Avianca is continuing the process of introducing business class on more routes within the Americas, reversing a decision that was made back in 2022. While the airline has been progressively restoring business class on routes since 2023, the airline is really supercharging the number of routes that will have this product.
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Avianca cut business class on most routes in 2022
For some background, in the past few years, Avianca has nicely transformed its business, by becoming a more efficient airline. As part of this, the airline eliminated business class on flights within the Americas as of October 2022.
Not only did Avianca reconfigure its Airbus A320s to remove business class and add 20% more seats, but the airline also stopped selling business class seats on flights within the Americas that were operated by Boeing 787s. Instead, these premium cabins were just sold as seats with more space, but without additional service.
With this policy change, Avianca only maintained business class on transatlantic flights to Europe. I thought from the beginning that this was the wrong move. The airline started reversing course on this in August 2023, by restoring business class on some routes. The airline has progressively been ramping up business class in more markets since then, and we’re now seeing the latest example of that.
Avianca restores business class on 80+ routes
Avianca has progressively been restoring business class on routes within the Americas for nearly two years now. As a first step, in August 2023, Avianca restored business class on the following routes within the Americas, when operated by a Boeing 787:
- Bogota (BOG) to Buenos Aires (EZE)
- Bogota (BOG) to Miami (MIA)
- Bogota (BOG) to Sao Paulo (GRU)
- San Salvador (SAL) to Miami (MIA)
Then as of July 2024, Avianca restored business class on the following routes (five hours and longer) operated by the Airbus A320:
- Business class is offered on flights between Bogota (BOG) and Boston (BOS), Buenos Aires (EZE), Mexico City (MEX), Miami (MIA), Montevideo (MVD), New York (JFK), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Santiago (SCL), Sao Paulo (GRU), Toronto (YYZ), and Washington (IAD)
Then as of December 2024, Avianca restored business class on the following routes routes operated by the Airbus A320:
- Business class is offered on flights between Bogota (BOG) and Asuncion (ASU), Buenos Aires (AEP), Chicago (ORD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Georgetown (GEO), Lima (LIM), Montreal (YUL), Orlando (MCO), and Panama City (PTY)
- Business class is offered on flights between Medellin (MDE) and Buenos Aires (EZE), Lima (LIM), New York (JFK), Santiago (SCL), and Sao Paulo (GRU)
- Business class is offered on flights between San Salvator (SAL) and Bogota (BOG), Lima (LIM), Los Angeles (LAX), Medellin (MDE), Mexico City (MEX), New York (JFK), Panama City (PTY), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington (IAD)
As the next step, for flights as of September 15, 2025, Avianca is restoring business class on the following routes operated by the Airbus A320:
- Business class will be offered on flights between Bogota (BOG) and Aruba (AUA), Cancun (CUN), Caracas (CCS), Curacao (CUR), Cusco (CUZ), Dallas (DFW), Guatemala City (GUA), Guayaquil (GYE), Havana (HAV), La Paz (LPB), Manaus (MAO), Punta Cana (PUJ), Quito (UIO), San Jose (SJO), San Juan (SJU), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (VVI), Santa Domingo (SDQ), and Tampa (TPA)
- Business class will be offered on flights between Medellin (MDE) and Cancun (CUN), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Guayaquil (GYE), Mexico City (MEX), Miami (MIA), Panama City (PTY), Punta Cana (PUJ), Quito (UIO), San Jose (SJO), and San Juan (SJU)
- Business class will be offered on flights between San Salvator (SAL) and Boston (BOS), Cancun (CUN), Dallas (DFW), Guatemala City (GUA), Guayaquil (GYE), Houston (IAH), Managua (MGA), Miami (MIA), Ontario (ONT), Quito (UIO), San Jose (SJO), San Pedro Sula (SAP), Tegucigalpa (TGU), and Toronto (YYZ)
With these changes, we’re seeing Avianca essentially restore its business class on a vast majority of international flights. I’m happy to see this, and think it’s a pretty logical move. The reality is that the demand for premium air travel has continued to grow, and I think Avianca was also losing some transatlantic business class traffic to other airlines due to not offering business class on connecting flights.
The airline found a happy middle ground here, it seems. A320s are configured much more efficiently than in the past, but by having a business class product, Avianca can now compete better for premium travelers. Just keep in mind that Avianca’s A320 business class isn’t much to get excited about — it’s better than economy, but not as good as your typical business class product.
Bottom line
Avianca is continuing to reintroduce business class on more routes. With the latest change, we’re seeing Avianca restore business class on a vast majority of international flights within the Americas.
The airline first cut business class on all flights within the Americas as of 2022, but started reversing course within a year. We’ve progressively seen more routes with business class added back, and as of September 2025, we’re going to see dozens more routes get a business class cabin.
I think this is a smart change on Avianca’s part. Just manage your expectations when it comes to the quality of the carrier’s business class.
What do you make of Avianca expanding business class to more routes?
Basically, Avianca crews sat on their a**es throughout Covid and apparently never got back up. Pre-Covid, Avianca were on a par with Latam. Now, they wore worse than any European low cost carrier. For example, BOG/CLO/CTG they don't even offer water. Transatlantic, you are at least 'served'. But in general, flying Avianca is the airline equivalent of flying with the living dead. If you have an option, take Latam - or anybody else, for that matter.
This wont get me to fly Avianca again. They are horrible!
Hello, If it Market Business Class do you get to use the United Polaris Lounge?
My understanding is that none of AV's routes departing from UA hubs are considered long-haul for Polaris access purposes.
I find their A320 Business Class product actually quite nice and definitely at par with Copa (unless you get their 737MAX with lie flat).
