avianca Reintroduces Business Class In The Americas

avianca has taken the bold decision to restore business class, backtracking on an earlier, controversial move. From July 1st, flights longer than five hours throughout the Americas will feature business class seating and service.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

avianca’s new business class will make up the first three rows on its Airbus A320 aircraft. The soft product will feature dedicated business class meals and beverages, amenity kits, and onboard entertainment, while at the airport, business class passengers will benefit from lounge access, increased baggage allowance, and priority boarding.

Flights longer than five hours

Business class will be restored on the Colombian flag carrier’s flights longer than five hours throughout the Americas. From the airline’s hub at El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogotá, this includes flights to and from Santiago de Chile (SCL), Buenos Aires (EZE), Montevideo (MVD), São Paulo (GRU), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Washington (IAD), Boston (BOS), Toronto (YYZ), and Mexico City (MEX).

Meanwhile, passengers traveling in business class on avianca’s fleet of Boeing 787-8s within the Americas will enjoy the same perks as those on the A320, but with the additional benefit of lie-flat seating. This will be differentiated from the business class offered on the airline’s long-haul flights to Europe, known as avianca insignia.

avianca took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to confirm the news and showcase its new business class products:

Welcome back, business class

Since October 2022, the only flights in the airline’s route network to feature business class were those operated to and from Europe with the 787 – Madrid (MAD), Barcelona (BCN), and London (LHR). On all other flights operated by the 787, the business class cabin was sold as economy class with more space and featured the airline’s standard economy class onboard service.

Photo: avianca

In August 2023, following significant passenger backlash, the airline reintroduced business class on a limited number of routes from Bogotá operated by the Boeing 787 – Miami (MIA), Buenos Aires (EZE), and São Paulo (GRU). However, this still left the majority of the carrier’s route network without a business class service.

Supporting avianca’s rebound from the pandemic

Back in 2022, avianca removed business class from its fleet of Airbus A320s, increasing economy class capacity by 20%. At the time, despite much negative press attention, the move made financial sense – the airline was in serious financial trouble following the pandemic and was facing increased competition from ultra-low-cost carrier Viva Air Colombia.

Photo: Daniel Hernandez-Salazar | Shutterstock

However, after Viva Air Colombia ceased operations in 2023, the future of the country’s aviation industry may look different, with room for a legacy business class after all. This latest news will no doubt be welcomed by the airline’s frequent flyers, and will help it to attract new passengers in what remains a competitive market.

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What do you think of avianca’s plan to restore business class on its flights throughout the Americas? Will you be flying with the airline in business class this year? Let us know by commenting below.