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Find cheap flights to Central America from $48

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 6/3. 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.
1 adult
0 bags
Mon 5/27
Mon 6/3

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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 José
San Josénonstop$139
San Salvador
San Salvadornonstop$137
Guatemala City
Guatemala Citynonstop$123
Panama City
Panama City1 stop$257
Liberia
Liberianonstop$258
Managua
Managuanonstop$167
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula1 stop$124
Coxen Hole
Coxen Hole1 stop$344
Flores
Flores2 stops$337
David
David1 stop$358
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro1 stop$684
San Pedro Town
San Pedro Town2 stops$1,128
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa1 stop$397
La Ceiba
La Ceiba1 stop$792

Good to know

Low season

September

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$48
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 17% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 35% increase in price.
Flight from New York John F Kennedy Airport 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 5h 00m, covering a distance of 1937 miles. The most popular route is Los Angeles - San Salvador with an average flight time of 4h 47m.

  • 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 $35 one-way, and $124 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 $154.

  • Which airlines fly to Central America?

    United Airlines, Copa Airlines & Avianca 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 José (35% of total searches to Central America). The next most popular destinations are San Salvador (32%) and Panama City (15%). Searches for flights to Guatemala City (12%), to Liberia (4%) and to Managua (1%) 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 10966 reviews
7.9comfort
8.2boarding
8.6crew
8.0entertainment
7.4food
Airline reviews

Delta is one of the best airlines I have flown

10.0 ExcellentKellie, Apr 2024ANC - SEA
Read more about Delta reviews

Delta is one of the best airlines I have flown

Made the Atlanta to Pittsburgh trip many times, with Delta no issues

I always fly with Delta. My friends tell me their horror stories of flying with other airlines. I just smile and say, “You should fly Delta”

I'm a larger, athletic guy (6'2", 260lbs powerlifter) and I found the seats incredibly uncomfortable with minimal leg room, especially in a window seat. Now, I full understand that being smaller may change my view but even if I was 80lbs less, my legs would be the same size and I was sandwiched between my seat and the seat in front of me.

Horrible. This was not first class. This was a connecting flight whi h was late. My original flight never came. I hated the fact that delta gave me a connecting flight from New York to Orlando Florida. No meals and the television screens were not working. There wasn't even any power to charge your phones. This is NOT FIRST CLASS DELTA!!! Do better next time!

This flight was ridiculous. I had to have a connecting flight from New York to orlando Florida??? The flight left late and because it was a short flight there was no first class amenities. I had one alcohol drink. The flight crew was fine, but it sure did not feel like first class. Delta to me dropped the ball by giving me a connecting flight. By the time we got to Raleigh we would have missed the next flight. Lucky for me the flight never came so now I was stuck waiting for a later flight that came in late also.

Our flight was delayed in Atlanta. The staff could have gave us an explanation for the delay and how long it would be.

I liked the ease of checking in, luggage check in, wheel chair assistance, boarding and flight.

On my way home I had a layover. The flight from ATL to CLT was amended 5x while I was waiting. I could have driven home sooner. Overall from Dallas, Tx to Charlotte, NC I started my trip at 4:30pm, I didn’t get home until past midnight. I know things happen, but 5x to make me run back and forth in an airport from different terminals is excessive. I also upgraded to comfort + , I didn’t feel it was worth it. There was no benefit

On my way home I had a layover. The flight from ATL to CLT was amended 5x while I was waiting. I could have driven home sooner. Overall from Dallas, Tx to Charlotte, NC I started my trip at 4:30pm, I didn’t get home until past midnight. I know things happen, but 5x to make me run back and forth in an airport from different terminals is excessive.

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.

Nothing beats ANA customer service on my opinion. Maybe because of their Japanese culture (and food). Arigatō

So so. Terrible aircraft choice for that leg of the flight.

Due to one crew member not showing up to work, our flight was significantly delayed causing us to miss our connecting flight in Houston to Mississippi causing us to be delayed by more than 6 hours and missing our event all together. Very disappointing. All because ONE crew member called in sick. United did grant us a $15 meal voucher, which was a small but appreciated concession that I wasn’t able to use because I ordered my lunch and paid for it before applying the concession, and the staff said it was too late to use it. Ugh! We also had a TWO delay coming back from Mississippi, but that was on American Airlines and it was due to weather, so not their fault. Anyway, not at all impressed with United’s handling of our flight and the HUGE disappointment of missing our important family event for our 90 year old mother. All that money and all that stress and emotions for nothing. Having to wait the hour to bring an employee from LAX seemed like something that should not have happened. Why don’t you have a local back-up? Santa Ana is not a little airport in a rural area.

