How to Use LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum for Miles and Rewards

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The LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card is designed for travelers who fly LATAM regularly and want to turn almost every purchase into future flights. Used strategically, it can deliver economy tickets in Brazil, premium cabin upgrades within South America and meaningful discounts on long-haul routes. This guide walks through, step by step, how to set up the card, earn miles faster and redeem them intelligently for real-world trips.

What the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum Card Actually Offers

The LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum is a co-branded credit card issued by Itaú that sends all earned points directly to your LATAM Pass account as miles. Recent analyses of the product indicate that it typically earns around 2 miles per US dollar spent on everyday purchases, with higher earning potential when combined with the Clube LATAM Pass subscription or specific promotions. In practice, this means that a monthly spend of the equivalent of 1,000 dollars in Brazilian reais can generate about 2,000 miles, even before bonuses.

Unlike generic bank rewards cards, there is no step of transferring points from a bank program to the airline. Your statement closes, the miles are calculated according to the card rules and then deposited into your LATAM Pass account, generally within a few days. For frequent LATAM flyers, this direct link is what makes the Platinum version compelling, especially if you already prioritize flying with the airline in Brazil, Chile, Peru or other key markets.

Current public information suggests that the annual fee sits in the mid-range of the Brazilian card market and can often be fully waived when you reach a specific monthly spend threshold, commonly around the equivalent of 2,000 reais per statement cycle. That puts the card in a sweet spot where middle to high spenders can effectively enjoy a mileage-earning tool with little or no recurring fee, as long as they consistently route their spending through the card and pay in full each month.

On top of mileage earning, the Platinum tier comes with travel protections and some airline-related perks that, while not as extensive as top-tier Black or Infinite cards, are still valuable. Typical examples include basic travel insurance when you buy a ticket with the card, protections for lost luggage and some priority at check-in or boarding on LATAM flights when tied to your LATAM Pass status.

Setting Up Your Card and Linking It to LATAM Pass

The first step to using the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum effectively is ensuring that your card is correctly linked to your LATAM Pass account. When you apply, Itaú usually asks for your LATAM Pass number. If you did not have one, a new loyalty account is often created for you. As soon as the physical card arrives, check the letter or the Itaú app to confirm the LATAM Pass number associated with the card and make sure it matches your existing profile if you already had one.

If you discover that your card is connected to a different LATAM Pass number than the one you usually use, contact either Itaú or LATAM Pass customer service to request a merge or correction. This matters because any mismatch can scatter your balances across two accounts and make it harder to reach the mileage totals required for valuable redemptions, such as a return flight from São Paulo to Santiago.

Next, register both with Itaú’s online banking or credit card app and with LATAM’s website or mobile app. In the Itaú environment, confirm that the card is showing as active, and explore the section dedicated to the LATAM Pass partnership. There you will typically see your accumulated miles for the current billing cycle and information about any welcome bonus campaigns, such as 16,000 bonus miles after spending a specific amount in the first three months.

On the LATAM side, log in to your LATAM Pass account and look for recent points activity. After your first statement closes, you should see an entry showing miles credited from Itaú, with the card variant and the amount. If your first statement closes with, for example, 5,000 reais in domestic purchases when the exchange rate is close to 5 reais per dollar, you can expect around 2,000 to 2,500 miles from base spending, plus any applicable promotional multipliers.

How to Earn Miles Faster on Everyday Spending

Once the card is set up, the key to maximizing LATAM Pass miles is concentrating your everyday expenses on the Platinum card without falling into the trap of overspending just to chase miles. At the baseline, purchases in supermarkets, fuel stations, streaming subscriptions and online marketplaces in Brazil will all generate miles at the standard rate. If you spend the equivalent of 800 dollars a month on these categories, you could accumulate around 1,600 miles monthly or roughly 19,000 miles a year, enough for a one-way domestic flight during a good redemption window.

