Delta members can soon earn and redeem SkyMiles on LATAM flights
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Last year, Delta made a surprising investment intended to grow its footprint in South America, purchasing 20% of LATAM Airlines — a member of the carrier's alliance competitor, Oneworld. Since then, LATAM has begun building its new partnership, as has Delta, which last month announced a number of new flights intended to feed LATAM connections in Miami.
Now, both carriers are further integrating as part of the new partnership. With the duo's latest announcement, as of April 1, Delta SkyMiles members will be able to earn and redeem miles for travel on LATAM. Additionally, LATAM customers will be able to earn and redeem miles on Delta-operated flights, as Brazil's Passageiro de Primeira reports.
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LATAM miles aren't the easiest to earn — your best bet is to transfer points from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred. Amex Membership Rewards customers will soon have another interesting option for booking LATAM flights, though — points earned with cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card can be transferred instantly to Delta SkyMiles.
Delta and LATAM already codeshare on select flights, including LATAM affiliates in Colombia and Ecuador, with Peru expected to come online on March 29. The carriers plan to expand that arrangement as well — beginning within the next few months, customers booking tickets on up to 65 routes in North America will be able to connect to up to 37 LATAM routes in Brazil.
More perks are on the way, too — according to Delta, "Elite reciprocal benefits, including lounge access and priority boarding, bags and seats are expected to launch later in 2020."
Photo by Brendan Dorsey/The Points Guy.