Fly business class to Rio de Janeiro from Miami and Washington, DC, from $1,563
You can save a decent amount of money right now on business-class travel to Brazil via Copa Airlines. A new fare sale has flights to Rio de Janeiro from Miami and Washington, D.C., at uncommonly low prices. Rio has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the world's greatest party cities, not to mention it's home to two iconic beaches: Copacabana and Ipanema. So, if you've been considering heading to South America, keep reading.
Aside from the great prices, this deal is enticing because the travel window is unusually wide. We found discounted flights from May until March 2025. Keep in mind that almost all the itineraries include layovers in Panama, but they are all reasonable in length. Also, some routes offer lie-flat seats on just one segment of the itinerary.
Deal basics
Airline: Copa Airlines
Routes: Round-trip in business class from Miami International Airport (MIA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., to Rio de Janeiro's Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG)
How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline
Travel dates: Availability from May through March; varies by route
Sample flights
Availability for discounted business-class fares from Miami to Rio de Janeiro was wide open from August until December. Copa has round-trip itineraries from MIA to GIG for $1,563.
Check out this Copa itinerary we found from Miami to Rio in December.
Google Flights says this is a massive discount from normal prices for this route during the holiday season.
Rio's next Carnival celebration takes place Feb. 28 through March 8, 2025. If you're interested in being part of the iconic festival, you can book round-trip business class to land in Brazil right before the fun begins for less than $2,000. That's an excellent price, especially considering how big an event Carnival is. Also, both legs of the return flight get you a lie-flat seat.
The discounts are just as easy to find for flights out of our nation's capital. This business-class itinerary from IAD to GIG for Carnival is available for just $2,254. Like the Miami itinerary, both legs of the return journey are with a lie-flat seat.
Want to escape the Northeast's harsh winter but aren't keen on dealing with the massive crowds at Carnival? That's not a problem, as the same $2,254 price is available for a round-trip flight from Washington to Rio in January.
We told you earlier that this deal's availability is unusually generous. The sale price on Washington-to-Rio flights can also be found for travel across August and September.
Maximize your purchase
When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
- 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
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel
Bottom line
Take advantage of the wide-open nature of this sale and find the itinerary that best suits your travel schedule.
Related reading:
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Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Annual Fee
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- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month