One of the most beautiful flights you can take in South America. At least if you go during the day and the weather isn’t cloudy. The route between Brazil and Chile, operated by GOL, TAM, LAN and the Chilean low cost Sky Airline, gives you a special reason to stay in the window: the Andes Mountains. I went to Chile twice, in 2012 and 2015. But it was only the second time that I witnessed the beauty of the South American mountain range. As a bonus, I also tested the Gol flight to Santiago.
As this is one of the most popular routes for Brazilians, especially during the snow season, I decided to review the Gol flight. And with lots of photos of the mountain range, of course.
See too: What to do in Santiago, Chile
Where to stay in Santiago
Gol has four direct, daily flights between São Paulo and Santiago. I took flight Gol 7660, which leaves Guarulhos at 10:30 am, arriving in Santiago at 2:40 pm. Flight Gol 7662 leaves São Paulo at 8:50 pm and arrives in Santiago at 1:10 am.
In the opposite direction, flight Gol 7661 leaves Santiago at 7:45 am and arrives in Guarulhos at 11:40 am. The second return option is flight 7663, which leaves Chile at 3:35 pm and arrives in Brazil at 7:15 pm (I returned on this one).
All flights are on Boeing 737-800s, with capacity for 187 passengers. Don’t expect much difference compared to Gol’s domestic flights.
As I was traveling at the invitation of Valle Nevado, check-in was done as a group. After going through all the bureaucratic procedures at the airport, we went to the departure lounge. It’s worth remembering that you don’t need a passport to go to Chile (as in much of South America). Just the ID, in good condition and with a current photo, is enough. The flight left on time, as seems to be common based on the Flightaware history, which for this route shows delays of a maximum of 10 minutes (on average).
The chair was relatively comfortable and I didn’t feel like a canned sardine – and I was in the middle seat. On the other hand, the plane has no on-board entertainment, just the Gol magazine.
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A few minutes after we left São Paulo, the captain, in a friendly way, explained the flight route. The plane leaves Brazil in Paraná, near Foz do Iguaçu, crosses all of Argentina, passing over the regions of Córdoba and Mendoza, and finally flies over the Andes Mountains. This is the most awaited time.
But let’s talk about the food. Unlike Gol’s domestic flights, there is a meal. The options were pasta or chicken, both accompanied by a roll and a dessert. I ate the pasta. It’s not the most appetizing thing in the world, but it was enough to stave off hunger until it was time to arrive in Santiago.
Another important thing: the flight attendants hand over an immigration paper from Chile. You must fill it out and hand it in at the entrance to the country. A stub of the document will be returned to you. Don’t lose this document. You will need it to leave Chile.
The flight is not exactly long, but as there is no in-flight entertainment, after lunch there is a certain boredom. I tried to sleep. Gol provides a blanket and a pillow for each passenger. I only woke up at the highlight of the trip. The Andes Mountains. O:
It takes a few minutes to fly over the mountains. The Commander made sure to wake everyone up and told us to look out the window. He also showed Aconcagua, the highest point in the world outside of Asia. The trip through Chile starts there.
They say that this stretch has a lot of turbulence, due to the wind and the mountains. I noticed this more on the way back than on the way out. It was also on the way back that I took photos of the mountains, as I was able to return to the window.
When the mountains disappear, Santiago appears. It’s a matter of minutes to reach the Chilean capital’s airport.
Gol flight to Santiago: Is it worth it?
It’s a relatively short flight, so in-flight entertainment isn’t really missed (but it is). The food, if not a feast, does not disappoint either. But the biggest advantage is in your pocket, as Gol’s prices are usually good.
Another company with good prices for this route is the Chilean Sky Airline. I’ve never flown with them, but you can find a review of this airline on the Sundaycooks blog.
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