Avianca is one of the largest airlines in Latin America, operating from its main hub at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia, with a smaller hub in San Salvador, El Salvador. Founded in 1919, it’s also one of the oldest carriers in the world, having evolved and expanded significantly in recent decades.
Why fly Avianca?
Avianca offers an expansive route network in Latin America, with 140+ routes connecting 75 destinations in 25 countries across the Americas and Europe. While they’ve removed some inflight amenities in recent years (like free meals in economy class on flights within the Americas), the carrier still delivers solid value.
I find Avianca to be a dependable option for flying in the region. But here’s my frank advice: always compare fares. A budget airline might offer a similar experience for less cash, especially on shorter hops where amenities matter less. I’ll often go with a low-cost carrier if the price is right for a quick flight.
For longer international flights, I place greater importance on inflight service like free meals, entertainment and carry-on allowances. It’s worth comparing what competing airlines offer in these areas and weighing that against the price.
Avianca offers multiple classes of service and the opportunity to accrue awards and status with its own frequent flyer program, LifeMiles, as well as those of its Star Alliance partners.
Fare classes on Avianca
Avianca recently launched its new fare structure. The company now divides its fares into five categories: Basic, Light, Classic and Flex (all economy-class fares) and Business, which offers bigger seats at the front of the plane with far more amenities included.
As you’d expect, what you get depends on what you pay for. A good rule of thumb: if you’re flying economy within the Americas, plan on buying your own snacks and drinks. Flights to and from Europe are the exception, where all classes still include meals.
Basic
The Basic fare category allows you to bring only a personal item on board the plane. Carry-ons aren’t included, nor is seat selection or airport check-in. However, you’ll now earn 3 LifeMiles per USD spent, and you can make flight changes for a fee.
As a US-based traveller, I always have a carry-on when traversing long distances to South America, so I avoid this fare category. But if you’re travelling especially light, or the fare is so cheap it makes up for the extra cost of a carry-on, it may be worth considering.
Light
Think of this as Basic-plus. It’s only available on certain routes (specifically to and from Europe, Brazil, and selected routes in the Americas) and adds a free carry-on to the mix. On transatlantic flights, you’ll also get a free meal.
Classic
The Classic fare allows you to take a carry-on and personal item on board with you, and you can also check a bag for free, check in at the airport and pick a standard economy seat. You’ll earn 6 LifeMiles per USD spent, but changes will cost you. I generally find this class the best deal.
Flex
In addition to Classic benefits, the Flex category allows changes and refunds, as well as access to Plus seating, which features a forward location (rows 4-14), adjustable headrests and recline. On updated aircraft, Plus seating also includes USB charging ports and a designated stand for personal devices. Flex fares offer 8 LifeMiles per USD spent compared to Classic’s 6, making them attractive for Avianca LifeMiles program members.
Business
Business fares provide all the benefits of economy, plus additional checked baggage, Avianca lounge access (when available) and a business class seat.
Seating varies by aircraft. On long-haul routes operated with wide-body 787 Dreamliners, you can expect 180-degree flatbed seats, although configurations aren’t consistent as they haven’t finished updating interiors.
The tricky part is verifying which type of 787 operates your route. Business class isn’t on every flight, but it’s making a comeback on more international routes, even on the smaller Airbus planes.
How to upgrade on Avianca
Didn’t book business but feeling fancy? You can usually pay to upgrade through the “Offer with Plusgrade” system on avianca.com or at the airport (subject to availability) from 24 hours up to 35 minutes before departure. If you’ve got a stash of LifeMiles, you can use those for an upgrade too — just call the Contact Center for Avianca flights or request online through the LifeMiles website for Star Alliance partners.
Avianca aircraft
Avianca operates a fleet that includes Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A320 and Airbus A319 aircraft. The widebody 787 offers an impressive cabin, with INSIGNIA by Avianca (on Europe routes) featuring 180-degree flatbed seats.
The company is upgrading its aircraft seating, so configurations aren’t yet consistent among planes. I’ve flown in both types and found them quite comfortable, although the redesigned ones are more attractive.
Seatback entertainment screens are only offered on the 787 Dreamliner aircraft; on the narrow-body A320 and A319 aircraft, you can access the Avianca in-flight entertainment platform, Avianca On Air, using your own device. The airline’s Wi-Fi network allows passengers to connect to Avianca On Air, but you can’t connect to the Internet or messaging.
Avianca LifeMiles
LifeMiles is Avianca’s loyalty program, and it works like most others. You fly, you earn miles. There are four elite status levels to climb: Red Plus, Silver, Gold and Diamond.
A big selling point for LifeMiles is its attractive redemption structure, which often beats those of other Star Alliance partners. LifeMiles allows you to transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, so you can top up your account and book reward travel on a variety of carriers.
As a Star Alliance member, you can earn and burn miles on partner airlines. They also have a few non-alliance buddies like Gol, Iberia and Clic Air (formerly EasyFly), which gives you even more options.
So, should you join? If you’re based in the US and don’t fly to South America often, you might be better off with a program like United MileagePlus. But if you have a ton of credit card points, it’s worth opening a LifeMiles account just to snag a great deal on a reward flight. Always compare the redemption rates to be sure.
The Avianca App
The Avianca app offers a standard array of functions, including the ability to view the inflight menu in advance and calculate the cost of additional baggage based on your flight and frequent flyer status.
Avianca lounges
Avianca operates lounges for domestic passengers in six Colombian cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga) as well as lounges for international passengers in its two main hubs: Bogota and San Salvador. The airline has also opened a joint VIP lounge with TAP Air Portugal at Miami International Airport. All facilities offer free drinks, coffee, snacks, hot food and Wi-Fi.
Among the domestic lounges, the Bogotá location features strong amenities, including workspaces, rest areas and shower facilities. The Diamond Domestic VIP Lounge in Bogotá offers showers, though not all domestic lounges have this amenity.
The showers are especially handy if you’re connecting from a long international flight to a domestic flight.
The international lounges in Bogota and San Salvador also have showers and dedicated areas for work and families, making them a solid place to relax before your flight. The new Miami lounge features similar amenities including showers.
Business class tickets will get you in for free. But here’s a cool perk: you can buy a day pass if you’re flying Avianca, GOL, or another Star Alliance airline. That’s not something you see every day. You can buy a pass online beforehand or just show up and pay at the door. You can also use LifeMiles to get in.
Flying business from an airport without an Avianca lounge? You can likely get into a partner lounge from another Star Alliance airline.
Branded credit cards
Avianca recently launched credit cards for US residents, which is great news for frequent flyers. Available through Cardless and American Express, there’s an avianca lifemiles American Express Card and a higher-tier Elite version. Both cards grant you instant LifeMiles Silver Elite status, which comes with perks like priority check-in and boarding, an additional checked bag, premium seat selection and 5 annual lounge passes. The pricier Elite card sweetens the deal with more miles, a 10% rebate on Star Alliance flight redemptions, and up to 25% off Avianca flight redemptions via the included LifeMiles+ Lite subscription.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
