Which Airlines Fly From Chicago To South America?

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

is one of America’s largest and most important international travel gateways, with nonstop flights to nearly 250 different destinations as of September 2024. From intercontinental connections to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond to regional feeder routes operated by both United Airlines and American Airlines, it is fairly easy to get from Chicago-O’Hare to almost anywhere on the planet.

There are some major markets, however, which do lack significant nonstop traffic from Chicago-O’Hare, likely due to their relative distance from the city itself. However, there is one major air market that is easily within range of ORD but lacks an extensive air connectivity network.

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With just a handful of flights to South American destinations, Chicago-O’Hare is surprisingly one of the most poorly connected facilities to the many major cities on the continent. Furthermore, few South American airlines operate long-haul nonstop connections to the Midwestern airport, weakening connectivity even more. Let’s take a deeper look at how to get from Chicago to South America, first by analyzing nonstop routes and then by exploring connecting opportunities.

Nonstop routes from US-based carriers

One of the most important carriers serving Chicago-O’Hare Airport is American Airlines, which has historically operated a major legacy hub at the facility. While the carrier’s network includes dozens of domestic and international destinations, the airline fails to offer a single nonstop flight to a South American city.

American’s Chicago network emphasizes regional feeder connections across the Midwest, with several nonstop international routes to Europe and beyond. The carrier has also established a strong leisure-oriented network to Latin American destinations in both the Caribbean and Central America, with routes to Cancun International Airport (CUN) and Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), among others.

United Airlines is undoubtedly the most important carrier to operate flights in and out of Chicago-O’Hare Airport, with the airline commanding a market share of over 40% at the facility, according to statistics from the Department of Transportation. The carrier’s massive network, like American, primarily focuses on European, Asian, and domestic travel with limited opportunities to fly down to South America.

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However, the airline does have slightly more connectivity to the continent than American Airlines. United operates a single daily frequency to São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), representing the only long-haul route to South America by a US-based carrier from Chicago-O’Hare.

The flight, which is numbered United Airlines Flight 845 in the outbound direction, is a Boeing 787-10 service, which operates on an overnight schedule. In the return direction, United Airlines Flight 844 followed a similar overnight schedule returning to Chicago from the Brazilian city, according to FlightAware. The complete details of this itinerary can be seen below:

Nonstop routes from non-US carriers

Unsurprisingly, there are also relatively few nonstop routes offered to South America that are operated from Chicago by airlines from the region. For starters, there are already relatively few long-haul international airlines operating from South America, with the most prominent including:

• Aerolineas Argentinas
• Avianca
• LATAM
• Azul

Overwhelmingly, these carriers do not serve many destinations across the United States, instead focusing on providing service to major hubs for Latin American travel, such as Miami International Airport (MIA) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Nonetheless, there are some limited exceptions, especially when it comes to airlines with hubs in Northern Latin America.

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Avianca, the flag carrier of Colombia which has also come to serve destinations across Northern South America and Central America, traditionally has offered a nonstop flight from Chicago-O’Hare to its principal hub at El Dorado International Airport (BOG). This nonstop service stands out as the only such flight offered to South America from ORD by a carrier based in the region.

The Star Alliance carrier, which currently operates flights to 13 different U.S. cities, is bringing back this route after a five-year hiatus, according to reports from The Points Guy. Flights are set to re-launch on the 27th of October, departing from Chicago at 2:35 PM and arriving in Bogotá at 8:25 PM. In the opposite direction, the carrier will operate another daytime flight which departs at 7:00 AM and touches down in Chicago at 1:15 PM.

Potential connecting itineraries

As one may have noticed, there are multiple major South American destinations that have yet to be discussed in this piece as they lack nonstop service from Chicago-O’Hare. Cities such as Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Santiago may immediately come to mind. Well, fortunately for travelers seeking to travel down to these destinations, there are a variety of ways to get there. However, this will require changing planes at least once.

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All of these destinations are served by US-based carriers from their Southern gateway hubs, the most noteworthy of which is undoubtedly Miami International Airport (MIA). American Airlines operates one of the strongest long-haul Latin American networks of any US carrier from this facility, with flights to cities like Buenos Aires from multiple different destinations.

Conversely, one in search of a connecting itinerary to the far south could choose to fly on Delta Air Lines, which would likely require a stop at the carrier’s hub-of-hubs at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). For United Airlines, the same story is mostly true. However, connections would most likely route through George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston.

Some international carriers could also prove efficient choices for long-haul travel to the South American continent. Mexican flag carrier Aeromexico operates a robust South American network, and Colombian flag carrier avianca can easily accommodate one-stop journeys from Chicago to destinations across the region.