Boliviana De Aviacion A330 Business Class: A Great Value

Boliviana De Aviacion A330 Business Class: A Great Value

37

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.

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 has great pricing!

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.

Boliviana de Aviacion A330 business class cabin
Boliviana de Aviacion A330 business class cabin
Boliviana de Aviacion A330 business class seat

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.

Boliviana de Aviacion business class bedding

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.

Boliviana de Aviacion business class bed

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 business class entertainment

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.

Boliviana de Aviacion business class dinner

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.

Boliviana de Aviacion business class breakfast

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. 😉

Boliviana de Aviacion business class drink

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.

Lots of passengers were connecting through

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?

Conversations (37)
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Type your response here.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. Anyone can comment, and your email address will not be published. Register to save your unique username and earn special OMAAT reputation perks!

  1. DT Diamond

    For me the seat is all I care about in biz. Give me a low cost flat bed with comfy blankets, and you can keep your lackluster catering and mediocre wine. I’ll eat well at a proper restaurant when I get to my destination!

  2. Super Piquemacho Guest

    It's a shame you didn't fly their old 767 business class for a blast from the past... to quote Luke Skywalker, "What a piece of junk!"

  3. RichM Diamond

    I've flown on that plane several times, back in its Virgin Australia days when it went from Perth to Sydney and back.

    The business class seat is great - it's what you'd expect on a true long haul flight, so is more than enough for a 5 to 6 hour flight.

    Sadly, VA only do 737s on PER to SYD now, so it's not really worth paying for J any more. But it's good to see others benefitting from an excellent product, especially at such a reasonable price.

  4. henare Diamond

    The little cup of Ken's salad dressing tells me all I need to know about the meal service.

  5. Steven E Guest

    Well Thankyou VA

  6. hbilbao Guest

    @Ben, were you able to check in online? (Do they offer online check-in at all?)

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ hbilbao -- Amazingly enough, that did work!

    2. El Dictador Guest

      Ben, were you able to go through security and board with just the mobile pass? I had a scare flying BoA out of Miami earlier this year - I got the mobile boarding pass at online check in, went through security with it, then got to the gate - only to be told "we only accept paper passes, and you have been offloaded from the flight since you didn'y check in..." they finally agreed to recheck me in manually after 20 minutes of waiting...

  7. Greg Guest

    Funny how the MIA catering manages to look just like emerging market origin city catering.

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Greg -- LOL. I mean, they do a lot of AA catering, so...

  8. Lieflat19 Member

    Thanks for the great idea to fly down to Brazil or Argentina with them!

  9. Timtamtrak Diamond

    The cabin is much more gorgeous than I expected, even knowing these are former Virgin AU aircraft. Even with “meh” catering and service this definitely seems a comfortable away to get to Latin America.

  10. JC Guest

    Not sure if you know but BOA partners with AA, you can book them through American but you have to call. Rates are great, I flew DCA-MIA-VVI and got access to the AA lounge in MIA. Plus you earn AAdvantage miles so it's a win win.

    1. Tulasi Guest

      Did you get loyalty points as well? I don't see any mention of BoA as an AA partner. Is this specifically for the DCA market or in general?

  11. John Ryan Guest

    Was there any lounge access given in MIA?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ John Ryan -- Nope, the airline doesn't provide lounge access for business class. For that matter, the airline flies out of Concourse F in MIA (eek), and that doesn't even have an open lounge at the moment.

  12. Icarus Guest

    Seats do look comfy. Ex Wamos and Hifly. I wouldn’t have expected a great meal service, which you confirmed.

  13. Christian Guest

    First rule of flying: Don't eat the fish.

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Christian — I like to live on the edge.

  14. Nik Guest

    How full was the flight, in both business and economy?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Nik — Economy seemed to be nearly full, while business class was around 60% full.

  15. Daniel B. Guest

    @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.

    1. Paul Guest

      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

    2. Daniel B. Guest

      Thank you for your quick answer. Reassuring.

    3. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Daniel B. — They’re very consistent about flying the correct equipment to Miami. :-)

    4. Daniel B. Guest

      @lucky: Thank you for your quick answer. Reassuring.

  16. AA70 Diamond

    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!

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ 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.

    2. AA70 Diamond

      I can see that, was almost was hoping for a little something more than "I purchased a flight and was offered a decent value experience in return."
      Regardless looking forward to the full review

  17. R B Guest

    Flew that airline when I visited Uyuni salt flat.

  18. GimmeThosPoints Guest

    This is great! You mentioned that business class tickets must be booked through an online travel agency. Which travel agency did you book through?

    1. Claudia Guest

      I just booked calling the airline. Did not want to risk snafus and having to deal with agency.

  19. Tyler Guest

    Thank you for this! Question - was there amenity kits handed out?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Tyler -- Nope, no amenity kits, sadly.

    2. Tyler Guest

      A shame - I wrote them asking as a request - lets see what they have to say...

      Correct me if Im wrong but there are is no Lounge Access in Term F correct? Did they supply any alternatives pre-flight?

    3. Super Piquemacho Guest

      Weird, I've gotten amenity kits on BoA's A330. Maybe it's only out of VVI, not into VVI?

    4. Tyler Guest

      I called - and asked for a special request....a BOA amenity kit is one you only find in a rabbit hole - how was it for you? im destined to get one and wont give up lol

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Ben Schlappig OMAAT

@ Christian — I like to live on the edge.

8
Claudia Guest

I just booked calling the airline. Did not want to risk snafus and having to deal with agency.

1
Ben Schlappig OMAAT

@ 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.

1
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

32,614,600 Words Written

35,045 Posts Published

Keep Exploring OMAAT