LATAM to leave oneworld effective May 1

To continue providing broad and seamless connectivity for customers, LATAM will maintain bilateral agreements, network access and customer benefits with the majority of oneworld members 

Santiago, Chile - LATAM Airlines Group (‘LATAM’) announced that it has agreed with oneworld to depart the alliance, effective May 1, 2020. Up to and including April 30, 2020, there will be no change to the reciprocal benefits offered on all oneworld member flights*.

From May 1, 2020 onwards, LATAM will maintain its existing bilateral agreements with the majority of oneworld members (British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines), and continue to offer the following customer benefits:

• Flight purchases via latam.com and partner airline websites to over 1,000 destinations worldwide
  
• Earn and redeem frequent flyer miles via respective loyalty programs
  
• Reciprocal lounge access, subject to final agreement with individual carriers
  
• Top tier recognition in respective frequent flyer programs, subject to final agreement with individual carriers
  

*The above does not apply to Royal Air Maroc that will join oneworld, effective April 1.

Termination of frequent flyer agreement with American Airlines

With LATAM’s departure from oneworld, the airline group will end its frequent flyer and reciprocal lounge access agreements with American Airlines. Effective May 1, 2020, LATAM Pass members will not be able to earn or redeem miles on American Airlines flights or access American Airlines lounges. However, LATAM will honor all award tickets on American Airlines flights that have been redeemed with LATAM Pass miles prior to May 1, 2020, for up to 12 months following this date.

In addition, LATAM will continue to honor mile accumulation outside of the frequent flyer agreement for LATAM Pass members who have purchased tickets prior to May 1, 2020 for American Airlines flights up to 12 months following this date.  

Advances in the LATAM-Delta framework agreement

Starting February 1, 2020, LATAM will relocate its operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City) from Terminal 8 to Terminal 4, where Delta serves over 90 destinations in the United States, Canada and worldwide, paving the way for smoother connections between LATAM and Delta flights. LATAM Premium Business and top tier LATAM Pass members (Black Signature, Black and Platinum) will also have lounge access in Terminal 4.

Regulatory approval has been received by authorities in the United States and Colombia for the codeshares announced in December 2019 between Delta and LATAM Airlines Peru, LATAM Airlines Colombia and LATAM Airlines Ecuador respectively.  LATAM’s affiliates in Brazil and Chile also plan to establish codeshare agreements with Delta during 2020. In parallel, LATAM is negotiating agreements with Delta to establish reciprocal lounge access and frequent flyer benefits, which are anticipated to be in place during the first half of 2020. 

These changes are part of the ongoing work to implement the framework agreement announced by LATAM and Delta in September 2019, which includes a proposed strategic alliance to combine the carriers’ highly complementary route networks and provide customers with a seamless travel experience and greater connectivity to over 435 destinations worldwide, subject to governmental and regulatory approvals.