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Ever since the first day I donned a Patagonia jacket, and learned that it was named for a beautiful region of southern South America, I’ve wanted to plan a visit. Patagonia (the region) spans across Chile and Argentina, and includes many national parks. On this trip, we visited Torres del Paine on the Chilean side, and hiked the famous “W-trek.” Before arriving at the park, we spent a few days exploring Santiago, Chile. In this article, I will explain how I booked the trip for only $77.91 each, using miles and points.
Leg 1 – American Airlines/LATAM: MCI to SCL – 27,000 American Airlines miles + $5.60 each
This trip was relatively straight forward to book, compared with some other elaborate trips we have taken. I wanted to put our mountain of American Airlines miles to good use. You can earn a similarly large sum of miles by applying for the Citi American Airlines Platinum card and the Barclays AAviator Red card. With the current bonuses on these cards, you could take two people on this exact trip! Check our Main Menu -> Top Credit Cards -> Airline Cards for application links.
I booked each segment as a separate one-way ticket, because AA doesn’t offer stopovers. We wanted to maximize our vacation time and get to spend a couple days in Santiago, before heading to Patagonia.
Leg 1 took us from Kansas City to Santiago, Chile. The sAAver economy fare for this route is 30,000 AA miles + $5.60, and we saved 10% by holding one of the two cards mentioned above, bringing the miles down to 27, 000 per person.
Leg 2: LATAM – SCL to PNT – 5,400 American Airlines miles + $11.40 each
Leg 2 was a pleasant surprise, since AA has a special zone on their award chart for flights wholly within Chile. These flights are only 6,000 AA miles (minus 10% for cardholders), regardless of distance!
To reach Torres del Paine National Park, our destination within Patagonia, we needed to get to Puerto Natales, a small town at the south end of Chile. Previously, the only option to reach Puerto Natales, was to fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and then take a 4-hour bus. Fortunately, LATAM recently opened a seasonal, direct route from Santiago (SCL) to Puerto Natales (PNT). We snagged two seats on the first direct flight of the 2018-2019 season!
American Airline’s website has trouble locating these flights, since the PNT route is so new. I searched on Google Flights, and then I called into AA customer service to confirm availability and book.
Leg 3: American Airlines/LATAM: PNT to SCL to MCI – 27,000 American Airlines miles + $60.91 each
The final leg of the trip brought us home from Puerto Natales, via Santiago and Dallas. The total price for this very long set of flights was only 30,000 AA miles (minus 10% for cardholders). Fees were a bit higher on this route, due to the South American airport departure fee.
Final Thoughts
Even though American Airlines and LATAM operate these flights, they can all be booked with AA miles. LATAM is a member of the OneWorld Alliance, making them an AA partner airline. Keep in mind that you get a 10% mileage rebate, simply by holding the Citi AA Platinum card or the Barclay AAviator Red card. Your first checked bag is also free, as a cardholder, which is important for bringing a large hiking backpack to Patagonia! Check our Main Menu -> Top Credit Cards -> Airline Cards for application links.
This award booking experience shows how you can save cash and miles if you know how to identify sweet spots, utilize partner bookings, and recognize synergies between award programs. Hopefully this inspires you to think creatively when booking your next big trip! If you need help putting this complex puzzle together, check out our Travel Coaching services. Cheers!
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