LAN, TAM tweak LATAM Plus, Fidelidade frequent flyer programs

LAN and TAM, collectively the LATAM Group, are streamlining the airlines’ frequent flyer programs while at the same time improving benefits for existing members.

Cornerstone to the changes are improved ‘courtesy upgrades’ to premium economy and business class on selected but as-yet-unannounced routes, confirmed 12 hours before departure and progressively made available throughout 2016.

That differs from today’s system where travellers make an upgrade request online and only discover the result at the boarding gate which gives the system more of a 'lottery' feel.

The programs will also be renamed from LAN Pass and TAM Fidelidade to LATAM Pass and LATAM Fidelidade to reflect the group’s new identity, while the names of the LATAM Pass tiers will also change.

Black becomes Black Signature while Comodoro becomes Black – both at the top of the ladder with Oneworld Emerald privileges – with the Sapphire-Grade Premium Silver tier transforming to Platinum and the Ruby-level Premium tier now known as Gold.

Qualifying for the new tiers also becomes easier with 35,000km needed for Gold (down from 40,000km), 70,000km required for Platinum (lowered from 80,000km) and 130,000km needed for Black (reduced from 150,000km).

The highest tier in the program, now Black Signature, retains the same 210,000km requirement as the previous Black tier.

Further, members can now earn more kilometres on selected LAN flights with premium economy trips within South America earning 1.5 kilometres per km flown on fares purchased on or after April 18 2016...

... while in economy, domestic flights on LAN and its range of subsidiaries will attract more kilometres on higher-priced fares in Peru and Colombia from the same date:

LAN and TAM are both part of the global Oneworld airline alliance and partners of Qantas in Australia, with LAN flying daily from Sydney to Santiago via Auckland with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Also read: LAN's Boeing 787-9 flight now daily to Sydney

Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.