For the second segment of my Le Premier in the new La Premiere adventure, I flew Avianca’s Boeing 787-8 business class on the 9hr35min flight from Bogota (BOG) to Paris (CDG).
In 2024, Avianca rebranded its business class experience as “Insignia,” and suggested it was an upgraded product. Unfortunately that didn’t really match my experience. It’s not that the flight was terrible, but rather, I just found it to be utterly forgettable.
On the plus side, the airline offers reasonably comfortable reverse herringbone seats with good bedding, the crew was friendly enough, and the food was edible. However, there were so many aspects of the experience that disappointed me, which could (for the most part) be easily fixed. We’re talking everything from no Wi-Fi, to no toothpaste in the amenity kit, to no milk for coffee, to meal choices consistently running out (with no choice to pre-order), etc.
I’d fly Avianca again if the airline had by far the best pricing or schedule, but otherwise, I’d generally prefer a different airline.
In this post:
How I booked my Avianca business class ticket
I flew Avianca all the way from Miami to Paris via Bogota (I reviewed Avianca’s A320 business class in a previous installment). I booked the entire ticket with Avianca Lifemiles. Specifically, I paid 94,450 miles plus $28.50 in taxes & fees for the following itinerary in business class:
4/06 AV5 Miami to Bogota departing 7:55AM arriving 10:25AM
4/06 AV228 Bogota to Paris departing 1:35PM arriving 6:45AM (+1 day)
Since I earned those points with a transfer bonus (which are often available from transferable points currencies), I thought that was a solid value.
Avianca business class lounge & boarding
In the previous installment, I reviewed the Avianca Diamond Lounge Bogota Airport (BOG), which exceeded my expectations. It wasn’t too crowded, and had a good selection of food and drinks.
My flight was departing from gate A10, with boarding scheduled for 12:35PM, a full hour before departure. The gate was quite a trek from the lounge, but I appreciated the opportunity to get some steps. Interestingly, gate agents went around to passengers to ask them to come to the podium and weigh their bags. It’s rare to see that on such a widespread basis, though I managed to evade detection, or something. 😉
Boarding started right on schedule, with business class being invited to board first.
Avianca 787 business class cabin & seats
I boarded through the second set of doors, where I was greeted by a attendant, and pointed left into business class. Avianca’s Boeing 787 (at least this configuration) features a total of 20 business class seats, spread across five rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Specifically, the airline offers the Safran Cirrus product, which is probably the most basic reverse herringbone product out there. Also, can I just take a moment to point out how damn dull the cabin is? Have you seen a more generic business class cabin, ever, from the lack of branding, to the colors used? You’d almost assume this plane belonged to a wet lease operator.
Those traveling with a companion may prefer to select the pairs of center seats (“D” and “E” seat letters). They allow you to communicate, though the angles of the seats still don’t make them ideal for enjoying the flight together, since you have to lean forward to communicate.
Note that there’s no privacy partition between the center seats, should you be traveling alone. Still, you have quite a bit of separation between the pairs of seats, so that shouldn’t be problematic.
For solo travelers, or those who just like looking out the window, one of the window seats is your best bet (“A” and “K” seat letters).
I assigned myself seat 5A, the window seat on the left side in the last row. While that’s in line with my typical seat preference, row five is missing a window, so that’s not going to be ideal for everyone. Then again, given how the Dreamliner dimmers don’t work perfectly, maybe it’s not so bad in terms of avoiding light pollution.
Each business class seat is 20″ wide, and features a 16″ monitor that is stored at an angle, and can then be extended, for head-on viewing.
This is one of the more bare bones reverse herringbone seats out there — there’s a small storage compartment to the side of the seat (big enough for headphones), an entertainment controller, a panel with seat controls, a headphone jack, and AC and USB-A outlets (but no USB-C or wireless charging).
The counter next to the seat is a decent size, so you can place things there during the flight.
The tray table folds out from underneath that console, and is a single, solid table.
On the right side of the seat, you’ll find a storage compartment, which is probably the biggest storage option at the seat, but still not terribly useful.
There’s a little aisle-side armrest that can fold up or down, depending on whether you want to use it.
As is standard with reverse herringbone seats, the ottoman becomes part of the bed when reclined. I found this ottoman to be on the tight side when in bed mode.
One very nice aspect of this product is that there are individual air nozzles in the overhead console, as that’s fairly rare on non-US airlines.
All-in-all, this is a decent business class hard product. I like reverse herringbone seats, though this product is also as basic as they get, in terms of storage, tech, etc. We’ve seen several generations of new reverse herringbone seats introduced since this product was cutting edge.
