Once I first visited South America in 2013, I took a nonstop 27-hour bus journey from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Florianopolis, Brazil. I had no alternative, as my backpacker funds could not afford the last-minute $600 flight. Evidently, it was a horrendous expertise that I vowed by no means to repeat.
Over a decade later, factors and miles have fully reworked the way in which I journey.
Earlier this 12 months, I spent three months touring round South America and located my stash of Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles very helpful. As an illustration, 50,000 miles received me two economy-class flights inside the continent, in addition to a business-class ticket again to the U.S. This financial savings allowed me to splash out on Carnival tickets and skydiving as a substitute.
So, I’ve put collectively this information to share how Alaska Airways miles might help prevent cash when flying to and inside South America on LATAM.
Guide business-class flights on LATAM from 35,000 miles
Scoring lie-flat business-class seats for beneath 40,000 miles might sound too good to be true, but it surely’s very a lot attainable when reserving a LATAM flight by Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. I flew from Lima, Peru, to Miami for simply 35,000 miles and $62 in taxes, and you may, too.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan nonetheless operates utilizing an award chart, even for accomplice redemptions. In the event you take a look at Alaska’s web site, you will note the “beginning at” award redemption costs for nonstop itineraries. Enterprise-class redemptions for flight routes between 2,001 and 4,000 miles begin at 35,000 Alaska miles.
My prime suggestion
The most affordable technique to fly LATAM in lie-flat enterprise class from the U.S. to South America is to fly to Lima from:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL)
- Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA)
- New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
This deal is a steal — you will discover award costs beginning at 35,000 miles plus $34 in taxes one-way (taxes are about double that on the way in which dwelling, which remains to be a really affordable quantity).
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In the event you do not dwell in considered one of these cities, you’ll be able to:
- Search for award availability on a connecting flight on Alaska (most helpful for these on the West Coast) and ebook each flights on one itinerary; nonetheless, this award area will be onerous to search out generally, and the connecting flight is prone to enhance the worth.
- Guide a positioning flight, however make your layover at the very least a number of hours (if not in a single day) to guard your self towards delays and missed connections.
Different (costlier) choices
Flight routes between 4,001 to six,000 miles will price you at the very least an extra 15,000 Alaska miles, with business-class flights beginning at 50,000 miles.
Itineraries beginning at 50,000 Alaska miles embrace the next cities:
- Boston, Miami, New York and Orlando to Sao Paulo
- Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Orlando to Santiago, Chile
- Los Angeles to Lima
And the award chart tops out at 60,000 miles from:
A 2-in-1 journey
If you wish to go to a tropical vacation spot on the way in which to or from South America, you’ll be able to benefit from one other candy spot.
You possibly can fly between Santiago and Cancun, Mexico, or Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for simply 35,000 miles and fewer than $100 in taxes one-way. (Be aware that these flights solely function a few days per week, often across the weekends.)
Many vacationers, particularly these within the japanese half of the U.S., will be capable to fly nonstop between Cancun or Punta Cana and their dwelling airport due to frequent connections.
The completely different business-class merchandise
Although you could ebook a lie-flat business-class seat, the precise fashion of seat differs primarily based on the aircraft and route you fly.
On the least fascinating finish of the spectrum are some LATAM Boeing 787-8 planes (those with 30 business-class seats in 5 rows of 2-2-2) and Boeing 787-9s (with 30 seats in 5 rows of 2-2-2). With these planes, you will expertise older-style seats which can be principally chairs that recline to lie-flat beds. You can be sitting subsequent to a different seat, and window seats would not have direct aisle entry.
In the event you’re on a Boeing 787-9 (with eight rows of enterprise class), 767 or 777, you will fly within the VantageXL seat, which is ready up in a 1-2-1 configuration.
And if you happen to’re on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane with 20 business-class seats (as a substitute of 30), you will be in a brand-new Recaro R7 seat with a sliding privateness door. You possibly can expertise this luxurious business-class suite on choose flights between MIA and Arturo Merino Benítez Worldwide Airport (SCL) in Santiago. The airline will even use this aircraft on nonstop routes from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) and JFK to SCL.
You possibly can see in case your plane has a 1-2-1 or 2-2-2 seat configuration and what number of seats are within the cabin by wanting on the seat map on ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s mum or dad firm, Purple Ventures), AeroLOPA or the LATAM web site or app.
Lounge entry within the US
In Boston, Los Angeles and New York, LATAM business-class passengers get entry to the wonderful Delta One lounges.
At LAX, LATAM flights depart from the Tom Bradley Worldwide Terminal, so that you’d have to consider strolling time from the Delta One Lounge in Terminal 3 to your gate.
In Atlanta and Orlando, you’ll be able to entry the usual Delta Sky Golf equipment. (Atlanta’s Delta One Lounge remains to be a number of years away.) In the event you’re touring from Miami, you will entry the above-average LATAM lounge, operated by the airline itself.
As for scoring lounge entry in South America, Sao Paulo has one of the best lounge in LATAM’s community, for my part, adopted by the one in Santiago. Plus, Lima simply opened its new airport in June, with a LATAM lounge anticipated to open in 2026.
Guide financial system flights inside South America from 4,500 miles
For brief home hops inside South America, paying money is usually the smarter transfer, particularly when fares are low. In distinction, miles are greatest used when money fares are excessive and for journey between nations.
