TAM Brazilian Airlines
Jan 5, 1999, 9:56 am
#1
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TAM Brazilian Airlines
I noticed that the board doesn't have a dedicated section for this upcoming airline in Brazil. I e-mailed the webmaster but haven't got a reply yet. But for those who fly to South America, TAM is an airline that is growing very fast and worth considering when flying there. Just in December, they received their brand new Airbuses A330/200. While fliping through a brazilian magazine I saw their ad for these new planes and was amazed with the features that it offers:
- First class seats becomes a bed at 180 degrees. It also has a side divider that you raise for privacy. I've never seen that.
- Business class seats reclines 145 degrees ( what's the average in the US?), and you have your own tv screen and phone.
- Economy seats have their own videos that tilt for a better view. It looked somewhat comfortable from the picture.
TAM is also an American Airlines partner, so when booking a flight to cities other than Miami, you'll board an AA plane. But I bet that in a few years this airline will expand to offer direct flights to many other cities in the US. Varig has found a new competitor and I've heard that TAM is stealing a big chunck of their market share in Brazil.
Their frequent flyer program is called "Fidelity" and rewards you by points, not miles. When you reach a certain amount of points, you earn free tickets. I don't have more details on that, but will post when I find out.
- First class seats becomes a bed at 180 degrees. It also has a side divider that you raise for privacy. I've never seen that.
- Business class seats reclines 145 degrees ( what's the average in the US?), and you have your own tv screen and phone.
- Economy seats have their own videos that tilt for a better view. It looked somewhat comfortable from the picture.
TAM is also an American Airlines partner, so when booking a flight to cities other than Miami, you'll board an AA plane. But I bet that in a few years this airline will expand to offer direct flights to many other cities in the US. Varig has found a new competitor and I've heard that TAM is stealing a big chunck of their market share in Brazil.
Their frequent flyer program is called "Fidelity" and rewards you by points, not miles. When you reach a certain amount of points, you earn free tickets. I don't have more details on that, but will post when I find out.
Jan 5, 1999, 11:24 am
#2
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I recall reading an article in BusinessWeek about this airline, and apparently they're really gunning for the business travelers by offering exceptional service, including on board amenities as you mentioned as well as various land side amenities (lounges and such).
Jan 7, 1999, 8:01 am
#3
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There is an article about TAM in the current edition of BTW (Business Travel Week).
It says that TAM is about about to commence services to Europe. Initially Paris.
There is a comparison of major Latin American carriers which ranks business class as follows:
1) Iberia
2) Aerolineas Argentina
3) TAM
I don't agree with this ranking myself, but that all three airlines have re-launched their front-end service recently, so it is hard to tell.
There is without doubt a battle going on though.
Nick
It says that TAM is about about to commence services to Europe. Initially Paris.
There is a comparison of major Latin American carriers which ranks business class as follows:
1) Iberia
2) Aerolineas Argentina
3) TAM
I don't agree with this ranking myself, but that all three airlines have re-launched their front-end service recently, so it is hard to tell.
There is without doubt a battle going on though.
Nick