"unhelpful, officious and rude agents"
M Young (United States)
✅ Trip Verified | Like so many other passengers I've had other bad experiences with this carrier but what has me writing this review was a terrible early-gate-close experience I've never had before in decades of international flights: For my flight from Bogota to Santa Marta Avianca made no final boarding announcement and unnecessarily closed a gate early just seconds after other passengers entered the gangway leaving me and at least two Colombian passengers stranded and no doubt also ended up delaying the flight for all the passengers that did board since they now unnecessarily needed to remove and reroute checked luggage off the flight. After dealing with relatively unhelpful, officious and rude agents each of the three of us were only grudgingly given the option to rebook to a much later flight for a "penalty" that was almost the cost of a whole new ticket. I have never had such an early-gate-close experience before, but if I somehow experience anything close to it again with a reputable carrier I'd anticipate helpful customer service and extra recompense rather than rudeness and excessive penalties.
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Bogota to Santa Marta |
Date Flown | July 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"avoid Avianca at all costs"
Carlos Khan (United States)
Not Verified | My experience was absolute hell. My siblings say that this airline back in the days was good. Never saw that in this flight. You’d expect nice treatment, that was not what I experienced in Avianca. The legroom was horrible, no recline whatsoever, and it was really uncomfortable for a 5 hour international flight back home. Also the amount of money just to pay for a meal was horrendous. It cost me like $10 for a Mac and Cheese, also water was not complimentary. I do not recommend using Avianca, use Delta, JetBlue, or any other airline that’s better than Avianca. The only good thing about Avianca was the Cabin Crew, really friendly and courteous. Other than that, avoid Avianca at all costs.
Aircraft | A320-200 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Medellin to New York |
Date Flown | July 2023 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"never use this airline"
C Ruben (United States)
Not Verified | I requested a luggage charge refund and was told in writing I would get it. But in order to get the refund Avianca requested information and financial details that were totally irrelevant would comprise my privacy and subject me to potential fraud. They wanted certified Banking details, ID’s and certified letters from me (ticket buyer) and my mother (the passenger). All irrelevant information as the original form of payment was an Amex card. Dealt with airline for several months and could not resolve. My credit card company got involved and after many back and forth emails they also could not resolve it. Finally I was given a credit by my credit card company not Avianca. The cc company took the loss because Avianca was requesting customer information that was irrelevant and could be susceptible to fraud. Frustrating and unnecessary experience over a simple credit. I will never use this airline.
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Seat Type | Business Class |
Route | Bogota to Bolivia |
Date Flown | March 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"worst of all airlines"
1 reviews Shantha Dissan (Canada)
Not Verified | We travelled to Argentina from Toronto on 2024-04-23 on Air Canada and return was from Chile - Bogota- Toronto on 2024-05-05 on AC 6153 & AC99. We each carried 1 checked baggage approx. weight under 15-17 kgs each in regular checked smaller bags - The weight was limited due to internal flight restrictions. On our return Journey we checked in at Santiago (SCL) @ 23.55 for our return flight home. Santiago to Toronto, things did not go well at the Santiago airport, Avianca charged us USD $380.15 for two checked bags for me & my wife in total. checked in bags (all 5 to 17 KGs) and smaller bags. These charges are far more expensive than the normal or reasonable fees charged by any airline and these amounts to a day-light robbery. I would think charge of USD$190.00 per bag is good to go around the world at least two times. Air Canada baggage fees is on CAD $75.00 per bag to and from Toronto to Buenos Arise and from Santiago to Toronto CAD $75.00. Please save your grief do not fly on Avianca. Our Flight was 11.55 PM from Chile to Bogota arrival at 5.00AM +1 Day. Terrible inflight service and not even water was offered on this international flight. I have travelled in so many airlines around the world and Avianca is worst of all airlines.
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Chile to Bogota |
Date Flown | May 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"it is always bad"
Marian Klussmann (United States)
✅ Trip Verified | I have flown with Avianca before, and it is always bad, but nothing like this one. I was traveling with two members of my family. On the day of check-in, I tried to add my TSA Known Traveler Number through the website, but the website denied the number; this was not the first time that'd happened. I called customer service to add this since that was what I did last time. Customer service said that they could not add it, and that I would have to go directly to the counter at the airport (let it be known that they added it the previous couple of times with minimal problem). On the day of the flight, we got to the counter, and as always, the staff on the counter seemed to have a bad day so far. We had one checked bag and were only allowed one personal item; the lady on the counter "nicely" checked what kind of personal items we had, and we were ready to go. I asked if I could add my TSA number, but the lady said that the system was not allowing her to add it and that I would have to speak directly with TSA (no problem-solving whatsoever). I asked TSA and they said that the airline had to deal with that. I did not want more problems, so I went with my family through regular TSA. We got to the gate and were waiting to board the plane; one of my family members has a back problem, so she took a backpack with rollers. Once we started boarding, the lady at the gate stopped my family member and said she could not board the plane. We got checked in with my other family member and waited in the hall before entering the plane. Staff started complaining about her personal item, stating it was a carry-on. I asked them to measure the backpack because it was a personal item. There was another lady at the counter of the gate yelling at me that my family member would not board and fly; I told her multiple times it was a backpack and to measure it, but she was rubbing her face, annoyed, and responding that she would not board the plane, she was responding with an attitude and with annoyed faces. I tried to exit the hall, but the lady at the gate stopped me, saying that I would be off-boarded off the plane and that they would call the police; they told us several times they'd call the police (I'm unsure why, but anyhow). I asked her to measure the backpack, and her response was to recite the measurements and that they would take care of it, and we needed to board the plane. We left my family member at the gate and boarded the plane. My family member then told us they were asking for $150.00 for the personal item (as usual), and my family member asked to speak with the manager. The manager came out saying that the backpack was again a carry-on, but she proceeded to measure it. To their not-so-surprise, the backpack was the measurement of a carry on. Then they complained about why the tickets were bought separately and why she was separated from the family. To this point, I think they were stretching it. My family member told them that that had nothing to do with her not boarding the plane. The staff then asked my family member to remove some stuff from her bag because it was too big, saying she'd leave it. My family member asked if we could store her stuff in our bags.
