After a consolidation process which lasted for 3 years, Latin America’s LAN Airlines, TAM Airlines and a number of affiliates have decided to operate under a common brand – LATAM. The name is the result of an extensive study conducted in 10 countries following the merger of LAN and TAM in mid-2012.
The new LATAM branded airline group will unite all the passenger and cargo airlines for LATAM Airlines Group, comprising of LAN Airlines and its affiliates in Peru, Argentina, Colombia and
Ecuador; in addition to TAM Linhas Aéreas S.A., and its subsidiary TAM Air Transport Mercosur S.A. (TAM Airlines (Paraguay), and the cargo carriers comprised of LAN CARGO, LAN CARGO Colombia,
ABSA (TAM Cargo) and Mas Air.
In an announcement the decision is hailed as a historic milestone in the airline industry not only because this is the first time an airline group has chosen to consolidate under a single brand,
but because this is the first time a Latin America-based airline group aspires to become one of the best in the world.
New cargo rewards program launched
Meanwhile, LATAM has introduced a rewards program for the benefit of the carrier’s cargo customers. It enables them to convert every ton of air freight handed over and transported on
international routes by the group members LAN Cargo, TAM Cargo, LAN Cargo Colombia and Mas Air into credits for travel. Álvaro Carril, LAN Cargo’s Senior VP ALWA & Marketing states. “With
this new program we want to reward all those customers who choose our company, throughout our entire network. With many of them, we’ve developed long-term relationships and we’ve grown together
throughout the years. This program will allow us to reward them and provide them with, apart from a great service, an incentive to keep working together.”
The reward program is exclusive to cargo agents who transport cargo using the LATAM Airlines Group’s network and its cargo affiliates, and is aimed at rewarding their preference and loyalty. Each
shipment made by customers inside the program will accumulate cargo credit, which can then be exchanged for flight tickets on oneworld member airlines.
Eyeing Far East
In its online publication ‘incargonews.com’ the carrier further indicated plans to expand its activities in Asia.
A new office has been set up in Hong Kong to capitalize on cargo flows originating in the Far East to feed LATAM’s own flights in Europe, North America and Oceania.
The Hong Kong station is headed by Dan Weisleder, LATAM Cargo Sales Manager Asia.
Heiner Siegmund
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