Upgrade to Business Class from Premium Economy for just $376 each way.
Whenever we see super low fares in a premium cabin to alluring cities on a major airline, we wake up in the morning full of vim and vigor. So finding great opportunities to southern South America with Delta was the best kind of wake-up call.
These are tactical fares at their best: used sparingly by airlines to fight competition or stir up interest in a route. Probably because the airline president’s spouse’s mother lives there (just kidding). There are lots of reasons that don’t really matter, as long as you’re ready to leverage them. That might mean being opportunistic—seeing great fares and being flexible enough to nab them, such as moving forward or pushing back vacation dates, or changing your intended city (and going to that city later).
SOUTH AMERICA: DEAL NOW, FLY LATER
Most of South America is currently closed to U.S. travelers, but the deals below on Delta are for travel later in 2020, and some even until July 2021, so you can Book Now for Super Cheap Travel Later.
LOW FARE HIGHLIGHTS
Some low fares we found are Atlanta to Buenos Aires $1,675 round-trip, Santiago $1,642, and São Paulo $1,631, all on nonstop service with Delta.
Normally, Business Class flights like this to southern South America would cost you between $3,077 and $4,979.
Plus, we’ve found many more routes ranging from $1,800 to $2,000 round-trip from the East and West Coast. Samples:
~$1,800: Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis to Santiago, $1,807. Detroit to Buenos Aires, $1,841, to Sao Paulo, $1,796.
~$1,900: Seattle and Salt Lake City to Santiago, $1,907. Baltimore to Sao Paulo, $1,946.
$2,000-plus: New York to São Paulo, $2,036; New York to Rio de Janeiro, $2,096; Boston to Sao Paulo, $2,151; Los Angeles to Sao Paulo, $2,391; and Austin and San Antonio to Rio de Janeiro, $2,341
Plus, more U.S. cities from $2,213 to $2,653. For details go here, here, and here.
LOW-COST UPGRADES FROM PREMIUM ECONOMY
You can book Atlanta to Santiago nonstop in Business Class on Delta for just $1,642. Premium Economy during the same time window is $890 for a nonstop flight. That’s a difference of $376 each way, or just $39 per flight hour to upgrade. That’s why it’s important to check prices before committing to a cabin right now.
ATLANTA STOPOVER:
GET TWO DESTINATIONS FOR $200 MORE
For a fee, Delta allows a stopover in their hub city on published Business Class fares, most of the time anyway. So let’s say you want to travel from Detroit to São Paulo and the lowest Business Class fare is $1,796 round-trip with Delta. Now, for $1,996 ($200 more) you can fly from Detroit to São Paulo and stop off in Atlanta. Watch the Falcons, check out MLK’s childhood home, tour the Coke museum.
DURING FARE WARS, LOYALTY-FREE AGENTS WIN
Delta is currently undercutting American from major nonstop hub cities. For example, it’s $2,036 from New York to São Paulo on Delta’s nonstop flight, while American fares are often $4,376. That’s a difference of $2,340/53%.
Plus, you also earn SkyMiles and elite miles (MQMs) and dollars (MQDs). For example, as a regular SkyMiles member (no elite status) you earn 9,990 award SkyMiles (14,236 MQMs and 1,998 MQDs). If you value Delta award miles at 3.5¢ (the cost to buy miles from Delta), this offsets the cost of the ticket by about $350, making the ticket just $1,686 on the New York-São Paulo route.
Another reason why “elite” is anything but—once again, it makes you miss out on the real action.
WHEN FARES ARE LOW DON’T USE MILES
You can book and buy an economy ticket on American from New York to São Paulo for $691 plus a co-pay of $700 (total $1,391) and 50,000 miles round-trip to upgrade. Or you could book Delta in Business Class for just $2,036. No brainer.
FCF’S ELEVATOR PITCH FOR
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
São Paulo: South America’s largest city offers art gazing at museums such as the majestic Museum of Modern Art. Great food like the famous pork dishes at A Casa do Porco. The bustling Paulista Avenue, the city’s cultural and commercial artery.
Santiago: Chilean wine. The cityscape views from Santa Lucia and San Cristobal Hills. Museum hopping. Bike-friendly city exploring. Urban street art and murals. Day trips to the beautiful surrounding mountains.
Buenos Aires: High energy, creativity, and fun. Sublime Argentinian beef. The Evita Peron Museum to learn about the icon. A high-vibe nightlife. Dancing the tango. The historic Recoleta Cemetery. The legendary Colon Theater opera house. A day trip to charming Tigre with its bohemian art scene.
Rio De Janeiro: World-famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Christ the Redeemer statue (pictured below). A cablecar ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. The Museum of Tomorrow. Morning markets.
THE RISK OF BOOKING TICKETS NOW
Due to the Lockdown, many airlines have “change fee waiver” policies in place for non-refundable tickets. Policies vary by airline, but in general, the policy waives change fees if you decide not to travel. See FCF’s risk-of-booking widget here.