100,000 Points: Across the Ocean – Peru
Lima’s Pacific coastline from Miraflores, the starting point for exploring how far 100,000 points can take you in Peru.
About This Series
Booking your first long-haul award flight can feel intimidating.
A weekend getaway is one thing. Crossing an ocean with points is another.
This series explores realistic ways to reach destinations around the world using around 100,000 points or less. That may mean flying economy, premium economy, or—when award space and transfer partners align—even business class.
Because points and miles are constantly changing, I believe they’re meant to be used, not saved forever waiting for the perfect redemption.
The goal isn’t to chase unicorn awards.
It’s to help you book the trip you’ve been dreaming about.
Why Peru?
Peru is one of those destinations that can mean something completely different depending on the type of trip you want to take.
You could spend a few days eating your way through Lima, head into the Andes to explore Cusco and Machu Picchu, hike among mountain lakes, or travel south to Arequipa and the landscapes surrounding the Colca Canyon. Along the coast, you can trade the mountains for desert dunes, wildlife and the Pacific around Paracas and Huacachina.
Few countries make it this easy to combine cities, mountains, desert and coastline in a single trip.
And while cash fares to Peru can sometimes be affordable, transferable points can still be especially useful. With the right redemption, you may be able to cover your round-trip flights for around 100,000 points or considerably less, leaving more of your travel budget for everything you want to do once you arrive.
Quick Trip Snapshot
| Topic | Quick Take |
|---|---|
| Best weather | May–September is generally the driest time for visiting Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Andes. Lima and the coast have different weather patterns, with warmer, sunnier conditions typically from December–April. |
| High season | June–August brings some of the highest demand, especially around Cusco and Machu Picchu. Expect more visitors and book popular trains, hotels, and Machu Picchu entry well ahead. |
| Shoulder season | April–May and September–October can be a great compromise for the Andes, with fewer crowds while avoiding the heart of the rainy season. |
| How long to stay | About one week is enough for a classic first trip focused on Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. If you want to add Arequipa, Paracas, or another region, 10–14 days gives you much more breathing room. |
| Language | Spanish is the primary language for most travelers, while Quechua and other Indigenous languages are also spoken. English is common in many hotels and major tourist areas, but basic Spanish is extremely useful. |
| Getting around | Domestic flights make it relatively easy to connect Lima with Cusco, Arequipa, and other regions. Buses and private transfers are useful for shorter regional trips, while rideshare apps are convenient in cities like Lima. |
| Budget | Peru can be relatively affordable once you arrive, particularly for food, local transportation, and many hotels. Machu Picchu, trains, tours, and domestic flights can add considerably to the total trip cost. |
| Airport & Connections | Most international travelers enter through Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima. Lima is the country’s main international gateway and the starting point for many domestic connections throughout Peru. |
| Currency (PEN) | Peru uses the sol (PEN). Credit cards are widely accepted in cities and tourist areas, but carrying some soles is useful for markets, small businesses, taxis, and other cash purchases. |
What Makes Long-Haul Awards Different
Long-haul award travel takes a little more planning than booking a domestic flight or weekend getaway. Before comparing airline programs, here are four concepts that will help you make better redemption decisions.
1. Set realistic expectations
My goal isn’t to showcase unicorn redemptions that require months of searching or incredible luck. Instead, I focus on awards that most travelers have a reasonable chance of booking.
Business class across the ocean for around 100,000 points is possible—but it usually requires flexibility. You may need to book close to a year in advance (or at the last minute), adjust your travel dates, depart from a different airport, or settle for premium economy or economy instead.
The more constraints you have, the fewer options you’ll find.
2. Don’t overlook positioning flights
Many of the best award flights depart from major gateway airports rather than your hometown.
If you need a separate ticket to reach your international departure airport, that’s called a positioning flight.
Whenever possible, arrive the morning of an evening departure or the night before an early morning flight. When comparing options, include positioning flights, airport hotels and your time in the overall cost of the trip.
