were being served lunch. As we stated before, we were not given a welcome drink and found the menu a little limited. On the menu was one entree, two mains to choose from and two desserts to pick. Before the meal service began, the flight attendants came around and set up our tray tables with a white cloth- this is always a nice touch in Business Class.

We were served within an hour of the flight which we liked and for the appetiser we had a Crab Rillette which was light and was served with a fresh leaf salad on the side. It was lovely to be provided with a little bottle of olive oil, warm bread and smooth butter to accompany the dish.

We had been served our main at the same time- a choice between a Grilled Tenderloin or Mushroom Filled Fresh Pasta. We opted for the ravioli, and the sun-dried tomato sauce was packed full of flavour and overall was our favourite dish of the meal service. A small square of Whittaker’s Dark Chocolate was also a nice touch to end the entree and main course.

Dessert was a choice between Fresh Fruit or a Cream Cheese Mousse with Rhubarb Compote and a Crunchy Cookie which is what we opted for. It was very well balanced and had great flavour to it- although the ‘Crunchy Cookie’ seemed to be more of a crumble that layered the compote.

In terms of beverages, we found that they had a really nice range of Chilean red and white wines to choose from as well as spirits and beers. There wasn’t much choice with non-alcoholic beverages, serving only Ginger Ale and Coke as the soft drink choices when we asked. It was a decent dining experience however we would have liked more options available for both the appetiser and dessert.

LATAM Airlines Summary

Our overall experience with LATAM Airlines 787-9 Business Class was pleasant. Although there was a hiccup with the boarding process, onboard the staff were attentive and polite. The in-flight dining was enjoyable and we appreciated the little extras like the bottle of olive oil and dark chocolate square.
We would have liked to see a bit more privacy in between the seats as well as more options when it came to meals and beverages. A welcome drink would have elevated the Business Class experience a little more.
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