Welcome to my trip report on LATAM's upgraded cabins!
This is my ride, CC-BBH
Initially I wanted to book with KLM to fly on this route because I wanted to try out the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, an aircraft type that doesn't operate to Singapore. Amsterdam to Singapore route is either operated by the Boeing 777-200ER or -300ER depending on the season. Later on I did a check on this route with KLM, the airline updated the winter schedule and the Boeing 777-200ER was to operate on this route during this period so therefore I decided to look for someone else and LATAM came into my mind as it was operating the Boeing 787-8 with the upgraded cabin products and I knew I have to give it a try. My previous flights with this airline was on the business class cabin but I didn't want to pay more for this short flight so I went for the LATAM + seat which cost me an extra US$32, was it worth it? A good chance to discover how the new economy class seats is like.
So without further ado, let's begin this trip report!
Airline's partners (December 2025 update)
- Delta Airlines
- Iberia
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Aeromexico
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
If you are flying on these airlines with LATAM's Pass account, you can earn miles depending on the class of ticket. Same thing if you are a member of the above mentioned airlines, you can earn miles when flying on LATAM flights and also it depends on the class of tickets. I recommend booking direct with the airline because if you book with 3rd party, you may not be able to earn miles.
I had 3 flights with this airline for this trip. 2 of them were booked by Trip.com and the other one was booked directly with the airline and also the only one I managed to earn miles.
Do note: LATAM used to be an Oneworld alliance member and currently is not in any alliance.
Booking
This time I was able to book directly with the airline without issue. For this booking, I was able to manage my booking an even make a bid to fly on the business class. However after much consideration, I decided to try the LATAM plus cabin. This few row of seats offer better legroom space than the standard seats.
This route has many timing but I chose this flight is to fly the Boeing 787. Most of the other flight timing is operated by either the A320 or A321 aircraft.
On the day of departure
I spent 2 nights at a different location, near the hotel I stayed the last time.
Taking the Uber/cab from the hotel to the airport is the most convenient option.
Welcome to Ezeiza Airport!
This is where I did my check-in.
Row E is the check-in counters for LATAM.
This would be my 4th time flying with this airline.
I was directed to use the self check-in kiosk.
After receiving the boarding pass, I went over to the counter to check in my luggage.
My boarding pass to Santiago, SCL.
Checking my flight, the honour goes to CC-BBH which was arriving from Miami.
This is the terminal A, the oldest terminal building which is currently used for international arrivals.
If you need to find a seat, this part of the terminal is better to hang out at and yes, complimentary airport WiFi is available.
It can be crowded at times at the arrival hall.
This is where the departure hall is for the escalator up leading to the security check and passport control for international flights.
The flight departure board
The airport terminal model
The view from the entrance of the security check leading to the airside.
For this airport international flights, you will do security check first before the passport control.
Once both are done, you will be greeted by the duty-free shop.
After passing through the immigration, you are at the gate area.
There are a few restaurants and shops to check out at the airside including this fast food restaurant, Macdonalds.
This airport consists of around 20 over gates and to walk from one end to another takes around 15 minutes.
Saw something familar? That is a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 which will spend about half a day resting before returning to its home base, Frankfurt.
There are also playgrounds to entertain the young ones.
Hard Rock Cafe at an airport, that's something new to me.
There are various spots at the airside suitable for plane spotting or photography.
This is the Queen of the Skies, Boeing 747-8 (D-ABVM)
At this time, the aircraft had finished deplaning the passengers from the flight from Frankfurt and would be towed to a remote parking lot to rest until evening time.
Puertas means Gate in Spanish.
Another common name at this airport, Starbucks!
Plenty of sitting areas with charging ports available.
An United Airlines flight was departing soon.
At this part of the airside, my first departure happened at gate 5 near here, a flight to Santa Cruz de Sierra with BOA Airlines 2 years ago.
Overall I find this not a bad terminal to hang out at for the international airside.
So with these photos, I pretty much cover almost all parts of the international airside.
At that time, it was considered to be an off peak period as most of the gates were vacant.
Reading light is available on these chairs.
There was a BOA flight departing at this time.
Gate 1 usually hosts flights from the U.S.
I did have a look at the duty-free shop.
This is Delta's Airbus A330neo.
I managed to catch the arrival of my flight. This is CC-BBH!
