LATAM to leave Oneworld on May 1, earlier than expected

LATAM Airlines' divorce from Oneworld is set, with the two parting ways in May as the carrier paves a new path forward with Delta Air Lines and Qatar Airways.

South America's largest carrier will leave Oneworld on May 1, five-months earlier than previously expected, LATAM said Friday.

LATAM will retain relationships with many of its former Oneworld partners after leaving the alliance. Travelers will still receive reciprocal lounge access, elite loyalty benefits, and be able to earn and redeem frequent-flier points on British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines for the time being, LATAM said.

Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news!

A notable exclusion from LATAM's list is American Airlines. The two carriers will end their frequent-flier and reciprocal lounge access agreements on May 1, when Santiago, Chile-based LATAM departs Oneworld.

American and LATAM end their long-standing codeshare partnership this Saturday.

LATAM's moves come as its pivots towards a new, broad tie-up with Delta Air Lines. On Sunday, the South American carrier will move into Terminal 4 adjacent to its U.S. partner at New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport.

Related: LATAM Airlines moves in with Delta in New York

Later in the quarter, LATAM's operating subsidiaries in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and Delta will begin codesharing, a precursor to a broader partnership between the U.S. and South America.

Qatar will be LATAM's other main partner following its departure from Oneworld. The Gulf carrier already codeshares with LATAM, and owns a 10% stake in the Chilean company.