LATAM Pass Status Match (Oneworld Sapphire & Emerald)

LATAM Boeing 787

South American carrier LATAM is once again offering an (unofficial) status match for their frequent flyer program LATAM Pass. LATAM is a member of the airline alliance Oneworld, and consequently, you can obtain the Oneworld Sapphire or even the Emerald status.

Since it is not an officially announced status match, there are no set terms and conditions for this deal. That said, according to reports, you should be able to provide proof of traveling with the airline within the last 12 months. The length of your trip doesn’t seem to matter. The often promoted 5th freedom flight between Madrid and Frankfurt should be enough to satisfy this requirement.

Warning

LATAM has implemented changes in its program that aren’t exactly positive for LATAM Pass members. Apparently, you will need to earn 80% of all tier miles on LATAM flights or flights that have been marketed by LATAM. Otherwise, your status will not be renewed.

If your match turns out to be unsuccessful or if you do not already have a frequent flyer status, there are other ways to obtain Oneworld tier. Have a look at this article to find out more:

How to

To get your current frequent flyer status matched to a LATAM Pass tier, contact the LATAM customer service via this form. It is better to send the request in Spanish. English seems to work as well, but it might take longer for LATAM to sent you a reply. In your application, you will need to add the following document:

  • Scan or foto of your current frequent flyer card
  • Screenshot of your account showing your current status and ideally flights to South America
  • Scan of foto of the LATAM boarding pass issued within the last 12 months and showing your name on it

You can find a template for the email on Travel with Massi. It can take between a couple of days and one month until you receive an answer from LATAM. Besides, the airline is very picky and seems to evaluate each and every request separately.

Benefits of LATAM Pass membership

Here’s an overview of all benefits that the various LATAM Pass tiers will grant you:

LATAM Pass Gold (Oneworld Ruby)

Typically you will nee 21,700 Elite points (flown with LATAM or Oneworld members) or 30 LATAM flights within one calendar year to obtain Gold status.

This tier includes the Oneworld Ruby status, and the list of benefits is rather short and comparable what you might know from Star Alliance Silver or SkyTeam Elite.

  • Use of Business Class check-in counter
  • Reserve your preferred seat
  • LATAM benefits
    • 2 coupons for standby upgrades
    • 25% bonus miles

LATAM Pass Platinum (Oneworld Sapphire)

43,400 elite points OR 24,800 elite points and 6 special segments (flights in LATAM’s Premium Economy or Business Class on a route longer than 1,600km) OR 60 LATAM one-way flights is what it takes to obtain the platinum tier.

LATAM’s platinum tier includes the Oneworld Sapphire status and will get you pretty nice perks on all flights with the alliance members. The benefits are similar to the ones the Star Alliance Gold status covers.

  • Access to all Oneworld Business Class lounges worldwide
  • Priority boarding
  • Extra luggage allowance
  • Priority luggage handling
  • LATAM benefits
    • 6 upgrade coupons
    • 100% bonus miles
    • Space+ seats on domestic flights
    • Change or cancel award flights free of charge

LATAM Pass Black (Oneworld Emerald)

It keeps getting harder and harder: 80,000 Elite points, at least 49,700 of them on LATAM flights or 49,700 elite points and 8 special segments or 100 LATAM segments. These are the requirements if you want to obtain LATAM Pass Black tier.

But all the flying will pay off since the black card is also the Oneworld Emerald status, the alliance’s highest tier. In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, you will also be able to enjoy extra perks:

  • Access top all Oneworld First Class lounges
  • Fast Track for the security
  • LATAM benefits
    • Unlimited standby upgrades
    • Space+ seats for you and your travel companions even on international flights

LATAM Pass Black Signature (Oneworld Emerald)

If you somehow manage to earn 130,000 elite points solely on LATAM flights or 111,800 points with Oneworld members and 16 special segements, you’ll receive the Black Signature status. This will enable you to take your whole family into the airport lounge and let them benefit from priority boarding when flying LATAM.

Standby upgrade with coupons

For each membership year (= calendar year) each LATAM Pass elite member will receive a certain amount of Standby upgrades, according to his or her status. These coupons can be used on international LATAM flights to receive a free upgrade. As a Black or Black Signature member, you will even receive unlimited upgrades + 6 coupons for travel companions.

As a Gold and Platinum member, you can use your upgardes if you booked in Access, Control, or Flex fares. The cheapest booking class Base is excluded from upgrading. Black member can even get an upgrade from Base fares on flights with LATAM Brasil and LATAM Paraguay. Interesting fact: award flights are not excluded from using the upgrade coupons!

The number of coupons you’ll need depends on the route you’re flying:

  • 1 Coupon: Flights within South America and between South America and the Carribean and Easter Island
  • 2 Coupons: Flights between Europe and Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru
  • 3 Coupons: Flights between Europe and Brasil, Paraguay and Bolivia
  • 4 Coupons: Flights between Chile, and Uruguay

You can request an upgrade during the online check-in or by clicking the Request Upgrade option on LATAM’s website. You will then be entered on the upgrade waiting list. Your position there will depend on your status and the timing of your check-in. Once you’ve been selected as an upgrade candidate, you will receive confirmation between 12 hours and 45 minutes before boarding. Your new boarding pass will be handed to you before you get on the plane.

Bottom line

LATAM Pass can be exciting for those among us that fly to South America frequently. If that’s not a destination you are going to visit, then it could be tough to renew your status after the first membership year. The requirement to fly LATAM might turn out to be a show-stopper.

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Comments (2)

  1. David says:

    Would they also do a status match with other One World airlines, such as S7?

    • Patrick says:

      Hi David, it’s been a while since we’ve heard from a successful match to LATAM Pass. But if they still match, they should also consider another Oneworld status. By the way: we’d be happy to hear from you if you’d like to share our experience with this match!

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