3. Always compare the entire itinerary
The cheapest award isn’t always the best award. A flight that costs a few thousand more points may save hundreds of dollars in taxes, eliminate an overnight hotel, reduce travel time or avoid multiple connections.
Evaluate the entire journey, not just the mileage price.
4. Understand the rules before you transfer
Credit card points are flexible. Once you transfer them to an airline, they usually can’t be transferred back.
Before transferring points:
- Confirm the award space is actually available.
- Understand the airline’s cancellation and redeposit fees.
- Check whether the airline’s miles expire.
- Don’t rely solely on award-alert tools—phantom award space is real, and availability can disappear quickly.
Transfer only when you’re ready to book.
Flying to Lima
Lima is surprisingly well connected to the U.S., with nonstop flights from several major gateways and plenty of one-stop options from cities across the country.
During my searches, I found nonstop award options from Atlanta (ATL), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), and Salt Lake City (SLC). But if you don’t live near one of those gateways, don’t assume you need a separate positioning flight. I also found connecting awards from cities like Philadelphia, Dallas and Los Angeles on a single ticket.
The prices were better than I expected, too. Economy awards started at just 13,500 miles one way, with plenty of options in the 21,000–30,000-point range. I even found Business Class from Los Angeles for 27,500 miles.
The biggest lesson? The first result you find isn’t necessarily the best one. Award search tools can miss options, the same flight can cost dramatically different amounts depending on which program you use, and sometimes adding your home airport doesn’t increase the mileage price at all.
Below, I’ll compare the five programs that gave me the most useful options for getting to Lima: American AAdvantage, Atmos Rewards, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and United MileagePlus.
American Airlines AAdvantage
Transfer partners: Citi
Why Book Through American Airlines?
American ended up being one of the more interesting programs I searched because some of the results weren’t showing up in the award search tools I was using.
Miami is the obvious gateway, but when I searched directly on American’s website, I also found connecting itineraries from Philadelphia and Dallas on a single award. In some cases, American’s dynamic pricing was even lower than booking the same American-operated flights through partner programs.
Redeeming Points
Here are a few examples I found:
- PHL → MIA → LIM: from 13,500 AAdvantage miles on select dates
- DFW → MIA → LIM: from 13,500 AAdvantage miles
- LAX → MIA → LIM: from 13,500 AAdvantage miles
- LAX → MIA → LIM in Business Class: from 27,500 AAdvantage miles
- Taxes and fees as low as $20.60 one way
American uses dynamic pricing, so don’t assume you’ll automatically find a 13,500-mile ticket. But it’s absolutely worth checking American directly before transferring points elsewhere.
Don’t Forget to Check Business Class
One of the biggest surprises was Los Angeles to Lima for 27,500 AAdvantage miles in Business Class, not much more than some of the Economy awards I found through other programs.
Don’t expect a lie-flat seat at this price. Both flights were operated by American’s A321neo. I quickly searched the aircraft type and checked the seat map, which confirmed these were larger seats at the front of the plane, not lie-flat Business Class seats.
Still, for a relatively small number of additional miles, the extra space could be worth it. It takes only a minute to check the aircraft and seat map before booking so you know what those extra miles are actually getting you.
📅 Award Calendar: American AAdvantage has a monthly award calendar, making it easy to search an entire month for the lowest-priced redemptions.
Atmos Rewards
Transfer partners: Bilt
Why Book Through Atmos?
After searching American AAdvantage, my next stop will almost always be Atmos Rewards. You’re often looking at the same American Airlines flights, but with more consistent partner pricing.
American’s dynamic pricing can produce some fantastic deals, but it varies dramatically by date. Atmos may or may not be cheaper, but it’s worth checking next.
