LATAM spent the last few years dragging its long-haul cabins into the modern age, swapping the old 2-3-2 setup for the far more civilised Thompson Vantage XL seat across its flagship 777 fleet. I’d flown this cabin from London a few years back and remembered being impressed, so this trip in LATAM 777-300 Premium Business felt like a good chance to see how it had held up with time. With a long stretch to Brazil ahead of me, I was curious whether the hard product still carried the show or if the rest of the service had finally caught up. If you’re debating whether to book it, read on.
In this review:
Flight Details
Flight No: LA8149
From/To: Lisbon (LIS) to São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU)
Departure time: 13:50
Ticket Class: Business
Flight time: 10 hours
Frequent Flyer Points: 4,935
Status Points: 75 (Virgin Atlantic)
Aircraft: PT-MUG
Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER
Number of classes: 3
Number of seats in flying class: 38
Seat: 8A
Position: Left window, rear mini-cabin
Airport Experience
Humberto Delgado Airport was hitting it’s peak when I arrived for my LATAM Premium Business flight. The morning rush was in full swing and Terminal 1’s C zone felt like a maze of trolleys, families, and people moving with that “I’m late but pretending I’m not” energy.
After easing past the queue, I found LATAM’s check-in desks, including three reserved for premium passengers and frequent flyers. Once there, things settled. Bag drop was quick, and an extra barcode was stuck onto my boarding pass, which enabled me to use fast track security. Once I found the entrance – not very well sign-posted – the security fast track moved at an agreeable pace.
LATAM Airlines uses the ANA Lounge at Lisbon Airport, and it was a low point of the morning. The lounge felt dark, congested and loud, with limited food that didn’t tempt me to stay. Forget showers – there weren’t even any working male toilets. At that stage I abandoned the idea of relaxing before the flight and took myself for a walk around the terminal instead. It turned out to be the better choice.
Boarding & Welcome
Boarding for the LATAM 777-300 Premium Business flight took place at bus gate 44A, which sits on the far side of the terminal and required a ten-minute airport bus tour.
Once we arrived at the aircraft, everyone climbed the front stairs, giving a great first view of the big Boeing under the afternoon sun. My seat, 8A, sat just to the right of the boarding door behind a bulkhead panel, which gave it a calm feel from the outset. A friendly crew member welcomed me, offered sparkling wine, water and nuts, and took the meal order before the doors closed. So far, a strong start.
Seat
Seat 8A on the LATAM 777-300 Premium Business cabin sat in the smaller rear section, and it worked well. Despite not having a sliding door, the Thompson Vantage XL shell curved around just enough to feel cocooned.
The footprint was huge, helped by the generous pitch in this row, and having two windows didn’t hurt. The bulkhead and door-two vestibule ahead created a natural sense of separation, and I had a full overhead locker to myself.
The footwell housed a small ottoman perfect for shoes, and the amount of floor space made it one of the most open-feeling business seats I’ve flown for quite some time.
Which is the best seat on LATAM 777-300 Premium Business?
Having expected 8A to be a compromise in the LATAM 777-300 Premium Business layout, I was pleasantly surprised. It offered noticeably more floor space and a quieter nook than I’d anticipated from the map. Those with restricted mobility may find 8A and 8L easier to access from the aisle.
If you prefer the main cabin, seats 3A/L or 5A/L strike the right balance of privacy and window alignment. The staggered Vantage XL layout means not all seats are created equal, so window lovers should target the seats that place the console by the aisle and the seat itself against the fuselage.
See the seating plan on AeroLOPA.
Onboard Experience
This LATAM 777-300 Premium Business cabin lived aboard a 13-year-old aircraft, though the refurbishment meant it still felt modern. The temperature on the ground and during climb-out was freezing, with the air-con cranked up to full Antarctic mode.
Washrooms sat between the two business cabins, but thanks to the vestibule, I didn’t hear a thing from them at row 8.
Less ideal was the makeshift galley the crew set up at door two, complete with bright lights pointed straight at row 7. The illuminated “lavatories aft” sign hinted at a different historical layout, probably from life before the retrofit.
The amenity kit added a bit of charm to the flight. LATAM offered two colours, blue and burgundy, each themed around an iconic South American destination. Mine carried a neat “Lake Titicaca” badge on the front, which I appreciated more than I expected. Inside sat the usual socks and dental bits, joined by Costa Brazil moisturiser and lip balm. It wasn’t over the top, but it felt thoughtfully put together and matched the refreshed cabin well.
Food & Drink
Dinner service on this LATAM 777-300 Premium Business flight kicked off about an hour after take-off, with the crew coordinating everything through handheld devices. The starter selection looked perfectly decent: salmon with feta and cucumber, olives and onion, plus a side salad.
Plates were cleared promptly, and the main arrived around twenty minutes later. The steak tasted fine, but the temperature wandered into lukewarm territory, which always raises an eyebrow at 36,000 feet. The polenta had lost its crispness and leaned towards chewy. Dessert appeared on my tray halfway through the main, which suggested the service rhythm had gone sideways. The excellent Vik Millahue wine did help restore the quality.
The second meal service, however, missed the mark: a warmed ham and cheese roll, crisps, and a small apple pudding that felt like an afterthought. I didn’t eat much of it and it wasn’t very appetising. I genuinely think LATAM should reflect on whether this is acceptable food to serve for a supposed Premium Business product.
Clearing was overly zealous too; twice, my half-finished glass of water vanished before I could object. I liked the crew working hard to keep the cabin tidy, but would also prefer them to ask me before clearing things that aren’t finished – especially several hours before landing.
In-flight Entertainment
The IFE system on the LATAM 777-300 Premium Business cabin ran smoothly, with a strong library of films and TV. The only hiccup came from the headphones: the first pair didn’t work, the second pair arrived in pieces, and the third finally did the job.
There was no Wi-Fi at all, which surprised me on a ten-hour long-haul, especially when many airlines are now shouting about fast satellite connectivity. I had planned to finish some work and send files before the business day wrapped up, but instead I embraced an old-school offline flight.
Arrival
The final stretch of the flight went smoothly enough. We made up time in the air and touched down only a few minutes behind schedule, but our gate had changed and we parked on a remote stand surrounded by cargo aircraft. Stairs took a while to arrive, which isn’t unusual for Guarulhos. Once bussed 10 minutes to the terminal, things improved, I found empty immigration lanes, though bags only arrived on the carousel after 30 minutes.
I’ll remember it as one of the more painful arrivals into Guarulhos.
BG1 Verdict
I wanted the LATAM 777-300 Premium Business journey to shine. The hard product remains genuinely strong, especially with the Thompson Vantage XL’s space and comfort, and LATAM deserve credit for investing heavily in the retrofit. Sadly, the soft product pulled the score down again. The cool meal, rushed service, missing Wi-Fi and stop-start delivery chipped away at the goodwill built by the seat and cabin. This wasn’t a bad flight, but it wasn’t great either. LATAM have one of the best physical seats in South America; they just need the service to match it consistently.
BG1 Tip
If you’re flying LATAM 777-300 Premium Business, pick one of the true window seats with the console by the aisle. They give you the best blend of privacy, storage and quiet, especially in the smaller rear cabin.
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