Deal alert: Fly to Cartagena, Colombia, for less than $300 round-trip
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
There is an outstanding sale happening now on flights to South America. Specifically, the bargains can be had for a trip to Cartagena, Colombia. The colonial port city, the country's fifth-largest, is an ideal place to take in some of the best Colombia has to offer. American and JetBlue have round-trip fares available for less than $300, which is a savings of more than 50% off normal ticket prices. Flights from cities such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale have the added benefit of being nonstop routes.
The start of the new year is a great time to visit Colombia. It's the dry season, so you get a bit of a break from Colombia's notorious humidity. There is also the added benefit that during this time of chaotic travel, Colombia is one of the easiest international destinations to visit at the moment.
The JetBlue offerings are for main cabin seats, while the American tickets are in basic economy. As always with deals like this, availability varies widely depending on your departure city and when you want to travel. The more flexible you are, the greater your chances of finding a great price.
We got the heads up about this great deal from our friends at Thrifty Traveler Premium, who first sent it out to their subscribers.
Non-members can find sale prices by using Google Flights to search for desired routes and dates.
Deal basics
Airlines: American, JetBlue
Routes: CLE/FLL/IND/JAX/JFK/MIA/MCO/ORF/RIC to Cartagena, Colombia (CTG)
Cost: From $270 round-trip
Dates: January -- October 2022; availability varies but best between January -- March
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year); the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare; the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees)(3x on air travel); Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel); the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel — which you could redeem for as little as 13,000 points.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
How does Miami (MIA) to Cartagena for $270 sound? You can book a basic economy ticket on American in March at this price. We also saw this same price available for flights in April. Prices were a bit higher in January and February.
You can also fly from Jacksonville, Florida (JAX), to Cartagena in April for $358.
On the East Coast, we found fares for nonstop flights on JetBlue from New York City (JFK) to Colombia for just $326, a significant savings from normal prices. That's for a main cabin seat, too (as opposed to the carrier's Blue Basic fares). There's pretty good availability for tickets at this price across January and February. Prices for this route are much more expensive in March and April, so having flexibility in your travel schedule could really pay off here.
In addition, American has $358 seats available from Cleveland (CLE) to Cartagena. The best availability for these prices was in January, certainly a nice time to exit Ohio and head to the warmer climes of Colombia.
Related: What it's like to travel to Colombia right now
Maximize your purchase
Don't forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, like The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year); the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare; the Citi Premier® Card (3x on air travel); Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel); the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel — which you could redeem for as little as 13,000 points.
Bottom Line
If visiting South America is on your 2022 to-do list, get to work and don't pass up these fares.