Great Deal on Avianca USA to Colombia this month!

caulfield2 says on Apr 11, 2005, 00:47:

I wonder if that deal works if you go through travelocity.com?

Probably not. I bought a ticket for the same price (as I just looked up on the avianca.com website) from Miami to Cartagena in June.

I'm also trying to get to Cali (from Cartagena) sometime during my month in Colombia...I know the Aerorepublica flights aren't that expensive, so next time I'll just go directly through Avianca.

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Miguel says on Apr 11, 2005, 01:52:

"Avianca Rocks" I am glad you had a good experience, but predict that in the future you will say "Avianca sucked"; you caught them on a good day; it's not always going to be that way.

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viewpoint says on Apr 11, 2005, 03:41:

Bruce Listen to these other posts !!! Avianca is no Alaska Airlines even on a good day !!! Just as Alaska Airlines was not always the great airline that it is today !!! I remember Alaska Airlines (before you were born) was simply known as "Elastic Airlines" as they never kept a schedule. But Alaska Airlines had a great franchise and survived the mismanagement and financial rape of Charlie Willis and later the Ron Cosgrave-Bruce Kennendy team to become one of the better airlines of today in terms of quality of service and profitability. I remember when Alaska Airlines couldn't even meet the payroll of their employees, fuel was COD, creditors attempting to attach the aircraft. Because of it's core loyal capable employees (past and present) it managed its way through the "mismanagement" of the late 50s, 60s & 70s. to become a model of excellence today.

Avianca on the other hand is still flying in the wrong direction have missed the opportunity of combining with COPA. Avianca operates on Latin American time (always late if it flys at all).

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Lomax says on Apr 11, 2005, 04:22:

Avianca (International) has been taken over Maybe some adjustments should be made to the various opinions in respect of Avianca's practices. Avianca's (international) routes have been taken over some months ago and management now seems to be more direct/focussed than ever before.

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viewpoint says on Apr 11, 2005, 05:06:

LOMAX You are right as my opinions are based upon events preceeding the investment in Avianca by Groupo Synergy acquiring a 75% interest in the airline. I just always thought that the competing offer from COPA provided a better outcome (made more sense) for the job security of the Avianca employees and treatment of creditors than an injection of fresh new capital into a downsized version of Avianca. COPA has become (in my opinion) a well run airline.

Well the second oldest airline in the world certainly deserves a second chance.


Associated Press
Avianca Gets OK on Restructuring Proposal
11.16.2004, 04:20 PM

Colombia's troubled flagship airline Avianca has received final approval for its restructuring proposal from a U.S. bankruptcy court, paving the way for control of the carrier to be transferred to Brazil's Grupo Synergy, the companies said Tuesday.

Under the plan, Synergy will acquire a 75 percent stake in Avianca, while the remainder will stay in the hands of Colombia's National Federation of Coffee Growers. Currently, the coffee growers group and Colombian conglomerate Valores Bavaria each control a 50-percent stake.

Avianca, which bills itself as the second-oldest commercial airline in the world and operates 290 domestic and international flights a day, has fallen on hard times in recent years due to a slump in demand and rising fuel costs.

The airline filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2003 and delivered its reorganization plan to a U.S. court in New York in July. In March of this year, Synergy offered to inject US$63 million (euro48.6 million) of capital into Avianca and assume nearly US$300 million (euro231 million) in debt.

Synergy's president German Efromovich told reporters in Sao Paulo on Tuesday that his company expects to take control of Avianca within 10 days. He added that the acquisition may result in a capital injection of as much as US$70 million (euro54 million).

Under the debt restructuring approved Tuesday by New York judge Allan L. Gropper, Avianca has reduced its total debt to US$220 million (euro169.6 million) from US$300 million (euro231 million), Synergy said in a statement.

The final approval of the restructuring appeared to put an end to a drawn-out battle between company management, pilots and creditors.

Synergy said it plans to strengthen the role of Colombia's capital city, Bogota, as a regional hub and will seek to attract tourists and businesspeople. The firm is betting on growing commercial ties between Latin American countries to fuel demand for regional air services.

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suipacha says on Apr 11, 2005, 06:03:

They do have some good deals. I'm crossing my fingers for my girlfriend. She bought a 1-way ticket Miami - Santiago (Chile) for about $350. Hope she makes it alright.