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Los Angeles to Guatemala |
Date Flown | May 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Food & Beverages | 12345 |
Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Wifi & Connectivity | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
“paid for Business Class, get Economy”
1 reviews T Bauer (Germany)
✅ Trip Verified | “The worst airline in the world - paid for Business Class, get Economy” I purchased and paid premium price for the seat 1B (2-seat row, aisle seat) at the first row on the airplane. I have the receipt. I checked online and have the boarding pass with the seat 1B. I went to the airport. At the gate, right before getting on the airplane, the gate staff stop me and gave me the new boarding pass with the seat 25B at the end of the airplane, middle seat in the 3-seat row. Photo are attached. I complained to the gate staff. She said go home and contact customer service. I complained to the flight attendant. They said they can not issue or change the boarding pass. I called the hotline, waited 30 minutes only answering machine. I contacted the WhatsApp number only BOT replied. I wrote emails. Only the automatic replied that they received my emails. Today, I received an email from a gentleman name David Steven Aguirre Villa from Avianca. He said that "the seat is subject to availability". What kind of service is that? IT'S A SCAM when customer have to pay for the seat and the airline just took the money and do not provide the service. They do not pay back you the money. They do not say Sorry or anything. They just took your money.
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Seat Type | Business Class |
Route | Bogota to Panama City |
Date Flown | April 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Food & Beverages | 12345 |
Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Wifi & Connectivity | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"Total scam company"
Joshua Bogart (United States)
Not Verified | When we bought this ticket we had a 1 hr layover in Guatemala. By the time we flew Avianca had turned that into a 10 hr layover with 3 kids. At check in Avianca offered lounge access for an extra $150. Arriving in Guatemala we found out there was no lounge. When I contacted Avianca, which is really hard to do, we were told that lounge access was not refundable. Total scam company.
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Washington to Comayagua via Guatemala |
Date Flown | April 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"Avoid this dishonest company"
Antony Corballis (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | Avianca have a dishonest policy on compensation, that is illegal in the EU. A 20 hour delay of my MAD-BOG-MDE flight in October 2022 and Avianca still owes me the legal compensation after 18 months despite being requested time and again; they have refused to pay and I have to sue them. Avoid this dishonest company Avianca.
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Madrid to Bogota |
Date Flown | October 2022 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Food & Beverages | 12345 |
Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Wifi & Connectivity | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
“Terrible experience”
H Gregory (United States)
✅ Trip Verified | Terrible experience, wasted days of my life on a simple trip. I expected the no-frills, but it went way beyond that: 1. They didn't accept my travel documentation returning to Colombia, even though it was accepted by Colombian customs officials. I was forced to stay several extra days and pay for a ticket upgrade. 2. They booked a connecting flight that was impossible for any foreigner to make, because the immigration line in Bogota was longer than the time allotted. When I asked them for support making the connection, they refused. When I missed it (as did every other foreigner), they wouldn't put me on the next flight without more money. 3. Every time I had a question - like "what documents do you need"? I had to spend over an hour of wait time on their help line, and ultimately it seemed like every process was up to the mood of whoever was in charge that day. I got conflicting information and wasted time getting vaccines that I was later told I shouldn't have gotten. I fly on budget airlines all the time, but this was literally the worst airline experience I've ever seen. Would not fly again on this airline even if it were free.
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | Medellin, Colombia to Sao Paolo, Brazil via Bogota, Colombia |
Date Flown | May 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"ultra low cost service"
64 reviews N Bardel (Germany)
✅ Trip Verified | Flight 1/3 full and asked at check whether kindly enough they could put me a couple of rows more in front as the seats after the emergency exits have less seat pitch and aren’t reclinable. One thinks that holding a Star Alliance Gold Status such thing could be granted, but the friendly check in agent said it was possible only at a 30 USD fee. Upon boarding, flight remains with 1/3 passenger load and when boarding completed, no one is sitting at any emergency exit row. Me sitting first row after emergency exit with lesser seat pitch and non reclining seat (which you get when not wanting to pay extra for a regular coach seat) didn’t even bother, but a fellow passenger asked crew whether he could move one row up, where no one was sitting. The answer was yes but with payment of 50 USD as it is a comfort seat (emergency exit rows). Now, not to comment here Avianca’s tacky approach, but rather the fact we left, flew and landed with no one sitting any emergency exit row. This obviously because of some money making policy. Even with the ultra low cost airlines in Europe, flights don’t leave if no one is seated (at least one per row) at the emergency exit. Besides the flight was uneventful and I could enjoy the no frill ultra low cost service with this full member of Star Alliance, this safety issue left me a little puzzled.
Aircraft | A320 |
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Seat Type | Economy Class |
Route | San Jose to Bogota |
Date Flown | May 2024 |
Seat Comfort | 12345 |
Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
Ground Service | 12345 |
Value For Money | 12345 |
Recommended | no |