Fly business class to Rio de Janeiro from Miami and Washington, DC, from $1,563

You can save a decent amount of money right now on business-class travel to Brazil via Copa Airlines. A new fare sale has flights to Rio de Janeiro from Miami and Washington, D.C., at uncommonly low prices. Rio has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the world’s greatest party cities, not to mention it’s home to two iconic beaches: Copacabana and Ipanema. So, if you’ve been considering heading to South America, keep reading.

Aside from the great prices, this deal is enticing because the travel window is unusually wide. We found discounted flights from May until March 2025. Keep in mind that almost all the itineraries include layovers in Panama, but they are all reasonable in length. Also, some routes offer lie-flat seats on just one segment of the itinerary.

CHRISTIAN ADAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Deal basics

Airline: Copa Airlines

Routes: Round-trip in business class from Miami International Airport (MIA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., to Rio de Janeiro’s Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG)

How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline

Travel dates: Availability from May through March; varies by route

Sample flights

Availability for discounted business-class fares from Miami to Rio de Janeiro was wide open from August until December. Copa has round-trip itineraries from MIA to GIG for $1,563.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Check out this Copa itinerary we found from Miami to Rio in December.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Google Flights says this is a massive discount from normal prices for this route during the holiday season.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Rio’s next Carnival celebration takes place Feb. 28 through March 8, 2025. If you’re interested in being part of the iconic festival, you can book round-trip business class to land in Brazil right before the fun begins for less than $2,000. That’s an excellent price, especially considering how big an event Carnival is. Also, both legs of the return flight get you a lie-flat seat.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

The discounts are just as easy to find for flights out of our nation’s capital. This business-class itinerary from IAD to GIG for Carnival is available for just $2,254. Like the Miami itinerary, both legs of the return journey are with a lie-flat seat.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Want to escape the Northeast’s harsh winter but aren’t keen on dealing with the massive crowds at Carnival? That’s not a problem, as the same $2,254 price is available for a round-trip flight from Washington to Rio in January.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

We told you earlier that this deal’s availability is unusually generous. The sale price on Washington-to-Rio flights can also be found for travel across August and September.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)

Bottom line

Take advantage of the wide-open nature of this sale and find the itinerary that best suits your travel schedule.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.