"A single sentence will suffice for modern man: he fornicated and read the papers"

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bufalo says on Apr 11, 2005, 09:32:

Even though I called and cleared this up with Avianca beforehand....They wouldn´t get me a wheelchair for me to use ( I had broken leg). When they finally did, they expected me to push it WITH my carry on luggage. They refused to carry my bag on the plane for me and the stewardess wouldn´t bring it down the aisle nor put it in the overhead cubby. I had to hop on one leg, carrying a bag, had to hold the cruthces because I couldn´t balance with the bag down the gangplank (or whatever you call it) onto the plane and then to my seat. I don´t think I asked for royal sevice, but come on already.
I also bought that coupon deal to travel to five cities in Colombia. Avianca let us go TO San andréas, but told us the coupon wasn´t valid to LEAVE the island. we were supposed to pay a full fare. found this out while checking in to leave san andreás. I fought withb them all afternoon then had to call Avianca in Bogotá and speak towho knows how many people until I got some high up guy who sent a simple memo and let us on the next plane using the coupon.
I forget why, but Avianca ended up overcharging me or having topay for luggage damage or something and told me to get it when I returned to NY. I got the run-around for almost a year and finally gave up. happened another time and everything worked out fine.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Albatross says on Apr 11, 2005, 09:54:

Wonderful... Well that sure is good news... maybe Colombia will become the next spring break destination.
With a little luck, soon the locals will get to experience hoards of brats descending on Santa Marta and Cartegena every March to get drunk, try to dance, puke and then return to tell everyone else back home how great "Colombia" was.

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

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b bruce says on Apr 11, 2005, 21:27:

Spring Break in Colombia! Albatross I am disappointed! You read that I was in Colombia on spring break and immediately thought I was a drunk collage kid raising hell in Colombia. Not so! Yes I am a collage student. But I am also a fifty one year old disabled vet who has returned to collage after total right hip replacement. The Veterans Administration calls it occuaptional rehabilitation. When you are in school there are only certain times you can travel. Spring break being one of them. But I should not be disappointed with you. Because when I mentioned Colombia to all of my friends in the U.S. they jumped the gun as well. "Colombia, What are you nuts! Those people are all crazy and criminals. You will get kidnapped and murdered down there!!" Although I did have my share of Club Colombia's. I was a perfect gentleman. Viva Colombia!!!

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Albatross says on Apr 12, 2005, 04:16:

. Since you mentioned that you worked for Alaska Airlines for 9 years, I assumed that you were over 30. My comment was directed to no one in particular... just rampant tourism.

Coincidently, I'm working on my masters degree, and was also in Colombia in March for spring break.
But I travel in part to get away from the States, and it's difficult to find anyplace nowadays that hasn't been overrun with tourists, so I hope Colombia remains relatively untravelled...
...even if it means that to go there myself, I have to risk mugging, kidnapping or death.

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

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b bruce says on Apr 12, 2005, 09:01:

Avianc and travel to Colombia! You are right on the money. I found Colombia to be a wonderful place. Of course as you mentioned there are dangers. But the people and the place are beautiful. I almost want to lie to my friends when they asked me "How my trip to Colombia went?" Living in Key West. I found Cartagena a beautiful city. But also a tourist trap! Santa Marta on the other hand, One beautiful spot! Your correct, mums the word on Colombia.

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bufalo says on Apr 12, 2005, 12:13:

I agree with Bbruce and albatross, I´ve been going to colombia for 15 years now and the reason I like it is because I want to get away from the states. I´m going to liv ein Armenia where there is a tourist boom happening, my first thought was to work in it. But why would I want to mess the place up? Santa Marta is fantastic because the way it is, tourists (especially US spring breakers, but not like you guys, I´m talking about the beer-guzzling, screaming in the streets, mommy-and-daddy-paying-for-everything, backward baseball hat wearing, university sweatshirt wearing, long island accented geese babbling, Hoo-Fucking-Rah football playing brats) would just screw the place up. I´d rather get funny looks when I tell people that I live in Colombia.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Jack Smith says on Apr 16, 2005, 15:03:

Aviancas error? Avianca's error, as well as Colombia's, is the failure to offer direct service from Miami to SAI San Andres Island. See Big Juices
SAI website on MSN.

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