Dépêches

Partnership With Itau Will Allow Customers to Pay in Up To 48 Installments

Dépèche transmise le 17 décembre 2009 par PRNewswire

SAO PAULO, December 17 /PRNewswire/ -- TAM and the Itau bank have entered into a partnership which, as of today, will allow the bank's individual checking account holders with available credit limits to pay for airline tickets in monthly installments for up to 48 months, depending on the profile of the individual account holder, for purchases made directly at the company site (). The partnership with Itau is the second one signed by TAM, which is planning to enter into the same type of deal with other big banks in coming months.

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The partnerships with Itau and the Banco do Brasil form part of a strategy implemented by the company to expand access to air travel for people not used to air travel. "People who have bank accounts and an available credit line can now find that air travel makes it possible to save time and money on trips greater than 1,000 kilometers that last two or three days for just one way," noted TAM president Libano Barroso.

"Traveling in our modern, comfortable aircraft, these people will have a chance to see for themselves that they're gaining at least three to five days in round-trip travel time and they have no expenses for food, which means that, in many cases, it's cheaper to go by plane than by bus," Barroso observed. He also pointed out that there is no additional charge for TAM's in-flight service, which includes water, beverages, hot snacks and lunch or dinner, depending on the time of the flight.

Barroso emphasized that, in contrast to business travelers, those who usually go by bus have a chance to plan their trip and purchase their ticket in advance, which allows them to find fares at attractive rates, called "promos," on flights scheduled during off-peak hours.

Starting today, the option for installment payments is available on TAM's website for purchasers who are individual account holders with credit available to them at the time they are choosing the flight, date and schedule that they want. When selecting payment method, the option "installment payments" will appear.

In a quick, simple process, when the passenger clicks on the link represented by the Itau logo, he is connected to the bank, where he should choose as his payment method "Installment payments," and then enter the requested account data, login and password. At this point, the traveler enters into the Installment Payment option (Automatic Credit) and selects the number of installments with the monthly amount that is most convenient, based on the maximum that he is able to pay. The payment includes the full cost of the ticket including airport taxes.

After completing the internet purchase, the traveler will receive confirmation of the transaction on the same day, as well as the e-ticket number and reservation code, which must be presented at check-in together with an original identification document.

About TAM ():

TAM has been the leader in the Brazilian domestic market for more than four years, and held a 43.9% domestic market share and 85.4% international market share at the end of November 2009. TAM operates regular flights to 42 destinations throughout Brazil. It serves 79 different cities in the domestic market through regional alliances. Operations abroad include our flights to 17 destinations in the United States, Europe and South America: New York, Miami and Orlando (USA), Paris (France), London (England), Milan (Italy), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Cochabamba and Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia), Santiago (Chile), Asuncion and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), Montevideo (Uruguay), Caracas (Venezuela) and Lima (Peru). We have code-share agreements that make possible the sharing of seats on flights with international airlines, enabling passengers to travel to 64 other destinations in the U.S., Europe and South America. We were the first Brazilian airline company to launch a loyalty program. Currently, the program has over 6.1 million subscribers and has awarded more than 8.5 million tickets.

CONTACT: Libano Miranda Barroso, TAM Investor Relations, +55-11-5582-9715,fax, +55-11-5582-8149, ; or Press Agency Contact, MediaRelations, MVL Comunicacao, +55-11-3594-0328,