LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines S.A. is Chile’s national airline and flag carrier with headquarters located in Santiago, Chile. LAN is one of the biggest airlines in South America with main hub at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport. Its focus cities are Jorge Chavez International Airport, Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport, Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and Miami International Airport.
LAN was founded by Chilean Army Air Services Commander Arturo Merino Benitez as Linea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica which began operations in 1929. It changed its name in 1932 to Linea Aerea Nacional de Chile (LAN Chile).
LAN Chile was privatised in 1989 when the Chilean government sold majority stake to Icarosan and Scandinavian Airlines System. It acquired Ladeco, another Chilean airline, in 1995. Three years after, Ladeco was merged with Fast Air.
LAN Chile and its subsidiaries LAN Peru, LAN Dominicana, LAN Ecuador and LANExpress were consolidated under the LAN brand and formally named LAN Airlines in 2004. LAN formed LAN Argentina as subsidiary in 2005.
LAN Airlines subsidiaries are LAN Cargo, LANExpress, AHSA (Aerolinhas Brasileiras), LAN Peru, LAN Dominicana, LAN Ecuador, LAN Argentina, MasAir and Florida West International Airways. It employs about 11,000 employees.
LAN Airlines is a member of Oneworld airline alliance, the third largest alliance of its kind in the world.
Domestic and International Destinations
LAN Airlines has services to 86 destinations particularly in Europe, North America, Caribbean, Oceania and South America. It has a fleet size of 80 aircraft.
Its destinations in Chile include Antofagasta, Arica, Balmaceda, Calama, Concepcion, Copiapo, El Salvador, Hanga Roa, Iquique, La Serena, Osorno, Pucon, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Santiago, Temuco and Valvidia.
For its international flights, LAN Airlines fly to Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Cordoba, El Calafate, Mendoza, Neuquen, Puerto Iguazu, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, San Carlos de Bariloche, San Juan, Salta and Ushuaia in Argentina; La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia; Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil; Bogota and Medellin in Colombia; Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador; Stanley in Falkland Islands; Arequipa, Cusco, Chiclayo, Iquitos, Juliaca/Puno, Lima, Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, Piura, Tarapoto, Tacna, Trujillo and Tumbes in Peru; Montevideo in Uruguay; Caracas in Venezuela; Frankfurt in Germany; Madrid in Spain; Toronto in Canada; Cancun and Mexico City in Mexico; Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington, D.C. in United States; Havana in Cuba; Punta Cana in Dominican Republic; Sydney in Australia; Papeete in French Polynesia and Auckland in New Zealand.
LANPASS
LANPASS is the frequent flyer programme of LAN Airlines with membership categories Normal, Premium, Premium Silver and Comodoro (Commodore). Kilometre is the unit of mileage used to earn points under the LANPASS programme. Members earn kilometres every time they fly with LAN or any Oneworld airlines, purchase goods and services from its affiliate hotels, resorts, cruises and car rentals.
The accrued kilometres may be redeemed for free trips, class upgrades on LAN flights, exclusive products and member discounts.
Benefits to those belonging to the elite categories Premium, Premium Silver and Comodoro may include one-way upgrade coupons, kilometre bonus, preferred check-in service, preferred boarding, access to LAN and Oneworld VIP lounges, exemption from excess baggage fees, exemption from fees stemming from the re-emission of LANPASS rewards ticket and 24/7 flight information service.
Other Oneworld members are American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian Airlines.
South America AirPass
LAN Airlines offers the South America AirPass to travellers who want to purchase one-way coupons to multiple destinations in South America such as Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
The South America AirPass can only be purchased if you have already booked for an international travel ticket.