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Find cheap flights to Central America from $37

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the United States to Central America departing on 9/3. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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Sat 6/29
Sat 7/6

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Best Central America Flight Deals

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

San Salvador
San Salvadornonstop$145
San José
San Josénonstop$154
Guatemala City
Guatemala Citynonstop$138
Panama City
Panama City1 stop$317
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$277
Managua
Managuanonstop$129
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sulanonstop$161
Coxen Hole
Coxen Hole1 stop$270
Flores
Flores1 stop$282
David
David2 stops$541
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro2 stops$1,131
San Pedro Town
San Pedro Town3 stops$1,176
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa1 stop$456

Good to know

Low season

September

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$37
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 37% increase in price.
Flight from Los Angeles to San Salvador

FAQs - booking Central America flights

  • Do I need a visa to fly to Central America?

    American citizens are not required to have a visa to fly to countries in Central America. Countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. All these countries apart from Nicaragua, allow US Citizens to stay for up to 90 days visa-free. If you plan to extend your stay, you’ll need to get a visa.

  • What are the entry requirements to Central America for US citizens?

    With the visa waiver, US citizens are required to have a passport valid for at least six months that they should carry all the time while in Central America. In addition, countries like Panama, Honduras, and El Salvador will require them to also have a tourist card that is valid for up to 30-90 days. If you plan on visiting Kuna Yala in Panama, you’ll need a yellow fever vaccination certificate because the country has a risk of yellow fever.

  • Can I fly non-stop to Liberia, Costa Rica from the United States?

    Yes. From airports in the US like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) aboard Delta Airlines, New York John. F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) aboard Jet Blue Airlines, or Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) aboard Alaska Airlines to Liberia Guanacaste International Airport (LIR). All these airlines offer specialized services to their passengers to help them relax and cater to their flight needs during long flights.

  • What is the best airport to fly in and out of Central America?

    Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City is the biggest and busiest airport in Central America. It connects Panama and several cities and states in the US. Moreover, it acts as a hub for several airlines giving flyers the chance to choose the best airline. It’s also known for clean terminals, efficiency, great customer service, and accessible services.

  • Which airlines have the cheapest prices from the United States to Central America?

    Among the airlines that provide either direct or layover flights to Central America, the cheapest airlines are Frontier Airlines, Copa Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. All these airlines have layover flights that are affordable alternatives to their non-stop flight counterparts.

  • Can I fly non-stop to Managua from the United States?

    Yes. From Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, you can fly directly to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport (MGA) in Managua, Nicaragua aboard Spirit Airlines. From Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami, you can fly directly to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport in Managua aboard either Avianca Airlines or American Airlines. From George Bush International Airport (IAH) in Houston, you can fly directly to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport aboard either United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Avianca Airlines, or American Airlines.  

  • How long is the flight to Central America?

    An average nonstop flight from the United States to Central America takes 4h 59m, covering a distance of 1958 miles. The most popular route is Los Angeles - San Salvador with an average flight time of 4h 50m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Central America?

    The cheapest ticket to Central America from the United States found in the last 72 hours was $31 one-way, and $139 round-trip. The most popular route is from Los Angeles to San Salvador and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $163.

  • Which airlines fly to Central America?

    United Airlines, Avianca & Copa Airlines fly the most frequently from the United States to Central America.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Central America?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is San Salvador (37% of total searches to Central America). The next most popular destinations are San José (28%) and Guatemala City (15%). Searches for flights to Panama City (12%), to Liberia (5%) and to Managua (2%) are also popular.

  • How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Central America

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Central America flight deals.
  • Central America has many major countries and cities known for their architectural and historical attractions. When traveling to Central America you can get non-stop flights to most of these cities from Miami, Orlando, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, or Chicago aboard several airlines including American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Avianca Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta Airlines.
  • Alaska Airlines is one of the most popular airlines along this route that offers non-stop flights from cities in the US like Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and Palm Springs to San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, Central America.
  • If you’re looking for cheap flights to El Salvador from Newark, opt for the layover flights by Spirit Airlines that have a layover in Fort Lauderdale that will give you a five-hour window to explore locations near Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL).
  • The Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Antigua in Guatemala are some of the most famous archaeological attractions in Central America. American Airlines has non-stop flights from Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Boston to Guatemala La Aurora City Aiport(GUA). From there, you can either take public transportation or take a flight to Mundo Maya International Airport in Flores to easily find your way to the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and take a taxi from GUA to Antigua.
  • Carnaval is a major annual festival that happens in Panama between February and March that lasts up to a week and attracts visitors from all around the world. Get on a non-stop flight from Miami on either American Airlines, Delta Airlines, or United Airlines to Panama City Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
  • Traveling within Central America on a budget requires you to fly into countries that are centrally located like Guatemala and Panana where you can access both public and private shuttle buses to other cities and to nearby countries to help save on transport costs.
  • Guatemala is served by two international airports namely Guatemala La Aurora City Airport and Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS). If you plan to visit towns in Guatemala like Flores, Santa Elena, and San Benito, fly on layovers into FRS which gives you direct access to these towns.
See more tips

