Should I book all flights at once or separately?

Check both options. Multi-city booking protects you if one flight is delayed, but separate tickets with budget airlines often cost 30-40% less. If booking separately, allow 3+ hour connections for immigration and rebooking flexibility.

Which credit card works best for South American bookings?

Use cards with no foreign transaction fees. Chase Sapphire and Capital One Venture work well. Some local budget airlines only accept local credit cards - keep cash backup for these situations.

How much should I budget for flight changes?

Budget airlines charge $50-150 per change. Full-service carriers often allow free changes within 24 hours of booking. Set aside $200-300 as a flight change buffer for a multi-city trip.

What happens if I miss a connection on separate tickets?

You're responsible for rebooking. This is why separate tickets save money but increase risk. Always allow 4+ hours for international connections and overnight layovers when possible.

How to Book Cheap Multi-City Flights Around South America

Book multi-city flights around South America by using the multi-city search function on flight booking sites, mixing budget airlines with full-service carriers, and building your own connections rather than relying on single-ticket routings. Expect to pay $800-1,200 for a 4-6 city route depending on season and advance booking.

Map your route logically. Plan your cities in geographical order to minimize backtracking. Popular efficient routes: Lima → Cusco → La Paz → Santiago → Buenos Aires, or Bogotá → Quito → Lima → Rio → São Paulo. Avoid zigzag patterns that add unnecessary flight costs.
Check multi-city search first. Use Google Flights, Kayak, or airline websites' multi-city booking tools. Enter all destinations with flexible dates (+/- 3 days) to see price variations. This shows if booking everything together saves money versus separate tickets.
Research regional budget carriers. Check Sky Airlines (Chile), JetSmart (Chile/Argentina), Viva Air (Colombia/Peru), and GOL (Brazil) for individual legs. These often don't appear in multi-city searches but can cut costs significantly on popular routes like Santiago-Buenos Aires or Lima-Cusco.
Build hybrid itineraries. Combine budget airlines for short hops with full-service carriers for longer routes. Book Lima-Cusco on Sky Airlines for $60, then Cusco-La Paz on Boliviana de Aviación for $180, rather than paying $400+ for a connecting LATAM routing.
Time your bookings strategically. Book international legs (USA-South America, between countries) 2-3 months ahead. Domestic flights can be booked 3-6 weeks out, especially with budget carriers that release sales closer to departure dates.
Consider open-jaw tickets. Fly into one city and out of another (like Miami-Lima, Buenos Aires-Miami) then fill the gaps with regional flights or overland travel. This often costs less than trying to return to your starting point.
Account for visa timing. Brazil requires advance eVisa processing for US citizens (takes 5 business days). Bolivia offers visa on arrival but requires yellow fever vaccination proof. Plan flight bookings around document processing times.

Should I book all flights at once or separately?: Check both options. Multi-city booking protects you if one flight is delayed, but separate tickets with budget airlines often cost 30-40% less. If booking separately, allow 3+ hour connections for immigration and rebooking flexibility.
Which credit card works best for South American bookings?: Use cards with no foreign transaction fees. Chase Sapphire and Capital One Venture work well. Some local budget airlines only accept local credit cards - keep cash backup for these situations.
How much should I budget for flight changes?: Budget airlines charge $50-150 per change. Full-service carriers often allow free changes within 24 hours of booking. Set aside $200-300 as a flight change buffer for a multi-city trip.
What happens if I miss a connection on separate tickets?: You're responsible for rebooking. This is why separate tickets save money but increase risk. Always allow 4+ hours for international connections and overnight layovers when possible.