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Avianca is Serious JOKE

Ever tried paying for a flight with Avianca by credit card (phone) - what a nightmare. Three office visits later, 2 x 40 minute telephone calls and I think they have finally confirmed payment for my ticket. Never again - if you need to use the airline pay by credit card in an actual office or by cash .

This is the third time they have made it impossible to buy a ticket (think I would have learnt my lesson). I wonder which monkey they paid to come up with their credit card payment system!!!!

By bickerss on Nov 7, 2009, 07:41 in Friendly Talkzone.

bickerss says on Nov 7, 2009, 07:43:

I even tried to just pay for the ticket in the office (for the second visit) instead of having to go through their phone procedure again but noooooooooooooooooooooo. That would make a little sense.

Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!

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bickerss says on Nov 7, 2009, 07:48:

They would have had to really very very hard try to come up with a more painful system.

Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!

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bickerss says on Nov 7, 2009, 07:49:

ahhh finally my ticket reservation confirmation just came through - but a special thanks to Avianca staff for wasting about 3 hrs in total of my time.

Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!

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johnny2009 says on Nov 7, 2009, 07:53:

Dude open one of their overwing exits at 30,000ft.
That really dicks them off

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lefty13 says on Nov 7, 2009, 08:45:

My experience: I have bought tictets with Avianca two times over the phone in the US via credit card. Each call has taken me approximately 20 minutes and I have not had any problems with the actual purchase or confirmation. They have an automated system where you enter your credit card information so they switch me from live person to automated system back to live person. While it took a little long (20 minutes) the Avianca reps were okay. They also tell you to be there 3 hours prior which is probably not necessary esp. when leaving Colombia.

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oneforyourmillion says on Nov 7, 2009, 09:32:

I will never fly them again.

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panthdave says on Nov 7, 2009, 10:13:

Avianca phone purchase are very simple for me...My credit card is stored in the Avianca plus system...So they just charge that card it takes a few minutes for me with the rep... I also use Expedia..because I get bonus points via Capital One but only for the international flights....Local Flights with Avianca I go to an office and its a few minutes...They charged my card in Envigado within minutes swipe cuotas una done...If you go to the airport office you make a reservation with the rep and then make you go the Caja line to pay.. Love Avianca they just posted 8 Business Class upgrade credits to my account for being a Executive Platinum Member....I have many times been upgraded at the MDE Airport without even using the credits...

Everything good with me on Avianca...Alsoo good mile tickets ..Getting three economy tickets this spring for 40,000 Miles Medellin-Lima...Roundtrip...and I can use my business class upgrade credits with my mile tickets...

panthdave Miami

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CakeDesigner-wannabe says on Nov 7, 2009, 10:44:

I ordered Avianca via credit card over the phone last year when I was in Cali - lots of questions .... successfully in the end.

3 weeks ago, I use credit card again but in the office in ChipChape, Cali - no problems

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Simon says on Nov 7, 2009, 10:46:

I LOVE AVIANCA!

"Just an honest, decent Colombian trying to do the right thing."--Simon

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bickerss says on Nov 7, 2009, 13:23:

>The system for using the primary phone booking is very easy - the confirmation where they ring and leave a message saying the ticket will be cancelled unless the credit card is confirmed is a right pain in the arse.

Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!

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Monpirri says on Nov 7, 2009, 13:39:

Airbus A 330 Avianca

I had a very pleasant trip when I flew with Avianca

"Anyone who still thinks that Colombia is not a gastronomical paradise needs to have their head examined." Darloup

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Allen Parker says on Nov 7, 2009, 19:02:

Just my opinion....Assvianca sucks...Always trying to squeeze another dollar out of their customers....
Happy Flying with other other airlines!

Without change we all die!

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Papi de Alejo says on Nov 7, 2009, 19:59:

The one time that I tried to make a reservation with Avianca over the phone required having someone cvall me a few days later to confirm my credit card information. Since then, I have not purchased their tickets over the phone. I now use Expedia if I have to fly with them and it still takes a few days to receive the confirmation. I suppose that that is Avianca doing their thing. But as long as Expedia holds the exposure for me, I don't really care.

