Avianca Minus

miamimike says on Apr 8, 2008, 20:20:

Avianca puts you through the Hoops for a lot of things. I simply refuse use them and avoid major headaches and stress. Avianca is OK for shipping Non-human type cargo and Boxes through Avianca Air Express

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

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Aaron21 says on Apr 8, 2008, 20:23:

Hmmm... if it is an e-ticket you generally pick it up at the airport when you check in ... is this some other type of e-ticket?

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RAAAY says on Apr 8, 2008, 20:25:

I paid extra to fly with Avianca last week........American was $50 cheaper............I'll take Avianca any day...........never had a bad experience with them.........probably 30 round trips at this stage...........

I just called a little while ago to change my return date..........no problem.....no charge, as always,......less than a two minute phone call.....


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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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droble77 says on Apr 8, 2008, 21:47:

Hmmm, not sure what you mean about "getting your hands" on an e-ticket. For an e-ticket all you need is the reservation code, give that # to the check-in agent and they take care of the rest.

Call Avianca and tell the agent to send you an email with your info. Print out the email and you're good to go.

I did have to go to their Manhattan office once but that was because I had changed the ticket more than two times. That's the only negative thing I can say about Avianca but I guess it is partly my fault because I was a bit flaky that summer :0) . . .and kept having to change the dates on the ticket, which is expensive to do as well!

I don't have kids though so I'm not sure what their deal is with regards to that. Good luck!

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tomtom33 says on Apr 8, 2008, 23:57:

Avianca will not issue an E-ticket for frequent flier miles. You have to physically go to one of their offices. I arranged everything for my FF ticket on the phone. Then went to their Unicentro office in MDE to pay the taxes and pick up my ticket. They would not give me my ticket until I went to a copy shop and got them a photocopy of my cedula. I asked them WTF? If I needed a copy of my cedula, why didn't they tell me that on the phone?

Oh when I was picking up my ticket, I hand-delivered another letter to Avianca requesting the money that they screwed me out of by requiring me to buy a second ticket for a flight that I already had a ticket for. That was about 1 year ago now. I have yet to receive a reply.

If I have a choice even if it costs several hundred dollars more, I will never fly Avianca again. Ray has been incredibly lucky. They have kept me on hold interminably several times. I am talking over an hour total per call.

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miamimike says on Apr 9, 2008, 06:50:

Tomtom-I'm with you all the way on that one. As I posted, they are OK for flying boxes&Cargo.LOL

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

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ColombianoGringo says on Apr 9, 2008, 07:54:

I really haven't had any problems with Avianca in recent years. They've never lost my bag(unlike AA and Continental) and I've never gotten left off a flight or had them cause me to miss a connecting flight(again unlike AA and Continental).

I will say that their phone center help sucks. I won't even bother with them anymore. It's really best to deal with them directly at an Avianca office or the airport. On multiple occasions, I've gotten airport agents to significantly reduce fares on the spot, sometimes by half. It seems like smiling at the counter girl and throwing out some form of the verb "colaborar" will work magic. Like they say in Colombia, "El que no llora, no mama". Granted, they might not give these deals to gringos, but it never hurts to try.

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droble77 says on Apr 9, 2008, 08:14:

Tom, as of this year you don't need to pick up the ticket at their office if you're using miles.

They upgraded their web site recently and as long as you have a PIN, you can even look up reward flights yourself and do the whole booking process online. . .

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tomtom33 says on Apr 9, 2008, 12:37:

Thanks, Droble. But I'm guessing that I'll never have the need to know anything more about them.

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that they didn't bother to tell all of their agents about the change. If they can't even keep track of a paid ticket, how in the fuck can they keep their planes in the air?

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RAAAY says on Apr 9, 2008, 12:42:

.AHHHHH.............they still serve the best filet mignon at 37,000 feet.


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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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tomtom33 says on Apr 9, 2008, 12:54:

I cannot disagree, Ray. The food service has always been good.

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ColombianoGringo says on Apr 9, 2008, 13:38:

The stewardesses are nice as well. They are much nicer and better looking than the short haired, big assed hags on most US airlines. However, it seems that Easy Fly has got the stewardess game won. Apparently, the uniform for the ladies is shorts and high heels. That's got to make for some interesting flights.

"Oh miss, could you help me with the overhead bin?"


Oh yeah, the $10.000 COP promotional domestic fares are nice. You end up paying about $80.000 with taxes,etc. but it is still a great deal.

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Monpirri says on Apr 9, 2008, 16:29:

My first experience with Avianca was real enjoyable! I flew with Avianca December 2007 and I will travel again with Avianca.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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droble77 says on Apr 9, 2008, 21:56:

It looks like some people are cursed with them. Avianca's been good to me so far, including a free upgrade to first class on the leg from JFK to MDE.

