Are You Ready For Some Football?: One-on-One With Pablo Chiozza

This week TAM Airlines, a LATAM Airlines Group carrier, officially joined the oneworld alliance. Brazilian carrier TAM was previously a Star Alliance member, but in March 2013 company officials announced plans to withdraw TAM’s Star Alliance membership following LATAM’s selection of oneworld as its global alliance partner.

TAM’s participation in oneworld comes as the carrier is enters perhaps the busiest period in its history. In preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament, which will host matches in 12 Brazilian cities beginning in June, TAM has altered 31 percent of its existing domestic network within Brazil and added more than 750 new flights.

In addition, LATAM has launched “Only in South America,” a micro-site designed to provide travelers with insider knowledge on Brazil and South America.

Pablo Chiozza, senior vice president, USA, Canada and the Caribbean, LATAM Airlines Group, discussed the changes TAM has made both in joining oneworld and preparing for one of the world’s largest sports events.

TravelPulse: What are the biggest benefits for TAM passengers as a result of the new oneworld membership?

Pablo Chiozza: The biggest benefit is our coverage in U.S., Europe and Asia with our oneworld partners. Our biggest market from Brazil to the U.S. is in Miami, where we have our partner American Airlines; the same happens in Europe where we partner with Iberia in Madrid and the same in London. In terms of coverage, what is great for TAM passengers is access to many regions that they didn’t have before.

TP: Can you give us an idea of TAM Airlines’ recent operations growth in South America and outside of the country?

PC: We operate six countries in South America, we operate regional flights within South America and international flights from South America to the United States, Europe and Australia, so depending on the market you are referring to, the expansion might be different when you compare different markets. We have been growing in terms of domestic operations, we have been growing in terms of capacity offered to Europe in the last year and a half, so we can say we can be positive and aggressive in saying that TAM is still growing.

TP: What markets are driving the growth?

PC: We are seeing growth not only with leisure passengers, but corporate passengers as well. In the last year and a half and looking forward we are introducing new 767s out of New York to Rio de Janiero and out of Miami to Rio. We’ll be adding capacity out of New York to Sao Paulo as well. Last year we used to operate almost 10 flights from New York to Sao Paulo; we are operating double lately. We are operating double the capacity from New York to Rio as well as daily flights to Rio. We are operating double capacity lately from Miami to Sao Paulo and a daily flight from Miami to Rio as well.

TP: How is TAM Airlines ramping up capacity for the World Cup?

PC: For the World Cup we have added some other flights from Miami to Sao Paulo, being that Miami is the main gateway to Sao Paulo and Sao Paulo being the main gateway in Brazil to domestic destinations in the country. In all we added 750 new flights for the World Cup, 300 of them international flights, and we are making a huge investment of $21 million on our end to fulfill the needs of the passengers traveling to the World Cup, not only the regional passengers in South America, where we are huge football fans, to those in Brazil as well.

TP: There have been concerns that there might not be enough reasonably priced seats for travelers who want to visit Brazil for the event. What is the capacity situation from LATAM’s perspective?

PC: We are seeing there are plenty of seats available [but] we have also seen that demand is picking up, so people who were scared about there not being enough seats from the United States or from Europe to the World Cup, I invite and encourage them to go to their travel agency and find a seat because there are international seats and regional domestic seats still available.

It’s going to be hectic, but we feel we will be able to move all of the passengers through Brazil. At TAM we are flying to all 12 cities that will have matches during the World Cup. We have 100 percent coverage of all of the destinations where the World Cup is being played.

TP: So you’re covering all 12 World Cup cities?

PC: I am Argentinean and have Brazilian cousins and I used to spend a lot of vacation time in Brazil. When they announced the 12 cities where the World Cup was being played, there were cities I never heard of before, such as Cuiaba! That’s almost in the middle of nowhere near Bolivia.

TP: What is the profile of the TAM Airlines fleet?

PC: The fleet serving the routes from U.S. Brazil is pretty new. In the last year and a half we have added new 777s from Miami to Sao Paulo and New York to Sao Paulo. In the last year we introduced new 767s with flat-bed seats out of Miami to Manaus and New York to Rio as well. The average age of the fleet is 6.7 years so it’s a pretty young fleet.

TP: As a native of Argentina working for a Brazilian carrier, we want to know where your loyalties lie. Who are you picking to win the 2014 World Cup?

PC: Actually LAN is a Chilean company and the TAM unit is Brazilian but my heart and my team is Argentina. We have the best player in the world in Lionel Messi. Truthfully, I don’t really think we will win the World Cup but I will be cheering for my country.