LATAM Airlines has unveiled new product and continues to invest in the New Zealand market.
Speaking to Travel Today, LA’s country manager for Oceania Alberto Chico García says this growing market is important for the carrier, with its Kiwi numbers to Chile and Brazil up 15% and 19%, respectively.
The outlook for the rest of 2026 is expected to be strong too, with demand picking up again after a slight decrease attributed to recent global tensions. Chico Garcia has revealed plans to launch the carrier’s ‘biggest marketing investment’ in New Zealand yet.
This will involve a ‘360 campaign’ spanning trade, media and more, with agent incentives to be among the highlights, as Chico Gracia points out most bookings from this market come via the trade.
“We work very closely with all of them, always try to find ways to increase the business, and that comes together with increasing that demand into South America,” he says.
“That’s why we’re doing all of this, the marketing campaigns in the second part of the year, to help our agents to sell our product better.”
The campaign will come ahead of LA increasing its Auckland to Santiago service to five flights a week in Nov, and Chico Garcia points out that there could be an increase in frequency of this service in the future.
“We see a lot of potential, so that’s why we keep investing in the market,” he says. “New Zealand has always been a super important hub for us.”
. . . Premium
There’s also new product coming to the AKL-SCL route. LA is in the process of retro-fitting its business class, and Kiwis will be able to experience these new seats by the end of this year. Wifi is being rolled out with completion slated for the end of the year, and then in the second half of 2027 LA will add a new Premium Economy product on the route.
“We are super excited about this product; it’s a product that Kiwis will love, and with about 10 hours distance [between AKL-SCL], the more comfortable we can make it for our clients the better.”
Chico Garcia says LA is always looking to what’s next, and this includes new routes, though he admits he can’t say much more on this yet. “All I can say is we’re looking at options.” See more on the new product HERE.
