Which airlines include carrier-imposed surcharges on award flights to South America?

When flying American Airlines, United Airlines, LATAM, or Avianca, fuel surcharges should be near zero.

What is the fewest number of miles you can use to book an economy class award flight to South America?

Japan Airlines requires 30,000 miles round-trip in economy from Miami to Bogotá on either American Airlines or LATAM.

What is the fewest number of miles required to fly business class to South America?

Japan Airlines requires 60,000 miles round-trip in business from Miami to Bogotá on either American Airlines or LATAM.

What is the fewest number miles required to fly first class to South America?

Etihad offers the fewest number of miles to fly first class, at 80,000 miles round-trip on American Airlines from the U.S. to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela

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The Best Ways To Fly to South America With Points and Miles [Step by Step]

Updated: November 5, 2025, 8:55pm CST

Edited by:

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Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
Etihad Guest
Cathay Pacific Cathay
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
ANA Mileage Club
The British Airways Club
American Airlines AAdvantage
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Final Thoughts

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Key Takeaways

South America is well-served, with flights from the U.S. by airlines across all major airline alliances: Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam.
As with most award searches, premium cabin award space is easiest to find by searching close-in (within 2 weeks of the travel date) or far out in the calendar (10-11 months).
The best programs to use include Japan Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Etihad Airways, among others.

South America is a continent with a diverse set of countries with half of its population located in Brazil. From Machu Picchu in Peru, to the beaches in Rio de Janeiro, to the food scene in Lima, to the bustling capital cities of Buenos Aires and Santiago, to the salt flats in Bolivia, the continent is filled with a diverse set of travel experiences.

After reading about these things to do, you may be asking yourself, is there a good way to get there with points and miles? Of course! This article covers the best programs you can use to book award flights to South America, how to book an award flight, and how to earn enough miles for your next redemption.

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

American Airlines 777 Flagship Business Class rear facing seat — Use Japan Airlines to book American Airlines business class! Image Credit: Chris Hassan

The Japan Airlines Mileage Bank program provides value to nearly every destination in South America across all cabin classes. Japan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, which is helpful given Oneworld member airlines American Airlines and LATAM offer a number of nonstop flights from the U.S. to South America.

Book Awards With Japan Airlines

JAL uses a distance-based award chart to determine the amount of miles required, which is based on the total distance and cabin class of your itinerary. Calculate the distance of your flight using Great Circle Mapper and then refer back to the Oneworld award chart.

Search for LATAM and American Airlines business class award availability on the British Airways website, and then confirm the same availability on the Japan Airlines website or call Japan Airlines at 800-525-3663 to book the award flight.

Search for American Airlines and LATAM economy award availability on the British Airways/Qantas websites and then confirm the same availability on the Japan Airlines website or call directly to book. For a step-by-step, check out this guide on how to search Oneworld award availability.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for both American Airlines and LATAM round-trip flights to South America:

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	American Airlines	Taxes & Fees	LATAM	Taxes & Fees
Bogota, Colombia (BOG)
Economy	25,000-40,000	$75	25,000	$116
Business	48,000-80,000	$75	48,000	$116
Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
Economy	50,000-70,000	$132	–	–
Business	85,000-115,000	$132	–	–
First	110,000-165,000	$132	–	–
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG)			–	–
Economy	50,000	$92	–	–
Business	85,000	$92	–	–
São Paulo, Brazil (GRU)
Economy	50,000-70,000	$93	50,000	$93
Business	85,000-115,000	$93	85,000	$93
First	110,000-165,000	$93	N/A	N/A
Lima, Peru (LIM)
Economy	40,000	$109	40,000-50,000	$109
Business	80,000	$109	80,000-95,000	$109
Santiago, Chile (SCL)
Economy	50,000	$93	50,000-60,000	$93
Business	85,000	$93	85,000-110,000	$93

Hot Tip: Need help booking an award flight? Here’s a step-by-step guide to booking American Airlines business class and our review of AA’s Business Class on the 787-9 Dreamliner.

American Airlines and LATAM fly nonstop from the U.S. to South America on a number of routes. If you are looking to fly first class on American, Dallas (DFW), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK) offer it on select routes.

