How to Find Cheap Flights to Colombia

The Short Answer

Fly from Miami or Fort Lauderdale on Spirit, Avianca, or JetBlue, and you can get round-trip tickets to Colombia for under $200. Seriously. This is one of the most affordable international routes from the US, and it's not hard to find a deal if you know what to look for.

Best Departure Cities

Where you fly from matters enormously for Colombia.

Miami and Fort Lauderdale

These are your golden tickets. Fort Lauderdale to Medellin has been spotted as low as $218 round-trip. Spirit runs one-way fares from Fort Lauderdale to Medellin for $47, Bogota for $65, and Cartagena for $62. Miami has nonstop options on Avianca, American, and Spirit.

Other Strong Options

• Atlanta (ATL) -- Spirit fares to Medellin from $86 one-way. Delta and Avianca also compete on this route.
• New York (JFK/EWR) -- More options but slightly higher prices. JetBlue and Avianca are your best bets.
• Orlando (MCO) -- Nonstop flights on Spirit and Avianca with competitive fares.
• Houston (IAH) -- United and Spirit serve this route.
• Dallas (DFW) -- American Airlines has nonstop service.

Cheapest Airlines to Colombia

• Spirit Airlines -- The cheapest option overall with fares starting around $47 one-way from South Florida. Remember: that base fare doesn't include bags or seat selection.
• Avianca -- Colombia's flagship carrier and the most popular choice (37% of travelers). Fares are reasonable and the service is solid. Their frequent flyer program, LifeMiles, is one of the best for value.
• JetBlue -- Flies from New York and Fort Lauderdale to Cartagena and Bogota. Good middle ground between budget and full service.
• Copa Airlines -- Connects through Panama City. Sometimes offers the lowest fares from western US cities.
• American Airlines -- Nonstop from Miami and Dallas. Not the cheapest but earns miles on a major alliance.

Best Colombian Airports to Fly Into

Bogota (BOG)

El Dorado International is Colombia's main hub with average one-way fares around $73. It's the most connected city and your best bet for cheap onward domestic flights.

Medellin (MDE)

Jose Maria Cordova International has seen some of the cheapest fares to Colombia period. Fort Lauderdale to Medellin for $218 round-trip is the kind of deal that shows up regularly.

Cartagena (CTG)

Rafael Nunez offers the cheapest average airfare at around $71 one-way. It's a great entry point if the Caribbean coast is your destination.

Other Airports

Cali (CLO) and Barranquilla (BAQ) also receive direct flights from the US, particularly on Spirit from Fort Lauderdale. Spirit flies Fort Lauderdale to Cali from $67 one-way.

When to Book and When to Fly

Cheapest Months

February is typically the cheapest month to fly, with round-trip fares averaging around $166. August and April are also strong months for deals. Avoid December -- demand spikes by about 10%, pushing prices up across the board.

Flight Duration

From Miami or Orlando, you're looking at 3-4 hours nonstop. From New York or Atlanta, expect 4-5 hours. From the West Coast, 6-7 hours. These are short international flights, which keeps fuel costs and fares low.

Best Days to Fly

Midweek departures (Tuesday through Thursday) are consistently cheaper than weekends. A Tuesday flight can save you $30-80 compared to a Saturday departure.

Money-Saving Strategies

Use Spirit Wisely

Spirit's base fares are unbeatable, but bags and seat selection add up fast. Pack light with just a personal item (free) to keep the total cost low. If you need a carry-on or checked bag, compare Spirit's total price including fees against Avianca's bundled fare -- sometimes the full-service airline is actually cheaper when you factor in bags.

Position to South Florida

If you live outside the Southeast, consider booking a separate cheap domestic flight to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, then catching a Colombia flight from there. A $60 domestic flight plus a $200 Colombia flight still beats a $500 direct fare from your home city.

Book Domestic Colombian Flights Separately

Once in Colombia, domestic flights on Viva Air (now part of Avianca) and Wingo are incredibly cheap -- sometimes under $30 for flights between Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, and other cities.

Consider Open-Jaw

Fly into Bogota and out of Cartagena (or any combination). Colombia is compact enough that one-way domestic flights are cheap, and an open-jaw ticket sometimes costs the same as a round-trip.

Flight Search Tools

• Google Flights -- Best for seeing all options at once and tracking prices
• Skyscanner -- Great for finding the cheapest month
• Spirit.com -- Always check the airline directly; their lowest fares don't always show up on aggregators
• Momondo -- Surfaces deals that Kayak and Google miss

Common Mistakes

• Not checking Fort Lauderdale -- Many travelers only search Miami, but FLL often has cheaper flights on Spirit
• Booking too close to departure -- International flights to Colombia rarely drop in the last week
• Paying for Spirit's extras blindly -- Calculate total cost with bags before choosing a budget carrier
• Ignoring Cartagena and Medellin -- These airports sometimes beat Bogota on price