Avianca business class amenities
Waiting at each seat upon boarding was an above average bedding set, all in a zippered pouch.
Bedding included a pillow, blanket, and mattress pad, and I found the set to probably be the best part of the soft product.
Headphones were also waiting at the seat upon boarding, though they weren’t particularly good quality, and the airline doesn’t offer bluetooth audio.
Amenity kits were also at the seat, and they were fine, with one exception. They included socks, eyeshades, earplugs, a toothbrush (though no toothpaste, which made no sense to me), tissues, lip balm, and some cream.
Shortly after settling in, the crew passed through the cabin with pre-departure drinks, including the choice of champagne, orange juice, or water.
Shortly thereafter, menus for the flight were handed out, along with little welcome cards that have the names of the flight attendants working business class.
Avianca 787 business class entertainment
Avianca’s 787 business class features audio and video on demand, via the 16″ swiveling monitor.
The monitor wasn’t particularly high definition, and the interface wasn’t cutting edge, but it did the trick. The selection included roughly 100 movies and 40 TV shows, plus a selection of games.
Of course there was also a map feature, which is typically my favorite part of any inflight entertainment system.
I can’t say the entertainment selection was particularly inspiring, and I ended up binge watching all three episodes of “Christina on the Coast,” which must’ve meant I was pretty desperate!
Unfortunately Avianca doesn’t have Wi-Fi (at least on most of its 787s), so don’t count on that to stay entertained. Given the fairly limited selection of entertainment, I’d recommend bringing your own, if you’re at all picky, because this left a lot to be desired.
Avianca 787 departure from Bogota
The boarding process was pretty calm in business class, since only the second set of doors was being used for boarding. The process seemed to take forever, given that boarding started an hour before departure. I did enjoy listening to the carrier’s boarding music, which I found to be soothing.
At 1:25PM the main cabin door closed (every seat on the plane was taken), and at 1:35PM we began our pushback, right on schedule, at which point the safety video was screened. As the crew did their pre-takeoff checks, they requested that passengers fold their blankets and place them in the overhead bins — it’s interesting how airlines have differing policies on that.
We started our taxi at 1:40PM, out to runway 14L, with quite some interesting traffic on the way (sorry for the quality of the pictures, as my window was filthy).
Eventually we came to a stop short of the runway. I assumed we were just awaiting our takeoff clearance, but at this point I saw the crew running through the cabin, and “dings” were constantly going off. It wasn’t initially apparent to me what was going on, until 1:55PM, when we taxied down the runway, rather than starting our takeoff roll.
A moment later, a flight attendant asked if any doctors were onboard, so then it became apparent that we had a medical issue. A few minutes later, the captain announced that we’d have to return to the gate due to a medical situation. So shortly after 2PM we pulled in at a different gate, right next to a WAMOS A330.
We ended up spending nearly 40 minutes at the gate, so that a passenger could be offloaded, and his luggage could be removed. Then at 2:40PM we began our taxi, and at 2:55PM we rocketed off from runway 14L. As you’d expect, it was a long takeoff roll, given Bogota’s very high altitude. Bogota is such a sprawling city, as you can truly appreciate when departing El Dorado Airport.
While we passed through some thick clouds on the way out, there wasn’t much in the way of turbulence.
The seatbelt sign remained on for roughly 30 minutes, which was a mighty long time, given how smooth it was (though based on looking outside, I can understand the reasons for taking precautions).
Avianca business class dinner service
Once we reached our cruising altitude, the main meal was served. You can find the Avianca business class menu and drink list below.
Service began just 45 minutes after takeoff, with warm towels being distributed. Much like on the last flight, the warm towels were the cheapest I’ve ever been offered in business class, and were almost more like wet napkins.
To my surprise, an hour after takeoff, drinks and the meal were served together. With such an early departure, you’d think that they could do a pre-meal drink service with nuts or another snack, but instead, the service was consolidated.
To drink, I had a glass of the Spanish white wine, plus a sparkling water.
For the main course, I selected the shrimp in coconut sauce with rice cake and vegetables. When my meal order was taken, they were already out of one of the three options. On top of that, I was just automatically given the starter consisting of pork with corn and sour cream, as I guess they were out of the rice “arepa” with nut cream and eggplant. There was also a side salad, with spinach leaves, apple, sesame seeds, and vinaigrette.
The meal quality was okay, though the lack of choice was quite frustrating. It’s also strange how there was a little ramekin with nuts and raisins. Is that always served with the meal, rather than being served beforehand, with a drink?
