This overnight sector in LATAM A320 Premium Economy sat neatly in the middle of our holiday to Buenos Aires, picked less for glamour and more because the timings slotted perfectly into an already busy itinerary. I’d also been quietly curious to see how LATAM’s short-haul premium cabin had held up over the years, especially given its roots in the old LAN blocked-middle-seat setup. A three-hour red-eye in an A320 isn’t most people’s idea of indulgence, but this one surprised me in a few places. If you’re weighing up whether Premium Economy is worth it on these South American hops, read on.
In this review:
Flight Details
Flight No: LA636
From/To: São Paulo (GRU) to Buenos Aires (EZE)
Departure time: 00:05
Ticket Class: Premium Economy
Flight time: 3 hours 1 minute
Frequent Flyer Points: 1,055
Status Points: 20 (Virgin Atlantic)
Aircraft: CC-BAH
Aircraft type: Airbus A320
Number of classes: 2
Number of seats in flying class: 12
Seat: 2A
Position: Window, second row on the left
Airport Experience
At São Paulo Guarulhos, having a LATAM Premium Economy already felt like a step up thanks to access to the premium check-in area, which swallowed us in minutes while the regular queues edged along around the corner. At 21:45 security barely had a pulse, so the lack of formal fast track didn’t really matter; we walked straight through, albeit laptops and liquids out.
The real win with the Premium Economy ticket came from being able to access the LATAM Lounge at Guarulhos Airport. We’ve reviewed it before and it continued to deliver: plenty of seating, showers for the keen, and a solid spread of hot and cold food with a decent bar. For a midnight departure, this gave us a chance to eat properly, hydrate, and pretend we weren’t about to board a three-hour red-eye in an A320.
Boarding & Welcome
Priority boarding was baked into our premium economy ticket, which should have been a breeze if we hadn’t majorly misjudged the gate situation. Our flight left from Gate 266, tucked away in another part of the terminal complex, and what looked close on the map turned into a 15–20 minute hike from the lounge. By the time we arrived, general boarding was well under way.
Thankfully an alert LATAM agent clocked the Group 1 stamp on our boarding passes and waved us straight through the priority lane. Once at the door of the LATAM A320 we received a friendly greeting from the crew and took our seats on the second row of the premium economy cabin.
Seat
LATAM A320 Premium Economy followed the classic LAN-era formula: the first few rows of the A320 cabin with a blocked middle seat, turning the standard 3–3 layout into a more comfortable 2–2 arrangement. The underlying seats were still economy slimlines, but with noticeably better pitch than the main cabin. In 2A, I couldn’t quite reach the seat in front with fully outstretched legs, which is more than can be said for plenty of European carriers.
This configuration mirrored European business class cabins, but with LATAM simply branding it as Premium Economy rather than pretending it was anything more lavish. Recline felt generous for a narrow-body, and the cabin refurb had brought USB-A and USB-C charging at every seat, which made it easy to keep phones and tablets topped up for streaming. For a 14-year-old A320, the hard product felt well looked after.
There was plenty of storage in the bins above row 2, as well as beneath the vacant middle seat.
Which is the best seat on LATAM A320 Premium Economy?
Row 2 turned out to be the sweet spot in the cabin, combining decent legroom with a little separation from both the galley at the front and the curtain behind. Seats 2A and 2C worked particularly well as a pair, with quick access to the aisle via the empty middle seat and a bit more leg room and overhead storage than row 1. On future flights we would quite happily book the same row again.
See the seating plan on AeroLOPA.
Onboard Experience
Once settled in on LATAM A320 Premium Economy, the mood shifted firmly into night mode. This was a proper red-eye hop: a 00:05 departure, short flight time, and a cabin that felt more like a private charter than a scheduled service, with only four passengers spread across the premium rows. The quiet helped, though it also removed any sense of urgency from the service.
There was a single washroom dedicated to the Premium Economy cabin. It was clean and well-stocked.
The crew remained courteous throughout, but the pace did feel unhurried given how few of us there were. By the time the snack trays made it along the aisle, most of the cabin had already succumbed to sleep, leaving just a couple of us awake to accept food and a drink before donning an eye mask and trying to grab an hour or two of rest.
Food & Drink
Catering aboard LATAM A320 Premium Economy appeared in the menu as a snack, which matched what arrived: a warm sandwich served on a tray with a small packet of crisps. It wasn’t fine dining, but for a three-hour overnight sector between two regional hubs it did the job, particularly as we’d already eaten properly in the lounge. The small fruit fool dessert was a nice sweetener to send me back to sleep.
Drinks included the usual soft options, beers and wine. I opted for a Malbec, partly on theme ahead of arrival into Argentina and partly because it felt wrong not to. The wine was served in proper glassware.
In-flight Entertainment
As you’d expect on a LATAM A320, Premium Economy did not come with seat back screens. Instead, LATAM leaned on its LATAM Play streaming platform, which allowed passengers to connect their own devices to a Wi-Fi network and browse a catalogue of films, series, and journey map. The system worked without issue; my phone connected quickly and the stream quality stayed stable for the few parts of the flight where I stayed awake enough to use it!
Paid internet access sat behind the same portal, starting at $5 for an hour and rising to $12 for the full flight. I skipped it on this occasion, but for anyone needing to stay online, the pricing felt reasonable by airline standards.
Arrival
For a short regional hop, LATAM A320 Premium Economy wrapped up nicely with a scenic on-time landing into Buenos Aires Ezeiza. We parked at a proper stand and disembarked via a jet bridge into the main terminal, which felt mercifully quiet for the small hours. Immigration moved quickly, and by the time we reached the carousel our bags had already been delivered. Within minutes we were outside meeting our transfer into the city.
BG1 Verdict
Taken as a whole, LATAM A320 Premium Economy felt like a very honest product: no flat beds, no heavy marketing spin, just extra space, priority treatment on the ground, and a slightly better soft product than the main cabin. The seat concept carried over nicely from its LAN origins, with the blocked middle seat and extra pitch making a real difference on a red-eye of this length.
Yes, the snack and slow-ish service could be nit-picked, but for a three-hour overnight sector between São Paulo and Buenos Aires complete with use of the lounge, it sat comfortably between economy and true business class. I’d pick it again on this route without hesitation, especially if prices stayed sensible.
BG1 Tip
Leave enough time to walk from the LATAM Lounge to the far-flung 260s gates; the trek will take a good 15–20 minutes. Also, eat in the lounge if you’re hungry, or if bread and crisps aren’t your thing.
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