Santiago is served by Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), the primary and busiest airport in Chile and a major hub for South America. It offers extensive domestic connectivity from throughout the long country, a comprehensive network of international arrivals from across the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, and serves as a key gateway for Antarctica-bound travelers arriving into SCL.
The most frequent and affordable flights to Santiago are domestic routes from major Chilean cities. Key departure points include Punta Arenas (PUQ) in Patagonia, Antofagasta (ANF) in the north, and Puerto Montt (PMC) in the Lake District into SCL. Internationally, SCL has strong competition on arrival routes from major hubs like Lima (LIM), Buenos Aires (EZE), São Paulo (GRU), Miami (MIA), Madrid (MAD), and Sydney (SYD) into Santiago. It is also the main arrival point for flights from Easter Island (IPC).
The market for arrivals into Santiago is dominated by LATAM Airlines, which uses SCL as its main hub, competing directly with Sky Airline, Chile's leading low-cost carrier. This competition drives down fares on many domestic and regional arrival routes into SCL. International carriers like American Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, and Aerolíneas Argentinas provide extensive overseas connectivity into Santiago, creating further price competition on long-haul arrivals.
To secure cheap flights to Santiago, book domestic arrivals 3-6 weeks in advance into SCL, especially for popular routes from Patagonia. For international arrivals to Santiago, start searching 2-5 months ahead. Always compare LATAM and Sky Airline for domestic and regional South American arrivals into SCL — Sky often offers significantly lower base fares. For the unique arrival route from Easter Island (IPC) to Santiago, book at least 3-4 months in advance due to limited capacity. Flying mid-week into SCL and avoiding peak Chilean summer (December-February) and holiday periods yields the best savings.