Over the past several years, LATAM has been installing a new business class product on its long haul aircraft. The airline hasn’t even finished this installation, but has now revealed plans to introduce yet another new business class seat, as flagged by Pontos pra Voar and PaxEx.
In this post:
Basics of LATAM’s new business class suites
LATAM will be modernizing the business class product on much of its Boeing 787 fleet. Specifically, the airline has plans to install business class suites with doors on 24 of its Dreamliner aircraft, including the 787-8 and 787-9 variant.
LATAM will be installing the Recaro R7 seat (formerly marketed as the CL6720 seat), featuring direct aisle access and privacy doors at every seat. This is the same product you’ll find on Air China’s new Airbus A350s, and also on Iberia’s new Airbus A350s.
The first Boeing 787-8 should get the new cabins in the first half of 2025, and then we should see Boeing 787-9s start to be reconfigured as of later in 2025.
Currently LATAM has 30 business class seats on both the 787-8 and 787-9. Once reconfigured, the 787-8 will have just 20 business class seats (as the size of the cabin is being reduced, and limited to the space between doors one and two), while the 787-9s will continue to have 30 business class seats.
The plan is reportedly for all planes to be reconfigured by the end of 2026. That seems like an aggressive timeline, given that LATAM hasn’t even finished its previous business class retrofit project six years after announcing it.
There are no plans for LATAM’s Boeing 767s and Boeing 777s to get these new seats. In fairness, they all feature LATAM’s current new business class product, while a majority of Boeing 787s don’t have that cabin. This latest update follows LATAM’s recent announcement that it’s investing in its Boeing 787 economy product.
This is an exciting development!
Honestly, LATAM’s current new business class product is solid. What has been incredibly frustrating is that as of now, over half of LATAM’s Boeing 787s don’t have that product. Instead, they have an old cabin in a 2-2-2 configuration. Given that 787s are used for some of LATAM’s most premium routes, this was a weak point of the LATAM experience.
So I’m excited to see LATAM finally investing more in these jets. In particular, none of the carrier’s 787-8s feature the new cabins, so those are most in need of a refresh, so I like that those planes are being prioritized.
I do find it interesting that “only” 24 Dreamliners will be getting the new cabins. It seems to me like those 787s that already had the recent new product installed won’t get the newest seats. That’s fair enough, since it still means LATAM will only have two business class products once this project is complete. That’s better than a lot of other airlines, frankly.
Bottom line
LATAM is introducing yet another new business class product, as the airline will install the Recaro R7 business class suite on Dreamliners. This is an excellent business class seat with doors. While I’m happy to see this incremental improvement over the carrier’s previous new business class, what’s most exciting is that more 787s will finally be getting a refresh.
What do you make of LATAM’s new business class suites with doors?
I am sorry but these seats look terrible. They look 2 inches thick and are probably hard as a rock. They remind me of Lufthansa domestic economy because they are so thin. The old 787 configuration looks perfectly fine and I feel that the new doesn’t always mean better.
For me these are bad news. 33% reduction in business class seats means higher prices. Sick and tired of 6k usd tickets between SA and NA, not all of us have cc mies to burn. Latam is probably the only one with decent product and prices (if bought well in advance). Bad news!
Oh, and for those demeaning it is head and shoulders above AA and UA. I know what I am talking about, million miler in both.
Many of these comments do not reflect my own experiences. I've recently taken GOL, Paranair, Avianca, and COPA flights - and I agree that the websites, the frequent flyer programs, etc. are not the best. Nor is in airport communication. But once onboard, the service is excellent and the experience often better than in North America.
JAL and ANA can certainly use a new product especially since they use their 787s to Europe and North America.
I'd be happy with Skysuite 787 for another 100 years.
@Points Adventure
What a stupid comment.
It's like you'd be happy on a DC-3 for another 20 years.
It's just like Iberia. If the service isn't getting better, who cares about the hard product.
Latin/South America has so much opportunity to offer a premium product with great service and they just don't. Thanks Avianca. Thanks Aeromexico. Thanks LATAM.
The service culture in Latin America is a joke. Hospitality as a concept just doesn't exist there. The wealthy classes are the most selfish and indifferent people you'll find anywhere on Earth, while the working classes wait on them hand and foot (as they have for centuries) and resent them more or less openly for it. Nobody's really in the mood to be kind to each other, and the concept of professional, friendly service -...