Live simply... Love generously... Care deeply... Speak kindly...

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miamimike says on Nov 7, 2009, 22:59:

The OP is another reason why I would never use Avianca again. The couldn't get me to fly on their planes if they offered me a free ticket. Undoubtably one of the world's rudest and inefficient airlines.

Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte de

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Miguel_Clavo says on Nov 7, 2009, 23:11:

Simon loves a Brazilian Company (Avianca)?????? WTF???? stranger things have happened......................

RVW orderded me to remove my tagline congratulating the PBH Mods New Golden Boys. Lame.

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Robert Jorge says on Nov 8, 2009, 01:28:

Ya, Simon loves Brazilian Avianca.

"You can not take the barrio out of the girl you really can't." Oneforamillion

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panthdave says on Nov 8, 2009, 04:18:

Synergy Group Brazil.....Ocean Air Brazil and Avianca Colombia...Don't you guys and gals see the Ocean Air Plane at MDE...Its parked always in the Cargo Area..

Now Avianca and Taca merged which I really don't know the details of that merger....If Synergy Group owns most of Taca Now or just an alliance merger...

panthdave Miami

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sloopskipper says on Nov 8, 2009, 07:04:

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grupo_TACA the parent company is HOLDCO (Synergy Group).

If TACA's regional subsidiary, Aeroperlas, is any indication of TACA's performance, the chances for Avianca improving after the merger seem dismal.

I flew them on a short (direct) flight to the Boas del Toro archipelago two weeks ago. Once in the air, the captain announced it would be a 55 minute flight, as indicated on their schedule. We began to descend after about 45 minutes and I assumed that we were approaching Bocas Town. WRONG!

We were landing at this tiny Chiquita Banana town.

Photobucket

Since the deplaning passengers were not wearing parachutes, and a couple more boarded, it seemed this was probably a planned stop.

In the meantime, the mechanics decided this was a good opportunity to fiddle with the portside engine.

After about an hour we were back in the air and idled, at maybe 1500 feet, across a short stretch of the Caribbean, and reached Bocas in about 10 minutes.

I arrived about an hour early for the return flight, and saw no planes on the tarmac. I found that both AeroPerlas & Air Panama had cancelled their afternoon flights on the previous day, so the tiny terminal was packed with passengers for 4 flights.

After a couple hours Air Panama arrived with two planes, and finally an AP landed (4 hours late).

Seems that some people think "everybody's outa step but me".

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sanandressi says on Nov 8, 2009, 07:14:

My experience to and from Colombia is American, Avianca, Lan Chile, Copa and the best, ACES!

When I flew on Avianca in the late 90's, the planes were dirty and brakes squeaked. By 2004 or 2005 the planes were clean but we bought tickets via phone from here in the States with a credit card only from Bogota to San Andres and it was a disaster when we got to Bogota. A problem that any American agent in Miami could have solved in 20 minutes took 1.5 hours with some agent in Bogota trying to talk to someone in Medellin. Then, on the way back from San Andres to Bogota, they had not solved the problem in Bogota for the return portion and more stupidity on San Andres.

Lan Chile from Miami? Excellent

American from Miami? Quite good generally.

Copa from Panama? Pretty solid.

Jetblue and Spirit? Never tried them.

Continental? Never flown them to Colombia but have never heard a bad word about Continental in this forum. (Although somebody will now!)

Delta from Atlanta? Never tried them.

I think, from reading these posts, that, if coming fromm the US, you are best to stick with US flagship carriers and buy your tickets in Colombia at the counter/ticket office. Too many posts here about bad experiences with credit cards at Colombian carrier websites in general.

Satena? Aires? No experience with them or Aerorepublica but some of thier websites are slow or are offline or don't work...!? Avianca did have online chat ith an agent which as good. Do they still have that?