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honey says on Apr 13, 2008, 08:43:

UPDATE:

I went to Manhattan to pick up my daughter's ticket, and I wasn't asked for anything at all. None of the photopcopies I had ready were requested, but I insisted the agent take them. All she wanted was the record locator and the taxes.

I finally got my own e-ticket e-mailed to me after many, many requests. The phone calls had been going on for a couple of weeks - which was very frustrating, they just kept giving me excuse after excuse.

It is my understanding that they will only e-mail the e-ticket to the address they have on the AviancPlus account. Again, you can pay for your own ticket taxes (using miles) using a credit card on the phone, as long as it is your name on the credit card.

In genereal, I don't have any complaint about the Avianca flights I have taken. I stopped taking American after their own delay made me miss the connection in Miami...this was on a Christmas Eve! I took Continental once because it was only $500 but the connection in Houston is just too time consuming for me. I have to say that I like the idea of a night time flight. I always seem to need that extra "day" in Cali and now we will be leaving after midnight from JFK as well. I didn't even know that departure existed!

Life is what happens when you're busy making plans - John Lennon.

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tomtom33 says on Apr 13, 2008, 11:17:

If you are going to stop using airlines because of delays, you will run out of airlines very quickly.

I had a 5 or 6 hour delay once on an AA MIA-MDE flight. They got another plane, and that one couldn't fly either. You know what? Shit happens. I still fly AA. The taking off part is voluntary. The landing part is mandatory.

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Albatross says on Apr 14, 2008, 04:28:

I reported Avianca for fraud because they refused to let me board my return flight even though I arrived at the airport 1 1/2 hours early (they said I should have been there 3 hours early).

Then they charged me $500 more for a new ticket... which I WILL get back, I promise.

I will also avoid Avianca like a diseased rodent in the future.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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RAAAY says on Apr 14, 2008, 05:38:

Who did you report them to......" for fraud "

Good luck with getting a refund. From what you say, you're not entitled to one, and if you have been an xxxhole with them, why should they bother giving a refund ?

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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robi666 says on Apr 14, 2008, 05:56:

Albatross, are you sure that you're entitled to get a refund? How do you plan to get the 500 back?

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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MitchAlvarez says on Apr 14, 2008, 06:24:

Albatross that happens to me all the time. They are very strict about arriving three hours prior to the flights scheduled departure time. Its happened to me 4 or 5 times. The last time I flew I came a bit drunk actually jajaj. I just flew in the next flight the went to bogota and i caught the medellin flight there.

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

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El Piloto says on Apr 14, 2008, 07:56:

A 3 hour check-in requirement? That's crazy.

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Albatross says on Apr 14, 2008, 08:38:

It is fraud because I paid for a service that was subsequently denied.

This was the first time I flew outside of Colombia on Avianca... I arrived LESS than an hour before my departing flight from JFK and had ZERO problems. I was not informed when I bought the tickets, at arrival at JFK, nor at any other time of their ridiculous "3-hour prior" policy.

The arrival policies are suggestions due to check-in and security delays. No-where does it say that failure to arrive 3 hours prior to departure will result in the forfeiture of the right of the passenger to board. An airline cannot close the door to the aircraft an hour before the scheduled departure time, as Avianca did, and not expect repercussions.

It's pretty stupid of them really, I've got two more trips planned this year and I went out of my way to avoid Avianca. They have already lost more money than the extra $500 I paid.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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robi666 says on Apr 14, 2008, 09:47:

You may be morally right, but sadly I don't think that you'll get your 500 back.
Keep us posted, anyway.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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RAAAY says on Apr 14, 2008, 09:53:

Avianca's policies are very clearly stated. It's a pain, but you will always get away with 2 hours before or even 1 hour and 45 mins. But they are very strict when it comes to the 1 hour and 30 minutes. Thats it. Flight closed.

As to getting a refund. I'd love to hear how that works out for you.

And once again........you said.....



" Albatross says on Monday April 14th, 2008 4:28:

I reported Avianca for fraud..."


Who did you file this report with.??


.

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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vicshere says on Apr 14, 2008, 10:03:

a few years ago I actually got a full refund on 2 avianca tickets from Bucaramnaga to Toronto and back......and it wasn't their fault.....it was the travel agent's fault who fucked up.....but I went to the head office of Avianca here in Bucaramanga and explain why they had travel agents selling their tickets who didn't know their ass from a hole in the ground....the manager agreed and it took four months but got the cash back...now I buy my tickets direct at the head office with no travel agent......now no middle man to blame or screw my flights up

listo

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pedro says on Apr 14, 2008, 10:17:

They can rush you through if they want to... but they have to want to help you.