Redeeming Points
Here are a few examples I found:
- MIA → LIM: from 25,000 Atmos points
- PHL → MIA → LIM: 25,000 points + $41
- DFW → MIA → LIM: 25,000 points + $41
- LAX → MIA → LIM: from 30,000 points + $40.60
Remember how the award search tools weren’t showing Philadelphia or Dallas when I searched American? The same thing happened with Atmos. But when I searched directly through Atmos, both PHL → MIA → LIM and DFW → MIA → LIM appeared for 25,000 points—the same mileage price as Miami alone.
That’s why it’s worth searching from your actual home airport before booking a separate positioning flight. You may be able to add that domestic connection on the same ticket without spending any additional points.
📅 Award Calendar: Atmos has a monthly award calendar, making it easy to scan an entire month for lower-priced redemptions.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Transfer partners: American Express • Bilt • Capital One • Chase • Citi
Why Book Through Flying Blue?
Flying Blue is one of the easiest programs to earn miles with thanks to its extensive list of transfer partners. It’s also one of the first I’d check if you’re hoping to fly Delta to Lima, because Flying Blue offered some surprisingly good prices for Delta-operated flights.
Redeeming Points
Here are a few examples I found:
- ATL → LIM: Delta nonstop from 21,000 Flying Blue miles
- SLC → LIM: Delta nonstop from 28,000 Flying Blue miles + $48.50
- LAX → LIM: connecting itineraries from 28,500 Flying Blue miles
Salt Lake City was the wildcard I wasn’t expecting. If you’re coming from the western U.S., it’s a good reminder not to assume all of the useful nonstop gateways to Lima are on the East Coast or through Miami.
The bigger surprise was comparing Flying Blue with Delta’s own program. I found Delta-operated nonstop flights for as little as 21,000 Flying Blue miles, while Delta SkyMiles was showing Lima itineraries above 80,000 miles on some of the dates I checked. The airline operating your flight isn’t necessarily the program you should book it through.
Flying Blue’s award calendar also wasn’t always perfectly consistent with the results after clicking a date. I saw months with plenty of lower-priced awards followed by future months with nothing showing at all. If you’re planning far in advance, don’t assume an empty month means those awards will never appear. Check nearby dates and check back periodically as more availability appears.
Always confirm availability for your exact dates before transferring any points.
📅 Award Calendar: Flying Blue has a monthly award calendar, making it easy to search an entire month for the lowest-priced redemptions.
💰 Award Changes: International airline programs often charge award cancellation or change fees. Be sure to check the policy before transferring your points or booking.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Transfer partners: American Express • Bilt • Capital One • Chase • Citi
Why Book Through Virgin Atlantic?
Virgin Atlantic is another program worth checking for Delta-operated flights to Lima, particularly if you’re starting in New York.
This one is also personal for me. I’ve actually used Virgin Atlantic points to fly from New York to Lima before, and it’s one of the options I’ll be looking at again when I return to Peru next summer.
Redeeming Points
Here are a few examples I found:
- JFK → LIM: Delta nonstop from 25,000 Virgin points
- JFK → LIM in Business Class: from 50,000 Virgin points
Philadelphia doesn’t have a nonstop flight to Lima, and New York is close enough that positioning to JFK can make sense. And for that 50,000-point Business Class redemption? I’ll happily take the train up to New York.
💰 Award Changes: Virgin Atlantic charges $100 per person to change or cancel a reward flight originating in the U.S. Cancel more than 24 hours before departure and your points are redeposited.
United MileagePlus
Transfer partners: Bilt • Chase
Why Book Through United MileagePlus?
United MileagePlus is worth checking for Lima, particularly if you’re starting in the Northeast. United operates nonstop service between Newark (EWR) and Lima, giving travelers another way to reach Peru without connecting.
Redeeming Points
Here are a few examples I found:
- EWR → LIM: nonstop from around 30,000 United miles
- LAX → LIM: connecting itineraries from around 30,000 United miles
For me, Newark is the interesting option. Like JFK, it’s close enough to Philadelphia that positioning for a nonstop can make sense. A 30,000-mile nonstop gives me another useful option to compare when it’s time to book.
