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Find cheap flights to Central America from $56

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the United States to Central America departing on 8/20. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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0 bags
Sat 6/22
Sat 6/29

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Best Central America Flight Deals

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

San Salvador
San Salvador2 stops$163
San José
San Josénonstop$154
Guatemala City
Guatemala Citynonstop$134
Panama City
Panama City1 stop$324
Liberia
Liberia2 stops$240
Managua
Managuanonstop$141
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sulanonstop$140
Coxen Hole
Coxen Hole1 stop$366
Flores
Flores2 stops$287
David
David1 stop$450
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro1 stop$1,226
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa2 stops$512
Placencia
Placencia1 stop$1,061
La Ceiba
La Ceiba3 stops$563

Good to know

Low season

September

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$56
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 37% increase in price.
Flight from Los Angeles to Guatemala City

FAQs - booking Central America flights

  • Do I need a visa to fly to Central America?

    American citizens are not required to have a visa to fly to countries in Central America. Countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. All these countries apart from Nicaragua, allow US Citizens to stay for up to 90 days visa-free. If you plan to extend your stay, you’ll need to get a visa.

  • What are the entry requirements to Central America for US citizens?

    With the visa waiver, US citizens are required to have a passport valid for at least six months that they should carry all the time while in Central America. In addition, countries like Panama, Honduras, and El Salvador will require them to also have a tourist card that is valid for up to 30-90 days. If you plan on visiting Kuna Yala in Panama, you’ll need a yellow fever vaccination certificate because the country has a risk of yellow fever.

  • Can I fly non-stop to Liberia, Costa Rica from the United States?

    Yes. From airports in the US like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) aboard Delta Airlines, New York John. F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) aboard Jet Blue Airlines, or Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) aboard Alaska Airlines to Liberia Guanacaste International Airport (LIR). All these airlines offer specialized services to their passengers to help them relax and cater to their flight needs during long flights.

  • What is the best airport to fly in and out of Central America?

    Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City is the biggest and busiest airport in Central America. It connects Panama and several cities and states in the US. Moreover, it acts as a hub for several airlines giving flyers the chance to choose the best airline. It’s also known for clean terminals, efficiency, great customer service, and accessible services.

  • Which airlines have the cheapest prices from the United States to Central America?

    Among the airlines that provide either direct or layover flights to Central America, the cheapest airlines are Frontier Airlines, Copa Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. All these airlines have layover flights that are affordable alternatives to their non-stop flight counterparts.

  • Can I fly non-stop to Managua from the United States?

    Yes. From Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, you can fly directly to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport (MGA) in Managua, Nicaragua aboard Spirit Airlines. From Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami, you can fly directly to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport in Managua aboard either Avianca Airlines or American Airlines. From George Bush International Airport (IAH) in Houston, you can fly directly to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport aboard either United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Avianca Airlines, or American Airlines.  

  • How long is the flight to Central America?

    An average nonstop flight from the United States to Central America takes 4h 53m, covering a distance of 1889 miles. The most popular route is Los Angeles - San Salvador with an average flight time of 4h 50m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Central America?

    The cheapest ticket to Central America from the United States found in the last 72 hours was $31 one-way, and $117 round-trip. The most popular route is from Los Angeles to San Salvador and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $132.

  • Which airlines fly to Central America?

    United Airlines, Avianca & Copa Airlines fly the most frequently from the United States to Central America.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Central America?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is San Salvador (35% of total searches to Central America). The next most popular destinations are San José (30%) and Guatemala City (15%). Searches for flights to Panama City (12%), to Liberia (5%) and to Managua (2%) are also popular.

