: Hi and welcome to another trip report. This trip’s idea came to mind as I needed to gain some additional LATAM elite qualifying points to jump to Platinum tier.

LATAMPASS has some interesting quirks which if you know how to use, brings some pretty good value. Elite status as with most airlines these days is based on spend. The amoung of elite qualifying points per US$ goes as follows:


Basically, flights in Premium cabins give you 50% more points per US$ than most economy fares. Additionally domestic flights give you 150% more points per US$ than international flights, I assume to reward frequent domestic travelers as LATAM no longer offers elite qualifying segments.

Domestic premium economy is where to play your cards when it comes to points running, which gives you almost 4X than an international economy ticket.

Product wise, there is not a substantial difference over regular economy and my bet is that the product is not popular in most domestic routes (excpet some high yield business routes and of course heavy international tourist foutes such as LIM-CUZ).

Since I was not too far down the road from Platinum I figured I’d take a couple or domestic premium economy flights to make the jump.

Additionally, with work being hectic for the last month or so, I did fancy the idea of a weekend a way, so lets go spend some time in Cusco.

Flight: LA2139
Route: LIM-CUZ
Aircraft: A320neo (CC-BHF).
Seat: 1A

I arrived at the airport about 1.5 hours before my flight. Flying HBO I proceeded straight to security, needless I did snap a pic of LATAM’s new signature check in at LIM hosting Black and Black Signature elites as well as I believe Delta Platinum and Diamond card holders.



There’s another less exclusive priority check in area for passengers flying in Premium cabins, LATAMPASS Platinum and Gold elites.

Security was quick and easy and I was airside in a jiffy. LIM’s new terminal is no architectural wonder, however I am begining to like it more.



Way to the domestic wing. Note they've added a faux "duty free" one has to go through.


The domestic wing has a large central open space with lots of cafes and shops. There are also several seating areas for passengers. Having some work to finish before calling it a day, I took advantage of one of the high booths for a bit.




Domestic departures, with most flights in the evening rush departing around this time. Cusco is pretty much the only destination with flights after 20:00.


We were assigned gate A5. If I recall correctly call to gate is done T-70 for domestic flights. The gate area was packed, which is one of the weak point of this terminal. Gate areas are too small and offer limited seating areas. For instance there were several people seating on the floor due to the lack of seating areas.




As I sat down at the gate one of the gate agents began approaching passengers saying our ETA was pushed from 20:35 to 21:10, almost immediately I got a text from LATAM saying the same and asking if I’d like to refund or reschedule my trip.

Oh well, with more time to spare, I went to grab a bite to eat. The airport’s operator has done a nice job bringing a wide array of options that showcase Peruvian couisine. There’s a handful of local coffee and restaurant chains which is surely appreciated.

I grabbed a tamal, which was pretty good by the way along with some sparkling water.


Back to the gate where the plane had just landed. We were preboarded and held for a while as inbound passengers descended. Smart move if you want to minimize TAT I guess.

LATAM has a groups boarding process that goes from 1 to 6, which works relatively well if you ask me. First they board Black Signature members accompaigned by a special services agent, then they board group 1 (Black elites and Premium cabins), group 2 is Platinum and Gold elites, group 3 those who have purchased an extra legroom seat and then the rest is standard economy.


Meanwhile next door at gate A4 they were also preparing to set another flight to CUZ off. With our delay, we both had the same ETA now, but in practice they ended up pushing back before us.




Once onboard I settled in my seat 1A. Premium Economy seats are pretty much a European business class equivalent, a standard economy seat with extra leg room and an empty middle seat.


Today both cabins were full and PE was filled with a couple of upgrades which is common from my experience. On could tell this is why LATAM only offers 8 Premium Economy seats in domestic peruvian flights and 12 in their chilean equivalents.

We pushed back almost 45 minutes late and were held in the apron for a while more. Eventually we took off using runway 16L which is LIM’s older runway. Apologies for the crappy picture.


Once at cruising altitude the crew was quick to begin service. We were not greeted by name by the cabin manager, which tends to be the case when flying LATAM's PE or J.


Service consisted on a bag of crisps, a protein bar or muffin and a drink. I washed down by snack with a beer. Their domestic premium economy snack is the same regardless of the time of the day. I find odd having crisps at 8am in the moring in the same way as I do having a breakfast muffin at 9pm in the evening. Suffice to say, LATAM could raise its inflight snack bar up a noch to differentiate the product further with regular economy. For example, offering wine as an option would have been appreciated, along with something a bit more substantial to eat.


The flight progressed quickly and we landed in Cusco at 22:30, making up some time in the air. Again, apologies for the crappy picture.


We descended via stairs into the manhouse that is Cusco’s airport terminal. More on that in my return trip.

I was outside in no time and caught an uber to my hotel for the night, the recently inaugurated Hampton Inn.




Next update: Wondering around Cuzco.


















































Doors were closed at 21:16.