Hello from Bolivia! Last night a dream came true for me — I flew Boliviana de Aviacion’s Airbus A330 business class, on the 6hr10min overnight flight from Miami (MIA) to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (VVI).
This is probably the “random” airline that I’ve been most wanting to try for a long time, and I’m so happy I finally had the chance. Just about every time I fly into my home airport of Miami, I see the Boliviana de Aviacion A330 parked there (the plane sits on the ground for 16+ hours per day), and wish I could fly it.
Here’s the thing, though. I guess I shouldn’t be terribly surprised, but the whole experience was a bit anticlimactic. There were a couple of aspects of the flight that exceeded my expectations, but for the most part, it was a pretty no frills experience.
With that in mind, I wanted to share some initial thoughts on the experience, and then soon I’ll have a full trip report.
In this post:
Boliviana de Aviacion’s business class pricing is attractive
Typically when I review first and business class products, it’s hard to asses value, given the outrageously high cost of so many flights, and how pricing can differ based on when you book, the market you’re flying in, etc.
I have to give Boliviana de Aviacion credit for perhaps having among the best business class pricing of any airline. The airline regularly charges around $700 to fly between Miami and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, which is an incredibly good value. The carrier’s other long haul route is to Madrid, and that’s also typically priced reasonably.
So let me just say it upfront — the value of flying with Boliviana de Aviacion is exceptional, so I’d absolutely recommend the airline based on that. Just remember that you have to book through an online travel agency, as the airline doesn’t take business class bookings directly (for whatever reason).
Boliviana de Aviacion’s A330 cabin is super comfy
Boliviana de Aviacion’s long haul fleet consists of two former Virgin Australia Airbus A330s. OMG, what a beautiful and cozy cabin this is. It consists of 20 reverse herringbone seats, spread across five rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration.
What makes this cabin even better for sleeping is the amazing bedding. Each business class passenger gets two plush, thick pillows, plus a super cozy blanket. I’m not kidding when I say that I think Boliviana de Aviacion might have the world’s second best business class bedding, after United.
Business class is primarily about the seat and about being able to get rest, and that’s an area where Boliviana de Aviacion excels. To be able to get such a comfortable cocoon at a reasonable cost is awesome.
When it comes to entertainment, I’d recommend bringing your own. The airline doesn’t have Wi-Fi, and while there was a personal entertainment system, there were a total of a few dozen movies, plus a similar number of TV shows.
Boliviana de Aviacion’s business class catering is not great
So, what was service like on this 6hr10min flight? Dinner was served after takeoff, with the choice of salmon with white rice and sautéed vegetables, or chicken cordon bleu (there were no menus, but that’s how it was described).
Oddly the meal was served with plastic wrap still on, and the quantity of food was certainly quite generous. In addition to the main course, there was a pretty creative side salad, two types of basic cheese, and some strawberry cheesecake.
Then before landing, breakfast was served. Well, sort of. This consisted of some turkey sandwiches, plus a small selection of fruit. Honestly, this almost seemed unnecessary, given the short length of the flight, plus most people just wanting to sleep.
I’m sure everyone is wondering what vintage of Dom Perignon the airline is serving. 😉 As far as wine goes, the airline was serving a single white and red wine (from DUO), while the sparkling wine was Altosama Demi Sec. There was also a basic selection of liquor (in minis), plus soft drinks, coffee, and tea.
When I tried to order coffee with milk, I was informed they don’t even have milk, but rather just powdered creamer. Okay…
Boliviana de Aviacion’s business class service was a mixed bag
I found the crew on Boliviana de Aviacion to be friendly, but perhaps not all that well trained, including with premium service.
For example, the crew gave a lovely welcome to each passenger, and even offered pre-departure drinks of choice. I had a couple of glasses of white wine before takeoff, which helped with being able to sleep later on. 😉
But then the service was a bit strange. The crew didn’t appear in the cabin once for the first hour. Then 75 minutes after takeoff, they finally rolled carts down the aisle to serve dinner and drinks. On such a short flight, you’d think they could get those out more quickly. It seems to me like they only turned on the ovens well after takeoff, which might explain why.