  • How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Central America

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Central America flight deals.
  • Central America has many major countries and cities known for their architectural and historical attractions. When traveling to Central America you can get non-stop flights to most of these cities from Miami, Orlando, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, or Chicago aboard several airlines including American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Avianca Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta Airlines.
  • Alaska Airlines is one of the most popular airlines along this route that offers non-stop flights from cities in the US like Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and Palm Springs to San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, Central America.
  • If you’re looking for cheap flights to El Salvador from Newark, opt for the layover flights by Spirit Airlines that have a layover in Fort Lauderdale that will give you a five-hour window to explore locations near Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL).
  • The Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Antigua in Guatemala are some of the most famous archaeological attractions in Central America. American Airlines has non-stop flights from Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Boston to Guatemala La Aurora City Aiport(GUA). From there, you can either take public transportation or take a flight to Mundo Maya International Airport in Flores to easily find your way to the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and take a taxi from GUA to Antigua.
  • Carnaval is a major annual festival that happens in Panama between February and March that lasts up to a week and attracts visitors from all around the world. Get on a non-stop flight from Miami on either American Airlines, Delta Airlines, or United Airlines to Panama City Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
  • Traveling within Central America on a budget requires you to fly into countries that are centrally located like Guatemala and Panana where you can access both public and private shuttle buses to other cities and to nearby countries to help save on transport costs.
  • Guatemala is served by two international airports namely Guatemala La Aurora City Airport and Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS). If you plan to visit towns in Guatemala like Flores, Santa Elena, and San Benito, fly on layovers into FRS which gives you direct access to these towns.
See more tips

Top 5 airlines flying to Central America

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States to Central America? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 10561 reviews
8.6Crew
8.2Boarding
7.4Food
8.0Entertainment
7.9Comfort
Airline reviews

Paid premium for Delta only to be on safe but tired old 767 with ancient cabin in mediocre condition. Poor wifi and horrible inflight entertainment. Hardly a premium experience. Should have flown SW and had fun flight crew and no pretense

6.0 GoodPeter, May 2024SLC - HNL
Read more about Delta reviews

Paid premium for Delta only to be on safe but tired old 767 with ancient cabin in mediocre condition. Poor wifi and horrible inflight entertainment. Hardly a premium experience. Should have flown SW and had fun flight crew and no pretense

Our flight to Zurich was delayed by almost 3 hours, so we missed our next flight. There was no indication it would be delayed this much. We were told the gate had changed and then it apparently took over 2 hours to load the "catering" on the plane. We were not compensated in any way for the trouble.

Rated entertainment as Mediocre as there were major problems with the Infotainment system that took probably a half hour for them to fix.

Your crew could maybe answer the call bell at least one of the times I pressed it. I pressed it first time with 2.5 hours left in our flight bc my partner was hungry and wanted a sandwich. We finally got the sandwich with 40 mins left in the flight.

Half the bathrooms assigned to economy were out of action

Delta crushed it. Flight attendant in first was attentive and just never stopped. Honestly one of the best domestic flights I’ve been on.

They were an hour late and they didn’t have my wheelchair for me

The Flight crew didn’t serve us until about 1.5 hours into the flight because of turbulence but after it ended it was fine to move around. They served us water only and snacks and then NEVER, NOT ONE TIME came through to collect trash until right before landing about 1.5 hours later. There was absolutely no need for that. They crew was just standing around talking and visiting with each other and really never tried to see if we might want something besides water or even try to come pick up trash. This is VERY unusual for a Delta flight but it was not what I would have expected for a 4 hour flight.

The 1st class male crew member was very pleasant - the short female with round glasses , maybe in 50’s had no personality- never spoke when delivering my food, drink, & never smiled the whole trip! In fact looked annoyed when the boarding proses was happening- I would never hire this woman - unfriendly . Have never dealt with a crew member like her-

5-hour delay due to storms in Tanoa and airspace restricted by Miami traffic controllers.

No water for a 5 hour flight entertainment not working seats with little room for knees when person in front of me reclined kept bumping my knees.

I don't think anyone actually reads these comments, so I won't spend much time on this submission. If you want to talk, you know how to reach me. The D/FW manager of Avianca (self-identified), Juan Calderon, insisted I buy an onward ticket from San Salvador even though I have diplomatic status in El Salvador and live here. It cost me $1,393 and Mr Calderon would not let me make the ticked flexible so I could get a refund. He went out of his way to be rude to me. He gave me seat 32K -- windowless window seat in the last row and did not offer to let me upgrade even though there were plenty of seats. I have flown well over a million miles in my life and this is the worst experience I have ever had. I would like a refund on the ticket I was forced to buy. Just awful!

This is the Spirit of Latino travel. And don’t even get me started on customer service.

Awful. I checked in online and there was no option to pay for baggage, at the airport when I checked in my baggage was received and Iwas not charged. When I got to LA during the boarding process I was told I didn't pay for baggage, the crew resolved I was let in the plane. When I got to my final destination my baggage was not there. It took me two days to receive my baggage. Bad service ever!

There was no food or drink service, couldn’t even get a glass of water for free. It was a long and expensive flight to not offer food or beverage on the plane.

