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LATAM Pass Program Review

Gabi Logan

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June 29, 2020

LATAM Airlines, which was formed from the LAN and TAM airline merger, is a Chile-based carrier that serves South America, Central America, North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Oceania. If you’re in North America, it can still pay to be a member of its frequent flyer program LATAM Pass, even if you don’t frequently fly to the south.

LATAM is a member of the oneworld alliance, the smallest of the three main airline alliances. Since American Airlines updated its award chart and announced several other program changes after it mergered with US Airways and British Airways levies high fuel surcharges on transoceanic flights, LATAM Pass’s distance-based oneworld awards can be one of the most economical ways to travel within the alliance.

PROGRAM	ALLIANCE	CURRENCY
LATAM PASS	ONEWORLD	KILOMETERS
POINTS TRANSFER PARTNERS
HILTON HHONORS
ARLINE PARTNERS
Aeromexico Alaska Airlines Airberlin American Airlines British Airways Cathay Pacific	Finnair Iberia Japan Airlines LAN TAM Airlines Malaysia Airlines	Qantas Qatar Airways Royal Jordanian S7 Airlines SriLankan Airlines

If you are planning to travel within South America, LATAM Pass kilometers can be particularly valuable for regional travel, where flights from hubs to hard-to-reach locations, such as Tierra del Fuego, the Galapagos and Patagonia, can easily reach $1,000 roundtrip and LATAM charges as little as 24,000 kilometers for many of these routes.

Hubs:

Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (Santiago, Chile)
El Dorado International Airport (Bogata, Columbia)
Jorge Chavez International Airport (Lima, Peru)
Guarulhos International Airport (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

How Can You Use LATAM Pass Kilometers?

When you use LATAM Pass kilometers on flights operated by LATAM and its subsidiaries, the number of kilometer required are governed by one of two award charts, an international chart that breaks down the number of kilometers for travel within South America by country and a domestic award chart that breaks down the kilometers required for each city pair in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia.

Domestic and international flights with LATAM Pass — LATAM Airlines serves all of South America

These flights do not come particularly cheap in terms of the number of kilometer flown compared with domestic American itineraries on the big three U.S. airlines. Domestic flights can run up to 28,000 kilometers roundtrip, international flights within South America can be up to 44,000 kilometers, and flights to the U.S. can be up to 70,000 kilometers.

When you want to travel with oneworld partners, LATAM Pass uses a distance-based redemption chart that can be very advantageous if you maximize the different buckets, particularly the 2,001- to 5,000-kilometer category that requires 27,000 kilometers each way and the 5,001- to 10,000-kilometer category that requires 35,000 kilometers each way.

Program Perks:

Stopovers permitted
Open jaw permitted
LATAM does not add fuel surcharges for most partner airlines

Bookings Quirks:

No one-way awards
Kilometers expire 36 months after they are earned
The number of kilometers required for any given award is based on demand and the award chart only shows the lowest number of kilometers required
Open-jaws must end in the same zone they started
$15 charge to book domestic flights by phone
$25 charge to book international flights by phone
Flight change fees depend on the distance flown and number of days until departure and range from $20 to $300
Cancelled award tickets are fined according to the distance traveled and range from 4,000 to 35,000 kilometers

Best Value Awards:

Though on the surface the number of kilometers required for domestic or regional flights on LAN can look like more kilometer than you should pay for that distance, many of these flights cost a significant amount of dollars for such as short hop. If you want to reach South America’s most striking landscapes, LATAM Pass kilometers are the way to go, particularly in Argentina.

Distance-based Lanpass award chart — LATAM award chart for international flights

Flights from Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls average $800 round-trip, but can be purchased for as low as 20,000 kilometers roundtrip. Reaching the Perito Moreno Glacier accessed from El Calafete, the Patagonia lake region around Bariloche, and Ushauaia in the Tierra del Fuego from the capital all require just 28,000 kilometers roundtrip.

Worst Value Awards:

You’ll get the worst value from LATAM Pass kilometers when you combine flights on LATAM with flights on partner carriers. In these cases, LATAM prices each leg of the flight separately, using two different systems.If you are traveling to South America from somewhere in the U.S. that LATAM doesn’t serve, you’ll pay 70,000 kilometers for the LATAM leg, then an additional distance-based price on the segments with the partner airlines.

