Wamos Air - a review of an A330 flight for LATAM (charter)

[juddles]

Toilets:

I knew this was not a new plane, but IMHO age of an aircraft is a completely different thing to the care in running one.

About ten minutes after the seatbelt sign went off after take-off (I waited for the usual rush to pass), I ventured up to the toilet.

Despite the aging fit-out, it was clean and fresh. Very basic, but well stocked with a few things that LATAM puts in there, like hand lotion, a sort of perfume, and sachets of refreshing towellettes. I went in again several hours later and it was till clean. Obviously they keep a check on it.

 

[juddles]

Wamos vs LATAM:

Obviously many things in this flight are influenced by LATAM - it is their catering, wine, etc. But that in itself impressed me - they have managed to seamlessly use a wet-leased charter aircraft, and maintained their own good soft product.

As far as the strictly Wamos parts of this, really it is just the hard product, and the staff.

The plane was good. As a J product, it is not flash, but certainly much better than hideous recliner seats, etc. As for the staff, they were fantastic. I had just come off a QF long haul. Nice staff, but not the same. The Wamos staff genuinely appeared happy and wanting to serve you. And they also did all the professional stuff also. (the security briefing was good, and they were very dilligent making sure the cabin was in order for both take-off and landing)

Yet again I repeat that this particular A330 is probably better than some of the other aircraft they operate. So if you are going to fly them, check out which exact aircraft you will get.

 

[JohnM]

Hmmm, I'm scheduled to be in 1A on a LATAM B787 SCL-LIM in late June. I wonder whether I'll get a Wamos bird? It's only a 3.50h flight, so no biggie.

 

[juddles]

Second last post - best seats:

The following is a seatmap of the aircraft I lifted of SeatMaestro's old file when it was an airberlin aircraft:



Seats 3A, 3K, 5A, 5K are great - they are window seats (you get three full windows) and you are shielded from the aisle. 5K though is fitted with a screen for use as a crew rest (but was occupied by pax on this flight)

The three central pairs are great if travelling as a couple - they are both shielded from the aisles, and cosy. But if you are travelling alone, you (and especially your feet) will be quite close to the other person. The first row pair (1E and 1 F) are actually the best - the layout means you are in no way affected by the galleys, etc, because your isolation from the aisles makes it very private.

2C and 2H, and 4C and 4H, are single seats, but horrendously exposed to the aisles. And really no view from windows. 6C is the best of these, as it is the last row in the J cabin, with noone opposite you.

The only drawback of the true window seats (3A, 3K, 5A, 5K) is that if you are very tall or wide, access is a tad tricky. But the privacy makes up for that.

 

[juddles]

Last post:

I was a tad nervous flying a charter plane. But it was actually really good. Have a close look at these photos:

1.- Climbing just after takeoff from SCL



2.- Cruising into the evening off Ecuador:



Do you see what I see?

There are no flames. The wing is intact, and the engine is purring. And we are not upside down.

Proves my fear of charters was, in this case, unfounded

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks for a very comprehensive and quickly prepared report Juddles.

 

[juddles]

Thanks for a very comprehensive and quickly prepared report Juddles.

Thanks Ozduck, it was fun for me, and I have stolen so much from AFF, I like any chance to return something

 

[juddles]

Hmmm, I'm scheduled to be in 1A on a LATAM B787 SCL-LIM in late June. I wonder whether I'll get a Wamos bird? It's only a 3.50h flight, so no biggie.

JohnM, I think they are only doing it for the longer (but medium haul) sectors. They are saving the 787-9 for the long haul (SCL-AKL, etc) and will most likely be using their other aircraft for the shorter medium haul like SCL-LIM. In any case, if you do "suffer" Wamos, there will be plenty of good wine, and lovely staff serving it

 

[JohnM]

Just checked and it's now back to a B767. It's LA530 that goes SCl-xLIM-JFK - a flight that I've taken quite a few times in both directions in the pre-B787 days in a B767. I always found the LA B767s well-maintained and quite comfy.

 

[RooFlyer]

Great review. Was the bed short for you in particular, or in general?

I'll add this to the 'Airline trip report index'

 

[ICUDr]

Great review, thank you Juddles.

