London and Lima are 6,313 miles apart. Reader Diane Pugh is planning a trip to Peru. She seeks advice on reach this nation of natural and man-made wonders comfortably, asking: “Is it advisable to upgrade to premium economy?”
Until British Airways abandoned the nonstop leap from London Gatwick to Lima, it would have been a simple calculation: on a 13-hour trip, how much extra would you pay for a few more inches of legroom and a wider seat?
Typically premium economy for this long old flight cost £600-£700 more than the cheap seats, each way. That looks to me like £50 per hour. Personally I would far rather spend that sort of money on experiences in South America. (I am not contemplating business class here, because typically it is five times more expensive than basic economy.)
But Gatwick to Lima was one of those routes that did not reappear after the Covid cull. Latam’s short-lived link from Heathrow to the Peruvian capital also ended abruptly.
So, where best to connect? Geography is unkind to South America-bound travellers from the UK. Kuala Lumpur is roughly the same distance as Lima. But while there are many convenient and appealing hubs offering links to the Malaysian capital, if Lima is your target there is no way to avoid a long Atlantic crossing.
The most obvious hub for Lima is Madrid, with onward links on both Iberia and Latam. But so awful is the airport that I advise giving the Spanish capital a wide berth, unless you want to preface your Peru trip with a Madrid city break. By adding a stopover of at least 24 hours, you can reduce your air passenger duty obligation by £81 (and by £196 as much if you are in anything other than basic economy).
Air France-KLM offers connections via its two hubs at Paris CDG and Amsterdam. But that entails spending an hour or so flying no closer to Lima, extending the formidably long journey even further.
Miami is a no-go, partly because routing via Florida makes the trip more than 700 miles longer. But mostly it is off the shortlist due to the need to obtain an Esta permit in advance and endure US Customs and Border Protection even though you simply want to transfer between international flights.
There is one hub that, in normal times, would be the obvious contender. This city is so close to the most direct route that it adds less than 50 miles to the distance between London and Lima. Unfortunately, it is Caracas.
One day a nonstop link will resume between the UK and the Venezuelan capital, and Caracas airport will regain its rightful purpose as hub for western South America as well as Panama and Costa Rica. The distance of 4,656 miles from London translates as less than 10 hours, making it the most agreeable route to South America.
For now, though, the best option is about 90 minutes further away: Bogota. Colombia’s national airline, Avianca, flies the route every night from Heathrow. But there is no premium economy, and the arrival time is a harsh 3.45am with no connections for a few hours. Heading home has more agreeable timings and a faster Atlantic crossing due to the jet stream.
One big benefit of Bogota is that if your target is Cuzco, base camp for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Avianca has a direct link from the Colombian capital.
For a bit of future gazing, consider the strong ethnic links that the Canary Islands have with Latin America. So many Venezuelans have ancestry from the archipelago that the nation is actually nicknamed “the eighth island” by people in the seven Canaries.
A link to anywhere in South America from Tenerife or Las Palmas would be transformative. The UK has excellent year-round links with the islands. Imagine being able to get four hours of flying under your belt, and ideally spending a couple of days enjoying a holiday island, before taking an onward daytime flight. Perhaps someone will try a long-range Airbus A321 on such a link. I will be on the first flight out. For now, though, to reach Peru’s ancient cities and formidable landscapes go for the Colombian connection via Bogota.
Hear more: Listen to Flight Free UK director Anna Hughes promoting more sustainable transport
