November 10, 2024

LATAM Airlines Lounge in Santiago de Chile – Our Review

By In Trip Reports

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LATAM’s Santiago de Chile- Lima route is one of the easiest air routes to fly Business Class or Premium Economy for cheap. This route has several LATAM flights per day because Santiago and Lima are LATAM’s major hubs (São Paulo is the other major hub). Tickets are often quite cheap in economy class, and Premium Economy and Business Class are relatively inexpensive too.

Although the flight is usually less than four hours, it is still long enough to be worth the upgrade if you can afford it. LATAM’s Premium Economy includes extra leg space and a blocked middle seat in a row of three seats. Kevin and I enjoy this because we can sit together and ensure we are the only two in the row. Premium Economy also comes with a hot meal, although it is pretty simple. Yet, it is still better than the snacks they give in regular Economy.

Most flights between Santiago and Lima are on the Airbus A320 Family, meaning Premium Economy is the best you can do. However, one or two flights each day are on the Boeing 787, which comes with a real International Business Class. You get lie-flat seating, personal TV screens, and a fancy business-class meal. If you can snag one of the business-class seats, go for it!

Photo of the LATAM Airlines Premium Business class seat on the Boeing 787.
Premium Business Class seat on LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 between Santiago and Lima.

But whether you go for Premium Economy or Business Class, you can access the LATAM Airlines Lounge in Santiago de Chile because you are flying internationally. We have been to this lounge twice, and here is our review.

LATAM Airlines Lounge Access

Santiago’s International Airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 is for domestic flights, and Terminal 2 is for international flights. The LATAM Airlines Lounge is located in Terminal 2 as it is only for international passengers. To get to the LATAM Airlines Lounge, pass immigration and security and continue through the Duty-Free Santiago shop. Once you pass the Duty-Free shop, make a left turn and another immediate left turn and go up the escalator. You’ll see a sign on the wall saying LATAM Lounge.

LATAM Airlines Lounge logo in Santiago de Chile.
You are in the right spot if you see this sign on the wall.

Once you get inside, check in at the desk. It doesn’t matter which desk you check in at, even though it seems like the desks go to different lounges. Present your boarding pass and your passport so they can grant you access. Note that there are three different lounges that you’ll get assigned to based on either your ticket or your frequent flyer status (you can find the full set of rules here on LATAM’s website).

LATAM Lounge Access by Ticket Class

To qualify for LATAM Airlines Lounge access based on your flight, you must have booked Premium Business or Premium Economy on an international flight. Note that if you upgrade based on LATAM’s auction process after you buy your ticket, you will also get lounge access. We won an upgrade auction to Premium Economy on our LATAM flight to Lima and got Premium Lounge access.

  • Signature Lounge: The Signature Lounge is reserved for LATAM International Business Class (“Premium Business”) passengers flying the Boeing 787 from Santiago. Flights using the 787 from Santiago include routes to the United States, Mexico, Madrid, Australia, New Zealand, Punta Cana, Lima, and São Paulo. Note that while flights to Easter Island (Rapa Nui) are on the Boeing 787, since these flights leave from Terminal 1 as a domestic flight, they do not qualify for LATAM Airlines Lounge access.
    • Delta hack: If you are flying Delta One – Delta’s Business Class – on a Delta flight, you also get Signature Lounge access. This means the Santiago – Atlanta route also qualifies.
Route map showing LATAM flights from Santiago de Chile using the Boeing 787.
This route map shows the LATAM flights from Santiago de Chile using the Boeing 787 plus Delta’s flight to Atlanta. The two lines on the lower left represent LATAM’s flights to Australia and New Zealand. Also, note that most flights to Lima and São Paulo use the Airbus A320, which does not have Premium Business Class and won’t qualify for Signature Lounge access. (Image created using the Great Circle Map.)
  • Premium Lounge: The Premium Lounge is for International Premium Economy passengers flying the A320. Most of these flights are within South America and include most flights to the Lima, Bogotá, and São Paulo hubs. If you are flying Business Class on one of LATAM’s partners – just Qantas or Iberia at this point – then you can also access the Premium Lounge. (Delta One flyers get Signature Lounge access, as noted above.)
  • World Member Lounge: This lounge is reserved for customers with the LATAM WorldMember Santander credit card. It doesn’t matter what class you are flying to access this lounge if you have the credit card, but you must be flying a LATAM or LATAM partner flight. You can’t book a flight on a random airline and then show up thinking you have lounge access!
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Note for US Residents: If you have the LATAM World Elite Credit Card issued by Cardpass – the black card with the $99 annual fee – then you automatically receive two lounge passes per year. You can use both passes for yourself and access the World Member lounge two separate times. Or you enter the lounge with a guest once (you “gift” one of the passes to your guest). Discover more about the LATAM World Elite Credit Card here.

LATAM Lounge Access by Frequent Flyer Status

You may also qualify for LATAM Lounge Access if you have certain Frequent Flyer status with LATAM, Delta, or another partner airline.

  • Signature Lounge: You can enter if you have Black or Black Signature status with LATAM Pass. If you are a Delta Diamond or Platinum member, then you also get access.
  • Premium Lounge: Platinum LATAM Pass members get access to the Premium Lounge, along with Gold Delta members. Note that if you have Emerald or Sapphire OneWorld status with Qantas, Japan Airlines, or Iberia, you can also get access, but only if you are flying a LATAM flight.