For instance, to travel from Orlando to Santiago, you’ll pay:

Orlando-Miami flight on American Airlines: 6,000 kilometers (a distance of 323 kilometers)
Miami-Santiago on LATAM: 35,000 kilometers
Santiago-Miami on LATAM: 35,000 kilometers
Miami-Orlando flight on American Airlines: 6,000 kilometers (a distance of 323 kilometers)

For a grand total of 82,000 kilometers for a destination that isn’t even that far from LATAM’s North American departure point.

The Good Stuff: Upgrades and Elite Status

You can upgrade LATAM tickets in any fare class using kilometers. The cost varies widely on LATAM-operated flights, and it’s typically the same as the number of kilometers required for an economy booking.

Upgrades on partner flights must be request in person at a LATAM office more than 72 hours before departure. Elite status upgrade coupons can be used to upgrade award flights, an option not available with most carriers.

LATAM Pass Elite Levels and Perks

Each subsequent level includes the perks of the previous level unless stated otherwise.

Gold: oneworld Ruby status; two upgrade coupons; 25% bonus kilometer; priority check-in for member on LATAM flights flights; priority baggage handling; maternity status extension; automated call alert on flight changes
Platinum: oneworld Sapphire status; six upgrade coupons; 100% bonus kilometer; priority check-in for the member and one companion on LATAM flights; lounge access for member and a companion; priority boarding; one additional checked bag; priority call center; waived change fees on award flights
Black: oneworld Emerald status; unlimited upgrades for member and six upgrade coupons per year for companions; preferential seats available; personalized call alert for flight changes
Black Signature: Priority check-in and boarding for member, family and one companion; lounge access for member, family and one companion on LATAM flights; special Executive Services at the airport when available

Associated Credit Cards

LATAM offers three credit cards in the U.S. connected to the LATAM Pass program: the LANPASS Secured Visa Card, LANPASS Visa Card, and LANPASS Visa Signature Card.

The Secured Visa card is intended for recent immigrants looking to build credit in the U.S. and carries a low annual fee of $25, waived the first year, and a low sign-on bonus (5,000 kilometers), but otherwise offers all the same benefits of the standard Visa card, making it the most attractive co-branded Secured Visa out there.

The standard LANPASS Visa and Secured Visa both come with:

1 annual 10% discount coupon with a $500 maximum
1 LATAM Pass kilometer per dollar
$500,000 in travel accident insurance
Auto rental collision damage waiver

Lanpass visa cards — Co-branded LANPASS credit cards

The sign-up bonus rises to 15,000 kilometers and 2,000 kilometers are awarded as an annual renewal bonus with the standard visa card.

The Visa Signature card carriers many additional benefits, including higher travel accident insurance ($1,000,000), Three one-way upgrade coupons per year, a coupon for 20% off a LATAM purchase for up to $1,000, a 20,000-kilometer sign-up bonus, a 4,000-kilometer annual renewal bonus and double miles and LATAM purchases.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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Secrets to Earning Oneworld Alliance Tier Status

Andy Shuman

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June 26, 2023

Here’s the scoop on how to earn status on an alliance and not just an airline. The oneworld alliance may be smaller the other two major ones, but its 14 members (plus 21 affiliated members) can literally take you anywhere in the populated world.

If you regularly fly on Air Berlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Iberia, Finnair, Japan Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, or SriLankan Airlines, it’s a safe bet that you might benefit from oneworld tier status.

Benefits of oneworld Tier Status

Oneworld has three tiers: Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald.

Ruby is an entry-level status. It offers the following benefits:

Business Class priority check-in
Preferred or pre-reserved seating
Waitlist and standby priority

The Sapphire tier provides all the benefits of Ruby status and unlocks other perks:

Priority boarding
Priority baggage handling (not available on British Airways)
Access to over 650 airport lounges including Business Class lounges for member and one guest on international travel
Extra baggage allowance:
- 33 pounds in addition to the regular Economy baggage allowance or
- One additional bag up to 50 pounds (two pieces maximum)

Emerald tier provides all the benefits of Ruby and Sapphire, plus the following:

First Class priority check-in
Access to premium first class lounges
Extra baggage allowance: 44 pounds in addition to the regular Economy baggage allowance

Earning oneworld Tier Status With American Airlines

You can’t earn oneworld tier status without having elite status with one of the airline’s frequent flyer program. And with the new rules imposed by all major U.S. airlines, you can’t earn status just by flying. American Airlines is rolling out its cash component in 2017, and you’ll have to pay your way up there with flights, as well as Elite Qualifying Dollars or EQDs.

