LATAM Baggage Allowance: Carry-On, Checked Bags and South American Connections

LATAM measures bags including pockets, wheels and handles. The personal item must fit under the seat in front. Check whether your fare includes the overhead bag; on some cheaper fares, only the personal item is included. The allowance for your ticket is shown in LATAM's My Trips and on your booking confirmation.

For LATAM fares, Premium Business and South American connections, see our LATAM Airlines flights guide.

A standard checked bag can weigh up to 23kg and measure up to 158 linear cm (length plus width plus height). How many bags are included depends on the fare, cabin and route; cheaper Economy fares can include none, while more flexible fares and Premium Business include more.

LATAM says it accepts heavier bags for an extra charge. On flights to, from or via Oceania, Europe, Argentina, Aruba, Cuba, South Africa or Venezuela, and on certain connections with Qantas, British Airways, Iberia or Air Canada, a single bag can weigh up to 32kg. On other routes, the limit is 45kg and 300 linear cm per bag.

We compare the cheapest fare plus the bags you need with a fare that includes them. The headline price can look attractive until you add luggage for everyone, in both directions.

The mistake we warn about most is assuming one baggage allowance covers the whole holiday. Your long-haul ticket may include a suitcase, while a separately booked flight within South America doesn't.

• Check the number of bags, weight per bag and any charges for every flight, including the return journey.
• Check whether each ticket includes an overhead cabin bag or only a small personal item.
• Pack to the tightest allowance on your itinerary unless you've arranged extra baggage.
• Check stricter limits on small aircraft, such as some inter-island flights in the Galápagos.

Having to collect and recheck a bag for customs doesn't, by itself, mean you owe another fee.

For Sydney to Santiago followed by a flight within Chile, or Miami to Lima to Cusco, plan to collect your checked bags in Santiago or Lima, clear customs and hand them back to LATAM for the domestic flight. That applies even if everything is on one booking and the baggage tag shows your final destination.

Allow time for immigration, baggage collection, customs, rechecking and getting to the domestic gate. At your departure airport, ask exactly where you collect and return the bags.

Continuing within Chile is different from connecting internationally to Argentina, so check the actual itinerary rather than apply one rule to every South American connection.

Extra, overweight and oversized bags are charged by route, so price them before you pay for the flights. Buying extra baggage in advance is usually simpler than dealing with it at the airport.

LATAM says LATAM Pass members at Platinum level and above receive one additional checked bag of up to 23kg on LATAM-operated flights, on tickets issued with a Light fare or higher. LATAM Pass card holders also receive one additional bag, and the two benefits don't combine.

Qantas or Delta status may add baggage benefits on some LATAM flights. The LATAM partners guide explains how to check them.

• Check dimensions with wheels and handles included.
• Keep medication, documents and valuables in your small personal item.
• Carry power banks and spare lithium batteries in the cabin, never in checked bags.
• For a long trip with varied climates, planned checked baggage is usually easier than an overstuffed carry-on.

Is LATAM strict with carry-on bags?

We'd pack as though your carry-on will be weighed. We can't give you a reliable frequency for checks, and someone else getting through overweight isn't something to plan around.

For several South American flights, we check every ticket's allowance, including whether it includes an overhead cabin bag or only a small personal item. Weigh your bags fully packed, including laptops and cameras, and pack to the tightest allowance on your itinerary unless you've arranged extra baggage.

What's the most common baggage mistake on LATAM trips?

Assuming one baggage allowance covers the whole holiday. Before paying, check every flight for the number of bags, weight per bag and any extra charges, including the return journey, and compare the full cost with luggage rather than the headline fare.

And check where you must collect and recheck bags. Having a bag tagged to your final destination doesn't always mean you can skip baggage claim at the connecting airport.

• Allowance checked in My Trips for every flight and every passenger
• Overhead cabin bag confirmed as included, or packed to the personal-item limit
• Bags weighed fully packed and measured with wheels and handles
• Separately booked South American flights checked for their own allowance
• Extra bags priced and bought before travel if needed
• Rechecking points and connection times confirmed
• Medication, documents, valuables and batteries in the cabin