Chile Pilots Strike Disrupts LATAM South America Flights

Travelers booked on LATAM pilots strike South America flights, especially those connecting through Santiago and São Paulo between November 20 and 24, still face a lingering risk of cancellations, retimed departures, and missed connections even though the Chile based pilots strike has ended with a new labor deal. The Sindicato de Pilotos de Latam, SPL, and LATAM Airlines reached agreement on November 19 after an eight day walkout, but the airline has already filed schedule cuts through November 24 and does not plan to reinstate most of those flights, instead aiming to return to regular operations on November 25. For passengers, the practical takeaway is to keep checking itineraries, add buffer time at key hubs, and be ready to move trips by a day if timing is critical.

In plain terms, the LATAM pilots strike South America flights by thinning schedules and canceling services between November 12 and 24, and even with a contract in place and crews back at work, travelers using Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago and São Paulo/Guarulhos-Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in Brazil should expect some residual schedule friction until operations stabilize around November 25.

Strike Timeline And Scale

SPL, which represents a majority of LATAM pilots based in Chile, launched the strike after members rejected a pay offer on November 3 and demanded a restoration of pre pandemic wage levels and working conditions. The union confirmed that around 464 pilots joined the legal work stoppage from midnight on November 12, the carrier's first pilots strike in nearly three decades.

Initial impact estimates focused on flights scheduled between November 12 and 17. Company statements and wire service reports said at least 173 flights were canceled in that first window, affecting around 20,000 passengers, most of whom were offered alternative itineraries. LATAM then extended its mitigation measures, telling investors on November 17 that proactive cancellations through Saturday November 22 would affect approximately 31,000 passengers in total from the start of the strike, with almost all receiving alternatives within 24 hours of their original departure times.

A separate analysis by FlightGlobal, drawing on Cirium data, found that LATAM ultimately canceled about 245 flights between November 11 and 20, roughly 1.5 percent of the airline's network in that period, underscoring how the walkout rippled across more than just Chile domestic routes. LATAM's November 19 information of interest notice then confirmed that all previously announced cancellations through November 24 would remain in place even though the strike had ended, and that normal operations were expected to resume from November 25.

The new collective agreement, in force from 2025 through 2028, is framed by both the union and the company as a balance between restoring competitive conditions for pilots and protecting the airline's post restructuring finances, which should reduce the risk of another similar strike in the near term.

How LATAM Reshaped Its Network

Throughout the dispute, LATAM focused on protecting long haul and key trunk routes while trimming frequencies on shorter sectors. In practice that meant prioritizing intercontinental services and high demand regional legs that depend on SCL and GRU as connectors, while cutting some domestic Chile flights and consolidating others into fewer departures per day.

Domestic routes such as Santiago to Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, and Punta Arenas saw waves of cancellations and aircraft swaps as the airline concentrated limited pilot availability on flights that fed and drained long haul banks. Regional services linking Santiago to Bogotá, Lima, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and other South American hubs were also affected, sometimes through outright cancellations and sometimes through retiming that preserved connectivity but stretched journey times and layovers.

For travelers, the important nuance is that not all disruption shows up as a canceled flight. A flight can still operate but shift by several hours, operate with a smaller aircraft, or be merged with another frequency, any of which can break tight connections or knock separate tickets out of alignment.

Where And When Disruption Is Still Likely

With the strike over, the worst of the cancellation waves are past, but the tail matters. LATAM itself says that cancellations filed through November 24 will largely stand, and that while day of departure reliability should improve steadily, crews and aircraft will take several days to fall back into normal rotations.

Through November 24, the highest risk routes remain:

• Domestic Chile legs that feed international banks at SCL, particularly early morning and late night waves.
• South America connections via SCL and GRU where inbound and outbound flights are already tight on paper.
• Itineraries that rely on LATAM regional flights to connect into or out of long haul partners, including Delta Air Lines, at hubs like GRU and the new Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) outside Lima.

From November 25 onward, LATAM and external analysts expect the schedule to look much closer to normal, though travelers should still be alert for small timing changes as the airline fine tunes its network.