Top 5 airlines flying to Central America

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States to Central America? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 10457 reviews
7.4Food
8.0Entertainment
7.9Comfort
8.2Boarding
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

I've flown many many times on Northwest and then Delta. The crew on this flight were absolutely the best I've had the pleasure of being looked after by.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, May 2024MSP - YVR
Read more about Delta reviews

I've flown many many times on Northwest and then Delta. The crew on this flight were absolutely the best I've had the pleasure of being looked after by.

Flew first class so everything was great. But maybe because the flights were red eye, no meals were served, just chips. I flew Alaska Air 1st class at 9PM (2 hour flight) and they served beef short rib sliders!

Had to change aircraft due to a faulty door. Surprisingly it only caused about an hour and a half of delay. Delta handled this situation as well as can be expected.

Awful. Flight was continuously getting delayed and gates kept changing without any reason. Flight was delayed for more then 3 hours

Paid premium for Delta only to be on safe but tired old 767 with ancient cabin in mediocre condition. Poor wifi and horrible inflight entertainment. Hardly a premium experience. Should have flown SW and had fun flight crew and no pretense

Our flight to Zurich was delayed by almost 3 hours, so we missed our next flight. There was no indication it would be delayed this much. We were told the gate had changed and then it apparently took over 2 hours to load the "catering" on the plane. We were not compensated in any way for the trouble.

Rated entertainment as Mediocre as there were major problems with the Infotainment system that took probably a half hour for them to fix.

Your crew could maybe answer the call bell at least one of the times I pressed it. I pressed it first time with 2.5 hours left in our flight bc my partner was hungry and wanted a sandwich. We finally got the sandwich with 40 mins left in the flight.

Half the bathrooms assigned to economy were out of action

Delta crushed it. Flight attendant in first was attentive and just never stopped. Honestly one of the best domestic flights I’ve been on.

No water for a 5 hour flight entertainment not working seats with little room for knees when person in front of me reclined kept bumping my knees.

I don't think anyone actually reads these comments, so I won't spend much time on this submission. If you want to talk, you know how to reach me. The D/FW manager of Avianca (self-identified), Juan Calderon, insisted I buy an onward ticket from San Salvador even though I have diplomatic status in El Salvador and live here. It cost me $1,393 and Mr Calderon would not let me make the ticked flexible so I could get a refund. He went out of his way to be rude to me. He gave me seat 32K -- windowless window seat in the last row and did not offer to let me upgrade even though there were plenty of seats. I have flown well over a million miles in my life and this is the worst experience I have ever had. I would like a refund on the ticket I was forced to buy. Just awful!

This is the Spirit of Latino travel. And don’t even get me started on customer service.

Awful. I checked in online and there was no option to pay for baggage, at the airport when I checked in my baggage was received and Iwas not charged. When I got to LA during the boarding process I was told I didn't pay for baggage, the crew resolved I was let in the plane. When I got to my final destination my baggage was not there. It took me two days to receive my baggage. Bad service ever!

There was no food or drink service, couldn’t even get a glass of water for free. It was a long and expensive flight to not offer food or beverage on the plane.

It is better at the jfk than my home country. It was very easy and everything was on time.

There is no food. There is no in-inflight entertainment. The seats are cardboard. The airline is a living hellscape.

My experience was amazing! They helped my elderly mother board on early through a wheelchair and were accommodating to have us sit together since our seats were in different locations. When landing at the airport in GUA they were very helpful with full of hospitality.

No complimentary snacks food, beverage (not even water), pillow and blanket on a 6 hours long flight (including economy comfort). A low form of nickeling an diming. Lost a recurring passanger over a soda. Avianca never again.

Flight departure late. Got late in Colombia making us take a different flight next day. Avianca airport crew messed up my ticket so when a I got in Brazil I didn’t have a ticket for my destination. Had to buy a new ticket out of my pocket.

The flight and boarding were easy peasy. I was traveling with my 4-year-old, so a smooth boarding experience was especially appreciated. My only piece of feedback is really about where our gate was in O'Hare. They've shoved four gates into a tiny corner of the B terminal and there isn't early enough room or seating for everyone. Not United's problem, but did dent the overall experience.