Gold LATAM Pass members are shut out of lounge access unless flying international Business or Premium Economy on LATAM. I want to point this out since LATAM Gold status is relatively easy to obtain, but it doesn’t get you much.

What is the LATAM Airlines Lounge Like?

We’ve been to the Premium Lounge in 2024 and the Signature Lounge in 2023. They are way better than Priority Pass lounges and on par with other premium airline lounges. In fact, I would say the LATAM Airlines Lounge in Santiago is slightly better than the American Airlines Flagship Lounge in Los Angeles (read our Flagship Lounge review here). The only thing I love about the American lounge in LAX more than the LATAM lounge is that the American lounge has a lovely view of the planes. The LATAM lounge doesn’t have any windows!

Our photo of the LATAM Premium Lounge in 2024. There are no windows!

Ambiance and Seating

Both lounges have dark interiors, with brown and black tones dominating the ambiance. The overhead lighting has lace-like coverings reminiscent of chandeliers (but they aren’t chandeliers). It definitely feels more like a library or a high-class Starbucks (in a good way!) than an airport lounge. The lack of windows is something I noticed, but if you are only there for a couple or few hours, it isn’t an issue.

There are various seating types depending on what you want to do. Near the food buffet, there are tables designed for eating and working. Around that, there are several types of comfortable chairs and sofas. A couple of conference tables are scattered throughout if you are with a large group. One thing I love about the lounges is that plenty of electrical outlets exist. They have electrical outlets built into the tables, and the tables have wireless phone charging, too. I hate lounges that make it hard for you to plug in!

Seating at the LATAM Airlines Premium Lounge in Santiago de Chile. Note the large conference table in the back.

Food and Beverage

LATAM serves buffet-style food in the Signature and Premium lounges and non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. We arrived at the lounge around 11:30am, so they still served breakfast. The buffet transitioned to lunch around 12pm. For breakfast, I chose scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, and sausage links as my main course. I had kiwi, canteloupe, and pineapple as my fruit platter. We didn’t eat lunch at the lounge, but from what I saw, they had salad, meat dishes, and rice and pasta for lunch. However, if you are gluten-free, lunch selection may be minimal.

Sorry for not taking a better photo of my breakfast!

We don’t drink alcohol, so I can’t comment on the alcohol selection. However, the non-alcoholic beverages are a good assortment of Coca-Cola products, Twinnings tea, and Juan Valdez coffee. LATAM also has these cool juice beverages from a local company in Santiago. We had this tropical apple blend, and it tasted delicious! The beverage bars also had snacks, such as potato chips and granola bars, available for snacking.

One of the beverage bars inside the Premium Lounge in Santiago de Chile.

Internet, WiFi, and Working

The WiFi worked very well in both the Signature and Premium lounges. We had no issues, and it was speedy. (Santiago has fast Internet speeds despite being on the other side of the world.) You can work from the lounge, as there are plenty of charging outlets, comfortable seating, and fantastic Internet.

However, if you need a sturdy desk to work from, you may or may not be able to get one, as desk availability is quite limited. There is also a large conference table in both the Premium and Signature Lounges. But again, we saw people just sitting there eating, so if it is busy and you must work, your space may vary.

Our time in the LATAM Signature Lounge in 2023.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms are super clean and luxurious. Kevin and I love that the stalls in the men’s room are private stalls that are entirely enclosed. You can easily brush your teeth in the bathroom and freshen up if you need to before your flight.

Men’s bathroom with mirrors that trail into another dimension.

Final Thoughts on the LATAM Airlines Lounge in Santiago

We enjoyed both the Signature and Premium LATAM Airlines Lounge in Santiago. They had a great selection of food and drinks, comfortable seating arrangements, and fast WiFi. The location is very convenient, being right after passport control. While we wouldn’t go out of our way to book a premium LATAM ticket solely for lounge access, obtaining lounge access is a plus.

If you are a Priority Pass holder, you’ll note there is only one other available lounge in Santiago’s international terminal: the Skyteam Lounge in Pier E. We have been to this lounge previously, which trumps the LATAM Lounge in only one area: the Skyteam lounge has windows with a great view of the airplanes. Otherwise, the Skyteam Lounge looks and feels like an average Priority Pass Lounge. In other words, meh. (Also, Priority Pass says you can only access this lounge with a Skyteam boarding pass, but when we visited in June 2024, we entered with a LATAM ticket. Thus, your mileage may vary.)

Skyteam Lounge at Santiago de Chile. We loved the view of the planes!

Also, if you have a long layover at Santiago’s airport – especially an overnight layover – note that there is a Holiday Inn located at the airport itself. The Holiday Inn is between the Domestic and International terminals, so you can walk there from either terminal. There is no need to wait for or coordinate an airport shuttle. The Holiday Inn is a great alternative for very long layovers at Santiago (check the latest pricing on Expedia here).

The Holiday Inn at Santiago’s Airport is on-site and walkable to both the Domestic and International terminals.

Tell us in the comments about your experience with the LATAM Airlines Lounge at Santiago de Chile or elsewhere in the world!

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1 Comment
  1. DA January 5, 2025

    Having a view of the planes from the lounge sounds great, but as you said, if you’re there for only a couple or few hours and you keep busy with your own stuff, that no-window thing won’t really bother you. The LATAM Signature Lounge and that men’s bathroom are gorgeous. It’s like having another little mini-vacation inside the airport before your actual vacation. Really nice. Thank you for this blog.

    Reply

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