Rebooking And Refund Options

LATAM has leaned heavily on proactive customer management throughout the strike. Its November 17 notice said all passengers impacted by cancellations between November 12 and 22 had been contacted and offered alternative arrangements, generally within 24 hours of their original departure time. The same communication clarified that customers who do not accept the proposed solution can change dates or flights at no extra cost, or request a full refund of tickets and related services such as prepaid seats and baggage.

For travelers affected by cancellations already filed through November 24, the playbook is straightforward. First, use LATAM's website or app, specifically the My Trips section, to verify whether your booking has already been moved and whether same day alternatives exist that suit your plans. Second, if your trip is discretionary or linked to nonrefundable arrangements, consider pushing travel to November 25 or later, when the airline expects regular operations. Third, escalate to contact centers or airport counters only when self service tools cannot handle complex multi segment or multi passenger cases.

Protecting Connections Across South America

Because LATAM is the largest airline group in Latin America, with hubs in Chile, Brazil, Peru, and other countries, the Chile pilots strike reverberated well beyond point to point traffic. Travelers on itineraries that stitch together long haul segments from North America or Europe with multiple South American hops have seen the biggest vulnerability.

Any connection under three hours via SCL or GRU in the November 20 to 24 window should be treated as fragile, even if both segments still appear confirmed, because modest delays or equipment changes can push flights outside legal connection minimums or trigger missed bags. For separate tickets, especially combinations that pair LATAM with other alliances or independent carriers, the safest move is to either insert an overnight stop at the hub or rebook to a later departure on the same calendar day so that a slip on the first leg does not cascade into missed downline flights.

Passengers heading to time sensitive trips, such as Antarctic cruises from Punta Arenas or Galapagos extensions that connect through Lima, should, where budget allows, move arrivals forward by at least one day or explore routings that use other carriers or hubs until after November 25. That could include connections via Bogotá, Panama City, or Buenos Aires when inventory is available and policies permit changes.

Background, Why The Pilots Walked Out

The dispute grew out of the long tail of the pandemic and LATAM's Chapter 11 restructuring, during which pilots accepted temporary pay and condition cuts. SPL leaders argued that executive compensation had already been restored while pilot terms remained below pre crisis levels, and that their demands represented a small share of the airline's renewed profitability.

LATAM, by contrast, emphasized continuity of service and long term sustainability, saying it was making significant efforts to protect connectivity in regions that depend heavily on air links while still seeking a mutually beneficial agreement. The final contract, which runs through 2028, suggests that both sides accepted a compromise, and for travelers the result should be a period of relative labor peace even as the airline continues to adjust its network and partnerships.

How This Fits With Earlier Coverage

Adept Traveler's earlier deep dive on the Chile LATAM pilot strike focused on cancellations and schedule changes centered on Santiago and domestic Chile routes, as well as the immediate risk for November travelers. This follow on piece zooms out to the broader regional picture, especially knock on effects for South America connections via GRU and LIM and for travelers using joint venture itineraries with Delta and other partners.

Readers planning complex itineraries that rely heavily on SCL can review Chile LATAM Pilot Strike Ends, Delays To November 25 for additional detail on Chile specific patterns, then layer this South America wide view on top when deciding whether to keep, move, or reroute upcoming trips. For a longer term perspective on handling airline labor disputes in general, Adept Traveler's evergreen guidance on planning around strikes and schedule disruptions can help you stress test multi city itineraries, build resilient connection buffers, and decide when to pay extra for flexibility on key legs.

Sources

• Information of interest, LATAM extends measures until November 22 to protect its passengers
• Information of interest, LATAM reaches satisfactory agreement with pilots union and strike comes to an end
• LATAM Airlines pilots end strike with new collective bargaining agreement following 245 flight cancellations
• Chile's LATAM Airlines cancels 173 flights due to pilot strike
• LATAM Airlines and Chilean pilots union reach contract agreement, ending strike
• LATAM Chile pilots set to strike over unrestored pre pandemic salaries