Avianca Boeing 787-8 Business Class Review With Norwegian Seating [BOG to GRU]

Airline: Avianca (AV)
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8
Flight #: AV85
Route: El Dorado International Airport (BOG) to São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)
Date: November 3, 2024
Duration: 6 hours, 5 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Business class on a former Norwegian plane; 32 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration
Seats: 3A and 3C
Cost: $382.19 or 24,368 Amex points per person, including a flight from Cancún to Bogotá

I struggle to think of any true highlights from this flight other than the price. We landed an incredible deal from Cancún to São Paulo with a connection in Bogotá. At the time of booking, the second leg would include Avianca’s lie-flat business class. However, that wasn’t what we got.

Instead, we got a recliner business class, chaotic boarding, and ho-hum meals. And what we didn’t get was the thing we cared most about: good sleep on an overnight flight.

We knew in advance that there would be an aircraft swap reducing the quality of the flight. But given the cost of changing our flight to something else with just a few days’ notice, we declined the offer of a refund and stuck with our reservation.

We got where we wanted to go safely and cheaply, but this is definitely a plane I’d avoid in the future when looking for business class. Here’s a look at our recent flight on one of the 787s that Avianca took over from the former Norwegian fleet — and how you can avoid winding up on one of these planes on your next flight.

Booking Avianca Business Class

We were planning to spend Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico, which we do annually, and needed to get from there to Brazil to take care of some family stuff. We found a screaming deal out of Cancún for $382.19 per person booking directly with Avianca.

That included premium economy on the Cancún-Bogotá flight and then business class on the connection to São Paulo. As that second flight would depart at 11 p.m., we were excited about the lie-flat seat at a heck of a price.

And even though Avianca’s business class doesn’t have the greatest reviews, we were willing to book this flight through American Express’ Insider Fares at a slightly higher price point — $374.89 per person — for the ability to book with points and come out ahead after a points rebate.

Since my wife has The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, we paid 48,736 Membership Rewards points in the end. Yes, for both of us. That’s because of the card’s 35% points rebate benefit that applies to flights in any cabin on your preferred airline (selected in advance) or in business or first class on any airline, so long as you use the Pay with Points feature on AmexTravel.com.

When we booked, the BOG-GRU flight included Avianca’s 787 business class with lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. We even selected seats. What we got was something else entirely.

Airplane Swap

A few days before departure, we received an email saying that the schedule had changed, the flight would now depart an hour later, and we’d need to choose new seats. When we checked the seat map, we were very surprised to find a 2-3-2 layout.

It turns out Avianca acquired 3 planes (all Boeing 787s) from Norwegian when the latter abandoned its long-haul schedule. We flew on one of those planes. While Avianca supposedly plans to remodel its interiors, our plane simply had a fresh coat of paint on the outside but still had Norwegian’s interior — including recliner seats in a 2-3-2 layout that Norwegian had marketed as premium economy and Avianca was marketing as business class.

This was surprising, given Avianca’s announcements about bringing back and updating its business class within the past year. These statements didn’t match what we experienced.

We contacted Avianca, saying this wasn’t the lie-flat we purchased and that it was a very different, inferior product. To its credit, the Avianca team offered us a refund. Considering the expensive options for a last-minute flight between Mexico and Brazil, we decided not to cancel.

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At El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá (BOG)

Transit

As we arrived on an Avianca flight from Cancún and were immediately departing Colombia for another flight, we didn’t have to check in with Avianca in Bogotá. We followed the signs for connecting flights, which oddly led us to the standard line at security and passport control at BOG — the same place you’d wind up if you were departing from the airport.

After clearing security and showing our passports, we were in the international terminal pretty quickly.

Avianca Diamond Lounge

Avianca operates 2 side-by-side lounges, both easily found after clearing security. I had visited the Avianca Lounge previously, which is available to Priority Pass members flying in any cabin with any airline.

Flying with Avianca in a premium cabin, however, we had access to the smaller, nicer Diamond Lounge. The lounges shared the same stairs and elevator, then they separated at the check-in desk on the upper floor.

The lounge had ample seating in multiple types and layouts. We first entered a group seating area with sofas and coffee tables. A hallway along glass overlooking the terminal had individual chairs and low tables — plus a lack of outlets for charging our phones.

The rear of the lounge had a restaurant setup with tables and chairs, as well as a buffet. We found a salad bar, finger sandwiches, cold cuts, and a soup. Offerings felt very basic when considering this was the premium lounge offering.

One thing the lounge didn’t lack was alcohol, however. Multiple types of beer, wine, and liquor were available, and guests could serve themselves.

