Flights U.S > SA, SA>US

[citygirl]

That's ABSOLUTELY brilliant. It was the exact conversation I had with AA. I called them to ask about tix.
Me: What is the price for direct flight from JFK to EZE on X date?
AA: $1500 for that leg is the cheapest flight we have. But there is no direct flight available at that price. You have to connect through Miami.
Me: What about the price of a ticket from Toronto to EZE on X date?
AA: You can fly from Toronto to JFK. Then you take the direct flight to EZE. That will be $578.
Me: Wait, so instead of spending $1500, it's $578? For flying further? And now I can take the direct flight b/c it's suddenly an option?
AA: Yes - what don't you understand?
Me: Everything apparently.

 

[yillabean]

Just found this. Thought it may be of interest...
$209 & up -- South America From Across the U.S. (each way)http://airfare.travelzoo.com/international-airfare/455294?ptl=done&rating=

 

[syngirl]

Flights from BA to North America are always more expensive than the other way round. Argentina has more taxes and controls on ticket prices it seems than in NA.
Right now it's easy as pie to find tickets to NA that start at around 500 bucks. The problem is the taxes and fees. For flying back to the States you get charged 18 dollars exit fee, about 50 dollars taxes here, then another fee for issuing the ticket that I believe is about 20-25 bucks. Then when you land in the States (even if you're literally just transferring through on your way to Canada and will only be there an hour) you get charged another 50 bucks or so just for the privilege of touching American soil. Then they charge you a bunch of fees for daring to take up their custom officers' time and for 9/11 security "improvements". So by now you've already added another 400-500 onto your ticket price.
Oh but wait, you haven't paid for your gas yet... ka-ching ka-ching... tack another 470 dollars onto your ticket price...
So for LA you can now expect about 1050; for Chicago/NY, about 1200-1400, for Canada (you get charged another round of fees for walking through customs) consider yourself lucky if you find anything for less than 1500.
If you're flying to Canada, you can sometimes reduce your ticket price by flying via Mexico instead of the States -- the Mexicans don't charge as many fees. Also if you're going to Vancouver, sometimes stopping in Seattle is a couple hundred bucks less, and then hop a bus or call a friend. Sometimes though, Seattle is a few hundred more. Last time I went home it was actually more to stop in Seattle than Vancouver, even though my flight route had a stopover in Seattle. In the end my stop over was delayed so I spent 5 hours at the airport in Seattle, but save 350 bucks on my ticket.

 

[citygirl]

Syn, my flight from Toronto is $1000 less USD R/T than flying from NYC. How strange is that?
I've just given up on asking questions. And those taxes are killers - I recently bought a ticket and the ticket price was $500. The taxes added up to another $300. Ridiculous!