LATAM to leave oneworld alliance 5 months earlier than previously announced

As announced earlier, after signing an agreement with Delta Air Lines, LATAM will leave the oneworld alliance, which includes American, British Airways, Iberia, Qantas and others. However, LATAM will not join the SkyTeam alliance – underscoring Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s belief that global airline alliances haven’t met their potential and provide only limited benefit to airlines and customers.

Initially, the airline announced it would leave the alliance in October 2020. However, LATAM and oneworld have yesterday announced that the airline would exit the alliance on May 1, 2020. Frequent flier benefits are valid through April 30, 2020.

LATAM became a oneworld alliance member in 1999, through Chilean component carrier LAN Airlines at that time. Over the 20 year membership, other component carriers based in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru joined oneworld.

LATAM intends to continue to have bilateral relationships with following oneworld airlines:

• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Jordanian
• S7 Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines

The only oneworld airline not included above is American Airlines, for obvious reasons after Delta invested in LATAM.

Here is the announcement from oneworld:

LATAM Airlines Group will end its membership in the oneworld^® alliance effective 1 May 2020, following the group’s decision to leave the alliance.

oneworld benefits for LATAM customers will be offered on oneworld flights up to and including 30 April 2020. LATAM Pass members will not receive oneworld frequent flyer benefits offered by Royal Air Maroc, which joins oneworlde effective 1 April. LATAM will not offer oneworld frequent flyer member benefits to Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer members.

oneworld member airlines will continue to serve more than 30 airports in Central and South America, with more than 100 flights to and from the region daily, offered by American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Qantas, Qatar Airways as well as member-elect Royal Air Maroc.

A number of oneworld member airlines plan to maintain frequent flyer agreements with LATAM after 30 April. Customers are advised to contact their airlines or visit the airlines’ frequent flyer programme websites for more information.