Avianca is continuing the process of restoring business class on more routes, further backtracking on a decision the carrier made back in 2022.
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Avianca eliminated business class on most routes
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 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 this in August 2023, and will now reverse the decision even further as of July 2024.
Avianca restores business class within the Americas
The first step of this reversal took place last year. As of August 15, 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)
So a given route may have some frequencies with business class, and other frequencies without it. For example, Avianca flies a mix of Airbus A320s and Boeing 787s to Miami, so the latter flights do have business class, while the former flights don’t.
Now Avianca is taking this a step further. As of July 1, 2024, Avianca is restoring business class on select routes operated by the Airbus A320. Specifically, this applies to routes that are at least five hours in length:
- Expect to see business class on A320s operated from Bogota (BOG) to 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)
- There will be three rows of business class seats, and I believe this will be an intra-Europe style business class product, with economy style seats that have blocked middles
- In terms of amenities, the business class experience will include a meal, complimentary drinks, blankets, pillows, and amenity kits
This is a sensible policy change
I can see where Avianca’s policy change came from back in 2022, when the airline decided to just eliminate business class altogether within the Americas. The airline wanted to become more efficient and streamline its offerings. Since business class was being eliminated on narrow body planes, the airline decided it was most efficient to just not sell the product on wide body frequencies either.
However, from the beginning I personally didn’t think that made much sense, and I’m happy to see this reversal. The reality is that the demand for premium air travel has continued to grow, and I think Avianca was also losing a lot of 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 with premium travelers.
Bottom line
In 2022, Avianca stopped selling business class on flights within the Americas, as the airline tried to streamline its business model, in an effort to return to profitability.
The airline has slowly been reversing course on this decision. In August 2023, Avianca restored business class on wide body flights within the Americas, and now Avianca is restoring business class on narrow body flights within the Americas that are blocked at a minimum of five hours. I’m happy to see this change, as it should make Avianca more competitive in many markets.
What do you make of Avianca backtracking on eliminating business class?
I hope Avianca improves their business class service. Even prior to the pandemic their service sucked. Slow service and cold food in J. Just a terrible experience.
I flew LAX-GUA in a "Premium" seat in February. It's much better than "Intra-Europe" seats, and I prefer it to traditional narrowbody domestic F seats.
The seat flares out A LOT. I am 5' 8" and was able to sit cross-legged in the seat (and before you ask, no not barefoot). Can't even do that in most lie-flat business seats!
The center console has the power adapters -- which was great for the laptop --...
I flew LAX-GUA in a "Premium" seat in February. It's much better than "Intra-Europe" seats, and I prefer it to traditional narrowbody domestic F seats.
The seat flares out A LOT. I am 5' 8" and was able to sit cross-legged in the seat (and before you ask, no not barefoot). Can't even do that in most lie-flat business seats!
The center console has the power adapters -- which was great for the laptop -- vs. the traditional spot below the seat where they always fall out.
Another advantage of calling this Business Class is that it'll be acknowledged by Star Alliance. I tried going into the Star Alliance lounge in LAX, and they said since "Premium seat" Business Class --> No lounge access.
They have become ueless. Their award program with Star Alliance offers me not one transatlantic flight in business class in a year…from my regular choice to zero in last 3 years. And try dealing with their customer service…
I had flown Avianca ever since they merged with TACA in the late 2000s. My last flight with them in 2022 prior to them removing business class was the last time I would ever fly that new low cost airline. The meal they offered for business class at that time was just a lunchbox with a cold sandwich, a bottle of water, a pastry and a bag of Lays. They then rolled the cart into...
I had flown Avianca ever since they merged with TACA in the late 2000s. My last flight with them in 2022 prior to them removing business class was the last time I would ever fly that new low cost airline. The meal they offered for business class at that time was just a lunchbox with a cold sandwich, a bottle of water, a pastry and a bag of Lays. They then rolled the cart into the economy section to offer the same thing to them as well. I had family members that flew them against my recommendation in the new XL seats that replaced business class. They paid extra for these bigger seats at the front of the plane only to get seated in the middle of the plane with the seats that don't recline and have little to no padding on them. Their garbage customer service refused to give them the fare difference that they paid and did not recieve. I had to argue with their customer service to get the correct seats assigned for the return leg because for some reason they had gotten changed once again from the XL seats at booking. The new Avianca is a scam, don't waste your money with them. You will get a better experience on Spirit or Volaris. They at least charge you low cost airline fares. Avianca's model is provide a lowcost airline experience at legacy airline prices. The damage to their reputation has been done. They lost any premium travelers they had. Also, they're flying the 787 from SAL to MIA... a 2 hour flight??? Meanwhile SAL to YUL or JFK gets an A320?
Some of those routes are not short and should offer business class.
I had Aviance business class flights booked with United miles for November 2022, from Dulles to Lima, through San Salvador. They discontinued business class before I flew, but I had booked business so United had to accomodate me, so they switched me to United Polaris 767, and I was not complaining AT ALL, that was definitely a nice upgrade, at the much cheaper Avianca rates.
I remember sitting in a reverse herringbone seat from LAX to Bogata and thinking that was an easy and comfortable flight. Unfortunately those days are long gone. Great country but getting down there comfortably isn’t as easy as it used to be.
Flown Avianca with these seats which they've just sold as XL fare. They are better than intra-European because the middle is not a real seat. It gives you more space and has storage.
Sounds like they are just changing "XL fare" to "Business" and bundling food, which surely amounts to more $$$.
Talk about a disparity of hard product between the 787s and the A320s. I’d be very unhappy if I paid for business class between the US and Buenos Aires, expecting reverse herringbone seats but found myself on two long flights with “intra-European” business class.
“I believe this will be an intra-Europe style business class product” - well, I don’t think they will again change the seats. The first three rows on the refurbished planes offer something in between: Their seats are slim like Economy seats, but offer a permanent seat blocking.
"There will be three rows of business class seats, and I believe this will be an intra-Europe style business class product, with economy style seats that have blocked middles"
Ben - did you not look at the picture below your text, showing the mock-up of the A320 business class seats? This looks like a new hybrid "blocked middle seat" but with extra wide seats - distinctly different than intra-Europe business class. The seats are...
"There will be three rows of business class seats, and I believe this will be an intra-Europe style business class product, with economy style seats that have blocked middles"
Ben - did you not look at the picture below your text, showing the mock-up of the A320 business class seats? This looks like a new hybrid "blocked middle seat" but with extra wide seats - distinctly different than intra-Europe business class. The seats are probably as wide as standard US First Class. Has anyone seen anything like this before?
A lot of European airlines have been doing that: the middle seat is sacrificed for a combination of a table and extra seat width. The setup can be returned to standard Y seating with a couple of screwdrivers and 15 minutes of someone's time.
It's perfectly pleasant for short haul unless you are exceptionally tall.
Time to restore lounge access at MAD, I was shocked to discover that I didn't get to visit any lounge as a *G travelling in transatlantic business class.
Eurobusiness is bad enough on Air France, but this is Avianca. I'm glad to see it back, but it's hardly good. Why do the economics of business class just not work in South America? It shocks me that there are 4-5 hour flights in Brazil and business class isn't an option.
I think the damage has been done. This is too complex and Avianca made a mess. I think of them as all-economy and don’t trust their class of service designations. Won’t book them for premium.
-G