The Colombian carrier Avianca has began to offer its business class in flights to 4 destinations within the Americas, trying to improve the passenger experience of travelers flying onboard the airline’s Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 widebody aircraft.
Improving passenger experience
Starting on Tuesday, Avianca customers on flights from Bogota to Buenos Aires (EZE), Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), Miami (MIA), and between San Salvador (SAL) and Los Angeles (LAX) could purchase tickets to fly on the airline’s business class.
Photo: Avianca.
As a part of the airline’s post-Chapter 11 reorganization, Avianca introduced 4 recent sorts of fares to personalize the trip of each passenger. The business fare, also referred to as XXL fare, includes two checked-in 32 kilograms bags, counter and priority baggage delivery, itinerary change and refund, mileage accrual, priority boarding, dinner and lunch with two options to pick from, snack and dessert, breakfast with two options to pick from, the offer of cold and hot beverages and liquors, amenity kit, blanket, and pillow on night flights and free entertainment system.
Why introduce the business class?
Avianca stated that the choice to supply business class was made after listening to, analyzing, and addressing customer suggestions to enhance their travel experience on a few of the longest routes the airline operates within the Americas.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying.
Nonetheless, excluding the San Salvador-Los Angeles flights, the opposite three routes have a combined operation with the airline employing Boeing 787s and Airbus A320 aircraft. Subsequently, Avianca really useful passengers to discover on the time of purchase if the chosen flight offers the XXL size, which is the one which corresponds to business class. Moreover, at any time when an Avianca flight is operated onboard an Airbus A330, said flight is wet-leased by Wamos Air, the European company which is chartering some widebodies to the Colombian airline.
Manuel Ambriz, Avianca’s Chief Industrial Officer (CCO), said in an announcement,
Widespread criticism
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Avianca was a legacy-oriented airline with a captive flying public that loved the onboard service. Nonetheless, following a lengthy Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, the airline has reoriented its business model to 1 that puts Avianca closer to a low-cost carrier than a legacy airline. For instance, last 12 months eliminated its business class on most routes because it looked to chop costs and change into more efficient.
Avianca
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- AV/AVA
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- El Dorado International Airport, El Salvador International Airport
- Yr Founded:
- 1919
- Alliance:
- Star Alliance
- Airline Group:
- Avianca Group
- CEO:
- Adrian Neuhauser
- Country:
- Colombia