The crew went through the motions, but there was nothing in the way of proactive service. When I woke up, I asked if I could please have a coffee. That ended up being served about 30 minutes later, after I had been presented with the breakfast.
They also seemed to lack a bit of attention to detail when it comes to safety. For example, on my aisle the crew didn’t do any safety check before landing, and I still had glassware at my seat when we touched down.
For that matter, the pilots kept the seatbelt sign on the entire flight, so people were up until the gear came out. The crew also used the empty business class seats to nap, which doesn’t bother me, but is still generally reflective of a carrier’s service level and strictness.
What was the crowd like onboard the flight?
I was very curious to see what kinds of people were on this flight, as Boliviana de Aviacion sometimes operates the Miami to Santa Cruz de la Sierra route up to two times daily. Miami obviously has a massive Hispanic population, but in all the years I’ve lived in Miami, I can count on one hand the number of Bolivians I’ve met.
So I was curious who was taking this flight? Are there a bunch of Bolivians in Miami visiting family? Are American tourists heading to Bolivia? Well, based on what I observed, neither of those are the case.
A vast majority of passengers seemed to be connecting internationally, to either Buenos Aires (EZE) or Sao Paulo (GRU), as most passengers got in the international transit line upon arrival. So the airline is clearly trying to capitalize on its geography and low cost structure to be able to undercut the competition between Miami and Argentina and Brazil, for the most cost conscious travelers.
Bottom line
I finally had the chance to fly Boliviana de Aviacion. My takeaway is ultimately that the airline offers very comfortable business class seats with top notch bedding, and very attractive pricing.
If the airline is operating in a market you’re interested in flying in, I absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to fly with the airline again. Between the seat and the bedding, this is one of the more comfortable business class products I’ve flown, especially among fairly unknown airlines.
Just temper your expectations when it comes to the service, food, and amenities. And that’s fair enough, frankly, given how little the airline is charging.
What’s your take on Boliviana de Aviacion’s A330 business class?
Was there any lounge access given in MIA?
Seats do look comfy. Ex Wamos and Hifly. I wouldn’t have expected a great meal service, which you confirmed.
First rule of flying: Don't eat the fish.
@ Christian — I like to live on the edge.
How full was the flight, in both business and economy?
@ Nik — Economy seemed to be nearly full, while business class was around 60% full.
@Lucky: Is there a chance that for whatever reason the flight gets downgraded to a regular A320 for instance? Happened to me twice with Avianca years ago.
Seems extremely unlikely. They don't operate A320s, and the 6 and a half hour flight time is pushing the limits of how far their 737s could fly. Possible they could downgrade it to a 767, would all depend how long the crew have as a layover in Miami, if they rest and operate the return 16 hours later or not.
Avianca probably have dual rated A320/330 pilots, or may not even have layovers at...
Seems extremely unlikely. They don't operate A320s, and the 6 and a half hour flight time is pushing the limits of how far their 737s could fly. Possible they could downgrade it to a 767, would all depend how long the crew have as a layover in Miami, if they rest and operate the return 16 hours later or not.
Avianca probably have dual rated A320/330 pilots, or may not even have layovers at all with their 3 hour flight times, making it very easy for them to switch between their types
Thank you for your quick answer. Reassuring.
@ Daniel B. — They’re very consistent about flying the correct equipment to Miami. :-)
@lucky: Thank you for your quick answer. Reassuring.
I'm not sure what your expectations were going into the flight but was this a case of don't meet your heroes?
Thankful for the review and diverse content either way!
@ AA70 — If anything, I was just hoping for a little more excitement or drama. I’m not here to manufacture that, though. But yes, I think “don’t meet your heroes” might be a good description, heh.
Flew that airline when I visited Uyuni salt flat.
Thank you for this! Question - was there amenity kits handed out?
@ Tyler -- Nope, no amenity kits, sadly.