South America’s largest airline is LATAM, which is based in several countries, as it’s made up of the former airlines LAN and TAM (based in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, etc.).
While LATAM collectively flies to quite a few points in the US, LATAM Brazil doesn’t have that many destinations in the US. They have flights from Sao Paulo to Miami, New York, and Orlando, and we recently learned that they’ll add flights to Boston as of July 1, 2018.
The airline has now added a fifth nonstop US destination from Brazil. LATAM will add a seasonal flight between Sao Paulo and Las Vegas between June 21 and August 31, 2018.
The flight will be operated by a Boeing 767-300 (featuring 30 business class and 191 economy seats), with the following schedule:
LATAM 9460 Sao Paulo to Las Vegas departing 11:55PM arriving 8:30AM (+1 day) [Mon, Thu, Sat]
LATAM 9461 Las Vegas to Sao Paulo departing 1:05PM arriving 5:25AM (+1 day) [Tue, Fri, Sun]
At 6,071 miles in each direction, this is approaching the operational limit of the plane.
This represents LATAM Brazil’s first flight to the US west(ish) coast. On one hand you’d think if there were one west coast city they’d fly to, it would be Los Angeles or San Francisco. However, neither city has a significant Brazilian population, and American already flies between Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, and partners with LATAM. Las Vegas is a popular destination for Brazilian tourists, so this certainly seems like a route for Brazilians looking to vacation. Personally I try to stay away from Las Vegas in summer, but I get that it’s also when people have school holidays, so it makes sense.
This new flight has already been loaded into the schedule, though inventory is still zeroed out, so you can’t book tickets yet. Hopefully once they open reservations there will also be award seats (though historically LATAM is fairly stingy with award space).
What do you make of LATAM’s new flight between Las Vegas and Sao Paulo?
GRU-LAX is done by American, which is partners with LATAM, but in this case this is a LATAM specific flight, hence the first ever flight by them to the west coast-ish.
@Neil, Brazilians have school holidays from the last week of June to the end of July and then in December and January. So, July is considered high season for traveling in Brazil due to the school holidays.
LATAM is testing this route during high season (flight numbers starting with 9 for LATAM Brasil usually are for temporary extra flights). I'm sure that, if the load factor is high enough, it'll become a permanent flight...
@Neil, Brazilians have school holidays from the last week of June to the end of July and then in December and January. So, July is considered high season for traveling in Brazil due to the school holidays.
LATAM is testing this route during high season (flight numbers starting with 9 for LATAM Brasil usually are for temporary extra flights). I'm sure that, if the load factor is high enough, it'll become a permanent flight during both school holiday seasons.
I don't believe summer or winter in Las Vegas was a factor in their decision.
Actually Brazilians have school holidays from the end of November to February (since that is when it is summer in the southern hemisphere) and they may only have one or two weeks during our summer (in June and July). I guess the reason they made the flight during our summer is because Brazilians don't like the cold and during this time it will be warm in Las Vegas.
It doesn't need to be city with a large Brazilian population, that's just ridiculous.
@JJJ: They changed that rule in march
Most airlines still gives 2 free checked bags, but max 51lbs each.
Maybe American Airlines didn't changed that already
And some airlines like TAP, are selling fares without checked bags.
@ben - wondered when someone was going to post that it's wintertime in the southern hemisphere... And who cares summer or winter in Vegas? I used to have family there, we'd not go visit THEM in the summertime, but if you're planning to stay at the pool or inside all day long who really cares how hot it is outside? Either way I'd avoid Hoover Dam, we were there in late June, people passing out walking over the dam it was so hot.
@Mark, I believe there is a Brazilian law that requires providing pax with 2 free bags with 70lbs of weight.
And I say law because I cant see any other reason why US airlines would continue to offer 2 free bags weighing 70lbs to Brazil and only Brazil.
IE:
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/baggage/oversize-and-overweight-baggage.jsp
LATAM is aggressively expanding nonstop routes to U.S. destinations so I'd keep an eye out for them. Not the best service but an option to consider.
@Mark
Dear, when you have the new iPhone X in Brazil costing double the price that it's over there, you can bet your sweet arse that most of us go there and buy tons and tons of stuff lol.
The new iMac Pro? 11.541,95 USD dear...
It's also the middle of the winter (50s and 60s) in São Paulo.
LAS is a huge destination for Brazilian high-rollers. if you chat with the casino hosts at the top properties like Wynn, they essentially have 2 groups of region-specific hosts and marketing teams to cater for -
"Asian marketing", which is mostly Chinese clientele with some Vietnamese,
and
"Latin marketing", which is by far comprised of clients from MEX+GRU
I ticketed LATAM’s LAX-SCL 787 Dreamliner Nonstop for 90,000
Avios Lie Flat Bed Svc. in 3 weeks. It’s a great long haul to S.America.
LATAM also flies to LIM from LAX, and this flight used to connect onward to GRU (not sure it does anymore, but for awhile it was advertised as one-stop service).
@George, maybe @Nathan meant Paulistan(o/a)s?
Agreed. Surprised at the 1PM departure from LV in the summer for a plane that is almost maxed out with fuel. I would have expected the LV departure to be a night.
I think LATAM flies LAX SCL.
I'm curious to see operational performance on 763 flying this far from LAS in the summer. Everyone wondered if Qatar could make it work and I think we know the answer there. There probably isn't a lot of cargo exit-LAS but everyone from Brazil likes to pack their house in 2 bags and check them on every flight.
Missed LAX-GRU
Ben, sorta confused. I have taken and love the LATAM flght from GRU-LAX. Am I missing something?
@Nathan
Paulistas :)
Of Course! I love São Paulo and the paulanistas. Any new award availability would be great.