The South American continent offers unbelievable natural wonders and fascinating cultural destinations which are ideal for getaways for North American travelers, with nonstop flights to many destinations across North America. One of the challenges with South American travel, however, is that these long-haul services often require tiring overnight services on widebody aircraft.
The most important South American tourist destinations often see long-haul, overnight widebody services from North American operators, as well as flights from the continent’s carriers like LATAM and 
Aerolíneas Argentinas
. Destinations like Santiago, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo all require long-haul widebody travel (at least for now as the A321XLR could potentially change this).
These flights are not just overnight, but they also require passengers to shell out for high airline ticket prices, a major factor of which is the fact that aircraft have to spend the entire day on the tarmac in South America before turning around and flying back to the United States. As a result, airlines have to charge a premium for these services to destinations deep in Latin America.
Nonetheless, some destinations offer far quicker, easier, and more affordable connections to the South American continent. These routes are also short enough to be operated by narrowbody aircraft. Let’s take a deeper look at these services and everything they bring to the table.
5
Bogota, Colombia
Primary airport: El Dorado International Airport (BOG)
Airlines operating narrowbody services to the United States:
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- LATAM Colombia
- Avianca
- Spirit Airlines
One of the easiest destinations in South America to get to from the United States is Bogota, the capital of Colombia which is also the gateway to exploring most of the South American nation. Bogota is one of the few destinations in South America to be served consistently by North American low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Furthermore, all US legacy carriers operate nonstop narrowbody flights from their major US hubs to the city, all offering service from multiple different destinations. One of the most popular routes connects the city to Miami International Airport (MIA) and is served by both flag carrier Avianca and LATAM Colombia, alongside US legacy carrier American Airlines.
Bizarrely enough, service between Colombia and the United States is also offered by Middle Eastern legacy carrier Emirates, but with a widebody jet. The airline flies a fifth-freedom service between Miami and Bogota.
A fifth-freedom service connects two foreign countries as part of a route originating in an airline’s home country.
4
Quito, Ecuador
Primary airport: Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)
Airlines operating narrowbody services to the United States:
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- LATAM Ecuador
- Avianca Ecuador
One of the other important leisure travel hubs on the continent is located in Ecuador and sees daily narrowbody flights from destinations across the United States. Once again, all three major US legacy carriers operate flights to the city, with the exception that all operate exactly one service as follows:
|
Airline: |
Destination: |
|---|---|
|
Delta Air Lines |
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) |
|
United Airlines |
Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) |
|
American Airlines |
Miami International Airport (MIA) |
Photo: Wenjie Zheng | Shutterstock
Once again, Miami is a major destination, with service operated not just by American (occasionally with widebodies as well), but also by LATAM Ecuador. Flag carrier Avianca serves multiple destinations, with flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
3
Cartagena, Colombia
Primary airport: Rafael Nunez International Airport (CTG)
Airlines operating narrowbody services to the United States:
- American Airlines
- JetBlue
- Delta Air Lines
- Spirit Airlines
- Avianca
Unsurprisingly, several airlines are choosing to operate nonstop flights from the United States to this popular Colombian tourist destination and the United States. With sandy beaches and much more to offer, no one would be shocked to see high load factors on flights from major US hubs during peak tourist seasons. Destinations served from Cartagena include Miami, New York, and Atlanta.
2
Fortaleza, Brazil
Primary airport: Fortaleza-Pinto Martins International Airport (FOR)
Airlines operating narrowbody services to the United States:
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan | Shutterstock
This city in northern Brazil is one of many coastal destinations that have nonstop service from narrowbody flights to the United States. Unsurprisingly, the destination that the carrier is serving from Fortaleza is Miami, which is likely the most important gateway hub for travel to Latin America from the United States. According to flight tracking website FlightAware, this route is operated with Boeing 737 family aircraft. LATAM Brasil, the nation’s de-facto flag carrier, also operates this route, but with Boeing 787-9 widebody jets.
1
Georgetown, Guyana
Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO)
Airlines operating narrowbody services to the United States:
- American Airlines
- Caribbean Airlines
- JetBlue
- Surinam Airways
- United Airlines
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
The last destination to enter our list is the capital of Guyana, which boasts strong connectivity to multiple US destinations. Multiple carriers operate flights to both Miami and New York, as one would expect. United Airlines is the only carrier to serve a different destination, with it connecting the South American capital to its hub in Houston, a route it began flying back in April. British Airways interestingly also operates a fifth freedom flight from the city to St. Lucia, as part of a service connecting to London Heathrow (LHR).