In the middle of the lounge, between the front and rear seating areas, there was a nap room with cubicles. These were popular.

Making a U-turn from the reception desk, the lounge had a pair of gendered restrooms. These were small and had an interesting dark glass box for the stalls. The restrooms were impeccably clean.

The lounge also had complimentary Wi-Fi and departure boards to keep an eye on our flight.

Boarding

Boarding started before flight attendants were ready for us to enter the plane. In the end, it became rather chaotic.

After preboarding, passengers in business class and those with elite status boarded next. Despite being in this first group, we found the jetbridge completely full when we arrived in this small waiting room at the end of the walkway from the gate.

And the waiting continued. Despite this, gate agents kept scanning boarding passes and sending people into the walkway. Eventually, the line snaked around. Why? Why start the boarding process if we can’t actually board the plane? We would’ve preferred to wait in the terminal where there was ample seating.

Once the line finally started moving, flight attendants at the plane’s door tried to disperse passengers quickly by advising which way they should turn (as we were using the middle door) and which aisle they should use to reach their seats quickly.

On Board Avianca’s Boeing 787 With Norwegian Seats

Business Class Cabin and Seat

Ah, the flight that could’ve been. Instead, here we were. Numerous passengers entered the plane and remarked something like, “This is business class?” The cabin had a 2-3-2 layout, and it was immediately apparent that the spacing between the seats (pitch) wasn’t enough for these seats to lay down.

Moreover, the layout meant that some passengers didn’t have aisle access because there was a middle seat.

The cabin did have abundant overhead bins in the middle and outer sections.

And there were both individual reading lights and air nozzles above each seat.

At our seats, we found bottled water and headsets wrapped in plastic. The headsets were not noise-canceling and felt cheap.

The gray seats had adjustable headrests. They were definitely seats, not suites or pods like most airlines offer in long-haul business class on a wide-body aircraft.

From my aisle seat, I had views directly to the front galley and cockpit.

The back of each seat was plain, save for a small button that could function as a coat hook.

Spacing at our feet and knees was solid, so long as the person in front of us was sitting up. Once they reclined, the personal space diminished significantly.

Windows had electronic shades, and these worked well.

As we explored our seats, we found a note on the armrest saying these were not the final seats this plane should have, but the plane was new to Avianca’s fleet. In other words, Avianca painted the outside and started flying the plane without updating the interiors.

That note was below the space where the tray table popped out of the armrest. It came out in a folded position with a divot for a cup.

After unfolding it, the tray table was a good size and felt sturdy.

Near the note, there was a strange lever that didn’t seem to do anything, no matter how often I played with it.

At the end of the armrest, 2 levers controlled the footrest and backrest.

Between the seats, near our knees, we had universal outlets.

The seats reclined much more than an economy seat. However, that was little consolation to us or the other passengers who expected to lay down during the flight. Plus, the passenger in front practically laid on your knees.

The fold-out piece of metal at the end of the footrest seemed like a good idea, but I hated it. It was in a bad spot for me at 5 feet, 10 inches. I could close it, thus losing the support, or use it but not be able to extend my legs comfortably. I tossed and turned and opened and closed this thing numerous times, desperately trying to fall and remain asleep during the flight.

When we boarded, there was no bedding at our seats. Instead, an employee came around to distribute a package to each customer shortly before the door closed and the plane pushed back from the gate.

The package was clearly labeled and had a moisture-wicking material.

Inside, we found a pillow, blanket, and mattress pad. Put together, these were comfortable — but not enough to overcome the uncomfortable seat.

Choosing the Best Seat

I’ll be honest: The best seat would be on another plane. However, if you wind up on the Avianca-Norwegian 787 plane in business class, you should avoid the middle seat in the section of 3. That’s seat E.

For those traveling as a couple, the seats near the windows are ideal: A and C or G and J. Granted, one of you won’t have direct aisle access, but at least you’re not trying to climb over a stranger who’s reclining and sleeping.

If you’re traveling alone, you might aim for the aisle seats in the middle section: D or F. You’ll have aisle access, the seat next to you (the middle seat) will be the last option for most people, and that means it might remain empty. Alternatively, if you’re traveling alone and certain you just want to sleep, you might choose a window seat for the most privacy.

Food and Beverage

Meals were served shortly after we reached cruising altitude. The cabin crew offered dinner at this time and then a small snack before landing. Everyone was served at the same time; there was no option for à la carte dining or eating when you wanted.

