In October 2023, I flew round trip from Miami to Lima in LATAM Airlines business class on the Boeing 767-300. Both flights were short 6-hour red-eyes in well-designed cabins that left me wishing we could have stayed in the air longer.
LATAM is one of the largest airlines in South America, making it a great way to get to and around the continent. Their business class is a solid product that holds its own against competitors worldwide and their commitment to sustainability is evident.
HOW I BOOKED IT
I had originally booked refundable economy seats on this flight. When I got an email alert from Ashley Gets Around’s premium list telling me about a sale on business class seats to Peru, I quickly canceled and rebooked. I was actually able to rebook the exact same flights for $1556 per person round trip in business class. The flights were operated on LATAM metal, but I booked it through Delta.
LOUNGE
On our outbound flight, our business class tickets gave us access to the LATAM VIP Lounge at MIA. We arrived at 8:45PM, unsure if they’d let us in more than 4.5 hours before our departure time. The timing turned out to be a non-issue, but the agents at the desk did question if we were old enough to access the lounge without a guardian (I’m 26 and my husband is 28…).
The lounge featured buffet food and self-serve drinks. They even had Blue Bell ice cream in the freezer (my fellow Texans will understand why that’s so exciting).
Interestingly, the Miami lounge had both Type B (standard in the US) and Type C (standard in the EU) outlets, which I’ve never seen in the stateside before. We actually had to move seats because the only outlet near us was a Type C plug.
For our return flight, our tickets gave us access to the Sumaq lounge in the Lima airport. The Sumaq lounge is not operated by LATAM. Rather, it’s a third party lounge they work with. We just stopped in for a power nap before our flight and it was pretty crowded at 9PM.
BOARDING
When we booked our flight, it showed that our carry-on had a weight limit of 10kg. While I pride myself on always packing in a carry-on, it weighs twice that on a good day (I pack small but not light!). I knew I’d be forced to check it if they weighed it. Luckily, when we checked in at the ticket counter, the agent just glanced at our bags and said they were fine to take with us. We ended up being able to carry them on for both flights!
On this plane, all passengers board through a door at the front and turn right to access their seats regardless of cabin. This was a little annoying as a business class passenger because there were a lot of people walking by as I was trying to get myself situated.
SEAT
I was traveling with my husband and we chose seats 3E&H in the center section. The seats are arranged in an staggered 1-2-1 formation, with all seats facing forward, not angled. All seats have direct aisle access. Odd numbered window seats are closest to the windows and offer the most privacy for solo travelers. Odd numbered centered seats are closest to each other, ideal for passengers traveling together. There is a small divider wall that doesn’t move between the seats, but you can still converse with the person next to you.
My initial impression of the seat was that it was sleek and well designed. I liked the colors, textures, and even the added thought given to the faux marble on the side table.
The seatbelt was a 3-point seatbelt and we only had to use the shoulder strap for takeoff and landing. I really liked the headrest on the seat because it laid flush with the rest of the seat, making it more comfortable when lying flat.
The tray table was a bit small (by business class standards) and confusing to pop out at first.
Each seat had a USB and universal outlet for use at cruising altitude. Being able to charge my phone while I sleep and hit the ground running with a full battery is always ideal.
The seat didn’t have much storage, but there is a place to put your phone so it doesn’t get lost in the seat while you sleep (and yes, a standard phone charger is long enough to reach the outlet while the phone is in the box).
Though I was a fan of the seat overall, one flaw was that you had to hold the button the entire time to move the seat from upright to flat, and vice versa. The do not disturb button on the control panel was a nice touch, though.
The in-flight entertainment screen didn’t move, so you couldn’t tilt it for better viewing when laying flat. It did have a good selection of American TV shows and movies to choose from. There was also a remote in the armrest, but it’s not necessary because the screen is fairly close to the seat (unless you’re using it for gaming).
The flights had no Wi-Fi available (free or paid), but that wasn’t an issue for me on a red-eye. There were also no individual air vents and the cabin was kept a bit warm, but it didn’t impede my sleep. The footwell does narrow, but neither me (5’4”) nor my husband (6’1”) found this to be an issue.
AMENITIES
LATAM’s amenity kits are beautiful and I love that each design is created by an emerging Latin American artist. Everyone on the flight got the same bag but our outbound and return flights featured different designs.
Inside the amenity kit there was an eye mask, socks, earplugs, toothbrush (with cap), and toothpaste. LATAM made a clear effort to minimize plastic and make everything as eco-friendly as possible. The wooden toothbrush was just one example.
Also at our seat was a pillow, blanket, mattress cover, and headphones, all of which were stored in reusable fabric drawstring bags. Pretty much the only plastic item was the bottle of water at each seat. We also received slippers, but oddly only on our return flight.
FOOD
Both flights left after midnight, so I skipped meal services in order to maximize my time asleep.
Below is the menu of what was offered. I did like that each main dish had a suggested wine pairing listed with it.
No breakfast was offered on either flight, likely due to the short length.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is the first business class flight I’ve ever paid cash outright for and at this price it was a great deal. Ashley Gets Around’s premium email list paid for itself with this booking!
I would absolutely fly LATAM’s business class again, but I would aim for a much longer flight to enjoy the experience to the fullest.
