I had a choice: either buy my airfare or accept the media seat offered by another airline, which I’d written rave reviews many times before. I decided to buy my ticket via a well-known retail travel agency group to grab two other feature stories. About RETAIL Travel and an airline’s tail feathers, I’d never flown before.

The resulting experience was both enlightening and enriching on both fronts…

RETAIL Rewards

I’d sat across the desk from a well-versed travel professional in a FLIGHT CENTRE shop in my local mall. The process was seamless and delightful as the shared screen of ‘my consultant’ lit up with options, prices, and travel times. Once I’d short-listed my want list, ‘my’ travel agent took control and illuminated the screen with possibilities I’d never known if I’d accepted a ‘free ride’ as media.

LATAM Team

There appears to be a long-standing sense of ‘ownership’ among this retail travel group, inspired perhaps by the very early days of Flight Centres with Bill James and ‘Screw’ Turner at the helm. We knew this team from their earlier adventures as the founders of TOP-Deck Travel, and their template for success was developing. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the Espre De Corps still existed among this group of ‘local’ Flight Centre ‘villagers’… It was a great ‘return on my investment’.

LATAM Airlines, The Airline that Leapt to the Top of The Class

Once my booking was confirmed, I enjoyed a regular conversation with LATAM Airlines. Firstly, by way of emails, and then, at the coal=front of the check-in desk the day of my flight. The team serving clients behind the counter was professional, smiling and pleased to look after travellers about to embark.  I met three behind-the-team members on the day, and in my view, all of them were great candidates for cloning for customer service, with a significant bit of humanity tossed in for good measure. Well done to the crew serving from Sydney’s International Airport on the day. (Tuesday the 10^th of December)

Latam Airlines A320-200 Premium Economy Seat.

I’d heard feedback from other travel writers and consultants who’d flown the LATAM airlines tail feathers before. And the reviews all seem to echo the notion that in-flight service was exceptional. The in-flight service was strictly top-shelf, even though I was flying ‘down the back’ for this flight. Timely service, smooth delivery of drinks and meal services and the in-flight team taking the time to ‘connect’ with the passengers in the cabin. I can only assure you that folks riding in the skinny end would be experiencing the same acceptable treatments up front. I even enjoyed the safety demonization video, and the Captain’s voice from the cockpit was reassuring, professional and down-right conversational. I’ve not been this pleasantly impressed in decades. Even for a ticket I’d paid full fare for~ I’m oftentimes pampered and spoiled for airline choices through an airline’s head office or an eager-to-please Public Relations firm. I’m pleased I paid for the ticket. It has provided me with numerous other outlets to sell my tales to… Well-Done LATAM Airways…We Will Be Back.

Written by Mark William Sheehan

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