I recently did the same trip and was afraid it was going to get changed to a Wamos plane. It was a LAN plane at the end but maybe it would not have been a bad thing after all..

Anyway, do you prefer to fly via Chile rather than Via LAX And then connect directly with Avianca?

On another note Wamos Airlines... the name reminds me of a Mexican fríend that used to call everyone wachos haha

 

[juddles]

Great review. Was the bed short for you in particular, or in general?

I'll add this to the 'Airline trip report index'

The seat was probably about as long as the J offering in LATAM's 787's - which is short for me. For more normal people it is probably OK

 

[juddles]

Great review, thank you Juddles.

I recently did the same trip and was afraid it was going to get changed to a Wamos plane. It was a LAN plane at the end but maybe it would not have been a bad thing after all..

Anyway, do you prefer to fly via Chile rather than Via LAX And then connect directly with Avianca?

On another note Wamos Airlines... the name reminds me of a Mexican fríend that used to call everyone wachos haha

ICUDr, historically when I traveled from Australia to Colombia I usually did it via SCL simply because I could get cheaper J tickets. Plus a few years back the connections meant a 23hr stopover in LAX. Recently I would have preferred via LAX, as it is now a tad shorter, and in general I have had better experiences with QF on Aust-LAX than the southern route. But now I have reasons to spend time in Chile too, so it continues to work for me

And I much prefer the QF flights rather than LATAM because of the seat length - soft product on LATAM usually better than QF though.....

And lastly, many would prefer the SCL stopover experience (great lounge when in transit) compared to suffering the entrance evils of a USA port.

 

[ICUDr]

ICUDr, historically when I traveled from Australia to Colombia I usually did it via SCL simply because I could get cheaper J tickets. Plus a few years back the connections meant a 23hr stopover in LAX. Recently I would have preferred via LAX, as it is now a tad shorter, and in general I have had better experiences with QF on Aust-LAX than the southern route. But now I have reasons to spend time in Chile too, so it continues to work for me

And I much prefer the QF flights rather than LATAM because of the seat length - soft product on LATAM usually better than QF though.....

And lastly, many would prefer the SCL stopover experience (great lounge when in transit) compared to suffering the entrance evils of a USA port.

Oh yeah US airports... I didn’t know J tickets were cheaper that way... until recently Y vía traveling SCL used to be so expensive and. I only assumed, J was even worse

 

[drron]

Thanks juddles.I now wish some of my LATAM flights last year could have been Wamos subs.The FAs might have been a tad more pleasant.

 

[Boca68]

Great little report @juddles

As you know , I saw the aircraft at SCL last week. Immediately thought of your previous thread.

A few asides, the menu is the exact same LATAM menu I had on my return SCL-AKL yesterday. Had the Gnocchi, dreadful! But I enjoyed that Cab Sav (in your photo on the left) in the LATAM lounge, really great. Forgot the name, have to discover it.

@JohnM LA530 is usually one of the LATAM 787s , flown it a few times. The 767s are old LAN Peru stock, flew one last week, ok, but really showing their age. Possibly switched to the 767 due to the known delays with 787 engine servicing.

 

[JohnM]

@JohnM LA530 is usually one of the LATAM 787s , flown it a few times. The 767s are old LAN Peru stock, flew one last week, ok, but really showing their age. Possibly switched to the 767 due to the known delays with 787 engine servicing.

That's what I figured. When I booked, it showed as a B787 and I chose it for that reason, even though it's a later flight than what I should need after coming in on QF27 - although @juddles was late. I'll be on a leisure DONE4, so no rush and I don't mind a long layover in the LATAM SCL lounge .

 

[juddles]

That's what I figured. When I booked, it showed as a B787 and I chose it for that reason, even though it's a later flight than what I should need after coming in on QF27 - although @juddles was late. I'll be on a leisure DONE4, so no rush and I don't mind a long layover in the LATAM SCL lounge .

I think I could live in that lounge for a few days.

 

[docjames]

Thanks juddles a great TR. Appreciate the time taken to put together,

I read (on airliners.net) that LA have now also leased another Wamos aircraft (a 744).

 

[juddles]

Thanks juddles a great TR. Appreciate the time taken to put together,

I read (on airliners.net) that LA have now also leased another Wamos aircraft (a 744).

docjames, link to the news? That interests me greatly! What route?