Book now: One-way fares from the US to Costa Rica, Ecuador and more from $49

Avianca Airlines just dropped a major fare sale to a number of popular spots in Central and South America. If you're trying to figure out summer vacations or are looking ahead to the fall, this is an excellent way to lock in discounted airfare to places like Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. Some flights are as low as $49 each way. The departure cities include Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco.

To take advantage of the red sale, you must book your flights by April 14. The travel window is from now until March 27, 2025. This sale is for Avianca's basic economy tier. You get a free personal item, but a carry-on bag will cost you around $55 each way. A better deal is to check your bag, which will cost you roughly $45 each way.

Deal basics

Airline: Avianca Airlines
Routes: Many U.S. cities to Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua
How to book: Directly with the airline; no code is needed
Travel dates: Now through March 27, 2025
Book by: 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 14

Check the Avianca website for specific restrictions.

Sample flights

This sale offers deals to airports such as:

• El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogota, Colombia
• La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City, Guatemala
• Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport (MGA) in Managua, Nicaragua
• Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport (UIO) in Quito, Ecuador
• Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica
• El Salvador International Airport (SAL) in San Salvador, El Salvador
• Palmerola International Airport (XPL) near Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Departure airports from the U.S. include:

• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

I started the search from my home airport, MIA, because of its proximity to many of the destinations in this sale. It was no surprise that there were quite a few fares available, as low as $53 one-way. Departure flights to Managua were commonly around $53.

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The trick was to find return flights. Most were about $103 or more, which still makes for a good deal. May and June, as well as January and February 2025, had good availability for this route at a discounted rate. Also, many of Avianca's routes from Miami are nonstop — another plus.

If you have the flexibility for a last-minute getaway, you can book a nonstop itinerary from Miami to El Salvador in late April for just $142 round-trip.

This sale offers great value in flights from Miami to Ecuador. We found a decent number of itineraries from MIA to UIO in May for just $210 round-trip. You can find similar prices for flights in September and October.

If Fort Lauderdale is more convenient, you can book a nonstop to Bogota in August or September for $184 round-trip.

If you live in Boston, there is good availability in this sale for flights to Guatemala in the fall. We found this itinerary from Boston to Guatemala City in September for $238. Keep in mind that there is a layover each way, but according to Google Flights, it's a substantial discount from typical rates.

There is good availability on flights from New York City to San Salvador, too. We found several departure flights from JFK in September for as little as $64.

Again, the trick is to find a return flight at the same discounted price. We did not have that luck, but combined, the itinerary still was a discount from normal fares for this route.

The best deal we found out of Los Angeles involved Guatemala. This nonstop itinerary from LA to Guatemala City in September is only $165 — a big markdown from the normal price.

Maximize your purchase

When booking any flight, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card: An unlimited 3 points per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases and 4 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel

Bottom line

There are plenty of cheap flights to popular Central American destinations for this summer and fall, as well as into early 2025. Book as soon as you can to secure these deals on Avianca.

Pro tip: If you head to Ecuador, consider booking a flight to the Galapagos Islands to enjoy the archipelago's endless natural wonders.

Related reading:

• Valuable travel discounts and deals for college students and young adults
• Dulles becomes first airport to offer Global Entry interviews upon departure
• Everything you need to know about State Department travel advisories
• When and how to renew your passport, according to the State Department

Updated as of 8/20/2025.