Peru Series: Experience with Star Peru Airlines (Never Again)

The reason why I still couldn't post an article about the recent travel to Peru is because I still have a jet lag. I feel sleepy every now and then, and there are so many things I needed to catch up on. Anyway, here's the long overdue first post about the recent Peru trip. This is the first chapter on the Peru Series. :)

We took Star Peru from Lima to Cusco last 9th of November. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 0935, and although it left on time, our flight got diverted to Arequipa because the aircraft was not big enough to land in Cusco where it has been raining. The supposed to be 1 hour flight lasted for 4.5 hrs. and so we arrived Cusco at 2 pm.

I must admit that it was an unpleasant experience, firstly because the flight attendant have not even announced at all that the flight got diverted. My colleague and I thought we already landed in Cusco, however we found it's strange that there's not much people in the airport itself. We needed to go and ask the flight attendant what was the matter, before they finally reveal what had happened.

We had a light breakfast that morning so when we arrived Cusco in the afternoon, we were dead hungry. The airline served light refreshments, however it was not enough especially within that time duration. The price difference between LAN Airlines and Star Peru was not that much, however we would like to give Star Peru a shot so we can compare both domestic airlines. LAN Airlines has a good reputation as it is a part of the One World Alliance.

Here are some photos taken during the flight:

I was still cheerful in the morning, even posting a photo with my Inca Cola :D

Star Peru aircraft

The seats looks old

With broken / damaged trays

While taking off, this overhead compartment was left open by the flight attendant. This can result to injuries, luckily nothing happened.

The empty Arequipa Airport

A panoramic shot

We were left inside the aircraft for more than an hour before they let us come inside Arequipa Airport. Inside Arequipa Airport, I went to the washroom and my colleague strolled around the alpaca shop (not really far from where we entered). HOWEVER, again there was no announcement that we are now boarding. We realized there were no more passengers, so we rushed to the gate and tried to catch up. When we saw the flight attendant, she looked annoyed that we were late.

Comparatively, the service in Star Peru was disappointing. I really hope they will improve their services. I recommend that they train their staff properly as I noticed that simple regulations were not being followed during the flight, which compromised the safety of the passengers.

There was no apology either. I totally accept the diversion of the flight because safety ALWAYS has to come first, however the staff made us feel that our time was not important by not explaining to us the real situation, (If they did announced this in Spanish, we wouldn't know. It's also their responsibility to announce in English, right?). They also could have offered water during the wait at the airport, but we received nothing. Sigh...

Cindy Can Write

I love traveling and being immersed with different cultures. It has cultivated my love for learning and has exposed me to different perspectives. I'm a travel specialist during the day, an industry I have been with for more than five years now. Planning other people's trips has always been a mission. My favorite countries: South Africa and New Zealand.