Here are the nonstop flights to several locations in South America that are bookable with Japan Airlines miles:

Nonstop American Airlines flights to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG):

Dallas (DFW)
Miami (MIA)

Nonstop LATAM flights to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG):

Miami (MIA)

Nonstop American Airlines flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE):

Dallas (DFW)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop American Airlines flights to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG):

Dallas (DFW)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop American Airlines flights to São Paulo, Brazil (GRU):

Dallas (DFW)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop LATAM flights to São Paulo, Brazil (GRU):

Boston (BOS)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)
Orlando (MCO)

Nonstop American Airlines flights to Lima, Peru (LIM):

Miami (MIA)

Nonstop LATAM flights to Lima, Peru (LIM):

Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop American Airlines flights to Santiago, Chile (SCL):

Dallas (DFW)
Miami (MIA)

Nonstop LATAM flights to Santiago, Chile (SCL):

Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)

Earning JAL Miles

Japan Airlines partners with 1 transferable point program: Marriott Bonvoy. Separately, Japan Airlines doesn’t offer a co-branded credit card with a meaningful welcome offer bonus, making it hard to earn Japan Airlines miles with plastic.

For those looking to transfer Marriott points to Japan Airlines, keep the transfer ratio and transfer time in mind. Marriott point transfers take 7 days at a 3:1 ratio. While that’s not ideal, the upside is that Marriott points are easy to earn with credit cards like these:

Etihad Guest

American Airlines 787-9 Flagship Business Class rear cabin view — Use Etihad miles to fly American business class! Image Credit: Stephen Au

Etihad Airways is similar to Alaska Airlines in that the program can be used in niche circumstances for flights to South America. The airline is not a member of an airline alliance, but instead has individual partnerships, including American Airlines, for flights from the U.S. to South America.

Book Awards With Etihad

Etihad uses a distance-based award chart for American Airlines flights and the number of Etihad miles needed depends on the distance and cabin class. You’ll pay about $75-$109 in taxes and fees on these award tickets and at least 15,000 miles one-way in economy class or 30,000 in business.

When you decide where you want to travel, here are the redemption rates for American Airlines round-trip flights to South America:

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Distance	Economy	Premium Economy	Business	First
0-500	6,000	7,500	20,000	35,00
501-1,000	12,000	13,000	25,000	40,000
1001-1,500	15,000	19,000	30,000	45,000
1,501-2,000	23,000	25,000	40,000	54,000
2,001-2,500	28,000	31,000	50,000	67,000
2,501-3,000	34,000	37,000	60,000	80,000
3,001-4,000	45,000	49,000	80,000	107,000
4,001-5,000	60,000	74,000	120,000	160,000
6,001+	75,000	90,000	140,000	200,000

Search British Airways/Qantas for award availability, then calling Etihad Guest at 877-690-0767 to confirm award availability and book the ticket.

Earning Etihad Miles

Etihad partners with 4 transferable points programs in American Express, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy. The airline unfortunately doesn’t have a co-branded credit card, so earning points that can be transferred to Etihad will be the easy way to earn miles.

If you’re looking to transfer points to Etihad, keep the transfer ratios and transfer times in mind. Amex points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One miles take 36 hours at a 1:1 ratio, Citi points take 6 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott points take 5 days at 3:1 ratio. With that said, focus on transferring Amex and Capital One miles first.

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Cathay Pacific Cathay

American Airlines 787-9 Flagship Business Class seat 4L rear view — Image Credit: Stephen Au

Cathay Pacific is an Asian program that provides value with Oneworld partner airline flights. In the case of South America, American Airlines is the partner that you’ll want to focus on to get excellent value from your Asia Miles.

Book Awards With Cathay Pacific

The Cathay Pacific Cathay program uses a distance-based award chart when flying Cathay Pacific or its Oneworld partners. When booking award flights, the number of Asia Miles needed will depend on the number of airline partners that you fly, the distance, and the cabin class of your flight.

Search for Oneworld availability on the British Airways/Qantas websites. When you find a flight that works, call Cathay Pacific at 866-892-2598 to confirm the flight is available, then book the flight. If you’re looking for a step-by-step, check out this guide on searching for Oneworld award availability.