It helps if you look crestfallen and ask them if there's any way they can make it work.

We arrived super late for the Cartagena - Panama flight (50 minutes before takeoff). They called a soldier over to do the visual bag check, handed over the boarding pass, radioed to confirm the arrangement, and five minutes later we were standing at the boarding gate.

If you give them attitude and blame it on them, they'll simply say "sorry, you need to be here three hours in advance". While denying you, they'll be feeling a warm glow inside cause you didn't treat them with the humility they expect of you in that situation.

que nota!

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jonas says on Apr 14, 2008, 10:28:

In December I accompanied a friend of mine to El Dorado for his flight to Madrid on Air Comet. We arrived late, only one and a half hours before departure. Then it turned out they had changed the departure time to leave one hour before scheduled departure. So really he left the Taxi half an hour before taking off. He made the flight. Had I not seen this with my own eyes I would probably not believe it.

Simon Presidente!

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Albatross says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:06:

I paid with my American Express card, I filed the fraud report with them.
They said it may take 6-8 weeks for a response.
If that doesn't work, I'll try a different tack... I'll eventually find a way.
Or maybe I'll just start my own website, www.aviancasucks.com and cost them business.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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ColombianoGringo says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:19:

Just a few months ago at MIA, I was super late for my Avianca flight because my AA flight got in very late. I walked up to the Avianca counter and found a massive line. I had about an hour to my flight and there was no way I would make it if I stood in the line. I walked around to the side, asked an attendant if he could help and he directed me to the next open agent and they checked me in with no problems.

As I've always said, it pays to be nice and smile a lot when asking for help. With Avianca, being a cachaco seems to help as well;-p

Also, remember, "Sera que me puede colaborar?" is the magic phrase when asking for stuff in Colombia.

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Albatross says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:20:

"While denying you, they'll be feeling a warm glow inside cause you didn't treat them with the humility they expect of you in that situation."... while I go back to New York (eventually) to make 25 times their salary.

I save my humility for people who deserve it, passengers deserve the humility of the airlines. It was bad enough to miss my flight, but for Avianca to insist that I buy another ticket is both inexcusable and piss-poor customer service. As I eventually said to the agent, "If this is how you treat customers, I can't believe Avianca is still in business".

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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robi666 says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:25:

hps cachacos, siempre echándonos para atras... :)

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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RAAAY says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:25:

Albatross..." I save my humility for people who deserve it, passengers deserve the humility of the airlines."


I can't imagine how you had a problem.


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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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ColombianoGringo says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:26:

robi,

Pareces Costeño con esas quejas. Pura envidia ;) Ja Ja Ja

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Albatross says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:33:

Apparently, Raay, you have gotten so used to getting screwed by inferior service that you now reflexively just bend over. I imagine I've travelled close to half a million miles and never before had a customer service problem with an airline or agent... and I doubt I will ever again.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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ColombianoGringo says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:36:

Funny. That's how I feel about most US airlines. The service is usually inferior to what I have seen on many airlines from other countries. On the other hand, I normally great and friendly service from Avianca.

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RAAAY says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:38:

A customer service issue.....??

You were late arriving to check in for your flight. Should'nt really be an issue.


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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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robi666 says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:41:

I just hope that you did not tell them that you make 25 times their salary... that could be an issue. :)

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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Albatross says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:42:

Actually, the truth is that I'm not upset. Since I had to buy a new ticket anyway, I stayed a few more days and that extra time turned out to be the best of the trip. It doesn't excuse their actions, but it turned out to my advantage.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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RAAAY says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:48:

Albatross.." It doesn't excuse their actions, "

Their actions. Now I'm confused. I understood YOU were late for check in. Am I missing something ?

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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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ColombianoGringo says on Apr 14, 2008, 11:50:

The reason you have to arrive three hours early when leaving Bogota is that you are often subjected to having your bag inspected by Avianca before you even check in. All the airlines tell you the same thing. When flying the 8 AM Continental flight to Houston, they also tell you to be there three hours early which is the reason I rarely take that flight. With only an hour and a half, you would be cutting it close on any flight out of Bogota when you consider the lines, security, DAS emigration, etc.

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Saltador says on Apr 14, 2008, 12:17:

I agree Avianca sucks, especially in the customer service dept. They made an error one time that cost me around 200 dollars, I called and argued with them 4 or 5 times, sent them proof and correspndence that they requested, and ultimately never did get a refund.
They are well known for turning you away if you're not there plenty ahead of time for the Cartagena to Miami trip. But this is because the employees who check you in turn around and head down the hall and do security and boarding the plane. They can't hang around by the check in and wait for late arrivals.
Albatross, I doubt you'll get a refund from AviNunca.

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