Trays were cleared pretty quickly, and I was then offered the option of a cheese plate or dessert. I decided to order the cheese plate, which was super lame. Seriously, this makes a cheese plate on a US carrier look good, by comparison, as there weren’t even crackers. I asked if it was also possible to have a dessert, and was told no.
I wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet, so I ordered another glass of wine, and had some chips from the snack menu.
I just thought the whole meal service was underwhelming. It wasn’t terrible in terms of quality, but it was unnecessarily rushed and lacking in terms of options. It seems like this could be a much better experience with a little bit of effort.
Avianca 787 business class lavatories
After the meal, I decided to check out Avianca’s 787 business class lavatories. The airline has two lavatories in business class, at the front of the cabin, one on each side, in front of row one. The lavatories were totally standard for a Dreamliner, and had nothing in the way of special amenities.
In terms of cleanliness, the lavatories were more in line what you’ll find on US carriers than Asian carriers, as they weren’t tidied much during the flight.
Avianca 787 business class bed
After visiting the lavatory, I reclined my seat into a flat bed, and tried to get some rest. Unfortunately this is definitely among the narrower reverse herringbone seats out there. As a side sleeper, I struggled to get too comfortable. I was definitely better off facing the fuselage than the other direction, given the cutout along the side of the seat.
I ended up trying to go to sleep around two hours after takeoff, as we were over the Caribbean.
Funny enough, we were flying over Saba, home to the world’s shortest commercial runway, as that destination has been on my avgeek flight bucket list.
I don’t know what was going on. I tried to sleep, but I just kept tossing and turning, and I don’t think I was actually properly asleep for even a minute. It’s not Avianca’s fault, of course, but I think the flight just departed too early, and I just wasn’t properly tired.
I finally gave up on sleeping after around 4.5 hours, around 6.5 hours after takeoff, as we were passing the Azores. It was quite the fun transatlantic crossing in terms of the little islands we flew over!
Avianca business class breakfast
Around two hours before landing, the crew slowly started to turn on the cabin lights, with the “sunrise” setting. Warm towels were passed out shortly thereafter, and then around 30 minutes later, breakfast was served.
You can find the Avianca business class breakfast menu below.
By the time they got to my seat, the only option was the pancakes. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a long haul flight where they so consistently ran out of all options. The breakfast itself was fine — it included blueberry pancakes with jam, a yogurt parfait with jam and granola, a side of fruit, and a croissant.
To drink, I asked for a cup of coffee. Avianca doesn’t have any espresso, and much like on my shorter flight, the airline doesn’t load any milk, so the only option was disgusting powdered creamer.
Avianca business class service
Working in business class were two flight attendants plus the purser, so the flight attendant to passenger ratio was actually good. The crew was quite friendly, and reasonably professional. There are a few problems, though…
First of all, Avianca’s service procedure just doesn’t lend itself to feeling like the service is great. Like, all service is off carts that are rolled down the aisle, and with everything being served at once, there are limited interactions. For example, with the main meal service, I was never offered a second drink, since everything is served at once.
The crew also has to say “no” to so many things. No, your choice isn’t available. No, we don’t have milk. No, you can’t have cheese and dessert (I know, greedy!). The service just feels very assembly line-esque.
Furthermore, between meals, the crew almost never passed through the cabin, and wasn’t very proactive. For example, if they saw an empty glass, they’d typically just leave it there, unless I specifically asked them to remove it. You’d think they’d ask if you’d like another drink, or something, but that just never happened. So service was very reactive.
Avianca 787 arrival in Paris
Before I knew it, we had completed our Atlantic crossing, and were off the west coast of France, soon getting ready for our descent.
There was a beautiful sunrise, I think, but it was hard to look out the window…
At 7AM Paris time, we began our descent, and five minutes after that, the seatbelt sign was turned on. At that point the crew collected headphones and menus, and helped passengers store pillows and blankets. The cabin also had to be sprayed, I guess since we were originating in Colombia.
At 7:30AM we had a smooth touchdown on runway 9L. From there, we had a lengthy taxi to our arrival gate.
We pulled into our parking stand at 7:45AM, and literally seconds later, an Etihad A380 pulled in right next to us, which was kind of cool.
Once off the plane, I had a great view of the Avianca 787 that had just transported me across the Atlantic.
I proceeded through immigration, and headed to the Courtyard Paris Charles de Gaulle, where I’d be spending the night.
Bottom line
I was a little underwhelmed by Avianca’s 787 business class. It’s not an awful product, as it gets some of the basics right, like reverse herringbone seats and good bedding. However, there were so many little aspects of the experience where I felt like attention to detail was lacking, from an underwhelming meal service with choices constantly running out, to the lack of Wi-Fi. I’d only fly Avianca long haul again if the schedule or price were by far the best.
