Should I book everything as one ticket or separate flights?

One ticket if using major airlines (better protection, through-checking bags). Separate tickets for budget carriers or when mixing airlines saves significant money. Just allow 3+ hours between connections with separate tickets.

What's the cheapest way to hit 5+ South American cities?

Combine a multi-city airline ticket for long hauls with overland travel for shorter distances. Example: Fly into Lima, bus to Cusco, fly to Buenos Aires, bus to Montevideo, fly to Rio, fly home.

Which hub cities offer the most connections?

Lima (LATAM hub, connects to all SA countries), Bogotá (Avianca hub, good for northern SA), São Paulo (GOL/Azul hub for Brazil), Buenos Aires (good for southern cone countries).

How to Book Multi-City Flights Across South America

Book multi-city flights across South America using airline alliances like Star Alliance or LATAM's network, or piece together budget carriers. Expect $800-2000 for 3-5 cities depending on routing and season.

Choose your routing strategy. Pick either hub-and-spoke (through Lima, Bogotá, or São Paulo) or regional budget carriers. Hub-and-spoke works better for 4+ cities, budget carriers for 2-3 destinations.
Check LATAM's multi-city tool first. LATAM dominates South America. Use their multi-city booking tool at latam.com. Input all your cities at once to see if they can route everything on their network.
Try Star Alliance for complex routing. Use United or Avianca websites to book Star Alliance multi-city tickets. Avianca is strong in Colombia/Central America, Copa connects through Panama to most SA cities.
Compare with budget carrier combinations. Check Sky Airlines (Chile), JetSmart (Chile/Argentina), Viva Air (Colombia/Peru), and GOL (Brazil). Often cheaper for 2-3 cities but requires separate bookings.
Book 6-8 weeks ahead for best prices. South American airlines release sales around this timeframe. Avoid booking during Carnival season (February-March) and summer holidays (December-February).
Consider overland for short distances. Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Bogotá to Medellín, or Lima to Cusco are often cheaper and more reliable by bus. Save flights for long hauls like Lima to Buenos Aires.

Should I book everything as one ticket or separate flights?: One ticket if using major airlines (better protection, through-checking bags). Separate tickets for budget carriers or when mixing airlines saves significant money. Just allow 3+ hours between connections with separate tickets.
What's the cheapest way to hit 5+ South American cities?: Combine a multi-city airline ticket for long hauls with overland travel for shorter distances. Example: Fly into Lima, bus to Cusco, fly to Buenos Aires, bus to Montevideo, fly to Rio, fly home.
Which hub cities offer the most connections?: Lima (LATAM hub, connects to all SA countries), Bogotá (Avianca hub, good for northern SA), São Paulo (GOL/Azul hub for Brazil), Buenos Aires (good for southern cone countries).