To accelerate earnings, Itaú offers an optional “points accelerator” on LATAM Pass cards, which, for an additional fee charged on the statement, roughly doubles the earning rate. For example, if the standard rule for Platinum is 2 miles per dollar, activating the accelerator might push this close to 4 miles per dollar on eligible purchases. Travelers who know they will spend heavily for a short period, such as furnishing an apartment or paying for a large event, can consider enabling the accelerator temporarily to convert that spike in spending into a substantial mileage boost.

Another powerful lever is joining Clube LATAM Pass, a paid subscription that deposits a fixed amount of miles to your account each month and, for LATAM Pass Itaú cardholders, can add around 50 percent more miles on every dollar spent with the card while the campaign is active. Public campaigns in 2026, for instance, have advertised that Platinum customers with an active club plan can reach effective accrual levels above 3 miles per dollar, and in some promotional months even more. That means that the same 800 dollars in monthly card spending that once yielded around 1,600 miles could now generate close to 2,400 or more.

Finally, keep an eye on limited-time promotions that temporarily boost mileage accumulation. Itaú and LATAM have run campaigns in which new Platinum cardholders who hit a certain spend target within the first three invoices receive a fixed bonus, commonly around 16,000 miles. Meeting a target such as 4,000 reais per month during those first three months can deliver enough bonus miles to cover a return ticket from São Paulo to Buenos Aires in economy on a discounted redemption.

Understanding Mileage Expiration, Status and Bonus Rules

One of the subtler advantages of the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card lies in how it affects the validity of your miles. The official rules of the program indicate that miles earned from the Platinum variant generally remain valid for 36 months as long as you continue using the card. This extended validity is longer than the standard expiration period some airline programs apply to inactive accounts and gives you more time to plan a complex trip, such as a multi-city itinerary across Chile and Peru.

However, it is important to distinguish between regular miles and any special promotional or bonus miles. Some campaigns credit extra miles that may come with shorter validity or special conditions, which are usually detailed in the campaign regulations. For example, a promotion linked to accelerated earnings until a specific date might state that the bonus portion of the miles expires after one year if not used, even though the base miles keep their longer Platinum-linked validity.

Regarding elite status, LATAM Pass normally calculates qualifying points based on paid flight activity rather than credit card spending, although there have been promotional periods where a percentage of the miles earned on LATAM Pass Itaú cards counted as qualifying. In 2025, for instance, there was a campaign in which about 20 percent of miles from the co-branded cards contributed to elite-qualifying points. These offers vary over time, so if moving up to categories such as Gold, Platinum or Black in the loyalty program is important to you, check the current terms in the LATAM Pass and Itaú communications before relying on card spend for status progression.

Practical planning means logging in to your LATAM Pass account every couple of months and checking not only your total balance but also the expiration dates shown for each block of miles. If you see that 12,000 miles will expire in six months, for example, you might decide to bring forward a planned trip from Rio to Santiago or redeem those miles for a shorter domestic hop, rather than letting them lapse while you wait to accumulate enough for a longer international route.

Step by Step: Redeeming Miles for LATAM Flights

Redeeming miles is where the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card turns into actual travel. The basic process is straightforward. Log in to your LATAM account, select the option to buy tickets with LATAM Pass points and enter your route and dates. The booking engine then displays the mileage cost for each available flight alongside the cash fare. On a São Paulo to Fortaleza route, for example, you might see economy tickets starting around 12,000 to 18,000 miles each way on off-peak days, while peak dates such as New Year or Carnival can require significantly more.

To extract good value from your miles, compare the mileage price to the cash price for the same flight. If a one-way São Paulo to Santiago economy ticket is selling for the equivalent of 250 dollars and the mileage cost is 20,000 miles plus taxes, you are effectively getting around 12.5 dollars of value per 1,000 miles before taxes and fees. Many mileage enthusiasts aim for at least 10 dollars per 1,000 miles in value on international routes, so this would usually be considered a reasonable redemption, especially if you booked during a mileage sale that discounted the required miles by 30 percent.

