Flights to South America are notoriously challenging, as their excessive distance combined with a lack of time difference makes them extremely difficult to schedule. As a result, margins on South American flights are weaker, forcing carriers to charge high ticket prices to account for their high costs (including the opportunity cost of leaving an aircraft on the tarmac in South America for hours).

With such high prices, some South American routes can only be filled by airlines during the peak travel months, which for this region is the North American winter months of November through March. During this period, the weather in South America is at its best, bringing tons of tourists down to the continent attracted by its natural and cultural wonders.

Therefore, some international and US carriers
have begun launching seasonal services down to South America’s major cities, which allow direct flights to certain destinations during certain months of the year. Often, these are secondary destinations that prospective passengers may even overlook. Let’s take a deeper look at five such seasonal flights that provide unique nonstop access to some of South America’s best destinations.

Commercial

5

Miami International Airport (MIA) to Carrasco International Airport (MVD) in Montevideo, Uruguay

Airline: American Airlines

Flight number:

Departure Airport:

Departure Time:

Arrival Airport:

Arrival Time:

American Airlines Flight 989

MIA

11:00 PM

MVD

09:00 AM

American Airlines Flight 984

MVD

10:00 PM

MIA

05:00 AM

The first flight to enter on our list, American’s nonstop service from Miami to Montevideo, connects the largest Latin American gateway for the carrier with a South American destination that otherwise lacks nonstop service to the United States. With proximity to the popular beach destination of Punta del Este, Uruguay’s capital city can be a popular stop for those looking to catch some South American sun. With other sites like Colonia del Sacramento within reach of the facility, it is unsurprising why American believed it could succeed in operating these kinds of flights.

An American Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner landing

Photo: Michael Derrer Fuchs | Shutterstock

Launching towards the end of the month, American will offer service throughout the popular North American winter travel season. Served by a Boeing 787-8 that is equipped with the carrier’s latest business class products, the route will support premium travelers. Furthermore, the airline’s service will operate three times per week, leaving Miami on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday and returning from Montevideo the following day.

4

Manaus-Eduardo Gomes International Airport (MAO) to Miami International Airport (MIA)

Airline: Gol Linhas Aereas

Flight number:

Departure Airport:

Departure Time:

Arrival Airport:

Arrival Time:

Gol Flight 7638

MAO

MIA

1:00 PM

6:15 PM

Gol Flight 7639

MIA

NAO

5:25 PM

12:15 AM

Gol Boeing 737-800

Photo: windwalk | Shutterstock

One of the many long-haul routes operated by the bankrupt Brazilian carrier Gol that connects the United States to Brazil, this nonstop service between the United States and the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas region takes nearly 6 hours.

This route has been cited as one of the many new secondary connections to cities within Brazil that have emerged as a result of the country’s low-cost airline industry growth. A route analysis by Aviation Week from 2022 noted that the origin & destination traffic (or the number of people flying between the two cities) was 42,000 and that this market was growing at a rate of over 25%.

3

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Airline: Delta Air Lines

Flight number:

Departure Airport:

Departure Time:

Arrival Airport:

Arrival Time:

Delta Flight 115

JFK

9:05 PM

EZE

10:00 AM

Delta Flight 114

EZE

10:25 PM

JFK

7:15 AM

Another long-haul seasonal flight to South America has made the news cycle within the past few years, Delta’s new nonstop seasonal connection from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

This flight, which immediately captured industry attention due to its extremely high prices, connects Buenos Aires with New York, two cities that are already joined year-round by an American Airlines direct flight. Nonetheless, this service adds much-needed additional capacity to this market, which has lacked a second US carrier during the peak months, since United Airlines canceled its flights to Newark Airport (EWR).

2

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Rafael Nunez International Airport (CTG) in Cartagena, Colombia

Airline: Avianca Colombia

Flight number:

Departure Airport:

Departure Time:

Arrival Airport:

Arrival Time:

Avianca Flight 65

JFK

5:20 AM

CTG

10:20 AM

Avianca Flight 64

CTG

9:20 PM

JFK

2:15 AM

Avianca Airbus A320neo

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

This nonstop service is another one of the many seasonal destinations in the Latin American region served by nonstop flights from New York’s principal international airport. With this journey being within the range of narrowbody aircraft, the economics of flying a smaller Airbus A320 between these two cities tip the balance in Avianca’s favor during the popular winter travel months. Cartagena’s sandy beaches and Caribbean water attract thousands annually.

1

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Airline: American Airlines

Flight number:

Departure Airport:

Departure Time:

Arrival Airport:

Arrival Time:

American Airlines Flight 997

DFW

8:55 PM

EZE

10:30 AM

American Airlines Flight 996

EZE

10:25 PM

DFW

6:40 AM

American Airlines Boeing 777

Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock

American Airlines serves Buenos Aires from two different hubs year-round, with flights to the South American capital from both Miami International Airport (MIA) and JFK. However, to better serve connecting traffic from America’s West Coast, American also operates an additional nonstop flight from Dallas during the peak winter months.

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