Use money for many home flights
You may be tempted to make use of simply 4,500 Alaska miles to fly LATAM all through:
- All of Colombia (besides to and from the island of San Andres, off the coast of Nicaragua)
- All of Peru
- Most of Chile (besides the northern and southernmost extremities of the nation)
- Brazil’s south and southeastern areas (contains Florianopolis and Rio de Janeiro)
Nonetheless, money costs are sometimes across the $50 mark for these flights.
So, when you issue within the taxes and Alaska’s $12.50 accomplice reserving price, it typically does not make sense to make use of your miles for these flights. The exception is when the costs are excessive since you’re touring on the final minute or throughout a busy journey interval (like Carnival, Easter or the vacations).
Use miles for different flights
Whereas money can deal with most of your home flights, miles can turn out to be useful for:
- Flights between South American nations
- Longer home flights
- Final-minute journey
- Journey throughout busy journey intervals
For instance, I used simply 7,500 miles plus $38 in taxes and costs to ebook a one-way flight from Santiago to La Paz, Bolivia, one week earlier than departure. With money costs on this date across the $300 mark, I received a redemption worth of three.5 cents per mile, greater than double our June 2025 valuation of Alaska miles.
Taxes had been a lot larger ($124) on one other 7,500-mile award I booked for journey from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Lima. With money costs once more across the $300 mark, I received a decrease (however nonetheless very respectable) redemption worth of two.3 cents per mile.
On each flights, I obtained a free checked bag, in addition to free emergency exit row seating, which was a pleasant shock. I additionally discovered the cabin crew to be extra useful and pleasant than the common provider.
Candy spots
Flying between LATAM’s hubs and the next locations can typically see excessive money costs and, due to this fact, present good redemption worth:
- Argentina: San Carlos de Bariloche
- Bolivia: La Paz and Santa Cruz
- Brazil: Iguazu Falls and Manaus (gateway to the Brazilian Amazon)
- Colombia: Leticia (gateway to the Colombian Amazon) and San Andres
- Peru: Cusco
- Paraguay: Asuncion
- Uruguay: Montevideo
Galapagos Islands
Most vacationers to Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands cross by the nation’s largest airport in Guayaquil.
Flights to and from the 2 airports on the islands are typically moderately priced with money, however Alaska can supply good worth for 7,500 miles one-way.
Easter Island
LATAM has a monopoly as the one air route serving Chile’s Easter Island, which is an as much as 5 1/2-hour flight to and from Santiago. Within the excessive season (which is throughout summer time within the Southern Hemisphere, or between December and February), money costs are $550 to $900.
So, a round-trip financial system or business-class flight can begin at 35,000 or 70,000 miles, respectively, plus $41 in taxes and costs. This can be a good worth, particularly because the business-class cabin options lie-flat seats on this route.
Reserving suggestions
- On-line reserving: LATAM awards are bookable on the Alaska web site.
- Taxes and costs: These are typically low for redemptions on LATAM.
- Stopovers: You possibly can ebook free stopovers on a connecting itinerary.
- Cancellations: These successfully price $12.50. You possibly can change or cancel your award anytime as much as the scheduled departure time and obtain a full refund of the miles and taxes (minus the $12.50 accomplice reserving price).
- Award area alerts: I strongly recommend signing up for Thrifty Traveler to obtain alerts on when bulk LATAM award area turns into out there.
- Award searches: Use award search instruments like Level.me, Seats.aero and PointsYeah.
- Different applications: It’s also possible to redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors or use an Avios program to ebook LATAM award tickets. Alaska redemptions are often priced cheaper, however award availability might differ between applications.
Associated: These 12 apps and web sites make award redemptions simpler to search out
Methods to earn Alaska miles
The quickest and best technique to earn Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles is to get an Alaska Airways or Hawaiian Airways cobranded bank card.
Alaska Airways playing cards
Financial institution of America points one private and one enterprise Alaska cobranded card:
- Alaska Airways Visa Signature® bank card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles plus purchase one ticket, get one for simply the taxes and costs ($0 fare plus taxes and costs from $23) after spending $3,000 or extra on purchases inside the first 90 days from account opening.
- Alaska Airways Visa® Enterprise card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from $23) after making $4,000 or extra in purchases inside the first 90 days of opening an account.
Associated: Alaska Airways Visa vs. Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa: Do you have to get the non-public or enterprise card?
Hawaiian Airways playing cards
Alaska and Hawaiian have merged, which means you’ll be able to switch HawaiianMiles earned from the next playing cards to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan at a 1:1 fee:
The knowledge for the Hawaiian Airways World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airways Enterprise Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Switch from Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
You possibly can convert Bilt Rewards Factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio, with transfers often occurring inside a couple of minutes.
Marriott Bonvoy factors can be transformed into Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles at a poorer 3:1 ratio (with a 5,000-mile bonus when changing at the very least 60,000 Bonvoy factors), with transfers often occurring inside 24 hours.
Associated: When does it make sense to switch Marriott factors to airways?
Switch from American Categorical (for a restricted time)
Till June 30, you’ll be able to switch your American Categorical Membership Rewards factors to HawaiianMiles. Then, you’ll be able to convert your Hawaiian miles into Alaska miles.
Associated: TPG’s favourite inns in Latin America
Backside line
Alaska miles can unlock unbelievable worth when flying to, from and inside South America, particularly throughout peak journey intervals or on longer routes the place money costs run excessive.
Whether or not you are climbing in Patagonia, exploring the Amazon or watching the solar rise over Machu Picchu, savvy redemptions on LATAM can flip your dream journey right into a actuality — with out blowing your funds.
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