It is better at the jfk than my home country. It was very easy and everything was on time.

There is no food. There is no in-inflight entertainment. The seats are cardboard. The airline is a living hellscape.

My experience was amazing! They helped my elderly mother board on early through a wheelchair and were accommodating to have us sit together since our seats were in different locations. When landing at the airport in GUA they were very helpful with full of hospitality.

No complimentary snacks food, beverage (not even water), pillow and blanket on a 6 hours long flight (including economy comfort). A low form of nickeling an diming. Lost a recurring passanger over a soda. Avianca never again.

Flight departure late. Got late in Colombia making us take a different flight next day. Avianca airport crew messed up my ticket so when a I got in Brazil I didn’t have a ticket for my destination. Had to buy a new ticket out of my pocket.

Backpack should NOT allowed put in the flight bin , only put it under the seat. I can't find space put my carry on luggage!!! and I pay for it ! that was very bad experience

Fantastic. Smooth boarding with an infant. Never experienced it with any other carriers.

This was a flight operated by Lufthansa. See me prior comments, which were meant for this experience. The CSA, Ashley, should be reprimanded if not fired for incompetence, being rude, and very, very slow. She was whispering to other CSAs, blaming my flight change on others, unable to give me a seat assignment, telling me could not help without offering any advice (I travel 200,000 miles a year and am a consultant to the airlines, so I know how this gets done PRETTY DAMN WELL). Then, she gave me literally the worst seat on the airline (yes, there were other seats open) - the one right next to the bathroom that was so bad the other PAX next to me left to move to another seat. My seat kept getting rammed (3x) by the crew with their carts (no turbulence to speak of), other passengers grabbing the seat to get in or out of the bathroom, and listening to the bathroom flush all night.

This was a Lufthansa flight, not United. The CSA at the counter, Ashley, was not only incompetent, but quite rude. Me and two other PAX waited over 7 minutes standing in front of her and another CSA and they ignored us. We joked that we must have accidently taken invisibility pills. She could have at least said "I'll be with you in a moment, I'm currently....". I could go on about how rude she and the other CSAs were (whispering, not communicating with me, blaming the situation on others, etc.). She would not work for me. Then, she gave me literally the worst seat on the plane. the worst. My seat kept getting bumped (rammed twice by the crew with their carts and about every 5 minutes by someone using the bathroom), listening to the bathroom all night, crowded seat, etc.

My seat was broken. WiFi didn’t work. Gate crew at HOU were rude and condescending. Treated all the passengers badly. Bad experience, United.

First flight of the day… MINIMUM FUEL! 15 minute landing delay at HOU due to fog turned into a 2+ hour delay! Rather than circle, they had to divert to another city to refuel! Sat on tarmac at Austin to refuel. We ALL missed our connections! The crew, including pilots, were clueless. Crew was really a mess. At HOU, Untied employees were exceedingly rude to all. It was pitiful.

Food wasn’t very good, old business seating configuration on an old A340

An hour and a half late is UNACCEPTABLE. The negative impact to our family is unconscionable. And for the price we were forced to pay...

Standard flight experience, but there is only power at the seat to row 20 on the aircraft, on my initial check in it did not say that was the case

Not a fan of the diagonal partially enclosed business class seats or how they have to be converted to beds manually by crew. I prefer more isolation and user control for switching to lie flat.

Delayed so that missed connecting flight. Connecting flight was also delayed on the tarmac but they closed the gate before the rescheduled time.

Attendants were rude. Scowling. Seats were miserable and we paid extra.

Took off over an hour late with multiple mechanical issues. Gate agent in Dallas was lazy and was slow as molasses. Had a line 10 people long. Spirit bad..

The preferred seats where awful. Impossible to use them again

The flight was short. However, my bag was delayed and was put on another flight.

Flight attendant was incredible. Very efficient, friendly and pleasant. Patricia was one of the best I have ever seen. Please give her a big raise!

Delayed multiple times. Boarding was ok but getting off the aircraft was a mess. So disorganized with staff trying to help the elderly but completely blocking path for anyone else to move. Bathroom was disgusting, probably caused by one of the customers but staff couldn't care less to help clean it. No one wanted to use it since the floor was completely soaked so everyone just lined up the other restroom while the staff just chit chat with each other while looking at us.