LATAM and LATAM Pass also run periodic promotions that reduce the number of miles needed for certain routes. During these campaigns, you might find domestic segments within Brazil for as low as 4,000 to 6,000 miles one way, or South America routes like São Paulo to Buenos Aires discounted to around 10,000 miles each way. If your Platinum card and Clube LATAM Pass subscription have helped you stockpile 40,000 miles, a promotion like this could cover a return trip for two people on a regional route plus one or two short domestic flights.

When redeeming, pay close attention to the taxes and fees component. Unlike low-cost carriers where the base fare can be small, international flights from Brazil often carry high airport taxes and service fees. In many cases, you will still need to pay several hundred reais per person in cash at checkout, even when covering the base fare with miles. Factor this in when deciding whether to redeem or pay entirely in cash with your LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card, earning miles on the ticket purchase instead.

Using Miles Beyond Flights: Upgrades and Non-flight Rewards

While redeeming for flights usually delivers the strongest value, the LATAM Pass program also lets you use miles for cabin upgrades and for non-flight rewards such as hotel stays, car rentals and products in the LATAM Pass shopping environment. The Platinum card indirectly supports these options by providing a steady flow of miles that can be reallocated depending on your travel priorities.

On many international routes, LATAM allows you to request an upgrade from economy to premium economy or business using miles, either during the booking process or later via the “manage my booking” section. For example, you might book a discounted cash fare from São Paulo to Miami and then see an option to use a fixed number of miles for an upgrade on one or both legs. The mileage cost fluctuates based on route, demand and your elite status. Travelers with a significant balance accumulated through Platinum card spending often find that using miles to upgrade a long-haul overnight leg, such as São Paulo to Madrid, offers comfort benefits that far exceed the value of using the same miles for short domestic flights.

Outside flights, LATAM Pass partners include hotels, car rental companies and online retailers where miles can be exchanged for vouchers or direct bookings. These redemptions tend to offer lower cents-per-mile value than air tickets but can still make sense in specific scenarios. If you already have flights covered by work or another program, you might prefer to redeem 15,000 miles from your card spending for a hotel night in Santiago’s Las Condes district or a car rental day in Lima rather than letting a soon-to-expire mileage block go unused.

The key is to treat your miles like a currency rather than a bonus. Before every redemption, mentally translate the miles into their approximate cash value based on your typical redemption patterns. If 10,000 miles usually save you around the equivalent of 100 dollars on LATAM flights, think twice before using that same amount for a 40 dollar coffee machine in the shopping catalog. The Platinum card’s earning rate gives you flexibility, but value still depends on your choices.

Practical Strategies to Combine Card, Club and Promotions

To truly maximize the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum, think of it as one piece within a broader strategy that involves Clube LATAM Pass and recurring mileage promotions. One common approach among frequent travelers in Brazil is to maintain a modest club plan year-round, such as an entry-level subscription that deposits a small monthly mileage amount but unlocks higher accrual rates on the card. This keeps your miles balance slowly growing even in months when card spending is lower.

Then, when a particularly attractive campaign appears, such as a temporary boost where cardholders with club subscription earn 50 percent more miles on all purchases or where new cardholders can receive tens of thousands of miles after reaching a spend target, you deliberately concentrate expenses in that period. Large, predictable costs such as annual insurance premiums, tuition payments or home renovations can be timed to coincide with these campaigns, transforming obligations you would pay anyway into strategic mileage generation.

A practical example: imagine you have planned a family trip from São Paulo to Bariloche for the following July. One year earlier, when you see a campaign offering increased mileage earnings on the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum until January 31, 2026, you start routing every possible expense through the card and keep your Clube LATAM Pass subscription active. Over six months, with an average equivalent spend of 1,200 dollars per month and elevated accrual rates, you might accumulate 25,000 to 30,000 miles purely from card use. Combined with your club deposits, this could easily cover two or more segments of the trip, dramatically reducing the cash you need to pay for the tickets.