For American Airlines round-trip flights to South America, below is the number of miles and an estimate of the taxes and fees:

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	American Airlines	Taxes & Fees	LATAM	Taxes & Fees
Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
Economy	30,000	$75-$132	30,000	$75-$132
Business	60,000-100,000	$75-$132	60,000	$75-$1
Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)

Economy	54,000-70,000	$75-$132	–	–
Business	100,000-140,000	$75-$132	–	–
First	150,000	$75-$132	–	–
São Paulo, Brazil (GRU)
Economy	54,000-70,000	$75-$132	54,000	$75-$132
Business	100,000-140,000	$75-$132	100,000	$75-$132
First	150,000	$75-$132	N/A	N/A
Lima, Peru (LIM)
Economy	30,000-54,000	$75-$132	30,000-54,000	$75-$132
Business	60,000	$75-$132	60,000-100,000	$75-$132
Santiago, Chile (SCL)
Economy	54,000	$75-$132	54,000-70,000	$75-$132
Business	100,000	$75-$132	100,000-140,000	$75-$132

Earning Cathay Pacific Miles

Cathay Pacific partners with 4 transferable point programs in American Express, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy. In addition, Cathay Pacific offers a co-branded credit card with a relatively valuable welcome offer.

If you’re looking to use Cathay Pacific miles, it’s helpful to know the transfer times and ratios. Amex point transfers take 7 days at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One mile transfers take 36 hours at a 1:1 ratio, Citi point transfers take 24 hours at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott point transfers take 10 days at a 3:1 ratio.

Asiana Airlines Asiana Club

United Polaris business class seat on a Boeing 767 — Use Asiana miles to fly United business class! Image Credit: Chris Hassan

Asiana Airlines is not a well-known program, but it does have an upside if you know how to use it. The airline is a member of Star Alliance, which means you can use your miles to fly United Airlines or Avianca to South America.

Book Awards With Asiana Airlines

The Asiana Club program uses a zone-based award chart by cabin class for Star Alliance partner flights.

Search for Avianca and United Airlines award availability on the United website, then call Asiana Airlines at 800-227-4262 to confirm the award availability and book the flight. For a step-by-step guide, see our guide on searching for Star Alliance award availability.

For Star Alliance flights to South America, below are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees:

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South America 1*
Cabin Class	Avianca	Taxes & Fees
Economy	35,000	$109-$116
Business	55,000	$109-$116

* South America 1 includes Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Peru

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South America 2*
Cabin Class	United Airlines	Taxes & Fees
Economy	50,000	$92-$132
Business	70,000	$92-$132

*South America 2 includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay

Hot Tip: The Asiana Airlines website does not allow you to search for Star Alliance availability. Instead, use the United search engine to use to find award availability on a Star Alliance flight.

Avianca and United Airlines fly nonstop from the U.S. to South America on a number of routes. There are currently no routes with first class offered.

With that said, here are nonstop flights to South America that you can book with Asiana Airlines miles:

Avianca flights to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG):

Boston (BOS)
Chicago (ORD)
Dallas/Fort-Worth (DFW)
Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)
Orlando (MCO)
Washington (IAD)

United Airlines flights to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG):

Newark (EWR)
Houston (IAH)

United Airlines flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE):

Houston (IAH)

United Airlines flights to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG):

Houston (IAH)

United Airlines flights to São Paulo, Brazil (GRU):

Chicago (ORD)
Houston (IAH)
Newark (EWR)
Washington (IAD)

United flights to Lima, Peru (LIM):

Houston (IAH)
Newark (EWR)

United Airlines flights to Santiago, Chile (SCL):

Houston (IAH)

Earning Asiana Airlines Miles

Asiana Airlines has no transferable point partners, so earn Asiana Airlines miles can be challenging.

ANA Mileage Club

United Boeing 787 Dreamliner Polaris Business Class Seats — Use ANA miles to fly United Airlines business class! Image Credit: Chris Hassan

All Nippon Airways (ANA), like Asiana, is another under-the-radar Star Alliance carrier that can provide value. You can use your ANA miles to fly ANA or its Star Alliance partners Avianca or United Airlines to South America.

Book Awards With ANA

The ANA Mileage Club program uses a zone-based award chart by cabin class for its Star Alliance partner flights. There are currently no routes with first class offered.

Search for Avianca and United Airlines award flights on the United website first. You’ll then search for the same flight on the ANA website and then book the flight. Another option is to call ANA at 800-235-9262 to confirm award availability and then book the flight. For more info, see our guide on searching for Star Alliance award availability.

