Information on Avianca Flights

Avianca Airlines is one of the largest airlines in Latin America, serving nearly every country in the Americas as well as several in Europe. If you live in a large US hub city, it’s often the most efficient way of getting to Latin America, as the Bogota-based airline flies to many smaller destinations in Central and South America that larger US carriers do not.

It also offers more routes, more frequent flights and better options for many large Latin American destinations, and I’ve found it to be the best way of traversing the region by air. Here’s all you need to know about Avianca, from what to expect onboard to all its frequent flier perks.

Fare classes

Avianca offers four classes of service on each of its flights, depending where you’re going and what kind of aircraft you’re flying.

Generally, the most affordable fare class is Basic, which gets you a spot on the plane and that’s about it. It’s available on almost all Avianca flights within the Americas, and allows you to bring a small personal item like a laptop bag. I’m not a huge fan of this one because it doesn’t let you pick your seat and you don’t get any LifeMiles (more on that later) for booking it.

Next is Light, which is essentially what Avianca calls its Basic class for flights to and from Europe. The big difference is it allows you to bring a carry-on bag weighing up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms), but you still can’t pick your seat and can only check in online or on the Avianca app.

Classic is an aptly named class of service, bringing to mind the days when airfare always came with perks like checked bags and economy class seat selection. Your checked bag can weigh up to 50.7 pounds (23 kilograms), and you’re allowed to check in at the airport counter or online.

Classic is also the lowest-cost class of service that allows you to accumulate LifeMiles if you’re aiming for airline status or trying to rack up free trips.

Flex is Avianca’s take on premium economy, allowing you to pick seats in the Plus section, which includes headrests and seats in the front of the plane. Flex customers can also select seats in emergency exit rows, or economy, and you can change your flight or get a full refund.

Business class is Avianca’s premium cabin, which gets you everything in the Flex category in addition to seats in business class and two checked bags. Business class on flights within the Americas on single aisle jets is called “Premium,” and is essentially a row of three economy seats with the middle seat transformed into a large center console with power outlets and USB ports.

Business class on two-aisle jets serving Europe and longer hauls within the Americas include lie-flat seats, a luxury amenity kit and multiple meal selections.

Baggage and other fees

Avianca’s bag fees are no joke. A single bag will have a cost up to 48 hours before your flight, and becomes more expensive if you pay after this point at the airport. If you’re packing for a long expedition in the Andes or something similar, your second bag will run you an additional cost, and a third bag is even more expensive.

Overall, Avianca offers 15 different “additional services,” ranging from seat selection to priority boarding and premium seating. Those will vary based on the cost of your flight, but they can also add up quickly. If you’re tempted by a Light or Basic fare, think about what you’ll need for your trip and see if a higher class of fare makes more economic sense by including bags and other services.

Avianca Airlines check-in

If you don’t fly Latin American airlines often, you may find the in-airport check-in process for Avianca to be a little slower than ones you’re used to with US legacy carriers. If I’m not checking a bag I’ll pretty much always opt to check in online or on the Avianca app, to avoid the slow lines at airport check-in.

If you are checking a bag, you have the option of using airport kiosks at several airports, which can be a little faster. Also, if you’ve booked in Business class you can check in at the priority counter, which is also accessible to passengers with Avianca status. I’m not sure the time savings alone is worth booking in business, but Economy check-in lines can get quite long.

LifeMiles program and airline status

Avianca’s LifeMiles program is pretty straightforward, allowing you to earn miles based on dollars spent on Avianca flights. You’ll earn up to seven miles per dollar spent on flights, depending on your class of service and other factors, and five miles for every dollar you spend on extras like seat selection, upgrades, bag fees, lounge access and more. But you’ll only accrue miles when booking Classic fares or above.

Like with most airline frequent flier programs, Avianca has different elite statuses that bring their own benefits. The big difference is that Avianca requires you to spend a certain minimum on Avianca-operated flights, so you can’t achieve status solely by spending on a credit card or flying affiliated airlines. The tiers are broken down into Red, Silver, Gold and Diamond.

You’ll find benefits ranging from lounge access and seat upgrades to priority call centers and benefits on other Star Alliance airlines. Avianca puts limits, though, on the number of upgrades you can get into premium and business class, capping it at 7 per year for its top-tier Diamond members.

This may be a little disappointing for US legacy carrier elites, who are used to unlimited premium seats and space-available upgrades. Still, it has saved me significant money on more-comfortable seats, which is especially important if you’re a taller traveler.

Avianca Airlines alliance

Avianca is part of the Star Alliance, which includes over 50 commercial partners and 19 codeshare partners. Major Star Alliance airlines include United Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, and TAP Portugal. You’ll earn about half the LifeMiles miles on Star Alliance partners than you would by flying Avianca, but the alliance still helps you gain status when flying to and from places Avianca doesn’t reach.

Avianca Credit Card

For individuals, Avianca offers the LifeMiles Visa, which gets you one LifeMile per dollar spent on every purchase. You’ll get double that when you use the card to purchase Avianca tickets and products from the airline’s commercial partners, and 1.5 miles on all international purchases. That last perk is an unusual one, and if you travel frequently overseas it’s a great credit card to rack up miles by buying everyday items.

Avianca offers a business card, Visa Pyme, as well. Its bonuses are a little less robust than the individual card, giving you one LifeMile per $1.50 spent on all purchases, and 2 LifeMiles for every $1.50 spent with Avianca and its partners.

In-flight entertainment

Like many large airlines, Avianca has done away with seat back screens on its single-aisle jets, so on shorter hops you’ll have to access entertainment offerings through your own devices. You’ll find the usual variety of movies and TV shows, though it does offer a considerable amount of Latin American programming. Even though my Spanish is spotty, I like to watch Spanish-language movies to get a little cultural education while I’m in the air.

On longer-haul flights on widebody jets, screens are still in the seatbacks. The programming is the same, though. Fortunately, Avianca also offers Wi-Fi on nearly all of its flights but at an additional cost.

Meals on Avianca Airlines

On longer haul flights, like those to Europe and longer routes between North and South America, Avianca offers full meals to all passengers. You won’t starve on shorter flights either, as Avianca offers its Café del Cielo snack cart on single-aisle jets. The food on the cart is pretty similar to what you’d find in airport cafes in Latin America – lots of small croissant and focaccia sandwiches with ham, cheese and vegetables.