LATAM plans new business class with doors for 787 Dreamliner fleet

South American juggernaut LATAM is launching an all-new business-class experience on board its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.

The carrier announced on Tuesday that it would install a new biz product on its Boeing 787s. The airline will also debut a new economy seat on these planes as well.

The new business-class product, a customized version of the top-notch Recaro R7 seat, will feature sliding doors and direct aisle access for each passenger, making LATAM the first airline in South America to offer fully enclosed suites.

Other upgrades with the new product include USB-C charging ports, Bluetooth support for connecting wireless headphones to the inflight entertainment system and more storage areas.

Seats will be arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, with window seats alternating between being closer to the aisle and closer to the window.

Center seats will alternate between a honeymoon-style arrangement and one that separates the two passengers by a larger table area. There will be retractable privacy dividers between all center seats.

If this product looks familiar, that's because it's already installed on a handful of airlines. Recaro formerly called it the CL6720 seat, and you'll find it installed on select planes operated by Air China and Iberia. (The CL6720 is an improved version of the CL6710 seat, which is operated by Azul, TAP and El Al, among others.)

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LATAM plans to retrofit 10 of its Boeing 787-8 and 14 of its 787-9 Dreamliners with the new product. Retrofits are expected to start early next year, with the first 787-8 reentering service on March 1, 2025. The retrofitted 787-8s are designed exclusively for the Chilean domestic market, while the 787-9s operate in Chile, Brazil, and Peru, LATAM says. The entire project will be completed by mid-2026, as each retrofit will take between one and three months, depending on the upgrades.

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LATAM's existing business-class experience on the Boeing 787 is hit or miss. Some jets feature the airline's most recent biz product (the Thompson Vantage XL seat), while others are in an outdated 2-2-2 configuration with older seats.

With this upgrade, all of the airline's Dreamliners should feature a newly updated biz product. LATAM likely won't be reconfiguring its other long-haul jets since those already feature the Thompson Vantage XL seat.

In the economy cabin, LATAM will debut a new ergonomically designed seat that supposedly provides more space and comfort. The seats will be upholstered with up to 70% recycled leather, and also feature Bluetooth connectivity.

While the retrofits will undoubtedly improve the premium experience (and provide more consistency going forward), they come at the expense of capacity in the pointy end of the plane.

Currently, all of the airline's Dreamliners feature 30 biz seats. After the retrofit, the 787-8 will have just 20 seats spread across five rows.

The larger 787-9 will maintain 30 seats, but finding award space on the 787-8 will likely be harder than ever.

"With a design that reflects the unique essence of the LATAM Group and attention to the finest details, our new cabins have been created to offer a world-class travel experience. The new Premium Business seats mark a significant leap forward, combining comfort, privacy, and elegance. These renovations position LATAM as a leader in the industry, providing our passengers with an unprecedented level of comfort and an exclusive flying experience," said Paulo Miranda, vice president of customers, in a statement.

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