Flying from Miami: what you need to know
Miami is the capital of Latin American aviation, full stop. MIA has more nonstop routes to Central America, South America, and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport. If you're headed anywhere south of the border, this is the departure point with the most options and the most competition.
American Airlines runs its largest international hub here, with nonstop service to Bogotá, Lima, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, and roughly 40 Caribbean islands. LATAM, Avianca, Copa, and JetSMART add low-cost pressure on the Latin American routes. The result: MIA to Bogotá drops below $250 roundtrip several times a year. Lima can break $300.
For European routes, Miami has solid nonstop options but fewer than JFK. Iberia, Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa all fly direct. The Madrid route is particularly competitive — Iberia treats MIA-MAD as a flagship route with premium pricing, but sales regularly hit $350 roundtrip.
Domestic fares from Miami tend to be higher than average, partly because there's strong inbound demand from travelers visiting South Florida. The exception is the New York shuttle — JetBlue, American, Spirit, and Frontier all compete, keeping MIA-JFK under $100 one-way on good days.
Seasonal tip: Miami's outbound travel peaks in summer when locals escape the heat and humidity. The absolute cheapest international fares appear September through November — hurricane season scares some travelers away, but most Caribbean and South American destinations are unaffected.