The Brazilian branch of LATAM offers an attractive nonstop business class fare from to São Paulo. The airline sells tickets for flights until August 2021 as low as €698 from Lisbon. There is a huge catch in this Covid-19 ravaged times – these fares allow a refund of only 20%! Even worse, LATAM is currently undergoing bankruptcy under chapter 11. If this does not work out, your money is almost certainly gone.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
Flights are available from April through August 2021. Our availability calendar shows you all possible flight dates for trips up to four weeks at the lowest fare.
LATAM rotates Boeing 767-300ER aircraft between Lisbon and São Paulo. These bad boys come with two possible business class configurations, an older one with lie-flat-seats in 2-2-2 configuration. Or with LATAM’s new, more contemporary business class and 1-2-1 seating (pictured above).
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, tickets are on sale for this price until June 6, 2021. A hefty minimum stay of seven days applies to get the lowest fare. All travel has to end on August 31, 2021 – on this day, your inbound flight needs to arrive in Lisbon.
To find additional flight dates, you can fire up Google Flights (instructions). Since LATAM’s rebooking rules are not especially generous, you can consult our flight search for cheaper tickets. It is still better to book with the airline.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
LATAM issues these tickets in booking class Z. Since the airline is currently not part of any major alliance, your earning opportunities are not bad, but severely limited:
- 19,724 Award Miles + 9,862 Elite Qualifying Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 14,794 Award Miles on Miles&More
- 14,794 RDM + 2,958 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 12,328 Avios on British Airways Executive Club
- 12,328 Avios on Qatar Privilege Club
- 12,328 Avios on Iberia Plus
- 12,328 AsiaMiles on Asia Miles
- 12,328 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 12,328 Award Miles + 150 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 9,862 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Information & Tips for Brazil
Brazil is probably the country in South America that is most frequented by tourists. Whether it’s the carnival or the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro or touring the Amazon, visitors will get their money’s worth here.
Traditionally, flights to South America and Brazil from Europe are quite expensive, but since a few years, there are increasingly cheap offers, especially with Iberia and TAP.
Best Time to Visit
Brazil is a vast country – so there is no such thing as an overall best travel time. It all depends on what you want to see. It is best to visit the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo autumn and spring while the dry season fort the rainforest is from May to September.
Entry & Visa
EU citizens do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days and can enter with a passport only. Note that, similar to the USA, that after your first stop in Brazil your luggage must be collected and brought through customs. Calculate accordingly when booking a connecting flight.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Maya Mobile. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for Brazil 🇧🇷 Compared
→ All Dealz for Brazil
Cover Picture: © LATAM