The service culture in Latin America is a joke. Hospitality as a concept just doesn't exist there. The wealthy classes are the most selfish and indifferent people you'll find anywhere on Earth, while the working classes wait on them hand and foot (as they have for centuries) and resent them more or less openly for it. Nobody's really in the mood to be kind to each other, and the concept of professional, friendly service - in restaurants, hotels, airlines, shops - is basically nonexistent. The best you can hope for is to be treated cordially, and when that happens it feels like a big win.
Right … because the service provided in North America is great … the place you have mediocre service and are expected to tip 20%.
You also described the USA.
@James S / MAGA...This is such a broad stroke comment that it's useless, and then some.
I agree. It doesn't make sense to spend the extra money on business class (or premium economy if available) since the only real advantage is a lay-flat or just angle-flat seat. Plus, Aeromexico doesn't even serve Mexican cuisine on its flights. Whose idea was that?
Iberia has decent service.
first, a fraud alert needs to be put on this comment section since there are a few people that frequent this site that aren't even smart enough to come up w/ their own username.
second, DL said from the day they announced the purchase of the ex-Latam A350s that they would get Delta standard international cabins when the supply chain would support doing so. DL signed a contract with Airbus Services to refurbish those 9...
first, a fraud alert needs to be put on this comment section since there are a few people that frequent this site that aren't even smart enough to come up w/ their own username.
second, DL said from the day they announced the purchase of the ex-Latam A350s that they would get Delta standard international cabins when the supply chain would support doing so. DL signed a contract with Airbus Services to refurbish those 9 aircraft which is expected to happen starting this fall. It is the same limited supply chain - even before covid -that is the reason why it took United 7 years to install Polaris across its entire fleet and that product is notably not class leading and UA has not announced plans to put a door on them.
third, Delta is receiving 14 new Airbus widebodies this year, all with suites with doors. Combined with the refurbished ex-Latam aircraft, DL will have over 80 aircraft with suites in the next 2 years, not even including the 767-400 "mini-suite." If the 767-400 is included, DL will have one of the largest fleets of aircraft with suites with doors in the world even before the A350-1000s start coming in less than 2 years.
fourth, American has announced a suite product w/ doors and will have it on its new 787s as well as the 777-300ERs that it is refurbishing. Although their international fleet is much smaller than DL or UA, they will quickly take 2nd place in the number of suites behind DL. Add in that AA will have A321XLRs which will end up on international routes and their narrowbody and widebody fleets are moving to a class-competitive position.
someone clearly wanted to throw the big 3 into the conversation but if there is any connection, it is that DL probably has as much influence over Latam as they do over Virgin Atlantic.
You are too far along the autism spectrum to recognize that you are being mocked. You are too far along the autism spectrum to recognize that this website is an unsuitable venue for your screed. You are too far along the autism spectrum to understand that nobody cares about your quantitative analytics, because if they were meaningful in any way other than being a display of your neurodivergence, you would have a paid subscriber-only column...
You are too far along the autism spectrum to recognize that you are being mocked. You are too far along the autism spectrum to recognize that this website is an unsuitable venue for your screed. You are too far along the autism spectrum to understand that nobody cares about your quantitative analytics, because if they were meaningful in any way other than being a display of your neurodivergence, you would have a paid subscriber-only column targeted toward investors. You would not post bloviated fustian on a free website targeted toward miles-and-points maximizers.
you aren't smart enough to realize that I do what I do because it gets so many people wrapped around an axle.
If some people would let me post what I post w/o trying to mock me, then there would be a whole lot less friction on this site... but that may not at all be what Ben wants.
None of which changes that, as usual, someone else threw Delta into the conversation with a...
you aren't smart enough to realize that I do what I do because it gets so many people wrapped around an axle.
If some people would let me post what I post w/o trying to mock me, then there would be a whole lot less friction on this site... but that may not at all be what Ben wants.
None of which changes that, as usual, someone else threw Delta into the conversation with a comment that was factually wrong which simply provided me with all I needed to launch into a full scale discussion of US carrier business class suites.
Some people reap what they sow. and some of us are more than happy to keep shoveling it into their mouth until they learn.