This was assigned gate for my flight.
The map layout of the international airside of EZE airport.
It is quite a nice area to hang out.
Although it can be better maintained.
I managed to find a few good spots for plane spotting.
The view of the terminal building.
Time to board!
I could board after the business class pasengers.
This would be my 2nd time on LATAM's Boeing 787-8.
Hello CC-BBH!
This airline is awarded the best latin America airline according to Skytrax, do you agree?
My ride: CC-BBH
My flight route: EZE-SCL
Miles: 709
Average Flight Time: 1 hr 55 mins
Airlines flying on this route: KLM, Jetsmart, LATAM, Aerolineas Argentinas and Sky Airlines
My seat: 15A (Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 8th December 2025
Airline: LATAM
Flight: LA543
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Registration: CC-BBH
Seat: 15A (LATAM +)
Gate: 10
Load: 90%
Flight Time: 2 hours
Actual Flight Time: 1 hour 49 minutes
Schedule Departure: 1215
Boarding: 1113
Take Off: 1219
Schedule Arrival: 1430
Actual Arrival: 1407
Departure Runway: 11
Departure Weather: Cloudy
Arrival Runway: 17L
Arrival Weather: Cloudy
My Flight Experience
Boarding the aircraft was according to zone, it was done in an organised manner. The airline's mobile app is impressive, it kept me well updated on my flight and also includes my luggage's wheresabout. Once on board, we settle down quickly and there was a strange announcement requesting us to help close the overhead compartment.
These LATAM plus seats is definitely a must for taller people like myself, at 35 inches, the legroom space is definitely adequate and for the seat itself, it was quite comfortable. While it doesn't have the best IFE Entertainment system, it still has enough programmes to cover up to 10 hours. As for the Wifi, it is not available yet but the airline has plans to install them soon.
In 2027, the airline will introduced a new class, the Premium Economy and it will be interesting how the cabin configuration on the long haul aircraft will be like. Another exciting news to look forward to is the replacement aircraft for the LATAM Brazil's fleet of Boeing 777-300ER. The airline recently announced it is looking at both the Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777-9 and will negotiate with both manufacturers before making the final decision.
Another announcement that caught my attention is for those passengers on board, we were not allowed to consume alcoholic beverage unless it is provided by the airline and just like the other airlines, no charging of portable powerbank is allowed and this I totally agree. It is important to have our powerbank in our carry-ons so that if it catches fire, we can take immediate action. Fire in a cargo hold is serious and can take an aircraft down by burning the important cable wires that connect the flight instruments to the engine and and the tail section of the aircraft.
While the ride was comfortable with little bumps, the meal service was disappointing. I guess I am used to the hot meal service which I get for the short rides across Asia. We were given only a packet of chips and a museli bar and at that point I was hungry, so that was not enough, I had to grab lunch later at Santiago.
As for the flight, we had a bit of turbulence but nothing bad. We were made to buckle up during our flying over the Andres Mountains due to past events of people getting hurt due to occasional strong turbulence. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to find out and we were greeted with great view passing through the snowy mountains and the non-snowy mountains at Santiago. This is why window seats are important when flying through this route.
As for the cabin service, the crew were nice and professional. Announcements were made in both English and Spanish so no one is left out. This LA543 starts from Miami so the route is Miami-Buenos Aires-Santiago so there are some passengers on board started its journey from Miami.
We touched down 23 minutes ahead of schedule and arrived in very good weather.
Business Class
Seat map of the cabin (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
These are the latest business class seats introduced by the airline in 2024 and started rolling out from April 2025 and the airline will complete the retrofit to the rest of the Boeing 787 fleet by the middle of 2026.
There are 20 business class seats featuring the Recaro CL6720 seats.
Each seat features the following:
- Privacy door
- Mid-level storage compartment
- Bi-fold tray table
- Lie-flat bed
-42 inches of legroom space except seat 3A, 3L, 5A and 5L (with 41 inches)
- Seat width of 21 inches
- 18 inches of HD Touch Screen Display
- Universal AC, USB-A and USB-C sockets are available
Entertainment system
Panasonic eX3 system (AVOD system) allows bluetooth pairing
Currently no Wifi but the airline has plans to install it to the fleet by 2026.