There was no menu. Instead, the crew listed the options when they arrived at your seat. Meals were served from a cart, and there were drink options on top. These included wines, sodas, orange juice, and water. Options on our flight included a chicken dish or beef with vegetables.

As my wife and I are both vegan, we requested special meals in advance. To its credit, Avianca provided vegan meals without issue — something many airlines struggle to do. However, our meals had less than zero flavor. We had white rice and steamed vegetables for dinner, and we were glad we’d eaten something in the lounge to make up for the low quality here.

The coolest part of dinner was the stackable salt and pepper shakers. These were unique.

Our meals also came with crackers and jam.

Confusingly, we also saw staff offering the contents of a bread basket to other passengers. We flagged them down to ask if we could have some bread once other passengers were served. Not sure what happened here.

Amenities

Bedding

The bedding was solid. If this had been another flight with the lie-flat seat we’d originally booked, I expect we would’ve slept well.

Entertainment

Each seat had a personal entertainment system. It wasn’t built into the seatback. Instead, the screen extended from the armrest by lifting a small lever.

The entertainment screens were on a movable arm, though simply pulling on the arm without releasing the lever wouldn’t work. The screens were stored inside the middle armrest between our seats.

Screens were roughly the size of an iPad — small compared to what you’ll typically find in business class. They responded well to touch and functioned as expected.

Along with options for 3 languages — English, Portuguese, and Spanish — the entertainment system had options for movies, TV series, flight information, information about Avianca, and “My List” of items saved for later.

The home page also displayed the remaining flight time at the bottom, along with large buttons for the menu options.

The default page for movies was new releases. However, you could select categories like comedy, drama, kid-friendly movies, and more.

TV shows had the same types of filters for categories. The flight information page showed things like outside air temperature, arrival time, and time remaining until arrival.

Interestingly, the About Us page had nothing to show.

Built into the armrest, there was a control for the volume, calling a flight attendant, and turning on the overhead light. This control also had buttons to change the channel, though those did nothing. However, it was also possible to adjust the volume by touching the screen.

Amenity Kit

Shortly before departure, we received an amenity kit from the crew. It had an interesting geometric pattern with white, gray, and dark red colors.

Inside, we found earplugs, an eye mask, a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, socks, tissues, and lotion. This was a quality amenity kit.

Lavatories

Business class passengers had 3 lavatories to use, all located at the front of the plane.

There also was a real handle on the door, not the push lever like some planes have.

There was nothing special to distinguish the lavatories in this cabin from those in economy, however.

Internet

There was no internet service on this flight.

Service

Interestingly, we had a card with a QR code at our seats during boarding.

Scanning the code took us to a survey about the flight.

In nearly every way, the flight didn’t measure up to its competitors. The crew members inside the plane were friendly, though meal service felt very utilitarian, lacking any personalized or elevated experience you’d expect in business class. That rang true from the service of the meals to the offerings to the distribution of bedding and headsets, rather than putting these items on our seats before boarding.

Plus, there was the general aspect of service from the airline itself, swapping its passengers from a lie-flat plane with true business class onto something a low-cost airline previously labeled “premium economy.” It came off as shady to us, and other passengers voiced a similar sentiment when seeing the cabin during boarding.

Arrival in São Paulo

When we landed, the crew made the necessary announcements about our arrival gate, immigration formalities, and baggage claim. We made a quick taxi to our gate at Terminal 3, where most international flights arrive and depart at Guarulhos.

As we parked at the gate, crew positioned themselves at the door to ensure passengers in business class got to exit first. We went out through the middle door, between business and economy. Given the proximity of our seats to the door, we were off the plane quickly. Crew smiled and thanked us for flying with Avianca as we departed.

Final Thoughts

I’m honestly struggling to keep this flight in perspective. For the price we paid, it feels like a great deal. And crediting these flights to our United MileagePlus accounts earned a lot of miles, given that they coded as business class.

But did we get a “business class” experience? Not really. Norwegian previously operated this cabin as premium economy, and that’s what it felt like. From the seats to the meal service, it didn’t feel like business class you’d expect on any other airline. The seat also wasn’t very comfortable for sleeping, and that was our main priority on a flight departing at 11 p.m. and arriving around 6 a.m.

Then, there was the chaotic boarding. Were these things offset by our mileage earnings and ability to visit a lounge? Not really. Were they offset by the incredible price? I don’t know, because that’s the price we paid when Avianca was selling this flight with lie-flat seats. We had the chance to get a refund and didn’t take it, because it was impossible to find something else that worked at the last minute. Maybe we have no one but ourselves to blame for this sub-par experience, but I know I’ll avoid this cabin on an Avianca flight in the future.