South American carrier LATAM Airlines is preparing to introduce brand-new business class “mini-suites” on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners flying between its South American hubs and the U.S.
That was disclosed Tuesday in a regulatory filing with the Department of Transportation, which spelled out LATAM's plans to introduce a new business class cabin on its 787-8 Dreamliners come Dec. 1 … and on the larger, 787-9 Dreamliner next November 2025. It's unclear exactly which routes will feature these new planes first, but it's clear the airline intends to fly them on routes to and from the U.S.
While LATAM dubs them “mini-suites,” the regulatory filings make clear these new business class seats won't be equipped with doors. Still, they'll be a welcome upgrade for many LATAM flyers.
The suites will be arranged in 1-2-1 configuration, replacing the old 2-2-2 straight-on lie-flat seats currently onboard its 787s, according to drawings submitted with the application.
A rough rendering sheds some light on what these new seats will look like, too.
That's similar to the newer business class seats LATAM has installed on some of its Boeing 777s and 767s. But those seats are laid out in a slightly different configuration, with finishes inside the cabin that appear to be slightly different, too.
LATAM is a massive South American airline conglomerate with hubs in Lima (LIM), Sao Paulo (GRU), and Santiago (SCL), among others … and it's one of the best ways to get down to South America, period. Delta paired up with LATAM back in 2019 when it took a major stake in the airline, giving SkyMiles loyalists far more ways to get down to South America and back.
According to aviation analytics data from Cirium, LATAM plans to fly 787-8s on the following routes:
- New York City (JFK) to Santiago (SCL)
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Lima (LIM)
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Santiago (SCL)
- Orlando (MCO) to Santiago (SCL)
- Miami (MIA) to Punta Cana (PUJ)
- Miami (MIA) to Santaigo (SCL)
- New York City (JFK) to Lima (LIM)
LATAM deploys its 787-9s on many more routes, including its daily flights to Sao Paolo (GRU) from many U.S. cities.
Lead photo courtesy of LATAM