We liked the fully reclinable seats. Had center seats, so it was difficult to talk to spouse. Crew was great

Aisle chair was good and liked the foot bar preventing you from putting your foot in the isle, The breakfast on this international flight to Zurich was horrible (Europeans, specially, used to good food) may make this a dealbreaker for booking with United Airlines again. I agreed with my Spanish fellow passenger.

Dinner was okay but the breakfast was not eatable on the flight San Francisco to Zurich.

There was no screens on board AND the WiFi didn’t work. My seat was broken and couldn’t recline so I couldn’t even sleep. The flight attendants didn’t offer anything to make it more comfortable. It was such an old cramped plane, when the person in front of me reclined I couldn’t even open my tray table. All the United ads talk about guaranteeing everyone gets a screen!

The Wi-Fi was unavailable on this flight for some reason.

The flight was delayed almost 2 hours. Bad customer service etc. I will never fly Luthansa. Ever!!!

On time take off…US cabins look tired and need of refresh!

Fine. Though no food or entertainment so the survey needs to be updated with those options.

Backpack should NOT allowed put in the flight bin , only put it under the seat. I can't find space put my carry on luggage!!! and I pay for it ! that was very bad experience

The boarding process and flight were great. However, I waited about 40 minutes for my luggage. It did not come up on the designated belt. Instead, everyone’s bags were on a cart. Not sure what the issue was, but we were not informed until another passenger went looking for her bags and found them.

There were delays on both ends. It made it less than excellent. This plane was great though

AA1537 the AC was not working properly. It was very hot and uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable to sit in the tiny space on a long, international. Food was rough. Please, less white flour and processed food.

Worst experience flying American Airlines. I fly with them often, so I was super disappointed in the service I received at gate 30 in LGA on May 24, mid-day. The flight was delayed twice. I was patiently waiting in the American Airlines lounge when I received the notice on my app that the plane was boarding 45 minutes before its newly re-scheduled take off of 4 pm (from the orginal 1:45 pm then 3:00 pm). It took me 5 min to travel from the lounge to the gate and when I arrived there at 3:20 flight gate attendant told me the flight had closed and that they announced for passengers multiple times. I showed them the notification on my app and they were really rude and unempathetic. The person who rescheduled my flight at customer service wasn't any happier but was at least helpful in getting me on the next flight.

Flight was 1/2 hour delayed leaving Phoenix. Otherwise it was an average flight. Flight crew on this trip was very nice.

Our flight was delayed 2.5 hrs due to plane being too hot! After 1.5 hrs, airline decided to use another plane but had to wait for gate, baggage transfer & beverage transfer. Anyone could tell after first half hour that another plane was required and although did not affect us many would miss connecting flights at Heathrow. I have found the stewards are not the friendliest in the industry and the food is questionable, even as I like airplane food normally, the best of the 2 flights was the yogurt & granola for breakfast.

Everything was great except for the wifi was junk. Crew was super friendly and helpful

Was lucky to have a employee at the AA checkin counter that had compassion and understood they ordeal that we went through with our original flight being diverted, needing to stay in the aircraft and then flying to the original destination; adding hours to the trip and forcing us to miss our connection and our rebooked connection. She was able to get up on standby on the highest priority on the next flight to the closest airport we need to be at and it all worked out despite being many hours late.

Delayed so that missed connecting flight. Connecting flight was also delayed on the tarmac but they closed the gate before the rescheduled time.

This was the smoothest flight I have had in awhile. I was also offered an exit row seat for a great upgrade cost and was able to sleep almost thr whole flight due to comfort and a smooth flight. We left on time and arrived on time.

No food not even water offered unless you buy it and no usb in the seat but other than that everything was good

Because our flight from marsh Harbor to Fort Lauderdale was over three hours delayed it caused us to miss our flight in Fort Lauderdale. Because we missed that flight, it cost us nearly $100 apiece for four different travelers which totaled nearly $400. We are seeking a reimbursement for the flight that we missed in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Flight expected to leave at 6:40 pm ended leaving at 8:00 am the following day. I slept in a cold airport. Never again Spirit for me…

Flight was cancelled just 6 days before. No more flights that day, and the following date was sold out. Had to obtain a refund and buy more expensive flights on another airline.

The flight was on time and nice as always for me with spirit but the cabin crew were not good. They left the lights on on a red eye for the entire flight.

This was the return leg of my journey with Spirit Airlines. Despite its reputation, I found no issues as it got me from point A to B safely and without delay, especially with no mechanical delays, which is fantastic in my book! The staff, from ground crew to cabin crew, were all pleasant and hassle-free. The flight was smooth from takeoff to landing. I have absolutely no complaints about this no-frills airline!

