Why Are Flights From The US To South America So Expensive?

Summary Flights from the US to Southern South America are expensive due to scheduling difficulties. Some airlines have adjusted flight schedules to reduce idle time, but this can lead to inconvenient arrival times for travelers. Airlines utilize cheaper labor costs in South America for maintenance operations, which can help lower airfares.

Last year, Delta Air Lines announced the latest piece of its winter long-haul Latin America network , a seasonal flight from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Buenos Aires's Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE). If one hopes to visit Argentina for the Christmas holiday, as many do, the fares on this route are truly mind-boggling. Departing on Friday, December 22nd, 2023, (the first day most working people can leave for the holiday break) and returning a week later on December 29th, an economy-class ticket on this route sold for over $4,000 roundtrip.

Meanwhile, a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) during the same period featured business class tickets for the carrier's Delta One suites for just over $4,500. Thus, why is it the case that for a flight of roughly the same length, economy-class prices to South America are often comparable with business-class flights to Europe? Overall, what overarching factors cause direct flights from the United States to Southern South America to be so expensive? The answer is far more straightforward than one might expect. The.