TACA Airlines

TACA are helpful and accommodating. When our flight was delayed in transit due to poor weather they bussed passengers to a hotel to get some sleep. When I got so muddled to lose our passports that we missed our flight they organised another flight for us.

Flights delayed connections were missed and my luggage did not arrive at my destination (leaving and returning). I didn't have my luggage for the first 5 days of my vacation and now I am home and waiting for my luggage.

We flew direct to San Jose from JFK on 8/1/12 the flight was great it did take a while getting used to announcements made only in Spanish at times. However our flight back wasn't quite as great we usually ask for pillows and blankets at the beginning of our flight but on our 8/10/12 flight back from SJO to JFK there were none available. The plane was also nowhere close to the pictures they have on their website. The food was mediocre on both flights.

I flew 4 legs with them during August (LIM-VVI-LIM-GYE-LIM) and it was my first experience with this carrier. All flights (except the first one LIM-VVI) left slightly late but arrived at destination on schedule. They use A320 and A319 on these routes: planes are not brand new but well maintained and reasonably comfortable row 4 is just after business class with plenty of leg room. Generally speaking crew members were friendly but some a little grumpy. Ground services okay did not stay in the queue for long as I checked in online so the processes was smooth and fast. The price I paid was rather high (USD 1.400) but there were no other options for the dates and destinations I needed. Food / drinks very basic but all flights were less than 2 hours long so kind of normal.

On Tuesday June 26th. flight TA511 from Guatemala to El Salvador. Business Class. We deplaned on the tarmac and were shuttled to the terminal in small cramped buses which was an inconvenience for everyone involved specially for the elderly women with children for we all had to deal with our hand luggage. That same morning Flight TA582 from El Salvador to Washington DC the lavatory in Business Class was out of order which is totally unacceptable in a long flight with full occupancy. On 24 July 2012 Flight 581 from Washington DC to El Salvador the tray table on my wife's side was not working properly for it slid from its resting place and a glass of juice fell to the floor splashing the surrounding area. It is my observation that the planes used in both flights are old and not getting the proper maintenance required which leads to the inconvenience of paying Business Class customers since both episodes were in Business Class. The on board service was very much up to standards.

TACA is very irresponsible the flight was cancelled yesterday in Chicago leaving more than 50 passengers without a flight until today. We are travelling Monday night and incurred extra expenses due to the irresponsibility of TACA. Our tickets were more expensive than American Airlines but I purchased the ticket for my wife that has used this airline before. I am very angry and disappointed about this and the rest of the group that we had to stay in Chicago.

Round trip from Miami to Asuncion Paraguay (plane change in Lima Peru) and return in May. Good pricing and schedules. No problems at check-ins. Comfortable planes. Landed early on every flight segment. Decent food. Seats were not cramped Nice flight attendants. I prefer the A320 and A319 to the wide bodies. Less people less congestion easier to get on and off the plane.

SFO-SAL. Check-in line was long and slow but we were able to move to another line because we had printed our boarding passes at home. Food was better than average (no dinner but a breakfast sandwich); seats were comfortably wide with good legroom slept most of the flight. SAL-Roatan. Smooth connection and on- time departure/arrival. Roatan-SAL. After check-in they cancelled our flight (due to mechanical problems) and put us up at the La Sirena resort for the night. We flew out the next morning on a flight which had been brought in for us. 7 hour layover at SAL but they allowed us into the VIP lounge which made things more bearable. SAL-SFO departed/arrived on time. Food was better than average (dinner and a sandwich before landing); seats were comfortably wide with good legroom although we were in the row just in front of wing exit row and could not recline. I noticed that they were departing two flights to SFO within a few minutes of one another so I suspect our 'mechanical' problems on the previous day was more an attempt to fill these two flights.

SFO-San Salvador-Roatan. I was worried about flying TACA after some of the reviews of people losing their seats and other complications but both ways our flights were complication free. Check-in went smoothly with no lines our flights and connections were on time and there was never a question of our seat assignments - a good thing flying with 4 kids. I might have given the plane higher marks in the comfort entertainment and food categories if I hadn't just flown Air New Zealand which sets the bar pretty high. That said with the exception of JetBlue TACA is a much better value and flight experience than any of the US carriers. I would definitely fly them again should we find ourselves vacationing in Central America again.

Miami-Lima-Cusco return. With one exception (below) the planes were on time clean and comfortable. Staff provided pleasant excellent service including small hot meals. Service and timeliness ahead of major US airlines. The first leg of my return trip was delayed but Cusco staff hustled us onto a LAN flight that fully maintained our connections. Lima staff provided timely special assistance for me as well.