I got a one-way, last-minute nonstop flight from PDX to BWI for only $125. Yes, I got nicked $79 more for a checked suitcase and $89 more for the BIG SEAT option, but it was worth it, even with $4.50 for coffee and $10 for a snack (the latter no different than any other airline). The grand total was still less flying on any other airline.

It was the worst ever, i will be filing a lawsuit to get a refund. Our flight was delayed 4 hours so we would miss our connecting flight, we were not rebooked to our destination the same day, we were not offered any options to get home on the same day despite being clear that we absolutely cannot get stranded at night due to family, we were forced to book our own flights on a different airline to get home, and spririt is refusing a refund because our flight wasn't cancelled, only delayed. oh yeah, and they lost our luggage on the first part of the trip and you cannot get a hold of customer service when anything goes wrong, on hold for 30+ minutes. and their app breaks so you can't use that either.

This recognisable no-frills airline gets me from point-A to point-B. I was able to get to Chicago without stress. The checked baggage collection and reclaim could be improved.

Book Cheap Central America Plane Tickets

Recent round-trip flight deals

8/18Sun
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
8/23Fri
1 stopVolaris
22h 29mGUA-LAX
$138
8/25Sun
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
9/1Sun
1 stopVolaris
7h 55mGUA-LAX
$144
9/19Thu
nonstopAvianca
4h 20mIAD-SAL
10/3Thu
nonstopAvianca
4h 20mSAL-IAD
$145
8/22Thu
1 stopAvianca
7h 50mIAD-SAL
9/23Mon
nonstopAvianca
4h 15mSAL-IAD
$148
8/22Thu
2 stopsSpirit Airlines
15h 09mIAH-SAL
8/26Mon
2 stopsSpirit Airlines
19h 31mSAL-IAH
$158
8/19Mon
2 stopsSpirit Airlines
15h 09mIAH-SAL
8/26Mon
2 stopsSpirit Airlines
13h 36mSAL-IAH
$161
9/25Wed
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 51mLAX-GUA
10/1Tue
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 11mGUA-LAX
$175
9/4Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
7h 48mIAD-SAL
9/18Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
15h 59mSAL-IAD
$180
7/22Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
24h 41mIAD-SAL
7/29Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
24h 54mSAL-IAD
$200
9/5Thu
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
18h 36mJFK-SAL
9/13Fri
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
19h 50mSAL-JFK
$200

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Recent one-way flight deals

9/3Tue
nonstopVolaris
5h 02mLAX-SAL
$37
8/29Thu
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
$42
8/28Wed
nonstopAvianca
4h 20mIAD-SAL
$50
8/19Mon
1 stopAvianca
7h 50mIAD-SAL
$53
9/10Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
8h 02mEWR-SJO
$62
8/27Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
15h 39mIAH-SAL
$62
8/20Tue
1 stopUnited Airlines
15h 58mIAD-SAL
$65
8/20Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
14h 52mLAX-GUA
$72
8/27Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
8h 11mJFK-SAL
$74
9/3Tue
1 stopUnited Airlines
12h 07mLAX-SAL
$74

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Last minute flights to Central America

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

6/2Sun
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
6/10Mon
multi-stopVolaris
9h 30mGUA-LAX
$219
6/2Sun
nonstopAvianca
2h 55mIAH-SAL
6/9Sun
nonstopAvianca
3h 05mSAL-IAH
$238
6/2Sun
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
16h 23mIAD-SAL
7/17Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
24h 54mSAL-IAD
$259
6/3Mon
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
15h 01mLAX-GUA
6/5Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
11h 35mGUA-LAX
$260
6/2Sun
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
8h 31mIAH-SAL
6/4Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
9h 42mSAL-IAH
$263
6/3Mon
multi-stopUnited Airlines
25h 25mIAD-SAL
6/8Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
14h 45mSAL-IAD
$265
6/2Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
13h 45mLAX-GUA
6/4Tue
multi-stopUnited Airlines
14h 29mGUA-LAX
$266
6/3Mon
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
9h 36mIAH-SAL
6/4Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
11h 18mSAL-IAH
$280
6/3Mon
nonstopDelta
4h 41mLAX-GUA
6/14Fri
nonstopDelta
5h 11mGUA-LAX
$439
6/4Tue
nonstopDelta
5h 34mLAX-SJO
6/12Wed
nonstopDelta
6h 05mSJO-LAX
$516

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Flights to Central America

Return flight deals:

Central America - United States

Cabin classes:

$759
$551
$149
$62

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