Easter Island LATAM Flight Reviews

There is only one way to get to Easter Island from South America. LATAM flies from Santiago to Easter Island every day. Although it is expensive to fly there, it is totally worth it for the experience you will have on the island!

Below is a review of our flights. When planning a trip to Easter Island, be sure to check the price of business class flights, as they are sometimes even lower than economy. We managed to book our return flight on business class for almost the same cost as economy!

Our cost: $539.26 CAD return, each (SCL-IPC economy and IPC-SCL business)
Purchased:  4 months in advance

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Easter Island Flights: LATAM Flight 841 (Economy Class)

There is usually only one flight per day from Santiago to Easter Island and oddly, it leaves from the International Terminal in Santiago. We made the mistake of waiting in the domestic security line before being told by security that we were in the wrong terminal. We noticed other some other passengers from our flight made the same mistake as well.

At the international security checkpoint, passengers for Easter Island were directed to a separate line. Each passenger is required to complete a police form specifically for entry to Easter Island. We each to had to complete this form with our personal information, length of stay on Easter Island, and the name and/or address of our accommodation.

This form is brought to the police checkpoint (PDI) where it is stamped and two of the three carbon copies are returned. These were checked and another copy was taken prior to boarding the plane. Be sure to hold on to this form, as you will need it when departing Easter Island at the end of your trip.

Being in the international terminal, there are many options to eat and shop and multiple airline lounges. Boarding starts an hour early, as it is a large plane (B 777-200) and police forms need to be collected from every passenger.

For our flight to Easter Island, we were sitting in economy. Every passenger was provided with headphones, a blanket and a pillow. The upholstery was dated, and in some cases, coming apart.

The entertainment system was not functional in our section of the plane, so the earphones were useless. The LATAM flight attendants were very friendly and helpful – one gentleman went to great lengths to try to help us get the entertainment system started. After three attempts to turn it on, we told him it was okay and he was very apologetic that the plane was “old”.

Early in the flight, every passenger was offered a bilingual (Spanish/English) magazine called “moeVarua”, about Easter Island.
As our flight departed at 9:30am, breakfast was served approximately thirty minutes into the flight. The meal choices consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich with fruit.

The other option was a ham and cheese and veggie sandwich with an apple tart. Unfortunately for Shaleen (and any vegetarians on board), there were no pork-free options! After the initial food and beverage service, there was no more service during the rest of the flight.

The bathrooms were standard, however one of the bathrooms was almost double the size of a typical airline bathroom and contained hand lotion and a refreshing towel.

The descent to Easter Island provided some great views, especially to the passengers on the left side of the plane. The landing was smooth and taxiing was quick, as we were obviously the only plane at the airport. Once we exited one of the two available exit doors, it was a quick walk to the airport, with our first stop at the booth to purchase the Rapa Nui National Park pass. The ticket office is located just inside the airport after arrivals and the line moves quickly. The tickets cost $80 USD or $54,000 Chilean pesos each. We paid for our tickets in pesos, which we discovered was a few (Canadian) dollars cheaper. When you purchase your ticket, you also receive a map of the island, which was helpful when driving around.

After buying our passes, we went to the tiny baggage claim carousel that clearly did not have enough room for the number of bags or passengers on the flight! Bags were falling off the carousel and passengers and employees were stacking bags on top so they would all fit!

Once we retrieved our bags, we went outside and met our driver, who welcomed us with fresh flower leis!
Despite the entertainment unit not working and the lack of meal options, our flight experience was smooth and uneventful, which in my opinion, is just fine.

Easter Island Flights: LATAM Flight 844 (Business Class)

We arrived at the airport an hour before our 12:25pm return flight. The pre-security departure terminal has a small restaurant and a few gift shops. After putting our bags through a quick security screen, we checked in. The economy line had upwards of 40 people, but since we had a business class ticket, it allowed us to wait in a line with only one person in front of us.

After check in, we waited in a short line for the police checkpoint, where we handed in our personal information form that we originally filled out in Santiago.Following the police check, we went through security quickly and then our flight was ready to board. The boarding lounge has a small café with indoor and outdoor seating areas. However, we did not have an opportunity to fully explore the small boarding area because we went directly to the plane.

Despite being a fairly old plane, the seats on board were incredibly roomy and could be adjusted to lay completely flat.

Unfortunately, my leg rest was not working properly so I could not extend my legs straight. This did not affect my comfort though. Every passenger was provided a duvet style blanket and a big pillow. In addition, the amenities kit contained socks, eye cover, ear plugs and a pen (a very useful item!). There were noise cancelling headphones at each seat as well.

After boarding the plane, we were offered a welcome drink of champagne or water as well as some mixed nuts.
Shortly after the seatbelt sign was turned off, the entertainment system was activated. It had two fuzzy channels available, which showed movies (Ratatouille or The Imitation Game followed by Avengers: Infinity Wars and Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Our food arrived later and we were given the option of a rib eye steak, Thai shrimp and rice, or a vegetable lasagna. Dessert options included chocolate cake or fresh fruit. I opted for the steak and Shaleen had the shrimp, while both of us asked for fruit.

We both enjoyed our meals and our fresh fruit desserts. It was nice to finish off the meal with a delicious Lindt chocolate!

After dinner, I relaxed with an americano followed by a glass of 12 year Chivas scotch, while Shaleen had some herbal tea.

The four hour flight was over before we knew it and we were back in Santiago. Despite the shortcomings of an older plane, flying business class was definitely worth the couple of extra dollars. The food and beverage selection was great and the seats were comfortable, despite not being totally functional. Overall, it was an excellent way to cap off our amazing trip to Easter Island.