Photos of the cabin
For solo travellers, you can choose to sit closer to the aisle or window seat by the window side or for couples, you can choose to sit together with the seats close to each other, this depends on the seat availability of course.
The couple seat has a privacy divider which can be used if you are sitting besides a stranger.
Do note that seat 5A and 5L are windowless.
The middle seats are configured in either seats closed to each other or seats closer to the aisle according to the row.
The seat closed to the aisle may be more situable for solo travellers.
The couple seat
This cabin configuration may not win everyone as some may feel slightly cramp
The size of the IFE entertainment is big enough for me.
I was able to fully stretch out my legs. (192 cm tall)
The height of the cabin is not very high so you are still able to see anyone walking past if you are sitting upright.
The amenities provided for each business class passenger.
The seat control panel
This aircraft would rest at Santiago for about half a day and depart at night to Madrid.
The view of the business class cabin
The view across the cabin
The Boeing 787 cabin is easily recognized by the electronic dimmed windows.
The maintenance personnal came on board to do some checks.
A few more photos of the cabin
If I was flying in this cabin, I would choose this seat (4A).
Seat 5A or 5L are the seats to avoid.
The centre seats of row 5 are not too bad.
Window side seats
Economy Class
Seat map of the cabin
1st cabin
There are 252 seats in this economy class cabin with the row 12 and 16 offering a better legroom space of 35 inches and for the rest of the rows with the exception of seats 17D,F and H (35 inches) and seats 18D,F and H (32 inches), have a legroom space of 31 inches.
- Seat width of 17.6 inches
- Seat can recline up to 6 inches
- 12 inches of HD touch screen display
- USB-C socket is available for each passenger
Photos of the economy class seat
The standard seats are recognized by the half blue and red seat fabric.
The colour combination is very nice.
This is the first row of the standard economy class seats.
Seat pitch is at the standard 31 inches.
Cabin view of the economy class
Overall I find this cabin pleasant.
Economy Class + (LATAM +)
For the window side seats, there are 5 rows while for the middle seats, there are 6 rows.
The seats are quite comfortable and the extra legroom space certainly makes the flight more enjoyable.
For 3-3-3 configuration on this aircraft , it can be quite tight especially with 3 well-built size passengers sitting together.
Comparing this cabin product to the older one, this is certainly an upgrade.
Cabin view of the LATAM + Class
Notice the extra legroom space?
More photos of the seat
The LATAM+ seat is easily recognised by the blue seat fabric with the red stripe across it.
The IFE screen with the safety card sticking out from the literature holder.
I was hoping for extra legroom space with a vacant seat but it was not meant to be when my seatmate turned up moments later.
I managed to grab some more photos before his arrival.
Leg rest
Legroom space is spacious.
Bi-foldable tray table
Fully extended
Cup holder
There is also a personal storage located just below the tray table.
The universal socket (each row of 3 seats, have 2 of these)
The placement of this universal socket makes it easy for us to charge our devices.
The Inflight Entertainment System
Do you know? LATAM Airlines was formed with a merger between LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines that took place in 2012.
The difference between the seat in the original position and the seat in fully reclined mode.
Not long after, I had to deal with the fully reclined seat in front of me.
LATAM's logo on the wall partition.
View of the cabin from my seat
The window in a slightly dimmed mode. For this flight, I was fortunate that the crew didn't control the window shade.
My seat, 15A
2 windows for myself, I can't complain!
What's provided for each passenger?
Blanket
Pillow
Safety Card
Headset - the quality is ok.
Inflight Entertainment System. (Only the Boeing 787 fleet has the IFE system)
Our snack for this 2 hours flight
I requested for a cup of coke for my choice of beverage.
Inflight Entertainment
The background of our destination
It's nice to be able to customize our experience.
A good selection of movies and audio
I settled for a movie while enjoy the beautiful scenery along the route.
The flight map
I like this map system.
It gives you options on how the type of view you prefer.
This was my choice of movie.
The safety video
Although the flight map is not as intensive as Flightradar24, this will do!
Window View Photos
This is the view from my seat
We taxied towards runway 11 for departure.
Rolling down the runway.
V1.... rotate.
See you in a couple of weeks, Buenos Aires!
Not the best lighting due to the sun was directly facing my direction.
The take off was smooth.
This airline has ordered additional Boeing 787-9 but what makes it significant is the aircraft on order would be powered by GE engines.