AAdvantage Gold status gets you oneworld Ruby
Platinum and Platinum Pro (new in 2017) get you oneworld Sapphire
Executive Platinum and Concierge Key get you oneworld Emerald

But getting AAdvantage status is never easy. For Gold/Ruby, you will need to fly 25,000 EQMs (Elite Qualifying Miles) or 30 EQS (Elite Qualifying Segments) and spend $3,000 EQDs (Elite Qualifying Dollars). For Platinum/Sapphire it’s 50,000 EQMs or 60 EQSs and $6,000 EQDs, you will need to fly 100,000 EQMs or 120 EQSs and spend $12,000 in EQDs.

You can already earn EQMs for flying on American Airlines oneworld partners and Alaska. In 2017, you’ll be able to earn EQDs by flying on partners, too, although government taxes and fees don’t count.

Companies Are Aggressively Cutting Travel Costs

Even if you’re a seasoned business traveler, the chances are you don’t get to buy the most expensive tickets to satisfy your airline’s drive for extra revenue. Since companies are as strongly motivated to reduce travel and entertainment budgets as airlines to increase their revenue stream, more and more businesses are taking away employees’ ability to book their own travel. Many companies even outsource travel booking to travel management companies, which have one goal in mind – to cut travel costs for their clients.

And let’s remember that to get to Platinum/Sapphire, which is the first elite level that gives you some tangible benefits, you must spend $6,000 a year (in addition to flying enough miles) to satisfy the American Airlines elite earning requirements. When you are consistently getting squeezed into the cheapest airline seat money can buy by a travel management company, this is not an easy proposition.

Credit Cards to the Rescue

The good news is, there are credit cards that will count your credit card spending as a qualifying EQD earning activity. One of these cards will even let you get enough EQDs for the Platinum/Sapphire level.

The not-so-good news is, you’ll have to spend a lot.

Per American Airlines:

AAdvantage® AviatorTM Red, AviatorTM Blue and AviatorTM Business MasterCard® accounts can earn up to $3,000 EQDs by spending $25,000 on qualifying net purchases during the calendar year.

AAdvantage® AviatorTM Silver MasterCard® accounts can earn up to $6,000 EQDs by spending $50,000 on qualifying net purchases each calendar year. They’ll earn $3,000 EQDs after spending $25,000 on qualifying purchases and another $3,000 EQDs after $50,000 on qualifying purchases.

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard Is Out

The AAdvantage Aviator cards (Red and Silver) were converted from the US Airways card as a result of the merger between American Airlines and US Air. The Aviator Red card wasn’t available for new applications until now, and the Aviator Silver card will become available in 2017.

The Aviator Red card is a very good product that you can apply for online. In addition to the EQD earning option, there is also a 40,000-mile sign-up bonus after the first purchase, so even though the card carries a $95 annual fee, there is no mandatory spending requirement.

If you want the Silver card now, you can upgrade the Aviator Red card after 90 days. Or you may want to wait until the new Aviator Silver card application becomes available for new members because it will likely have a sign-up bonus as well.

You Can Only Earn EQDs From One Card

Unfortunately you can’t use both Red and Silver cards to earn EQDs – it has to be one or the other. The AAdvantage Aviator Red card can earn you $3,000 EQDs after spending $25,000, and the AAdvantage Aviator Silver card can earn you up to $6,000 for spending $50,000. Once again, $6,000 EQDs is what you will need to earn for AAdvantage Platinum, which corresponds to oneworld’s Sapphire tier.

There Are Two Cards That Let You Earn EQMs Too

Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Silver MasterCard: 5,000 EQMs after spending $20,000 (up to 10,000 EQMs a year)
Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®: 10,000 EQMs after spending $40,000 a calendar year

You can earn up to 20,000 EQMs a year using these two cards, but you would need to spend $80,000. As a reminder, you will need to earn 50,000 EQMs a year to reach Platinum/Sapphire.

Big spend is not the only thing that you need to take into consideration. These two are premium cards come with a cost. The Barclaycard Aviator Silver card carries a $199 annual fee, and the Citi AAdvantage Executive card carries a whopping $595 annual fee, although it comes with a 50,000-mile sign-up bonus and Admiral Club Membership. Still, if you fly oneworld airlines fairly often, the benefits can be worth it.

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