After you’ve decided on a trip that you want to take, here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Avianca and United Airlines round-trip flights to South America:

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South America
Cabin Class	Avianca/United Airlines	Taxes & Fees
Economy	60,000	$92-$132
Business	96,000	$92-$132

Earning ANA Miles

ANA partners with 2 transferable point programs in American Express and Marriott Bonvoy. Unfortunately, the airline doesn’t currently offer a credit card to the U.S. market with a meaningful welcome offer.

For those looking to transfer American Express and/or Marriott points to ANA, it’s good to know the transfer times and transfer ratios for each program. Amex point transfers take 3 days at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott point transfers take 7 days at a 3:1 ratio. With that said, transfer your Amex points first for a redemption with ANA.

The British Airways Club

santiago chile — Use British Airways Avios to fly American Airlines to South America! Image Credit: Marianna Ianovska via Shutterstock

British Airways is a carrier many U.S. travelers have likely used because of the ability to book domestic American Airlines flights with British Airways Avios. The airline is a member of the Oneworld alliance, so you can use your miles for flights on British Airways or its partner airlines to South America.

Book Awards With British Airways

British Airways uses a distance-based award chart by cabin class to determine the amount of Avios required.

Search for American Airlines and LATAM business class award availability on the British Airways website. After you find award availability, book the flight online. We recommend using the British Airways/Qantas websites to search for American Airlines and LATAM economy award availability, then book the flight on the British Airways website.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for both American Airlines and LATAM round-trip flights to South America:

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	American Airlines	Taxes & Fees	LATAM	Taxes & Fees
Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
Economy	20,000-25,000	$75	20,000-35,000	$116
Business	40,000-75,000	$75	40,000-70,000	$116
Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
Economy	50,000	$132	–	–
Business	120,000-150,000	$132	–	–
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG)
Economy	50,000-70,000	$92	–	–
Business	120,000-150,000	$92	–	–
São Paulo, Brazil (GRU)
Economy	50,000-60,000	$93	50,000-70,000	$93
Business	120,000-150,000	$93	120,000-150,000	$93
First	180,000-200,000	$93	–	–
Lima, Peru (LIM)
Economy	25,000-40,000	$109	25,000-50,000	$109
Business	75,000-120,000	$109	75,000-150,000	$109
Santiago, Chile (SCL)
Economy	50,000	$93	50,000	$93
Business	120,000-150,000	$93	150,000	$93

Hot Tip: The British Airways website does not show all of the award availability for American Airlines. Before you transfer points to British Airways, call British Airways at 800-247-9297 to confirm award availability. See more in this step-by-step on searching for Oneworld award availability.

Earning British Airways Avios

British Airways partners with 3 transferable point programs in American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy. In addition, British Airways has a co-branded credit with Chase with a high welcome offer.

If you’re looking to transfer points from one of these programs to British Airways, keep the transfer ratios and transfer times in mind. Amex points, Capital One Miles, and Chase points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott point transfers take 1 day at a 3:1 ratio.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

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Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:
$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.74% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.74% - 27.99% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

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Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome OfferEarn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
125,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:
$2,500

Annual Fee

$795

APR

19.99% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like worldwide airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus, it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to cover you at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the more than $2,000 in annual credits, which can offset the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

8x points on all Chase Travel purchases
5x points on Lyft rides
4x points on flights and hotels booked directly

Cons

$795 annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
$300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge^® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^® every 4 years
Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $250 annually
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Chase business credit cards.

American Airlines AAdvantage

buenos aires argentina — Use American miles to fly American Airlines to South America! Image Credit: Celso Diniz via Shutterstock

American Airlines is a familiar program to U.S. travelers as one of the “big 3” U.S. airlines, along with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The airline is a member of the Oneworld alliance, so you can use your miles for American Airlines flights and its Oneworld partner flights to South America.

Book Awards With American Airlines

American Airlines uses zone-based award charts by cabin class and dates of travel for its own flights and partner airline flights.

