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LATAM Airlines Chile (LA) Guide

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Flights from Santiago across Chile and South America and to North America, Europe and Oceania, fleet and cabins, baggage, check-in and how to find cheaper LATAM fares. Ask a question
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In short

LATAM Airlines Chile is Chile's flag carrier and the main airline of LATAM Airlines Group, based at Arturo Merino Benítez International in Santiago. Its network covers Chile and South America plus North America, Europe and Oceania. LATAM is not in an alliance and runs LATAM Pass. Cabins are Economy, Premium Economy and Premium Business.

LATAM Airlines Chile, formerly LAN, is Chile’s flag carrier and the core airline of LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America’s largest airline group.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with LATAM Airlines Chile. Routes, schedules and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

LATAM Airlines Chile, known for most of its life as LAN Chile and then LAN Airlines, is the Chilean airline at the centre of LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline holding company in Latin America. It flies from Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport to cities across Chile, South America, North America, Europe and Oceania, and it suits travellers heading to Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, Easter Island or onward connections across the continent. Its IATA code is LA and its ICAO code is LAN.

How old is LATAM Airlines Chile?

The airline dates from 5 March 1929, when Chilean Air Force commodore Arturo Merino Benitez founded it as Linea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica, which makes it one of the oldest airlines in the Americas. It took the name Linea Aerea Nacional de Chile, or LAN Chile, in 1932 and joined IATA on 23 August 1945. The Santiago airport now carries the founder's name.

The early decades read like a list of firsts for the region. LAN started flying to Buenos Aires in October 1946, reached Lima in December 1954 and began Miami service with DC-6s in 1958. On 22 December 1956 a LAN DC-6B made what the airline describes as the first commercial flight over Antarctica. Jets arrived in 1963 with three Sud Aviation Caravelles, Boeing 707s followed in 1966, and Santiago to New York JFK opened on 15 April 1967. In 1970 the airline moved fully to the new Pudahuel airport and opened its first transatlantic routes, to Madrid, Frankfurt and Paris. On 10 February 1974 a LAN 707 flew nonstop from Punta Arenas to Sydney across the polar region.

The state sold the airline in September 1989, with Scandinavian Airlines taking a large stake at first. LAN bought the Chilean carrier Ladeco on 11 August 1995, formed the domestic airline LAN Express in 1998 and joined the oneworld alliance in 2000. Sister airlines followed in Peru and Ecuador in 2002 and Argentina in 2005, and in June 2004 the company became LAN Airlines. The takeover of Brazil's TAM was completed on 22 June 2012, creating LATAM Airlines Group, and on 5 May 2016 the airline was renamed LATAM Airlines Chile.

Where does LATAM Airlines Chile fly?

The Santiago hub sends flights the length of Chile, from Calama in the Atacama to Punta Arenas in Patagonia, and out to Easter Island in the Pacific. International routes reach Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Bogota, Miami, New York JFK, Los Angeles, Madrid, Frankfurt and Paris, among others. Inside the group, Sao Paulo Guarulhos and Lima Jorge Chavez are the other main hubs, and Bogota, Quito, Guayaquil and Asuncion act as secondary ones.

LATAM has a long record in the South Pacific. On 5 October 2017 it opened Santiago to Melbourne, about 11,300 km and at the time the southernmost nonstop commercial route in the world. Auckland, Papeete in Tahiti and Fiji have also appeared on the network, and Easter Island is served only through Santiago.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
LATAM official website

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  1. LATAM official website
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Good to know

  • Founded1929
  • Other gatewaysLIM / GRU
  • Online check-inYes

Everything you should know

Airline codes

LA · LAN

IATA · ICAO · callsign “LAN CHILE”

Every LATAM flight number begins with LA. Flight-tracking sites and air traffic control use the ICAO code LAN, and the radio callsign is LAN CHILE.

Key facts

Main hub

Santiago (SCL)

Arturo Merino Benítez International

Also flies abroad fromLima (LIM) · São Paulo (GRU)

Network

Pan-Latin American network

Chile · South America · North America · Europe · Oceania

LATAM Chile covers Chile from Arica to Punta Arenas and Easter Island, and flies from Santiago to Miami, New York, Madrid, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

Destinations

Cabin classes

Economy

and Premium Economy, Premium Business

Premium Business on long-haul wide-bodies, Premium Economy in the front of regional flights, and Economy.

Compare cabins

Good to know

LATAM Chile is the only airline flying from mainland Chile to Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Santiago–Melbourne is among its longest routes. Official website: latamairlines.com.

Frequent flyer

LATAM Pass

No global alliance

LATAM left oneworld in 2020 and partners with Delta; its programme is LATAM Pass.

How it works

Start a new search

One bookingMentor search puts a LATAM ticket next to every other option on your route, so you can see which airline gives the better deal.

Enjoy your LATAM flight!

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At a glance

LATAM Airlines Chile (IATA: LA, ICAO: LAN), formerly LAN Chile, is Chile’s flag carrier, founded in 1929 and based at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. The main airline of LATAM Airlines Group, it flies Boeing 787 and Airbus A320-family aircraft across Chile and South America and to North America, Europe and Oceania.