Flight delayed from Cape Town to Washington then got diverted to miami and in miami we had to fend for ourselves , im still trying to get to Shreveport now

delay several times and wait extra long to board. no entertainment service because there are problem for some rows. always encounter some delays for the last flight of the day.

I just wrote a text which was supposed to be for the flight from Denver to spokane not Frankfurt to Denver.

On time every leg of the journey and exceptional staff at counter, gate, and on board. I haven’t travelled in US for a long time and was genuinely surprised how pleasant this was.

Hated every minute of it. This flight should have only taken 1.5hrs but was delayed over 10hours. Now I am being told I cannot be compensated or refunded my ticket price or extra leg room, which I purchased but did not receive, because the airline is throwing the blame on the 3rd party I purchased tickets through and 3rd party putting the blame on airline. No one wants to help. They received their money and that's all they care about. Im going on 3 days of still trying to get to my final destination, had to cancel car rental, car insurance and hotel. Currently staying in airport until hotels open up. Thank you Lufthansa, Kayak, Underpricer and United for making this trip the worst ever.

The delays (5 hrs) were a comedy of errors, and the multiple safety issues encountered were very concerning.

flight delays, staff only communicating when pushed, food service lasting a grand total of 7 minutes, stuck in seat from 45mins into flight until landing

I think the seats on some of their planes are uncomfortable. You can be ok on a short flight of two hours but no more than that. The delays, and also the refreshments on the plane were not enough.

Flight delayed over an over all day until it cancelled at 1:30am. Would not repeatedly delay that late. Offer hotel rooms and rebook early. Very difficult for families with small children

Not sure why JAL partnered with American Airlines because their service is no where near similar. Flight attendants were not friendly and didn’t smile. Food was horrible…

this is starting to seem like an american airlines standard. delayed flights and fake apologies… getting tired of it

Terrible boarding , Business class seats are sub standard. As usual crew will miss your food too

Just get Economy Plus for international flights, so worth it the extra room, bigger seats…

This flight is frequently delayed. The connections seemingly are more frequently delayed. I’ve missed connections as a result twice on the same route to charlotte then Charleston. Final destination arrival has been the next day, twice in a row. No pilots, no crew. Too many excuses. Unfortunately, my days with American are over.

Entertainment was okay not because anything was wrong but it is a short flight so having no wifi is annoying but understandable. Crew was outstanding as usual

It was spectacular. I had basic Economy and was given so much space and their seats lean back so far. Staff was superb, food was superb, everything was superb, Finnair is Fantastic.

Those seats were way too narrow. I had the middle seat, one person was a very skinny person and we still couldn’t avoid touching each other anytime one of us moved. The other person was larger and we were basically sitting in each others lap the entire flight. There was zero entertainment. The flight was long enough to justify tvs, but no. Gotta sit there in your infant seat and twiddle your thumbs.

Not much seat room, but that was unexpected. But the seat headrest was very uncomfortable.

First the good, everyone was friendly and efficient. Flight was smooth and plane was very clean and new. Now the bad, seats have almost no padding on your behind. I was in exit row so I had tons of leg room for a 6' 2" bean pole with long legs. Everything was extra - water, soda, snacks everything besides oxygen. Ya get what you pay for, and my flight was cheap as you could ever want it, so no worries.

First the good, everyone was friendly and efficient. Flight was smooth and plane was very clean and new. Now the bad, seats have almost no padding on your behind. I was in exit row so I had tons of leg room for a 6' 2" bean pole with long legs. Everything was extra - water, soda, snacks everything besides oxygen. Ya get what you pay for, and my flight was cheap as you could ever want it, so no worries. They dont really bother you about carry-on size, I brought a descent sized backpack and they didnt even check.

Spirit canceled the flight in March and never notified me!

Seats suck, not enough room, overcrowded planes, hectic situation all together.

Pretty good. Would’ve been excellent if we would have left on time and the crew wasn’t late.