When flying American Airlines’ own product, the AAdvantage program divides South America into South America Long Haul and South America Short Haul:

South America – Long Haul: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay
South America – Short Haul: Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru

For American Airlines partner flights, the regions (and names) look slightly different:

South America Region 1: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Manaus (Brazil), Peru, Suriname
South America Region 2: Argentina, Brazil (excluding Manaus), Chile, Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela

They offer off-peak pricing when flying their own product to South America Region 1. The off-peak dates are January 16-June 14 and September 7-November 14.

Use the American Airlines website to search and book your award flight. Another option is to search for award flights on the British Airways website, confirm award availability on the American website, and then book the flight.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for both American Airlines and LATAM round-trip flights to South America:

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Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
Cabin Class	American Airlines	Taxes & Fees	LATAM	Taxes & Fees
Economy	30,000	$75	40,000	$116
Business	60,000	$75	60,000	$116

Hot Tip: The American Airlines website does not show availability for all members of the Oneworld alliance. You will want to familiarize yourself with both the British Airways and Qantas websites to search for award availability.

If the award flight is in a lie-flat seat in the U.S., the business mileage will be 7,500 miles higher than the mileage shown.

Earning American Airlines Miles

American Airlines partners with 1 transferable point program in Marriott Bonvoy. In addition, American offers co-branded Barclays and Citi credit cards with large welcome offer bonuses, partners with hotels and car rental companies, and has a shopping portal. All of these ways allow you to earn American Airlines miles.

If you’re looking to book a trip with Marriott points, it’s helpful to know that point transfers take 2 days at 3:1 ratio.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic, a carrier that many in the U.K. are familiar with, has a loyalty program that can be used in the right situation for solid value. The airline is not a member of an airline alliance, but instead, the Flying Club program has individual award charts for each of its airline partners.

Book Awards With Virgin Atlantic

The number of Virgin Points you’ll need is based on flight distance and cabin class. You can search for Delta Air Lines award availability on the Virgin Atlantic website and then book the flight online. Another option is to find award availability on the Air France/Delta/Air France websites and then call Virgin Atlantic at 800-862-8621 to confirm availability and book the flight.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Delta Air Lines round-trip flights to South America:

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Flight Distance	Delta Main Cabin	Delta Premium Select	Delta One
0-500	7,500	12,000	21,000
501-1,000	11,000	26,000	41,500
1,001-1,500	16,500	38,000	59,500
1,501-2,000	18,500	42,500	66,500
2,001-3,000	22,000	46,000	70,000
3,001-4,000	35,000	57,500	80,000
4,001-5,000	44,000	75,000	105,000
5,001-6,000	49,500	90,000	130,000
6,001+	65,500	115,000	165,000

Hot Tip: Need help securing an award flight? Here’s a step-by-step guide to booking Delta business class.

Delta flies nonstop from the U.S. to South America on a select number of routes. The nonstop Delta flights to South America that you can book with Virgin Points are:

Nonstop flights to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG):

Atlanta (ATL)

Nonstop flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE):

Atlanta (ATL)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop flights to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG):

Atlanta (ATL)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop flights to São Paulo, Brazil (GRU):

Atlanta (ATL)
New York (JFK)

Nonstop flights to Lima, Peru (LIM):

Atlanta (ATL)

Nonstop flights to Santiago, Chile (SCL):

Atlanta (ATL)

Earning Virgin Points

Virgin Atlantic partners with 6 transferable point programs in Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Citi ThankYou, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Wells Fargo Rewards. The airline also offers Bank of America co-branded credit cards that earn miles with your credit card spend. By focusing your spend on credit cards that earn these miles and points, you will find it easy to earn enough Virgin Points for Delta award flights to South America.

If you have a trip in mind and want to transfer points to Virgin Atlantic, keep the transfer times and transfer ratios in mind. American Express point transfers take 1-2 days at a 1:1 ratio; Citi point transfers take 2 days at a 1:1 ratio; Bilt, Chase, and Wells Fargo points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio; and Marriott point transfers take 1-2 days at a 3:1 ratio. With that said, we recommend transferring Chase points first for your next award flight.

Final Thoughts

South America is a continent that offers a diverse set of experiences. From the beaches and mountains to the plains and rainforests, you will have more than enough ideas for a unique itinerary.

What is perhaps most interesting about traveling to South America is that you can use any number of programs, points, and miles to get there. Airlines across all of the major alliances offer flights, making it much easier to find an award redemption that works for you!