LIT to DFW - 3 hours late; the entire plane had been boarded before they told us there was a delay due to a weather-related ground stop in Dallas. DFW to MAY - 2+ hours late due to A/C needing to be repaired after everyone had boarded, then when we finally reach the runway, the First Officer timed out and we had to taxi all the way back to the gate and wait for a new one. I arrived in New Orleans 5+ hours later than I should have. Return flights were completely cancelled; rebooked through the app to fly through CLT instead of DFW. MSY to CLT had no issues, but CLT to LIT was delayed 1.25 hrs because flight attendants had not arrived to the airport yet. At least they didn’t make us all sit on the plane to wait for them. I should have driven.

Tray table was filthy when I sat down. I needed to have someone come clean it because there was food and stains on it WiFi didn’t work after paying for in flight WiFi Food was terrible and was not filling at all Chicken was rubbery Flight attendant had an attitude, interrupted me and wasn’t able to answer basic questions about the food selection such as “does the chicken have red sauce in it”. If your flight attendants are not going to know what is in the meals so we can make an educated decision based on dietary restrictions, they shouldn’t be on the plane. My 1.5 year old niece was sleeping and dropped her binkie. I went on the ground under the chairs looking for it. It was at that time that she came up to me as I’m CLEARLY on all 4s with a flashlight and said “I need to get by”. I said one moment please I’m getting something from under the seat (while my head was literally under the seat). Her reply was “no you need to move now” and proceeded to almost push me out of the way. I looked up and all I saw was her toes under my eyes. When I looked in front of me, her private parts were inches away from my face. I then made a comment “you couldn’t waited 2 seconds?” and her response was, “no I need to use the bathroom”. I understand that and would never want to be the reason someone couldn’t get to the bathroom but I was under the seat. She could’ve gone around the other way instead of harassing me, basically placing her private parts on my head and borderline pushing me out of the way. You don’t pay (especially this much) for this deplorable experience. This was by far the worst experience I have ever had on American. I will be absolutely thinking twice and thrice about flying American Airlines again. I would rather pay more to fly delta because at least I know their WiFi will work and their flight attendants won’t have a terrible attitude for no reason, nor will they act the way this woman did. Unacceptable.

Tray table was filthy when I sat down. I needed to have someone come clean it because there was food and stains on it WiFi didn’t work after paying for in-flight WiFi. Food was terrible and was not filling at all Chicken was rubbery Flight attendant had an attitude, interrupted me and wasn’t able to answer basic questions about the food selection such as “does the chicken have red sauce in it”. If your flight attendants are not going to know what is in the meals so we can make an educated decision based on dietary restrictions, they shouldn’t be on the plane. My 1.5 year old niece was sleeping and dropped her binkie. I went on the ground under the chairs looking for it. It was at that time that she came up to me as I’m CLEARLY on all 4s with a flashlight and said “I need to get by”. I said one moment please I’m getting something from under the seat (while my head was literally under the seat). Her reply was “no you need to move now” and proceeded to almost push me out of the way. I looked up and all I saw was her toes under my eyes. When I looked in front of me, her private parts were inches away from my face. I then made a comment “you couldn’t waited 2 seconds?” and her response was, “no I need to use the bathroom”. I understand that and would never want to be the reason someone couldn’t get to the bathroom but I was under the seat. She could’ve gone around the other way instead of harassing me, basically placing her private parts on my head and borderline pushing me out of the way. You don’t pay that much for this deplorable experience. This was by far the worst experience I have ever had on American. I will be absolutely thinking twice and thrice about flying American Airlines again. I would rather pay more to fly delta because at least I know their WiFi will work and their flight attendants won’t have a shitty attitude for no reason, nor will they act the way this woman did. Unacceptable.

I got a one-way, last-minute nonstop flight from PDX to BWI for only $125. Yes, I got nicked $79 more for a checked suitcase and $89 more for the BIG SEAT option, but it was worth it, even with $4.50 for coffee and $10 for a snack (the latter no different than any other airline). The grand total was still less flying on any other airline.

It was the worst ever, i will be filing a lawsuit to get a refund. Our flight was delayed 4 hours so we would miss our connecting flight, we were not rebooked to our destination the same day, we were not offered any options to get home on the same day despite being clear that we absolutely cannot get stranded at night due to family, we were forced to book our own flights on a different airline to get home, and spririt is refusing a refund because our flight wasn't cancelled, only delayed. oh yeah, and they lost our luggage on the first part of the trip and you cannot get a hold of customer service when anything goes wrong, on hold for 30+ minutes. and their app breaks so you can't use that either.