What you call wrapping people around an axle is what the rest of the world calls showing off your micropenis.
@Paul Weiss
I think he means he m@sturbates any time someone replies to him.
Hey, I'm not the impersonator here "Diamond" Tim Dunn. You will be hearing from my mother! I mean my lawyer. Yes, my lawyer.
The lack of awareness from Paul Weiss is amazing. You're literally just as embarassing.
Dim Tunn, you’re the one posting anonymous internet comments on a Saturday afternoon. Get bent and go to hell
Where is BigLawV10?
Your reply is exactly what we mean about lack of self-awareness.
The severe irony of trying to call someone for making comments on the internet as you proceed to do the same thing.
Pull the red herring outta your ass, Dim. We're talking about YOU being chronically online this Saturday. You must be a friendless virgin.
You are literally the one responding with unhinged rants within minutes.
You're not beating the autism allegations like this.
You know you sound like an Indian, right?
You are too far along the autism spectrum to recognize that you are being mocked. You are too far along the autism spectrum to recognize that this website is an unsuitable venue for your screed. You are too far along the autism spectrum to understand that nobody cares about you
regardless of what the gutter talking mental midgets here preoccupy their minds with, DL already has more than 50 widebodies with suites w/ doors and that will grow to more than 80 in the next couple years.
AA will have a couple dozen widebodies w/ suites while UA will have precisely ZERO.
Of course, Latam is following DL's lead.
Dim Tunn
DT
Dick Tiny
it's amazing what people focus on when they the topic at hand goes over their way - in this case way over
Delta's decision to retain LATAM's decade-old A350 business class seats = profit. Delta is smarter than you!
I don’t understand why Latin America is so woefully uncompetitive as a region when it comes to the major airline groups and their business-class products. You’d think there would be more competition to LATAM’s premium products from Aeroméxico, Avianca, Aerolíneas Argentinas, etc. but only Azul seems to have done that with its A330-900neos (and also the now-retired A350s) — and it still hasn’t been covered on OMAAT.
Sadly, after Azul let go of the two...
I don’t understand why Latin America is so woefully uncompetitive as a region when it comes to the major airline groups and their business-class products. You’d think there would be more competition to LATAM’s premium products from Aeroméxico, Avianca, Aerolíneas Argentinas, etc. but only Azul seems to have done that with its A330-900neos (and also the now-retired A350s) — and it still hasn’t been covered on OMAAT.
Sadly, after Azul let go of the two A350s it has, there is not a single A350 operator left in Latin America. The big guys (LA, AV, AM) all operate 787s, which is of course narrower than the A350, while AD has the A330-900neo and AR the older A330-200 and -300. With only LA operating the 777, that’s bad news for passenger comfort, as the narrower 787 and A330 have been strongly favoured over the wider A350 and 777 in Latin America — in stark contrast to the rest of the world. (Look at JAL, replacing its 777-300ERs with A350s and doggedly maintaining 2-4-2 on the 787, unlike every other airline out there. That’s an airline I respect!)
Latin America is a joke. I found out my favorite Peruvian dish, lomo saltado, is actually Chinese, not Peruvian.
@Paul Weiss - it's a Chinese-influenced Peruvian dish. You can tell by the big chunks of steak that it's not the original, and that may be the precise reason many like it.
You seem to be knowledgeable about South America. In your opinion, what is the best Business or First (is there even First Class?) from the US?
Emirates for sure between Miami and Bogota
Airlines don't need your respect. The wider a350 cabins comes with more fuel burn for Airlines compared to the 787. That's why the 787 is more popular than the a350.
@Blue
This. And in general, no one would include a stopover just to fly on an A350 and to aviod 787, unless the one's also one of the "if it's Boeing, I ain't going" ret*rds.
Just because knowledgeable travelers might prefer an Airbus manufactured aircraft to Boeing product, does not make them “Ret*rds”.
In reality many might argue quite the opposite, yes Mason?
@AeroB13a
Just because I said ""if it's Boeing, I ain't going" ret*rds.", does not mean that I generalize everyone who prefers Airbus plane to Boeing as "ret*rds".
In reality many might argue you're distorting my point, yes AeroB13a?
You might think that Mason, however, I couldn’t possibly comment darlink.