Booking family flights to South America
To secure the best deals for a family, book at least 4 to 6 months in advance and use multi-city search tools to avoid backtracking. Focus on flying into major hubs like Bogota, Lima, or Sao Paulo to lower base fares before connecting to regional destinations.
- Set up fare alerts early. Use Google Flights to track prices for your specific dates. Set alerts 6 months out. If a price drops significantly, book immediately, as family-sized blocks of seats on the same flight sell out faster than individual tickets.
- Split the search. Search for one passenger first to see the lowest available price. Airlines sometimes hide cheaper fare classes if you search for 4+ people at once. If the price jumps when you add the rest of the family, book the cheapest seats first, then the remaining seats separately.
- Leverage hub cities. Direct flights from the US or Europe to smaller South American cities are often expensive. Book a long-haul flight to a major hub (LIM, BOG, GRU, or SCL) and use a separate low-cost carrier (like JetSmart or LATAM) for the final leg.
- Check baggage policies. South American low-cost carriers are strict. Verify weight limits (often 15kg or 23kg) before booking. It is often cheaper to pay for an 'Extra Baggage' tier during the initial flight booking than at the airport check-in desk.
- Is it better to book one airline or multiple?
- Book one alliance (like Star Alliance or SkyTeam) for international legs to keep luggage benefits consistent. Use regional carriers separately for internal flights.
- Should I use a travel agent for family groups?
- Only if you have more than 8 people; otherwise, the booking fees usually outweigh any discount you might get.