This recognisable no-frills airline gets me from point-A to point-B. I was able to get to Chicago without stress. The checked baggage collection and reclaim could be improved.

The crew was the best and very accommodating I know you don't offer any complimentary items but water and coffee will not break the bank !!

My flight was cancelled!!! I had to spend 200.00 on another flight!!

The whole day was a nightmare. Flight extremely late. Boarding was a mess of a nightmare.

When we landed, they kept us on the plane for almost 25 minutes. Could do better.

worst trip ever Spirit lost our Baggs which were never put on the plane in Atlanta. 24 hours ago they are telling me now that the bags are still missing.

Never been on this flight as i had missed it due to delayed connecting flight

Horrible. Delays, no customer support and fake promises and everything. i am suffering to help as due to connecting flight getting missed no support on ground and customer support window is closed and we are sitting o ground without anything

Book Cheap Central America Plane Tickets

Recent round-trip flight deals

8/5Mon
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
9/20Fri
1 stopVolaris
22h 29mGUA-LAX
$134
8/12Mon
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
8/20Tue
1 stopVolaris
7h 55mGUA-LAX
$139
8/12Mon
nonstopAvianca
4h 40mLAX-GUA
8/16Fri
nonstopAvianca
5h 15mGUA-LAX
$141
8/20Tue
nonstopAvianca
4h 40mLAX-GUA
8/28Wed
1 stopAvianca
7h 55mGUA-LAX
$143
8/21Wed
1 stopSpirit Airlines
9h 37mIAH-SAL
8/27Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
8h 06mSAL-IAH
$182
6/22Sat
1 stopSpirit Airlines
7h 23mIAH-SAL
9/3Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
9h 20mSAL-IAH
$184
7/9Tue
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 52mLAX-GUA
7/11Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 08mGUA-LAX
$191
6/5Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 22mEWR-SJO
6/12Wed
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 21mSJO-EWR
$206
9/23Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
19h 52mEWR-SJO
9/30Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
22h 06mSJO-EWR
$218
9/10Tue
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
19h 52mEWR-SJO
9/12Thu
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
20h 10mSJO-EWR
$219

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Recent one-way flight deals

8/20Tue
2 stopsAvianca
16h 45mLAX-GUA
$56
5/26Sun
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
$57
7/21Sun
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 52mLAX-GUA
$61
8/18Sun
1 stopUnited Airlines
9h 57mLAX-GUA
$65
8/27Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
14h 52mEWR-SJO
$70
9/4Wed
1 stopSpirit Airlines
8h 02mEWR-SJO
$73
8/19Mon
1 stopAmerican Airlines
6h 52mIAH-SAL
$74
8/17Sat
1 stopAmerican Airlines
6h 52mIAH-SAL
$76
8/21Wed
1 stopDelta
8h 00mJFK-SAL
$94
8/20Tue
1 stopDelta
8h 00mJFK-SAL
$119

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Last minute flights to Central America

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

5/26Sun
nonstopVolaris
4h 51mLAX-GUA
5/29Wed
multi-stopVolaris
22h 29mGUA-LAX
$176
5/27Mon
nonstopVolaris El Salvador
4h 51mJFK-SAL
6/4Tue
nonstopVolaris El Salvador
4h 52mSAL-JFK
$193
5/28Tue
nonstopAvianca
4h 20mIAD-SAL
6/10Mon
nonstopAvianca
4h 15mSAL-IAD
$233
5/27Mon
nonstopAvianca
4h 20mIAD-SAL
6/7Fri
nonstopAvianca
4h 15mSAL-IAD
$234
5/25Sat
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 04mLAX-SAL
6/7Fri
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 25mSAL-LAX
$239
5/28Tue
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 38mIAD-SAL
6/4Tue
multi-stopUnited Airlines
15h 59mSAL-IAD
$244
5/26Sun
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
7h 21mIAH-SAL
6/4Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
9h 42mSAL-IAH
$263
5/26Sun
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
8h 31mIAH-SAL
6/4Tue
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
8h 22mSAL-IAH
$265
5/26Sun
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
19h 18mJFK-SJO
6/4Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
17h 30mSJO-JFK
$284
5/26Sun
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
19h 18mJFK-SJO
6/4Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
16h 59mSJO-JFK
$285

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Flights to Central America

Return flight deals:

Central America - United States

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$551
$149
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