How to Find Cheap Flights to South America

The Quick Answer

Fly from a major US gateway city (Miami, Houston, or Fort Lauderdale) on airlines like Copa, Avianca, or LATAM. Book 2-4 months in advance, travel during shoulder season (April-May or September-November), and use Google Flights to compare across flexible dates. Fares from the US to South America regularly drop below $300 round trip if you know where to look.

Best Airlines for Cheap Flights

Your airline choice makes a bigger difference for South America than almost any other destination. The right carrier can save you $200-$500 on the same route.

Budget-Friendly International Carriers

• Copa Airlines: The secret weapon for South America travel. Their hub in Panama City connects to virtually every major South American city - Bogota, Lima, Quito, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Sao Paulo. Fares from the US through Panama are consistently among the cheapest. Copa runs frequent sales that bring round-trip fares under $350.
• Avianca: Colombia's flag carrier offers competitive pricing from the US to Bogota and beyond, with connections throughout South America. Their hub in Bogota makes them a strong option for reaching Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
• LATAM Airlines: The largest airline in Latin America with hubs in Lima and Sao Paulo. LATAM's network covers the continent, and they regularly offer promotional fares on competitive routes.
• Aeromexico: Often overlooked for South America, but their Mexico City hub connects to many South American cities at competitive prices. Check their fares - they're sometimes the cheapest option by a wide margin.
• Spirit Airlines: Flies direct to Bogota, Cartagena, and Lima from Fort Lauderdale. Base fares can be shockingly low (under $100 one way), but add up bag fees before celebrating.

Budget Airlines Within South America

Once you're on the continent, budget carriers slash your internal travel costs.

• Wingo: Colombian budget carrier with fares as low as $17 one-way between cities like Bogota and Cartagena when booked in advance.
• JetSMART: Covers Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. Rock-bottom base fares for intra-South American flights.
• SKY Airline: Another solid Chilean budget carrier with service across multiple South American countries.
• GOL: Brazil's major budget carrier. If you're flying within Brazil, GOL often beats LATAM on price.

Pro tip: book your flight from the US into one major city, then use regional budget airlines to hop around the continent. This "hub and spoke" approach is almost always cheaper than booking everything on one airline.

Best US Gateway Cities

Where you depart from in the US dramatically affects your fare. Some cities have direct competition on South American routes, driving prices down.

Cheapest Departure Cities

• Miami (MIA): The undisputed king for South America flights. More carriers fly from Miami to South America than anywhere else in the US. Competition keeps prices low. If you don't live in Miami, consider a positioning flight there.
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL): Just 30 miles from Miami, FLL is Spirit's hub and offers some of the cheapest fares to Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.
• Houston (IAH): United's hub has strong South American service with competitive pricing, especially to Brazil and Chile.
• New York (JFK/EWR): Lots of competition from multiple carriers. JFK has direct flights on LATAM, Avianca, and Copa, which keeps prices competitive.
• Orlando (MCO): Surprisingly good fares to Colombia and Brazil. Copa and Avianca serve Orlando with competitive pricing.

Save by Positioning

If you live in a city without direct South America service, sometimes buying a separate cheap domestic flight to Miami or Fort Lauderdale and then booking your South America flight from there is cheaper than a single connecting ticket from your home city. Run the numbers both ways.

When to Fly for the Cheapest Fares

Timing is everything for South American airfare.

Cheapest Months

• February: Consistently the cheapest month to fly to South America from the US. Holiday travel is over, and demand drops off.
• April to May: Shoulder season in most of South America. Weather is still great in many regions, but tourist crowds (and airfares) have thinned out.
• September to November: Another shoulder period. Spring is arriving in the Southern Hemisphere, and fares are well below peak season.

Most Expensive Months

• December to January: Peak summer in the Southern Hemisphere plus holiday travel from the US. The worst combination for airfare.
• June to August: US summer vacation period. Even though it's winter in South America, heavy demand from US travelers pushes prices up.

