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Travel from Houston to Managua, Nicaragua for $172 roundtrip on Spirit Airlines this Summer and Fall. Travel from Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami to Managua for $246+ roundtrip on Delta this Summer and Fall.
Contents:
- When are the $172+ fares?
- Why Nicaragua?
- Mileage Earning
- Best Credit Card to Buy the Ticket
- Copa Baggage Policy
$172 Roundtrip to Managua
Sample Dates: Houston to Managua, September 2 – 10, on Spirit
All of the flights in this post are roundtrips on Delta from American and United hubs (Gotta love competition!) except this Spirit fare out of Houston.
There are similarly cheap fares out of Houston the rest of the month.
Search on ITA Matrix by calendar of lowest fares for acceptable trip lengths.
Philadelphia
$247 roundtrips from August until November
Dallas
$247 roundtrips from August until November
Charlotte
$246 roundtrips from August to November
Chicago
$326 roundtrips from August to November
Miami
$247 roundtrips from August to November
Select the number of nights you’d like the roundtrip to be by hovering over a date on the calendar.
You cannot book on ITA Matrix. Instead note the dates and search on delta.com or spiritair.com.
Why Nicaragua?
In the Spring of 2008, I went for a week and a half to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Lago Nicaragua was the highlight. I rented a Vespa and cruised around Isla Ometepe, composed of two volcanoes. I stayed at an awesome hostel and hiked one of the volcanoes to the crater lake on its summit.
I could easily have passed a relaxing week on the island. The views are stunning. Getting around on a scooter rental is fun. And the prices are dirt cheap.
If you want to go to Ometepe, go soon before the proposed Nicaragua Canal cuts through the lake.
I didn’t like Managua at all. Frankly, it scared me a bit.
I did not go to Granada, Nicaragua, a well-preserved colonial city. I think I would have really liked Granada based on my time in the similar Antigua, Guatemala.
You can also easily cross the land border to Costa Rica and see the Monteverde Cloud Forest like I did when I was in Nicaragua.
Mileage Earning
To non-elites, Delta offers 5 miles per dollar for tickets, so these tickets will barely earn 1,000 miles!
Spirit’s program expires miles after 90 days, so don’t invest much in that program.
Best Way to Buy the Ticket
Purchase your ticket with your Citi Prestige® Card, since it comes with a $250 Air Travel Credit every calendar year that will cover the purchase of this ticket. If you haven’t used the credit yet, buy this fare with your Prestige, and you will receive an offsetting credit on your next statement: a completely free ticket!
Even if you’ve already used your $250 credit for this year, the card offers 3x on all airfare purchases.
See my review of the Citi Prestige Card which explains its many benefits like it annual $250 Air Travel Credit, 40,000 point sign up bonus, access to Priority Pass lounges, 3x points per dollar on air travel and hotels, and a $450 annual fee.
Delta and Spirit Baggage Policy
Delta allows one free personal item, one free carry on, and charges $25 for the first checked bag and $40 for the second. Having a Delta credit card will get you a free first checked bag.
Spirit allows one free personal item and charges $35+ for a carry on bag and $30+ for a first checked bag. There are $9 discounts available for members of its $60+ per year “$9 Fare Club.”
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
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