In parallel, watch for “buy miles with discount” promotions that are sometimes reserved for LATAM Pass cardholders. There have been recent examples of targeted campaigns where cardholders could purchase miles with discounts above 60 percent, up to certain limits. When used cautiously, these offers let you top up your balance to hit the exact mileage price of a desired redemption, rather than overbuying miles that will sit idle. Always compare the discounted purchase cost with the cash fare of the ticket you want to book to ensure you are not paying more in the end.

The Takeaway

Used without a plan, the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card is simply another mid-tier credit product that collects miles in the background. Applied strategically, however, it becomes a powerful tool for turning everyday Brazilian real spending into flights across South America and beyond. The combination of a solid base earning rate, extended mileage validity and frequent joint promotions with LATAM Pass creates tangible opportunities for travelers who already favor LATAM as their main carrier.

The core principles are straightforward: link the card correctly to your LATAM Pass account, ensure that your regular monthly expenses flow through the Platinum as long as you can pay the balance in full, consider complementing it with a Clube LATAM Pass subscription and pay close attention to promotional windows. With these steps, concrete outcomes like a São Paulo to Buenos Aires weekend, a family holiday in the Northeast of Brazil or a comfort upgrade on a transatlantic night flight become realistic rewards within one or two years of disciplined card use.

FAQ

Q1. Do miles earned with the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card go directly to my LATAM Pass account?
Yes. Unlike generic bank reward cards, the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum sends miles directly to your LATAM Pass account after each statement closes, so there is no need to transfer from a bank program.

Q2. How many miles can I realistically earn per month with this card?
The exact number depends on your spending and current promotions, but a typical cardholder who spends the equivalent of 800 to 1,000 dollars per month might earn around 1,600 to 2,500 miles, and potentially more when using Clube LATAM Pass or limited-time bonus campaigns.

Q3. Do the miles from the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card expire?
Miles earned with the Platinum variant generally have an extended validity, often around 36 months as long as you keep using the card, although special promotional miles may have shorter expiration periods detailed in each campaign.

Q4. Is it better to redeem miles for flights or for products in the LATAM Pass shopping environment?
In most cases, flights provide better value per mile than merchandise or vouchers. Many travelers focus on using Platinum-generated miles for domestic or regional tickets and only turn to non-flight rewards when a mileage block is close to expiry.

Q5. Can I reach elite status in LATAM Pass just by using the Itaú Platinum card?
Standard rules base elite status mainly on paid flight activity, but there have been limited-time promotions where a percentage of miles earned with LATAM Pass Itaú cards counted toward qualifying points. These offers are not permanent, so you should always check the current terms before relying on card spend for status.

Q6. How do welcome bonuses work on the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card?
Itaú and LATAM often run acquisition campaigns where new Platinum cardholders receive a fixed block of bonus miles after reaching a defined spending target in the first few statements, such as spending a certain amount of reais for three consecutive months. The miles are usually credited a few weeks after the conditions are met.

Q7. What is the role of Clube LATAM Pass for Platinum cardholders?
Clube LATAM Pass is a paid subscription that deposits monthly miles and, during specific campaigns, can increase the miles you earn on your LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card by a certain percentage, making it easier to reach the mileage levels required for international trips.

Q8. Are there extra fees to accelerate mile accumulation with this card?
Yes. Itaú offers a paid accelerator option that increases the number of miles earned per dollar spent. This service adds a fee to your monthly statement, so it is most worthwhile during periods of unusually high spending or when you are close to a redemption goal.

Q9. How should I decide whether to pay a flight in cash or redeem miles?
Compare the cash fare with the mileage cost plus taxes. If, for example, 20,000 miles save you around the equivalent of 250 dollars on a route you actually want to fly, the redemption is likely attractive. If the cash fare is heavily discounted and taxes are high, paying in cash and earning miles with your Platinum card may be smarter.

Q10. Can I use miles from the LATAM Pass Itaú Platinum card to upgrade to business class?
Yes, on many routes LATAM allows you to use miles for cabin upgrades from eligible fares. Travelers who accumulate large balances through Platinum card spending often find that upgrading a long-haul night flight to premium economy or business can be one of the most satisfying uses of their miles.