Best Day of the Week

Sunday afternoon departures tend to be cheapest for South America routes. Friday around noon is typically the most expensive. Midweek flights (Tuesday through Thursday) also offer good value.

Search Strategies That Actually Work

The way you search matters as much as when you search.

Use Google Flights First

Google Flights is the best starting point for South America research. Here's how to use it effectively:

• Leave the destination as a region ("South America") to see the cheapest cities to fly into.
• Use the calendar view to find the cheapest travel dates within your window.
• Enable "nearby airports" to catch deals from secondary airports near you and near your destination.
• Set up price tracking alerts for your preferred route and dates.

Compare Across Multiple Search Engines

No single search engine finds every deal. Use at least two or three:

• Google Flights: Best for route exploration and price tracking.
• Skyscanner: Use "Whole month" view to find the cheapest dates. Their "Everywhere" search is great for discovering cheap South American destinations.
• Momondo: Often surfaces fares from smaller carriers and consolidators that other engines miss.
• Kayak: Good for comparing across airlines with their price forecast feature.

Set Price Alerts Everywhere

South American fares are volatile. A route that costs $600 today might drop to $350 next week during a flash sale. Set alerts on Google Flights, Hopper, and Going.com. The more alerts you have running, the better your chances of catching a deal.

Cheapest South American Destinations

Not all South American cities are equally cheap to reach. Here's where the best deals are.

Cheapest to Fly Into

• Bogota, Colombia (BOG): Consistently one of the cheapest destinations in South America from the US. Fares from Miami or Fort Lauderdale regularly dip below $200 round trip.
• Cartagena, Colombia (CTG): Direct flights from several US cities with fares averaging around $250-$350 round trip. Often the cheapest beach destination on the continent.
• Lima, Peru (LIM): A major hub with competitive pricing. Round-trip fares from the US commonly land in the $300-$450 range.
• Quito, Ecuador (UIO): Good value thanks to Copa and Avianca connections. Fares from the US average $350-$500 round trip.
• Medellin, Colombia (MDE): Growing in popularity but still affordable. Direct Spirit flights from Fort Lauderdale keep prices competitive.

Most Expensive to Fly Into

• Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE): Longer flights mean higher fares, typically $500-$800+ round trip.
• Santiago, Chile (SCL): Similar to Buenos Aires - long flights and fewer ultra-budget options.
• Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU): Brazil flights tend to be pricier, though Houston is your best bet for a deal.

Strategy tip: fly cheap into Colombia or Peru, then use budget airlines to reach more expensive destinations. A $200 flight to Bogota plus a $100 JetSMART flight to Santiago often beats a $700 direct flight from the US to Chile.

Advanced Money-Saving Moves

Book in the Local Currency

Some South American airline websites offer lower prices when you book in the local currency. LATAM's Chilean site, for example, sometimes shows fares cheaper than the US site. Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees to take advantage.

Consider Open-Jaw Tickets

Fly into one city and out of another. For example, fly Miami to Bogota, travel overland through Ecuador and Peru, then fly Lima back to Miami. Open-jaw tickets often cost the same as round trips but save you a backtracking flight.

Watch for Error Fares

South American routes see more error fares and glitch pricing than most destinations. Subscribe to Going.com and Secret Flying to catch these. When a $400 fare to Buenos Aires shows up at $180, you need to book within hours before the airline corrects it.

Stack a Stopover

Copa Airlines lets you add a free or cheap stopover in Panama City on connecting flights. Avianca sometimes offers the same through Bogota. You essentially get two destinations for the price of one.

How Far in Advance to Book

The booking window for South America is wider than most international destinations.

• Ideal window: 2-4 months before departure for the best fares.
• Still decent: 6-8 weeks out, especially during shoulder season.
• Too early: Booking 6+ months out rarely saves money for South America. Airlines haven't loaded their sales yet.
• Too late: Under 3 weeks out, fares spike. Last-minute South America flights are expensive unless you catch a flash sale.