Avianca

All flights from Madrid to Lima via Bogota were on new aircrafts and all flights were on time. Seats were very comfortable with adequate leg room. Service was great with 2 servings of food and full service of drinks (juices, beers, alcoholic). You had to ask for salt and pepper? During the flight there were snacks, crackers and drinks available in the galleys. Staff were great, professional and some fluent in English. IFE was good but from the 58 movies most of them were outdated. On IFE there was an option were you could see the offered Menu, also you could see the connected gates on arrival (1 hour before arrival). Great flight experience.

Los Angeles to Lima via Bogota with Avianca. The staff were very polite and helpful. They greeted and asked us if we were okay. The A330 was a great aircraft that supplied the traveler with entertainment and comfort. The meals were better than I expected, and the snacks hit the spot. My only complain would be that the aircraft didn't provide wifi service, other than that it was a great trip.

I had a flight from Montevideo to Cuzco and although I arrived several hours early to my flight, I missed my plane thanks to front-desk clerks. They had me wait for a ridiculous amount of time to "double check on info" and by the time they were done checking (not sure what exactly they needed to check) they decided I couldn't board their plane. I still had an hour to board but for some odd reason they didn't let me through. Rescheduling my flight was an even bigger nightmare. I had to pay a $120 penalty fee and an extra $350 fee for a new flight. Getting my money back was impossible and anytime I mentioned that I missed my flight due to Avianca employees I was told that there was nothing they could do about my situation. I never got a proper apology from the airline.

I flew this new Avianca Boeing 787 from to Buenos-Aires to Bogota. The flight was amazing. The food should have been warmer was the only downside. Coffee was great as expected. The seats were comfortable and the IFE interface was friendly. The crew were friendly even the ground staff.

It's no coincidence. I travel 100,000 miles through Star Alliance by Air Canada and United but every time I use Avianca during a connection in South America, the experience is terrible. On this particular flight, despite my status and booking at the first class counter they assigned me a middle seat. When I realized, already onboard, the flight attendant ask for my boarding pass to talk to the supervisor or people on ground to see what they can do. 15 minutes later when they where closing the door I asked her about the status. Surprise surprise, she had not talked to anyone, just walked away with my boarding pass. It is always the same experience. They look and act like friendly but the outcome of the service is in a word terrible.

I had the most appalling experience with Avianca. I booked an airfare that simply got cancelled without notification. I arrived at the airport on the day of the flight to find out that my ticket was cancelled - 2 hours before departure! The Avianca customer service could not care less about the cancellation (it seems this is the way they regularly operate). They simply advised me to buy another plane ticket - with a price premium for buying it 2 hours before the flight - of course! This seems surreal to me: in 2015, not even a notification of cancellation? I am still fighting to get my money back on the price difference.

Washington Dulles to Bogota return on Avianca A319. Seats were comfortable with enough legroom for me (1.8 meters tall) and wide choice of videos and music. A small meal and snack were served during the 5 hour flights. Going to Bogota, my seat (11D) did not recline because exit row was behind, but purser came by and offered to move me to an aisle seat further back. Much better seats, IFE, food and service than UA or AA.

Cartagena to Bogota with Avianca. Online-check-in easy. Security checks in Colombia at domestic flights surprisingly laissez-faire. Completely chaos at boarding, earlier flight delayed so our boarding also delayed, several switches from gate 1 to 3, after to 1 again, finally to gate 2. Looked like a giant game for children - however, not that funny. Delayed departure approx 30 mins. New, clean A321 with new cabin light system, full entertainment system (screens in backrests) even in economy. Just water for free. Arrival delayed 30 mins. Like usual endless taxi in BOG.

Reasonable pricing. Online check-in worked easily and properly. Security and gates for domestic flights at T1 at BOG-El Dorado surprisingly quick and smooth. However - at domestic terminal just one small kiosk and café. Boarding with bus was quick and had sufficient space - not squeezed in like with most European airlines. Hand luggage up to 22 lbs free of charge - however, nobody controlled it. Plane looked clean and well maintained. Don't expect the attendants to speak English - however, they were friendly and professional. Drinks and snacks have to be paid. Seat space surprisingly wide. However, the backrest is very uncomfortable - if you are taller than 1.80ms, your shoulders are pressed forwards by the "headrest" - for a one hour-flight its not a big problem at all, however, for middle-range-flights its a no-go.

I have recently undertaken 6 flights with Avianca, on a trekking tour of Peru. I was very impressed with the new Dreamliner aircraft which offer good legroom, even in economy class. What I was much less impressed with was the lacklustre cabin crew. Most of the time they just seem uninterested or bored with their jobs. Very little interaction and few smiles. On two occasions, on these 6 flights, I asked for something - once a glass of water, and then for some duty free. On both occasions it seemed like I was causing a significant inconvenience to the crew. In the future, I would chose another airline, where possible. Avianca really need to address this issue - is working for Avianca and dealing with passengers really such a chore?