Avianca is a new member of the Star Alliance and, following its recent merger with Taca,Image may be NSFW.
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the company is now a powerhouse in Latin America, with hubs including San Salvador, El Salvador; Bogota, Colombia; and Lima, Peru. Its route network stretches to numerous U.S. destinations, as well as Europe (Madrid is its biggest destination), and other points in South America.
I traveled on the evening flight from Lima to Bogota, on a wide-body Airbus A330. The carrier operates 11 of the aircraft in its fleet and they all feature lie-flat seats in business class.
The inbound flight from Bogota was delayed leading to a delayed departure. No information was provided at the gate, and nothing indicating a delay was shown on the flight information displays. I speak Spanish and only found out of the later pushback time by overhearing gate agents commenting about it amongst themselves.
The Sumaq lounge, which Avianca uses at the Lima airport, was rather basic but well-stocked with an open bar, free wireless Internet, light munchies, and a napping room with pillows and blankets.Image may be NSFW.
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BOARDING
Despite there being a separate line for business class and Star Alliance Gold members, at the boarding area resembled a zoo. A single agent handled the process for more than 200, outwardly testy (and who could fault them) passengers. But once aboard, sparkling wine or water with nuts were offered to the fliers. That was certainly a welcome treat, but the crew could not budge a smile while they passed through the aisles numerous times offering something different, such as newspapers, duty-free catalogs, magazines, menus, and immigration forms, each time.
SEAT COMFORT
My business-class seat was at the bulkhead, which is not my preferred choice,Image may be NSFW.
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but provided ample legroom. All the lie-flat seats are enclosed by hard shells that preserve personal space and avoid the common seat-back recline intrusions.
All seats had blankets wrapped in plastic and attractive pillows, but from the start, it was obvious they would not be necessary as the cabin was uncommonly warm. Typically, cabins cool after takeoff, but on this flight temperatures never got below sweltering.
Seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 layout with three rows in the first of two business class cabins, and an additional two rows in the second cabin, which is separated from the first by the galley. Each angled lie-flat business-class seat is roughly 18” wide with a pitch of 56” and reclines to 180°.
