Latin America fares get cheaper as budget airlines boom

Budget airlines have boomed in the United States, Europe and Asia, and now they're being launched in Latin America. Lower fares also are being offered from the United States to Latin America.

American Airlines is offering a sale on travel to Santiago, Chile, and Cali or Medellin, Colombia. Tickets must be purchased by Friday for travel through Nov. 30. Sample roundtrip airfares include $479 from Atlanta to Cali or Medellin, $499 from Dallas/Fort Worth to Cali or Medellin, $629 from Los Angeles to Santiago and $719 from D/FW to Santiago. Taxes and fees are additional (and fares can change at any time). www.aa.com

Mexicana is offering sale fares on new service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Morelia or Zacatecas, Mexico. Fares are $99 one-way and $198 roundtrip, plus taxes and fees. Tickets must be purchased by July 31. www.mexicana.com/

When traveling to Central or South America, travelers should check rates from Fort Lauderdale and Miami for the international portion of the trip since companies often offer the lowest fares to these destinations. Passengers typically can save money even with the purchase of a separate domestic ticket to Fort Lauderdale or Miami.

Budget boom

Changes in government regulations in Latin America are making it easier to start budget airlines.

The Mexicana offshoot Click recently began service to nine cities in Mexico, including Mexico City, Merida, Puerto Escondido and Zihuatanejo. Click fares are about 30 percent lower than Mexicana's. See www.clickmx.com

Interjet, backed by Aerolineas ABC, and Vuela, backed by Grupo Taca, are expected to launch service from Toluca, near Mexico City, late this year or early next year, and Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol has announced plans to start a low-fare carrier in Mexico in 2006.

Gol, which recently offered fares starting at $25 one-way within Brazil, is planning to expand its international market. The carrier already offers service to 41 airports in Brazil and to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is to begin service to Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Asuncion, Paraguay, soon. See www.voegol.com.br/english/

OceanAir offers low fares to 31 cities in Brazil. Recent promotional one-way fares were available starting at $27 between Sao Carlos and Ribeirao Preto, $42 between Petrolina and Recife and $66 between Campos and Macae.

OceanAir has said it soon will launch a budget carrier in Peru called Wayra Peru. The new carrier is to begin by serving 12 Peruvian cities, including Lima and Cuzco, with plans to expand to international flights to other South American countries. See www.oceanair.com.br.

Costa Rican carrier Nature Air offers low-cost flights between 18 cities in Costa Rica and between Liberia or San Jose, Costa Rica, and Granada, Nicaragua. Sample low-season one-way fares include $50 from Quepos to San Jose and $65 from Liberia to Granada. See www.natureair.com

Sansa also offers flights between 16 Costa Rican locales, with one-way fares starting at $44. See www.flysansa.com