Key facts about LATAM Airlines Chile
HeadquartersLas Condes, Santiago, Chile
Fleet typesBoeing 787-9, 787-8, Airbus A321, A320neo, A320, A319
Frequent flyerLATAM Pass
Official websitelatamairlines.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
These are the cities on LATAM’s published route map. Timetables change through the year, so check the LATAM schedule before you plan around a route. Search flights

Chile

Santiago (SCL) departures7 destinations

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Fleet and aircraft

Short and medium routes use Airbus A319, A320, A320neo and A321 aircraft. The first A321 arrived on 23 November 2014 and has been the domestic flagship since. Long-haul flying is built around the Boeing 787: LAN was the first airline in the Americas to fly the 787, in 2012, and the 787-9 is now the main type to Europe, North America and Oceania. Four ex-Norwegian 787-9s joined in 2022. In September 2025 the group ordered 24 Embraer E195-E2 jets with options on 50 more, first for LATAM Brasil. The long-haul business cabin is Premium Business, introduced on 1 August 2006 when LAN merged first and business into one class. Seats recline to a 180-degree flat bed and each has a personal touchscreen.

  • Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Wide-body Long-haul routes to Oceania, North America, Europe and Easter Island
  • Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Wide-body Long-haul routes to Oceania, North America, Europe and Easter Island
  • Airbus A321 Narrow-body Busy domestic routes
  • Airbus A320 Narrow-body Domestic and South American routes
  • Airbus A320neo Narrow-body Domestic and South American routes
  • Airbus A319 Narrow-body Domestic and South American routes

Cabin classes

Cabins differ between long-haul and regional flights.

Economy All flights

Fare bundles on regional routes

Small personal itemOptional bagsMeals on long-haul

Premium Economy Domestic & regional

Front-cabin seats with blocked middle seat

Priority servicesExtra baggage

Premium Business Long-haul

Flat beds on the 787

Lounge accessPriority servicesExtra baggage

LATAM Pass

The LATAM group’s frequent flyer programme.

Members earn miles on LATAM and Delta and redeem them for award flights and upgrades; elite tiers range from Gold to Black Signature.

LATAM is not in any alliance. It left oneworld with effect from 1 May 2020, after Delta Air Lines agreed in September 2019 to buy 20% of the group for US$1.9 billion. The two airlines now run a joint venture between the United States and South America, with codeshares on each other's flights. LATAM Pass replaced LANPass in 2016.

Baggage allowance

On LATAM, the bag allowance follows your fare type, cabin and route, and the exact figure is printed on your LA e-ticket.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Depends on fare
Extra bags
Cheaper before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Domestic Light fares include a small item only; long-haul fares include checked baggage. Check your e-ticket.

LATAM sells several fare brands, and the cheapest domestic fares include only a small personal item, with the cabin bag and checked bag added at a cost. Compare what each fare includes on the official LATAM website before you pay. Surfers should note that LATAM has charged a fixed fee for surfboard bags since December 2016, so add sports equipment at booking. Online check-in through the website or app saves time at Santiago, where queues at the domestic counters build up early in the morning.

Pro tip: flying to Easter Island? Pack light and book early; flights are limited and the island has strict biosecurity rules.
Travel day

Online Check-in

Getting through check-in for LATAM is simpler in this order. Start online and finish at bag drop.

  • Online check-in available
  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Where your flight allows it, check in on latamairlines.com or app with your surname and booking reference or e-ticket number.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    Pack your passport plus any visa, residence permit or entry papers your destination asks for. Domestic LA passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    LATAM closes its check-in counters before departure, and passengers who miss the cut-off can be refused boarding. Leave room for bag drop and security at SCL.

    Well before departure
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    LATAM desks and bag-drop points take your hold luggage. Keep the bag-tag receipt with your boarding pass until the bags come off at the end of your LA trip.

    LATAM counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official LATAM website.
Check in with LATAM
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Cheap tickets

LATAM fares out of Santiago move with the season and the fare brand. These habits help keep the price down.

  1. 01

    Be flexible with your LATAM dates

    LATAM fares are often lower on midweek departures. Search a spread of dates around your trip to find the cheaper days.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak seasons

    January–February and Fiestas Patrias in September are the busiest times in Chile.

    Summer & Fiestas Patrias
  3. 03

    Check what each LATAM fare includes

    A LATAM fare that includes a checked bag, seat choice or cheaper changes can cost less overall than adding those extras later.

    Baggage & changes

  4. Ready to compare fares?

    Search LATAM alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search LATAM flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying LATAM Airlines Chile.
Checked against latamairlines.com and public aviation references, with a review each season.

Getting there

Yes. LAN Airlines became LATAM Airlines Chile on 5 May 2016, when LAN and TAM adopted the shared LATAM brand. The airline is part of LATAM Airlines Group and its flights are sold on the LATAM website.