Somehow I like the Roll Royce Trent 1000 engines, just hope that the engine manufacturer has found a permanent fix to its current issues.
The Andre mountains in sight and the seat belt sign was turned on, all of us including the crew have to be seated.
The ride across these mountains was smooth.
It was cloudy during the midpoint across the mountains.
This is why I like flying this route.
Once we passed the Andres mountains, the seatbelt sign turned off for a short while as the crew were able to prepare the cabin for arrival.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Once we passed the mountains, we started our descent.
This is the kind of view you get when you are arriving in Santiago.
A lot of mountains in this area but fortunately there was just slight turbulence while flying over them.
We flew past Santiago airport as we needed to make a U-turn to land on the assigned runway.
At this point, we were on final approach.
Our aircraft landed smoothly onto runway 17R with the engine reverse thrust deployed.
We taxied to our assigned gate at Terminal 2.
For those that play World of Airports game, you might find some of the airport view familar.
Our taxi to our gate took around 10 minutes.
Welcome to Santiago, Chile in summer time!
My Flight Summary
This is Wamos Airbus A330-200. This aircraft is currently on wet-lease to LATAM as LATAM needs additional lift partly due to aircraft shortage because of the engine issue with the Boeing 787 fleet.
This A330 aircraft is deployed mainly from Santiago to Bogota, Mexico City and Lima.
Thanks for the ride, CC-BBH!
Nice to be back, Santiago!
The walk to the immigration took about 10 minutes.
Airport Wifi is available.
The walk continues!
It was crowded at that point of time as there were a few arrivals happening around the same time.
After spending half an hour waiting and getting the clearance to enter the country, I was on my way.
This is the arrival hall.
From here, I booked an Uber to my accommodation.
This is the international arrival hall.
I waited for my ride at this location.
One last look before my ride arrived.
Hope you enjoy this trip report.
My ratings
Airline Website/Mobile App: 3/5
Airport Experience (Buenos Aires): 3/5
Inflight Service: 4/5
Seat Comfort: 4/5
Inflight Entertainment: 4/5
Cabin Ambiance: 5/5
Cabin Condition: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Inflight Meal/Beverage: 2/5
Punctuality: 5/5
Overall Rating: 40/50
Percentage: 80%
Conclusion
The future of LATAM looks very bright with the retrofitting plan to their current fleet of long haul aircraft seems to be hitting off quite well. In a couple of years time, the Premium Economy cabin will be introduced to the fleet, making this airline a more popular choice to fly with for long haul flights for flights in the main hubs (Santiago, Lima, Sao Paulo). Currently this is the best airline in South America with its competitors Aerolineas Argentinas and Avianca struggling to compete.
I am quite impressed with the cabin products of both the business and economy class cabin. For the suite style cabin, I like this configuration as there is a good amount of privacy and I have no problem with the space around me. (Some may find it claustophobic). While the IFE Entertainment system may not be top notch, but it is adequate for the route network and hopefully the WiFi comes soon and it won't be too pricy for online access. My inflight experience overall was a good one, the only or main complaint I for the 2 hour regional flight, I like to see a better inflight meal such as sandwich to be served instead of the potato chips and the museli bar, that was quite underwhelming to be honest especially for a flight departing during lunch hour.
Currently, the fleet of A320 and Boeing 787 is undergoing retrofitting programme so the aircraft that is deployed on your flight route may not feature the latest cabin products for now but the airline has mentioned that the retrofitting program for the fleet will likely finish by 2nd half of 2026 if everything goes to plan. If you are already booked on one of the 787 Dreamliner flights, do check out the seat map of your flight for those flying in J class, the new product features the 1-2-1 seating configuration while the old product features the 2-2-2 seating configuration. However do be prepared for aircraft swop and its very common with airlines featuring more than 2 cabin products of the same class. Qatar Airways comes in mind!
If you are planning to fly to South America for flight routes within the continent, this full service airline is worth flying with and opt for the Boeing 787 flight if you have the choice.
Have a good one!
Charles
For my previous trip report (Jetsmart A320ceo USH-EZE), click here.
For the old J class product on the airline's Boeing 787-8 trip report, click here
Next trip report: An Unexpected Last Minute Flight Cancellation & Booking (SCL-PMC), coming up soon!
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