Business Class Loopholes in Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance Loyalty Programs, U.S. to/from Southern South America

These anomalies can net Business Class for only 5,000 more miles than coach—and at up to 36% off.

U.S. domestic airlines charge 100,000 to 125,000 miles for a Business Class ticket between the U.S. and southern South America—Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. But here’s the deal: Combine a little-utilized loyalty program with our favorite credit card points, from Starwood Preferred Amex, and you can get Business Class starting at just 55,000 miles roundtrip—just 5,000 more than American and United charge for coach.

Three Best Deals—by Alliance

See chart (immediately below) for sample savings for each alliance (details follow).