By Jose Antonio Payet
LATAM Strengthens Ties With Aeromexico
LATAM announced it is increasing the scale and breadth of its codeshares with Mexican flag carrier Aeromexico, including on flights from Peru, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. As Delta bought 20% of LATAM last year, the Atlanta-based carrier is aiming to improve synergy in the region by tighting ties between its two Latin American ventures.
From Nov. 3rd, LATAM’s operations in Brazil and Colombia will see codeshare agreements with Aeromexico, with passengers gaining access to 39 destinations across Mexico and beyond. On the other hand, Aeromexico passengers will gain access to 14 destination within Colombia and 40 in Brazil.
Though LATAM already operates codeshare agreements with Aeromexico from Peru and Chile, additional benefits will roll in once LATAM resumes flights to Mexico from Santiago and Lima. LATAM Peru plans to resume flights from Lima to Mexico City and Cancún from December.
Meanwhile, flights from Santiago to Mexico City operated by LATAM Chile are scheduled to resume in January 2021, though schedules are still subject to change.
To offer a better travel experience for connecting passengers, LATAM is moving its operations from Terminal 1 in Mexico City, where it operated regularly until the coronavirus pandemic, into Aeromexico’s home in Terminal 2.
As the carriers seek to increase cooperation, both airlines will offer passengers the possibility to collect and redeem miles on each other’s frequent flyer programs, and both will offer reciprocal frequent flyer benefits for passengers holding elite status.
At the moment, Aeromexico’s Club Premier Gold, Platinum and Titanium cardholders will have access to LATAM’s lounges in Bogota and São Paulo. Meanwhile, LATAMPASS Platinum, Black and Black Signature members will be able to visit Aeromexico’s lounges in Mexico City. Both airlines plan to extend these benefits throughout their networks throughout 2021.
When Delta bought a stake in LATAM last year, the South American carrier announced plans to leave the Oneworld alliance in order to cooperate with Delta, which is a SkyTeam alliance. While LATAM frequent flyers have gained access to Delta’s network, to date they have lost some valuable perks that come with belonging to a global alliance, such as lounge access, priority boarding and excess baggage allowance on member carriers no matter the route they’re flying.
LATAM has announced plans to maintain reciprocal frequent flyer benefits with most Oneworld members – including with Iberia, British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines – following its departure from the alliance. LATAM has managed to secure some degree of reciprocity with Qantas, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways, offering their own frequent flyer access to domestic lounges of the first two carriers and access to its international lounge in Doha for those traveling on Qatar Airways.
However, those flying often are losing valuable benefits when flying Iberia and British Airways. LATAM’s most loyal consumers might feel they are losing value in Madrid, for example, which is a key market and transit hub for South American flyers traveling to Europe.
As a geography nerd, Jose has always been fascinated by the complexities of the airline industry and its ability to bring the world closer together. Born and raised in Peru, now studying in the UK. he has travelled around America, Europe and South East Asia. His favorite aircraft is the Boeing 767-300, which he has flown many times during his childhood; although now the A350 is slowly growing up on him.