What’s your take on Avianca’s 787 business class?
This business class is so low effort. Looks kind of depressing. I don't understand why airlines like Avianca dont lean hard into their culture more as a differentiator. They'd have plenty to draw from. Put colorful accents in the cabin interior, make a big deal about your coffee service (a la austrian airlines), small piece of Colombian chocolate before landing, cocaine in the lavs (ok not that one lol). The customer impact would far exceed the cost.
They ran out of some meal options but you were seated in the last row. I avoid the last row especially for that reason. And you mention that business class was full so you run that risk. That shrimp and rice looks delicious! And so do the pancakes! Though they should have told you about the starter. Agree about that sad-looking cheese plate but what they should have said was something like they will check...
They ran out of some meal options but you were seated in the last row. I avoid the last row especially for that reason. And you mention that business class was full so you run that risk. That shrimp and rice looks delicious! And so do the pancakes! Though they should have told you about the starter. Agree about that sad-looking cheese plate but what they should have said was something like they will check if any desserts remain and get back to you. Don't understand the trauma about powdered coffee creamer; millions of people around the world like it. And you're being unfair: "The selection included roughly 100 movies and 40 TV shows, plus a selection of games...Given the fairly limited selection of entertainment..." Fairly limited? If you could not find three movies you'd like to watch amongst 100 options, that's on you.
All designed to ensure your AF La Premiere flight was so much better. :-)
The food looks better than what UA serve in their overhyped J cabin. They're definitely missing a trick by not doing pre-orders though.
I think that the logic for the abbreviated service is the same for all their long flights, or at least the overnight ones. And it makes sense to me- if you're arriving at 07:00, you will have a full day at the destination and many people will want to try and maximise...
The food looks better than what UA serve in their overhyped J cabin. They're definitely missing a trick by not doing pre-orders though.
I think that the logic for the abbreviated service is the same for all their long flights, or at least the overnight ones. And it makes sense to me- if you're arriving at 07:00, you will have a full day at the destination and many people will want to try and maximise their ability to stay awake until their normal bedtime.
I recently flew MAD-EZE departing just after noon. Serving lunch just after takeoff seemed wrong for a 12-hour flight that was going to land at 20:00. Besides having been snacking in the lounge, I definitely didn't want to have lunch at 09:00 BUE time.
@ Throwawayname -- I hear you, though for what it's worth, almost no one went to sleep right after the meal, given how early it still was. Furthermore, I'm not saying the meal has to be some elaborate affair, but it's nice to at least have a meal where you're offered a drink refill at some point. If the meal is so abbreviated that there's not even an option to get a second drink, it's too fast, in my opinion.
I don't disagree by any means, there's nothing stopping them from offering a choice between a full meal and an 'express' option.
@Ben, how much was the transfer Bonus? 94K lifemiles for an AV's flight seems rather steep. I flew NH's The Room last year for less :D
@ hbilbao -- A 25% transfer bonus. Honestly, I booked just a few days before departure, so it was non-saver pricing. Factoring that in, I'd say it was quite a fair price.
For some reason, the way you quoted back the quote marks around “arepa” was incredibly funny to me ;)
I actually have a lot of interest in trying this product with connection to Miami or Orlando. I like the idea of an intentionally long transatlantic to get a full night’s sleep (especially going east), and if you book a cash fare in January you get two years of Star Gold in just one return trip.
@ ChrisDD -- Hah, I put quotes around arepa because that is how it appeared on the menu, and I'm not sure what exactly it actually was. I'm not sure what differentiates an arepa from an "arepa."
They did the same to pandebono :(
Arepas are made of corn so they put in quotes to indicate a creative arepa-looking rice patty. That or, as in the case with pandebono, maybe because it's a word in a different language.
How empty was the business class for you to sit at another seat for take off/landing? Or did you just move there for the whole flight?
Also, I think this needs correcting…
“By the time they got to my seat, the only option was the omelet…The breakfast itself was fine — it included blueberry pancakes with jam”
@ Aaron -- Whoops, fixed, thank you! Every seat on the plane was taken. I could look out the window by leaning forward quite a bit.
On the part of the creamer, do you still put it in if that's the only choice they offer or do you just drink your coffee black?
Those mini milk packs would be a better alternative but while it has a longer shelf life than your typical milk out of the fridge, it's still shorter than your powdered creamer.
@ Mike O. -- I just drink coffee black, because I find the powdered creamer to be vile.