Not only are customers who buy an elite status match good for airline and hotel loyalty programs, they’re likely more profitable by many metrics than those who the programs previously attracted through free match or challenge programs.
LATAM
LATAM fined $1 million for COVID refund delays
South American airline LATAM faces a $1 million fine from the US Department of Transportation for failure to refund passengers in a timeline manner after cancelling flights during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
TIM, Intelsat team up for free 2Ku inflight internet in Brazil
Subscribers on Brazil’s largest mobile phone company network now can access inflight internet for free. TIM Black and TIM Black Família customers can now browse, message, and more on domestic and international flights operated by GOL and LATAM, thanks to a partnership with Intelsat.
LATAM picks Intelsat 2Ku for connectivity growth
LATAM will extend its in-flight WiFi portfolio across all its A320 family planes, thanks to a new deal with Intelsat. The company expects to install the 2Ku system across up to 160 existing and new aircraft in the years ahead.
LATAM scraps A350 fleet
LATAM never could really figure out what to do with its fleet of A350s. And now the fleet is no more. The company plans to remove the A350 from its Brazilian operations effective immediately.
LATAM loses key ruling in bankruptcy court
As LATAM went hunting for cash to see it through bankruptcy it leaned on old friends. But when it comes time to convert the debt to equity, restoring ownership for Delta, Qatar and the Cueto family, the deal proved a bit too sweet for the US Bankruptcy Court to accept.
LATAM’s unlikely recovery funding: Qatar Airways could boost Delta’s position
LATAM’s bankruptcy proceedings are getting interesting, with competing DIP funding proposals in play. And one reportedly contains a spectacularly unexpected arrangement between vicious competitors: Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines.
LATAM Argentina, LEVEL Europe face bankruptcy
Another pair of airlines will halt operations, with the financial impact of COVID-19 the tipping point. LATAM Argentina and LEVEL Europe are both poised to shutter, though the larger parent operations of each will continue services.
LATAM seeks US bankruptcy protection, plans to continue operations
South America’s LATAM Airlines Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the US courts on Tuesday morning, seeking to restructure debt while continuing regular operations. Or, at least, operations as close to regular as possible given the current global aviation environment.
SkyMiles earn rates for LATAM flights now available
Looking to earn Delta SkyMiles on a LATAM-operated flight? The two carriers announced at the end of February that earning reciprocity would launch on 1 April 2020 but offered no other details. Now the earning chart is finally available.