As we landed in Sydney to connect to our LATAM 787 service to Auckland, we found out via at the LATAM app, that the flight was cancelled. Sure enough, the departure screens at the airport confirmed this.

The good news was that we had been re-booked onto an ir New Zealand service leaving Sydney a mere 7 hours later. I love NZ Business Class- its a very solid product but…

The bad news was we had specifically booked the LATAM service so we could fly on the 787! They are the only airline offering the 787 between Sydney and Auckland and I was determined to fly on it! I have been waiting to get on a 787 for too long!

A quick call to the Latam call centre was fruitless. They could not even find our booking on the system! Qantas, who handle LATAM’s check in could not help us with any information except the flight had been cancelled and we had been re-booked! They recommended we go to the LATAM office at Sydney Airport for assistance, as there was not a Latam staff member to be seen in the main departure hall.

At the office, we found LATAM staff frantically rebooking passengers! They were bemused to find that  we did not want to fly with Air NZ but wanted to wait for the next day’s LATAM 787 service! They readily agreed to switch us but were surprised that two people were willing to wait to fly on a specific plane. What can I say? #planegeeks

As for the 787 service, we were meant to be on. It seems the plane en route between Santiago and Auckland turned around in the Pacific and returned to Santiago. It flew for several hours without arriving at its destinations of Auckland or Sydney. No one can tell us why -except it was not mechanical.

Talking further, people indicated that LATAM regularly cancel flights 800 and 801. Flight stats did not confirm this but as they say: “no smoke without a fire“.

LATAM never emailed, called or texted to say our flight was cancelled.

Review on my first ever 787 flight with LATAM is this Tuesday.