LATAM compensation: up to €600 on flights leaving Europe
LATAM connects Europe with South America on some of the longest routes we handle: Madrid to Santiago de Chile is more than 10,000 km and Lisbon to São Paulo almost 8,000. When a LATAM flight departing from the EU lands 3 hours or more late, or is cancelled at short notice, the payout is the top band of the rules: €600 per passenger. We have already helped more than 300 LATAM passengers.
The key point is coverage. LATAM Airlines Group is headquartered in Santiago, Chile, so it is not an EU airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to its flights only when they depart from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. A LATAM flight from São Paulo, Lima or Santiago back to Europe is not covered, even on a return ticket, and LATAM's own help centre says the same.
Long delay
Your LATAM flight left an EU airport and you reached your final destination at least 3 hours behind schedule.
3+ hours on arrivalCancellation
LATAM cancelled your departure from Europe and told you less than 14 days before.
Under 14 days' noticeBumped
You were refused boarding at a European airport because the flight was overbooked, despite a valid ticket and arriving on time.
Owed on the spotNot covered
LATAM flights from South America to Europe, domestic flights on a separate ticket, and genuine extraordinary circumstances.
Inbound and local flightsFlying via São Paulo or Lima and not sure where you stand? Check your LATAM flight in two minutes.
How much LATAM pays: amounts on our clients' routes
The fare you paid is irrelevant. What counts is the distance from the European departure airport to your final destination.
| LATAM route | Covered by EU rules? | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Madrid–Santiago de Chile | Yes, departs the EU | €600 |
| Madrid–São Paulo | Yes, departs the EU | €600 |
| Lisbon–São Paulo | Yes, departs the EU | €600 |
| São Paulo–Madrid, Santiago–Madrid | No, departs outside the EU | Not payable |
Each traveller claims separately, so a family of four on a Lisbon–São Paulo flight that arrived 5 hours late could be owed €2,400. Children with their own seat get the full amount.
LATAM flight delayed out of Europe: what to do
Just over half of the LATAM claims we receive involve a delay, often one that snowballs into a missed connection in São Paulo or Lima. While you wait:
- Keep every boarding pass for all legs, from the LATAM app or on paper.
- Photograph the departure screens and note when the doors open at your destination.
- Save LATAM's messages: the reason given on the day helps if they later blame something else.
- Ask the LATAM desk for meal vouchers and keep receipts for anything you buy.
- Don't swap cash for LATAM Pass miles before knowing what you are owed.
Care LATAM must provide at the airport
On covered flights, LATAM must offer food and drink and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel and transport to it:
| Flight distance | Care after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km (most LATAM flights from Europe) | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You can abandon the trip and get your fare back |
Missed connection in South America
On a single booking such as Barcelona–São Paulo–Montevideo, the arrival time in Montevideo is what matters: if the first flight made you 3 hours or more late there, compensation is based on the whole journey. A regional flight on a separate ticket is assessed on its own. More on our page about LATAM delayed flight compensation.
LATAM flight cancelled: refund and compensation
More than a third of our LATAM files are cancellations. Two separate rights can apply together:
You choose between getting the ticket price back and being rerouted to the same destination.
Added on top if the cancellation of a flight leaving the EU reached you less than 14 days before departure.
| Notice from LATAM | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | No, but refund or rebooking still apply |
| 7 to 13 days | Yes, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and lands less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Yes, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and lands less than 2 hours late |
Retimed flight. On routes with only a few weekly frequencies, LATAM sometimes moves a departure by a day. Done close to travel, that can count as a cancellation. See our guide to a cancelled LATAM flight.
LATAM overbooking: denied boarding in Europe
This is the rarest problem in our LATAM files, around 6 in 100. If you are kept off a full flight at a European airport, compensation is due straight away, along with a new flight or a refund. It is not owed if boarding was refused because of an expired passport or missing entry documents for your destination. Read more about LATAM overbooking.
Strikes and LATAM flights
If LATAM's own pilots or cabin crew walk out, the airline normally has to pay: the EU Court of Justice treats a strike by an airline's staff as part of its normal business (case C-28/20). An air traffic control strike in France or Spain, or industrial action by airport staff, is an extraordinary circumstance: you keep the right to care and a refund, but not to compensation.
LATAM rejected your claim? Common reasons
Faults and maintenance are part of running a fleet and don't let LATAM off the hook.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07A knock-on delay is not enough on its own: LATAM must prove an extraordinary event caused it.
LATAM is often right here, but we check whether your journey actually began in Europe on one booking.
Only valid if it really hit your flight: we compare weather and slot data for that day.
The LATAM group and its hubs
Several airlines fly under the LATAM brand, including LATAM Airlines Brasil (code JJ), LATAM Airlines Perú, Colombia and Ecuador, plus the Chilean parent (code LA). Its main hubs are Santiago, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Lima and Bogotá. For the regulation, what matters is departing the EU; in our form you simply choose LATAM.
Flights from the UK
London–São Paulo is not covered by the EU regulation but by UK261, the British version, which pays up to £520 on long-haul flights. We can assess those claims too; disputes go to the CAA or the courts.
How to claim from LATAM: on your own or with us
LATAM has a claim form in the Help Centre at latamairlines.com.
It's free, but you handle the back-and-forth. If LATAM refuses, you can go to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed, or to court, at your own cost.
Give us the flight details and sign online. The claim, formal demand and court action with our lawyers are on us. You pay only if you get paid: 25% + VAT.
If LATAM has already turned you down
A written rejection isn't final. If the flight left the EU and there was no genuine extraordinary circumstance, we send a formal letter before action.
Documents we need
- E-ticketWith the LATAM booking reference and every leg.
- PassportFor each traveller, children included.
- EvidenceLATAM messages, photos of screens and receipts.
Time limits
The regulation sets no deadline of its own: national law in the country where you claim decides (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11), so it varies. Was your trip a few years ago? Enter the date and we'll tell you if you're still in time.
How long LATAM takes to pay
If LATAM accepts, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. With a non-EU airline it is more common to need a formal demand or a claim in the courts of the departure country, which adds a few months. Once paid, we transfer your share: €417 out of every €600.
Lost or damaged luggage with LATAM
Bags fall under the Montreal Convention instead. If your suitcase doesn't appear in Santiago or São Paulo, fill in a PIR at the baggage desk and send LATAM a written claim within 7 days for damage, or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
LATAM contacts and flight status
- Head office
- LATAM Airlines Group S.A., Santiago, Chile
- Claims
- Form in the Help Centre at latamairlines.com
- Flight status
- LATAM app or official website
- Loyalty scheme
- LATAM Pass
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