LATAM has assistance policies designed to provide an accessible, comfortable and safe journey for passengers who need additional support due to a disability, health condition, reduced mobility or another circumstance that limits their independence.
A passenger requiring special assistance is someone who needs additional support during any part of their journey. This may include older adults, pregnant passengers, mothers or fathers traveling with babies or nursing infants, passengers with reduced mobility, people using crutches and recovering passengers who do not require medical certification, among others who need assistance during travel.
Some passengers may need to travel with a companion because of their condition or level of independence. The need for a companion will be assessed based on the passenger’s individual circumstances and applicable safety requirements.
Categories
| Category | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| Passengers Needing Special Assistance (PNAE) | Passengers with a temporary or permanent mobility disability (WCHS, WCHR, WCHC, WCBW, WCBD, WCMP and WCLB); passengers with a partial or total visual or hearing disability (SSR BLND or DEAF); self-sufficient passengers with a mild intellectual disability (SSR DPNA); and passengers who need help boarding, in transit or deplaning (SSR MAAS), such as older adults, pregnant passengers, mothers with babies or nursing infants, and passengers whose independence is limited. |
| PNAE passengers who need a companion | Passengers who are not self-sufficient and have a severe mobility, sensory or mental disability. They are coded SSR MEDA and may need someone with them during the trip. |
| Passengers Needing Emotional Support | Passengers who need to travel with an emotional support animal. They are coded SSR ESAN. |
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Group bookings that include passengers with a disability follow the same requirements as individual bookings. See the Groups section for details.
Seat assignment rules
- Special passengers cannot sit in emergency exit rows, whether they travel alone or with a companion.
- Seats are assigned free of charge to special passengers with the codes SSR BLND, DEAF, DPNA, MAAS, MEDA, PPOC or SVAN.
- The request must be handled through the support channels corresponding to the purchase channel. If the ticket was purchased through the Corporate Portal, contact LATAM Corporate. If it was issued by a travel agency, the request must be handled directly with the issuing agency.
- Seats are identified and assigned according to the current rules once the special services are confirmed in the booking.
- Seat assignment may vary depending on aircraft configuration, route and flight operating conditions.
Seats fitted with an Airbelt
| Aircraft type | Restricted seats | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus 319/320/321 | First row | Adults who need a seat belt extender, and passengers with a disability who need the DPR restraint device available on board. |
| B787-8 | 36AC–36JL | Passengers who need a DPR device. |
| B787-9 | 43AC–43JL | Passengers who need a DPR device. |
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(*) The Airbelt is a seat belt with an airbag built into one of its straps. It deploys on impact and can be a risk for certain passengers.
(**) The DPR restraint device supports the upper torso of passengers who can't stay upright because of a disability. It's a two-part harness used together with the seat belt.
Types of assistance for PNAE passengers
Unlike passengers traveling with a companion or with an emotional support animal, PNAE passengers receive assistance when they ask for it. Assistance can be requested for the services or codes WCHS, WCHR, WCHC, WCBW, WCBD, BLND, DEAF — with or without an SVAN service dog — and DPNA.
| Stage of the trip | What the assistance covers |
|---|---|
| Check-in | Access to a priority counter at airports where it's available. Guidance to the boarding gate. |
| Boarding | Priority boarding. Help through border police or immigration on international flights and through security checks. Guidance to the aircraft door. |
| Transit or connection | Guidance to the connecting flight's gate. Help collecting baggage at connecting airports, except where baggage handling is restricted. Guidance to the aircraft. |
| Deplaning | Help through immigration and customs. Support collecting baggage, except at airports where the service is restricted. Assistance to the exit of the arrivals area. |
| During the flight | Guidance on locating the seat and help storing carry-on baggage. Where applicable, guidance may be provided for moving around the cabin. Assistance does not include personal care, such as hygiene, feeding or administering medication. |
| Baggage | On certain domestic flights in Brazil, Peru and Chile, and on international flights, passengers requiring special assistance may receive priority support when collecting their baggage, subject to airport operating conditions. |
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Corporate considerations
Requests for assistance for passengers with special needs are currently not available directly through the Corporate Portal. To arrange assistance, the company must contact LATAM Corporate support channels and provide the booking reference, passenger details and type of assistance required.
If the ticket was issued by a travel agency, the request must be handled directly with the issuing agency.