Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines Group announced a new partnership to connect the Americas like never before following approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Linking the United States and Canada with South America, the partnership provides access to more than 300 destinations.

“Delta’s partnership with LATAM Airlines Group will help grow the market between North and South America and provide significant and much-needed benefits for customers, and we applaud the DOT for this final approval,” said Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta. “Now, we’ll get to work with LATAM Airlines Group to transform the travel experience for our collective customers and create new opportunities for our employees.”

The approval allows Delta, LATAM Airlines Group, LATAM Airlines Brasil, LATAM Airlines Colombia, LATAM Airlines Peru and LATAM Airlines Paraguay to unlock new customer and cargo benefits, including enhanced service and expanded route offerings, adding to the codeshare routes and reciprocal loyalty benefits already in place.

© LATAM Airlines Group

The two airlines first announced the formation of a partnership in 2019 to expand travel choices across North and South America. Since 2019, the airlines met many goals, including mutual frequent-flyer accumulation/redemption; reciprocal elite frequent-flyer benefits; shared terminal hubs at airports like New York (JFK); São Paolo (GRU), Brazil; and Santiago (SCL), Chile; and mutual access to 53 Delta Sky Club lounges in the United States and five LATAM Airlines Group lounges in South America. The partners have also enabled access to Delta’s new show-stopping Sky Club in Los Angeles and the new LATAM Airlines Group lounge in Santiago de Chile, the largest customer lounge in South America.

“The approval by the DOT will give rise to the start of work with Delta to deliver more and better benefits to LATAM Airlines Group and Delta customers, such as faster connections, and the joint accrual of miles in frequent flyer programs, among many others. I am sure that, over time, we will be able to offer the best connections, while incorporating a sustainable view of the future,” said Roberto Alvo, CEO, LATAM Airlines Group.

In 2021, Delta and LATAM Airlines Group expanded codeshare services to 20 U.S.–South America routes, as well as connections to a range of domestic and regional destinations from hubs in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Santiago, Lima, Bogota and São Paolo. The continuing partnership between the two airlines will deepen their level of cooperation and strengthening of codeshare routes and reciprocal loyalty benefits already in place.

Do you think more airlines should create partnerships with one another for better access to destinations worldwide? What benefits of this new partnership do you look forward to most? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.