LAN LANPASS - Will this become the LATAM forum later this year?

When LAN and TAM merge? LATAM is the new airline's announced name (though if you pronounce it as La Tam, it sounds rather French). They haven't yet announced what alliance they'll be a part of (has to be studied), but perhaps AA's announcement that it is ending its code share relationship with TAM's biggest competitor in Brazil, Gol Airlines, is meant to help pave the way for LATAM to join Oneworld, where LAN and AA are now? TAM is currently in the Star Alliance.

LATAM is the parent company's name. What the airlines' name will be, or when they will actually operate as "one airline" (as LAN actually currently operates as 5 airlines) is anyone's guess. My guess is LAN will be the name we see for years.

They cannot become part of *A pursuant to the antitrust agreement.

LATAM is the new airline's announced name

LATAM is the parent company's name.

In other words, LATAM is to LAN and TAM as AMR is to AA and AE. Renaming the LAN forum to the LATAM forum would be like renaming the AA forum to the AMR forum. :eek:

And anyway, surely TAM will be named LAN Brasil :D

And anyway, surely TAM will be named LAN Brasil :D

But even if they continue flying a separate airlines in the short run (what they'll do in the long run hasn't been announced), wouldn't the odds of TAM remaining in the Star Alliance, or LAN moving there, be small?

But even if they continue flying a separate airlines in the short run (what they'll do in the long run hasn't been announced), wouldn't the odds of TAM remaining in the Star Alliance, or LAN moving there, be small?

Yes.

But TAM doesn't have its own forum on FT. Neither do LAN Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador (I think that's all of them). So when LAN and TAM merge, and if (when?) they merge their FFP program you could add the Brazilian franchise to the the main LAN forum.

Or not, as the case may be. BA and Iberia have merged to form IAG. They have kind of merged their FFPs - with a common transferable miles currency. But because many of the rules and partners surrounding the programmes have not been harmonised (yet?), and the airlines continue to operate as two seperate entities (so far?), there are still two separate forums on FT.

Or perhaps they could operate just like how LH abd BD did. As separate entities with separate FFPs.

I think TAM is already a household name in Brazil and to lose that would be a tragedy (?).

Or perhaps they could operate just like how LH abd BD did. As separate entities with separate FFPs.

I think TAM is already a household name in Brazil and to lose that would be a tragedy (?).

Tragedy? No. TAM as a major airline is a story of only very recent history.

Agreed. Airlines can change names - it happens all the time. And I say that seeing a TAM aircraft from my office window right now. But I would really like to see that changed to a LAN tail....

I'm surprised that none of the high-priced consultants that they surely must have hired pointed out that Latam Airlines Group spells "LAG" (let's hope it's not a prophecy :eek:)

Of course they might just go with the KLM/Air France model and keep the two brands seperate for an extended period of time. Only consolidate things like ground operations and some back office.