I do not like the customer service, I had an emergency and needed to cancel a pet reservation right after I had booked it and they would not do anything but issue a credit. I haven't flown in years as I have 7 kids and don't have spare time. I want my $125 back on my card please

Spirit airline tries to screw you at every opportunity. Spirit wanted 65$ for an extra pound in the suitcase Made me open the suitcase at the counter to remove 1 pound. Staff very cold and rude Will never fly spirit again and will recommend same to family and friends

Delayed..4 times...completely disorganized boarding. After 5 hours they scrambled to move ppl off plane bc they overbooked. Then they didn't have a cabin crew. WiFi on plane didn't work. Zero amenities. Once we boarded we sat on tarmac for an hour. Explore all alternate options including purchasing a pair of hiking boots and walking to your destination instead of flying spirit.

what I like about Spirit is that the pilot and crew are good communicators. The plane itself - well, its a budget airline and you get what is expected, But I generally just feel safer, somehow, when I know more about what is going on - and Spirit has always done a good job of telling me what is going on: why the delay, why the turbulence, why this and that... and that means a lot to me.

Book Cheap Central America Plane Tickets

Recent round-trip flight deals

9/1Sun
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
9/30Mon
nonstopVolaris
4h 56mGUA-LAX
$123
5/20Mon
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
5/23Thu
nonstopVolaris
4h 56mGUA-LAX
$124
8/4Sun
nonstopAvianca
4h 40mLAX-GUA
8/31Sat
1 stopAvianca
13h 10mGUA-LAX
$163
8/8Thu
1 stopAvianca
7h 40mLAX-GUA
8/19Mon
1 stopAvianca
8h 05mGUA-LAX
$164
5/7Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
15h 23mLAX-SJO
5/14Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
13h 16mSJO-LAX
$171
8/27Tue
1 stopUnited Airlines
10h 03mIAD-SAL
9/10Tue
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 24mSAL-IAD
$180
5/7Tue
2 stopsSpirit Airlines
17h 14mLAX-SJO
5/14Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
13h 16mSJO-LAX
$183
5/26Sun
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
25h 13mIAD-SAL
6/1Sat
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
19h 00mSAL-IAD
$200
9/6Fri
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
19h 41mJFK-SAL
9/10Tue
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
17h 56mSAL-JFK
$200
6/9Sun
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 15mEWR-SJO
6/13Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 23mSJO-EWR
$218

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Recent one-way flight deals

6/3Mon
nonstopVolaris El Salvador
4h 51mJFK-SAL
$48
5/3Fri
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
$48
5/14Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
14h 46mEWR-SJO
$48
5/4Sat
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 38mIAD-SAL
$52
5/4Sat
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 38mIAD-SAL
$60
5/21Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
14h 33mEWR-SJO
$60
9/1Sun
nonstopAvianca
4h 50mJFK-SAL
$64
9/15Sun
nonstopAvianca
4h 50mJFK-SAL
$65
5/11Sat
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
10h 13mIAD-SAL
$72
5/13Mon
1 stopAmerican Airlines
7h 35mLAX-GUA
$72

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Last minute flights to Central America

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

4/29Mon
nonstopVolaris
4h 36mLAX-GUA
5/3Fri
multi-stopVolaris
9h 30mGUA-LAX
$166
4/30Tue
nonstopVolaris
4h 36mLAX-GUA
5/10Fri
multi-stopVolaris
9h 30mGUA-LAX
$169
4/30Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
14h 05mJFK-SAL
5/8Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 14mSAL-JFK
$198
4/30Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
15h 35mJFK-SAL
5/8Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 14mSAL-JFK
$201
4/29Mon
multi-stopUnited Airlines
9h 32mLAX-GUA
5/2Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
11h 44mGUA-LAX
$218
5/1Wed
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 52mLAX-GUA
5/4Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
12h 48mGUA-LAX
$232
4/30Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
22h 16mLAX-SJO
5/7Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
16h 17mSJO-LAX
$269
4/27Sat
nonstopAvianca
4h 20mIAD-SAL
5/8Wed
nonstopAvianca
4h 15mSAL-IAD
$273
5/1Wed
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
16h 45mLAX-SJO
5/7Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
13h 19mSJO-LAX
$274
4/30Tue
nonstopAvianca
4h 50mJFK-SAL
5/29Wed
nonstopAvianca
4h 40mSAL-JFK
$275

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Flights to Central America

Return flight deals:

Central America - United States

Cabin classes:

$759
$382
$149
$38

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