LATAM Is Changing How You Upgrade to Business Class

Updated: July 31, 2025, 7:05pm CDT

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Table of Contents

How LATAM’s Upgrade System Works Now
What’s Changing With LATAM’s Upgrades in September 2025
The Good and the Bad of These Changes
Final Thoughts

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If you’re a LATAM Pass elite member who likes flying up front without paying full price, it’s time to get familiar with LATAM’s new upgrade system — and the changes coming in September 2025. Whether you’re eyeing a lie-flat seat in premium business or extra space in premium economy, the process is more streamlined than before, but also a bit more restrictive.

Here’s how upgrades work today, plus what will change starting September 2025.

How LATAM’s Upgrade System Works Now

Instead of dealing with the old “Upgrade Coupon” system, LATAM Pass now uses Courtesy Segments to request upgrades on flights sold and operated by LATAM. Each flight segment requires 1 Courtesy Segment — regardless of distance or route — and your elite tier determines how many segments you get per year.

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	Gold	Gold Plus	Platinum	Black	Black Signature
Courtesy Segments Within South America	4	6	8	Unlimited	Unlimited
Courtesy Segments Outside of South America	–	–	2	8	14

Segments reset annually on April 1 and don’t roll over, so use them or lose them. While you can’t transfer segments to another account, you can share them with a traveling companion even if you booked separately.

To apply, submit your upgrade request at least 48 hours before departure. Your request is added to a prioritized list based on elite status, application time, and, increasingly, whether you hold a LATAM co-branded credit card.

Upgrade confirmations happen at the gate if you’re flying with LATAM Airlines Brazil or Paraguay. On other LATAM flights, decisions are typically sent 12 hours before departure.

What’s Changing With LATAM’s Upgrades in September 2025

Starting September 2025, LATAM will tighten upgrade availability. From that point on, you must be flying in a Plus or Top fare to get an upgrade, and upgrades will only be granted if there are unsold or unassigned premium seats, even if you’re at the top of the list. Moreover, upgrades won’t clear until all bids for paid upgrades have been assessed.

There’s also a new timeline for when upgrades will clear based on your tier:

Black Signature and Black: Confirmations start 6 hours before departure
Platinum, Gold Plus, and Gold: Confirmations start just 2 hours before departure

Tie-breaker upgrade criteria will continue to include having a LATAM credit card and who applied for the upgrade first.

LATAM business class B787 9 GRU SCL seat — A window seat in LATAM business class. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Upgrades may still be reassessed due to operational needs until boarding. Examples include an aircraft swap with a different cabin layout or fewer seats in business class.

Hot Tip:

LATAM is the biggest carrier in South America, and it’s had a lot of news lately. Along with launching 2 credit cards in the U.S., LATAM also became the first carrier in Latin America to start offering suites with doors in business class. These suites are now flying select routes to and from the U.S.

The Good and the Bad of These Changes

Positives of the September 2025 changes include the simplicity of the 1-segment-per-flight rule, the continued ability to share upgrades with companions, and that enhanced benefits apply if your upgrade clears. This means better checked luggage rules, earlier boarding, lounge access, and more.

There are definitely negatives, however. These include the fact that you need to fly on a Plus or Top fare to be eligible, upgrades may apply to just 1 segment of your overall itinerary, and only truly leftover seats will be eligible for upgrades. That means fewer seats qualify for you to move into something more comfortable.

Final Thoughts

LATAM’s upgrade system is easier to navigate than before, but the September 2025 changes mean upgrades will be harder to come by — especially on busy routes.

If you’re a frequent flyer with high status, you’ll still be near the top of the list. But if you’re in a lower tier or flying on discounted fares, assume your economy ticket won’t get upgraded unless you’re willing to bid or pay for more comfort.