I love to travel. At this point in my life, I’ve been to all 48 contiguous states. Alaska and Hawaii are left on my list. But I have traveled out of the country before. Flying internationally is great, even if you do score a good deal on airlines, hotels, and whatever else that will make your trip a memorable one. My next trip was yet another international trip. This time, I wanted to explore Latin America.
I decided to hop on Expedia and Orbitz to see what kind of deals I could dig up. Needless to say, I wasn’t really impressed. But for the fun of it, I decided to take a look at airlines that could take me from the United States to almost anywhere in Latin America. That’s when I came across Avianca. Let’s just say, I was able to get the flights at a good price compared to most airlines and travel sites.
Avianca Features
Flying With More Baggage
Here’s the thing -- I don’t always fly with a lot of baggage. If I’m traveling internationally, I pack just enough for the duration of the trip. Believe it or not, whatever I pack that gets me through a week might be light in comparison. However, if you have plenty of baggage (if you are traveling with family), you can book a flight that will allow you to carry on a bag, a personal item or two, and so much more.
For example, if you order the “large” package for your flight, you can bring on two bags as long as they meet the measured requirements. This will definitely save you a bunch of baggage fees. And we all know we hate those. If you want to carry two bags at the same time, you can book a qualifying flight that will allow you.
Rack Up The Mileage
As expected, there is a mileage program. But I think it just might be the best of any airline. The LifeMiles program is perfect if you want to rack up the miles so you can take more flights from the US to Latin America. Also, you can rack up a percentage of miles depending on which book your flight.
At the minimum, you’ll accumulate 10 percent of mileage or go as high as 200 percent (that’s only if you order the XXL fare). It doesn’t matter which fare you choose, those miles will add up every trip. And before you know it, you’ll be able to redeem them for more flights. It makes planning for future trips a whole lot easier.
If you want to fast track that growth, you have the option to apply for their Avianca Vuela Visa card. You’ll get up to 40,000 bonus miles when you use the card. While I’m not really a fan of using credit cards regularly (but only for emergency purposes), it’s a good option to have if you want to rack up the miles quickly.
You can also be apart of the LifeMiles Elite program where you can get plenty of benefits. You can get lounge access as various airports, more mileage to accumulate, plenty of in-flight upgrades, and more. If you want the closest thing to a VIP experience, then you probably want to check into this program. You can choose between silver, gold, or diamond packages.
The higher the package, the better the benefits. And by the way, if you are looking to rack up more mileage with Elite status you’re in luck. If you are a gold or diamond member any miles that you accrue over the course of a year, they will roll over into the next year. How cool is that? If anything, I’m looking to jump on one of these packages whenever I get the chance.
The Best Deals On Flights From The US To Latin America
Nobody can’t resist a good deal. Even I can’t resist it. But if you are looking for a flight that won’t break the bank, I highly suggest that you check out the deals that they have on a regular basis. On my most recent trip, I booked a flight from Miami to Rio de Janeiro. Rio is such a beautiful place.
Though I didn’t go during Carnival, I know just the place to go to book a flight while saving money in the process if and when I decide to go back for that very purpose.
These deals open up a lot of doors on where you can go to Latin America. Want to spend some time in Guatemala? How about exploring Machu Picchu? Avianca is a great flight that will tailor to every passenger’s needs no matter where you’re going.
South America and European Flights - Connected To Each Other
Unfortunately, there are no US to Europe flights. But there are European cities that have destinations to Latin American countries. I have a friend of mine that lives in Barcelona and has yet to find an airline that would connect him directly to such places.
I mentioned Avianca to him and he was amazed by the kind of deals he was able to get. Plus, he booked a flight from Barcelona to Bogota where he spent a week on vacation. Plus, he decided to get in on the LifeMiles so he can use them anytime he wants. Likewise, if you live in South America you can also fly to European destinations if you want to do some exploring “up north”.
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
If you are looking for good deals for flights to take you from the US (or Europe) to Latin America, I highly recommend Avianca. They open the door to plenty of places in Central and South America. If you wanted to visit some of the most exotic places on Earth but didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for flights or baggage fees, now is your chance to check out this diamond in the rough. I dare say that this might be one of the travel industries best-kept secrets.
Also, if you are interested in racking up miles you really want to check out the LifeMiles program to see if it’s right for you.