ACES, which disappeared, seemed to me anyway to be the best experience I had to Colombia or within Colombia. Too bad they went away maybe?

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bickerss says on Nov 8, 2009, 07:58:

Satena and aires - always late but they get there and their cheap prices often make up for the delays. We flew with Aires from med to santa marta - 2 hr delay in bog.

Satena often has cheap wednesday specials where if you buy in the office on Wed they have heavy discounts.

Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!

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Londoner says on Nov 8, 2009, 08:15:

Continental,Copa, Aerorepublica,all the same crowd-pretty efficient.Never had a problem.Avianca is a monopolistic airline.When a competitor appears ,they drop their prices to loss leader level on that route,drive out the competion,then raise the prices to prohibitive levels.That,s Avianca for me.Ryanair and Easyjet please discover Colombia fast!

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ranaquajo (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 8, 2009, 08:29:

... i can't even remember the last time i tried to fly Avianca ... i keep remembering we always called it Avinunca ...

“The people using your software, even if you own it and pay for it, have rights and will behave as if they have rights. And if you abrogate those rights, you'll hear about it very quickly.”

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Costeña says on Nov 8, 2009, 08:30:

Avanca SUX big time,they steal your baggage and never admit to making mistakes..

Why did you come to Colombia ?????

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pedro (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 8, 2009, 08:33:

I've dealt with the runaround required for Avianca to verify a foreign credit card. So much so, that I've ruled that one out as an option.

You are much better off if you can pay with a Colombian debit card in the name of the person making the reservation. If that's not possible, but you have access to a friend with a Colombian debit card, ask about paying with Redeban. This facility is also known as Punto de Pago, or Red MultiColor. Your friend will need to find a Redeban PIN terminal and can order the payment from there, using their debit card.

The process will at least be under your control (rather than giving Avianca a fixed line number and waiting for them to call you on it -- sometimes my reservation lapsed after 3 days because I hadn't had the call).

And with Redeban, you'll get the phone reservations price, which I think is a tiny bit cheaper than paying in their office or the agent's office.

"this may seem a strange post but it is not...when in colombia men need to be aware that colombia women may try to be seductive and entice a travelling gringo to have sex with them..to be forewarned is to be forearmed..." -- pow wow

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Yullover says on Nov 8, 2009, 09:49:

My experience :

first time use Air Canada... good service, but worst flying hours a never see and soooooo expensive (1500$)

After that i want to save money, i try Air Canada to fort Lauderdale (good nothing to said, cheap price)
And take the worst airline in my life, Spirit airline... the worst, worst worst, 4 hours late, overbooked flight, nothing, nothing offering in the plane, miss my connection in Bogota... when came back, 8 hours late, nothing offering to passagers, no hotel, no food vochers... THE WORST...

Now i'm stick with this route, American airline to miami, and after the better flight With AVIANCA, MIA-CTG-PEI... direct flight to the city of my wife, cheap price as the plane is rarely full, Full bar service, full food, and i never have late departure on both legs... always use the call center to book, as i have Canadian credit card and the US web site can take my address. always have good service with brillant people... take my 10 minutes as my credit card is hold in the system.

I always appreciate Avianca.

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miamimike says on Nov 8, 2009, 13:41:

teña says on Nov 8, 2009, 08:30 (today): flag

Avanca SUX big time,they steal your baggage and never admit to making mistakes..

Uribe is guilty as suspected
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Put very nicely in few words! 100% spot on !

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sloopskipper says on Nov 8, 2009, 16:50:

sanandressi says on Nov 8, 2009, 07:14 (today): flag

"My experience to and from Colombia is American, Avianca, Lan Chile, Copa and the best, ACES!"

I flew LAN from Caracas to Lima, and 3 flights within Perú, and found them to be first class. They even served a nice hot lunch (with wine, gratis) on the one hour flight from Arequipa to Cusco, and if I remember that cost not much more that $100US.

Seems that some people think "everybody's outa step but me".

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