📅 Award Calendar: United MileagePlus has a monthly award calendar, making it easy to search an entire month for lower-priced redemptions.
Before You Transfer Your Points
- Transfers are one-way. Once you transfer points from your credit card rewards account to an airline or hotel loyalty program, they can’t be transferred back. Double-check award availability before clicking “Transfer.”
- Review the cancellation policy before booking. Many international airline programs charge a fee to cancel an award ticket and redeposit your miles, and those fees are typically charged per traveler, not per reservation. For example, Flying Blue charges approximately €70 per ticket, while Virgin Atlantic charges $100 per ticket for reward flights originating in the U.S.
Is Booking with Points Worth It?
The premise of this series is simple: Can you visit incredible destinations for around 100,000 points?
For Peru, the answer may be even better: you might not need anywhere close to 100,000 points.
During my searches, I found one-way Economy awards starting at just 13,500 AAdvantage miles, with plenty of options between 21,000 and 30,000 points. That puts a round-trip Economy redemption well within our 100,000-point budget—and potentially leaves a significant number of points available for hotels or another trip.
These are just snapshots, and award prices and availability change constantly. But they show just how far 100,000 points could potentially take you in Peru.
Booking with points isn’t always the easiest option. You may need to position to another airport, shift your dates, or search directly with an airline when an award tool comes up empty. And sometimes, after weighing all of those factors, paying cash is simply the better choice and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to use points on every trip. The goal is simply to travel more.
Which Flight Would I Book?
Well, I’ve actually booked one of these flights before.
On a previous trip to Peru, I booked a 50,000-point Business Class redemption through Virgin Atlantic from JFK to Lima. I already had about half of those points sitting in my Virgin account—and Virgin points don’t expire—so transferring the other half wasn’t too painful. For 50,000 points, I was very happy to take a lie-flat seat to Lima.
But my next trip to Peru is already planned for next summer, and this time I’ll be traveling with my sister. That means seat availability and our individual points balances matter much more than finding the absolute lowest redemption.
My sister doesn’t have AAdvantage miles, but she does have Atmos points. So if we can both find availability and have enough points, I’d book the 25,000-point Atmos redemption from Philadelphia to Lima. No positioning flight, one ticket from home and a very reasonable number of points.
If that doesn’t work? We’ll take the train to New York. Virgin Atlantic is much easier for both of us to transfer points into, and if we can find that 25,000-point nonstop Economy redemption from JFK to Lima, that’s an easy Plan B.
And if that 50,000-point Business Class award happens to be available for both of us? Well, I’ve taken that flight before. I’ll happily take the train up to JFK for that one.
That’s really what these searches come down to for me. The best option depends on what’s actually available when you’re ready to book, which points you already have, and how many people you’re trying to get on the same flight. I’ll keep our points flexible until we find the seats we actually want, then book whichever option makes the most sense.
Ready to Start Planning?
Well, since you may only need half of that 100,000-point balance—or even less—to fly to Lima, that leaves plenty of possibilities for the points you have left. You could put some toward a hotel in Lima, save them for another trip, or simply take the win.
Once your flight is booked, it’s time to start planning the actual trip.
Continue planning your trip to Peru:
- What to Expect When Visiting Lima — Everything I’d want to know before a first trip to the city.
- Where to Stay in Miraflores — Hotel options for one of the easiest neighborhoods to use as your Lima home base.
- Why I Stopped Rushing Through Lima — Why I finally started treating Lima as a destination rather than somewhere to pass through.
- Peru Is More Than Machu Picchu — Where to go when you want to see more of the country.
- Lima Airport Flight Delays & Cancellations: What Two Very Different Travel Days Taught Me — Because apparently simply arriving in Lima is never enough of a story for me.
- Business Class There. Two Layovers Home. — What happens when the outbound and return journeys look very different.
100,000 points can get you to Peru. The fun part is deciding what you want to do with everything you have left.