However, what I really hate is their new F fare class, which is the lowest bucket for Business Class and the fare usually available. In all FFP, except their own, this fare class earns absolutely nothing ... zero, nada.
I had been flying Business class with Avianca every year ever since the TACA merger until they turned into a low cost airline. The way they treated me during my last flight with them in 2022 lost me as a customer for good. I started flying American to Central America instead which I would have never even considered prior to 2020. Sure they can restore the business service but its still not going to be...
I had been flying Business class with Avianca every year ever since the TACA merger until they turned into a low cost airline. The way they treated me during my last flight with them in 2022 lost me as a customer for good. I started flying American to Central America instead which I would have never even considered prior to 2020. Sure they can restore the business service but its still not going to be same as it once was. They don't respect Star Alliance benefits (how the hell are they still part of Star Alliance?!?!). You still have to deal with horrible customer service at the check in counter, gate agents that will extort you and prevent you from boarding the plane if you don't pay their extortion on carry on rules that they make up on the go. Even if your fare included a bag, good luck trying to argue with them, either you pay up or you're not getting on the plane. Not to mention they still don't offer internet access, they ripped out their seatback IFE just like American did but at least American offers internet access. Last time I paid for "premium" seating with extra legroom on their reconfigured A320 only to be told at check in that those seats are not guaranteed, they will give up your seat to other people that don't pay extra at will and will not refund you the difference. Good luck trying to get a refund or compensation out of these guys, you will get the runaround until they stop responding altogether.
I enjoyed flying Avianca up until 2020, post 2020 Avianca is a shell of a once great airline. Such a shame that the airline almost went bankrupt during its centennial but IMO the switch to the low cost model while keeping the same legacy airline prices was the correct business model moving forward. I just hope the Salvadoreans are able to relaunch TACA and take over Avianca in Central America. They still operate flights under the Avianca name and their call sign is still used today.
I had no problem getting all my *G benefits honoured when flying Avianca in Y from MEX a few months ago. Like the post says, it's not a premium airline and I had to make sure to get fed and watered in the UA lounge to avoid the underwhelming and probably overpriced BOB options, but there really wasn't anything wrong with any part of the service.
@Speedbird, it's important to acknowledge that if your last flight with AV was in 2022, your experience might not reflect current (bad and good) service. In 2022, AV was barely coming out of the pandemic, changes were being introduced across the board (including its fare structure and included/excluded services). Collecting payment for luggage was unheard of in the history of AV and I can imagine that staff was also learning along the way before they...
@Speedbird, it's important to acknowledge that if your last flight with AV was in 2022, your experience might not reflect current (bad and good) service. In 2022, AV was barely coming out of the pandemic, changes were being introduced across the board (including its fare structure and included/excluded services). Collecting payment for luggage was unheard of in the history of AV and I can imagine that staff was also learning along the way before they were able to get a good understanding of the rules and the best way to enforce them.
All of this to say that, yes, currently AV does offer an overall uncompetitive hard and soft product. However, I've flown AV for decades (pre-pandemic it was a great option that I loved and post-pandemic it's the only option I have given the destinations I visit), and I've never been scammed, not even once. By 'scammed' I mean, e.g., having bought a fare that includes luggage and being denied and forced to pay extra for said luggage; or having bought a seat and being reassigned with no refund; or having status and being denied priority or lounge access. I have had other issues though and, yes, the call center can be tough to navigate and it requires trying multiple times, or complaining via email/form, but I was able to get a resolution in the end. So, I personally wouldn't avoid AV thinking that I will be scammed, but I'd do it just because of its overall uncompetitive offerings. As @Ben himself has noted, it might not be a bad option IF the schedule/price is the right one.
The problem is the airline itself regardless of the cabin.
Just read the last 50 experiences on Trip Advisor to see how abysmally Avianca treats passengers.
I myself was a business passenger with them in April and the flight was a patchwork of disasters. Following my complaint stating facts, they dared to deny them all, despite the evidences, and offered me offensive 5000 miles as compensation!
The problem is that Copa is no cherry, so...
If there's only one thing that sets AV apart from CM is that AV's crews are generally friendlier whereas CM's are generally despondent. CM crews also go on power trips (they love imitating everything that's done in the USA after all).
I wish they'd just call it Premium Economy, which is basically what it is. (Also because it's annoying every time it pops up in an initial Google Flights search for Business. :p)
Yeah, but so is pretty-much everything marketed as "first class" in North America, and business class in Europe and Oceania.
I have flown their A320 business class, and it is not competitive in the Western hemisphere. It could pass in Europe, where business class is a joke, but up against US carriers and Copa, this just doesn't cut it.
I think you mean La Paz, Bolivia (LPB), because Avianca does not fly to La Paz, Mexico (LAP).
@ Oscar -- Sharp eye, thank you! Fixed.
For years I flew Avianca premium cabin in the Americas. It was always poor service, with flight attendants hiding for 90% of the flight. But in 2022, when they down graded my business class ticket on a A320 to a non-reclining coach seat, I said never again. Even if they reverse course from their "race to the bottom " their service is likely to continue to be poor. With all the dysfunction between partners of...
For years I flew Avianca premium cabin in the Americas. It was always poor service, with flight attendants hiding for 90% of the flight. But in 2022, when they down graded my business class ticket on a A320 to a non-reclining coach seat, I said never again. Even if they reverse course from their "race to the bottom " their service is likely to continue to be poor. With all the dysfunction between partners of the Star Alliance (specifically between United Airlines and Avianca) it is hard to see any reason to go back.