The Definitive Guide To Avianca’s Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types & Seat Options]

Avianca is the flag carrier of Colombia and falls under a larger umbrella of Avianca Holdings, a company that owns many other regional subsidiaries within South and Central America.

Headquartered in Bogotá, this Star Alliance partner is an instrumental piece of the global connectivity Star Alliance offers. As the airline chiefly responsible for connecting Star Alliance passengers to Central and South America, Avianca fills an important role.

Avianca’s fleet consists primarily of narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft, though there are a few wide-body aircraft in its fleet. Avianca’s subsidiaries include Avianca Costa Rica, Avianca Ecuador, Avianca El Salvador, Avianca Guatemala, Avianca Honduras, Avianca Peru, and more. Its overall passenger fleet size is 143, and it flies to 76 destinations worldwide.

Let’s take a look at what portion of its fleet is dedicated to connecting the U.S. to Central and South America.

Update: Due to COVID-19, Avianca may temporarily suspend routes, frequencies, and/or aircraft flown. Please check with the airline directly for the most current information. 

Seat Options by Aircraft Type

Although we mentioned that Avianca has its hub operations in Bogotá, Colombia (BOG), the airline also maintains a secondary hub at San Salvador (SAL) in El Salvador. As you’ll find out, there are tons of flights to San Salvador from the U.S.

Avianca operates a grand total of 5 aircraft on flights to/from the U.S.:

• 787-8
• A330-200
• A319
• A320
• A321

In the past, Avianca has offered lots of flights using the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, however, the flights offering the Dreamliner have since been shifted to meet the demands of flights elsewhere around the world. Let’s take a look at all of Avianca’s nonstop U.S. routes, along with the flight numbers, operating aircraft type, cabin classes available, and frequency.

Avianca Route	Flight Number(s)	Aircraft	Cabin Classes	Frequency
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – San Salvador (SAL)	AV 441	A319	Business, Economy	3x weekly
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Bogotá (BOG)	AV 37	A320	Business, Economy	3x weekly
Los Angeles (LAX) – Bogotá (BOG)	AV 89	A330-200	Business, Economy	3x weekly
Los Angeles (LAX) – Guatemala City (GUA)	AV 573	A320	Business, Economy	3x weekly
Los Angeles (LAX) – San Salvador (SAL)	AV 521, 523	AV 521: A320   AV 523: A319	Business, Economy	Up to 2x daily
Miami (MIA) – Barranquilla (BAQ)	AV 3	A320	Business, Economy	Daily
Miami (MIA) – Bogotá (BOG)	AV 5, 7	AV 5: A330-200   AV 7: A330-200	Business, Economy	2x daily
Miami (MIA) – Cali (CLO)	AV 39	A320	Business, Economy	3x weekly
Miami (MIA) – Managua (MGA)	TA 397	A321	Business, Economy	Daily
Miami (MIA) – Medellín (MDE)	AV 31	A320	Business, Economy	Daily
New York City (JFK) – Bogotá (BOG)	AV 21	AV 21: A330-200	Business, Economy	Daily
New York City (JFK) – Medellín (MDE)	AV 43	A319 or 787-9	Business, Economy	4x weekly
New York City (JFK) – San Salvador (SAL)	AV 567	A321	Business, Economy	Daily
Orlando (MCO) – Bogotá (BOG)	AV 29	A321	Business, Economy	Daily
San Francisco (SFO) – San Salvador (SAL)	AV 565	A320	Business, Economy	Daily
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Bogotá (BOG)	AV 247, 239	A320	Business, Economy	2x daily
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – San Salvador (SAL)	AV 581, 591	A320	Business, Economy	2x daily

Overall, there are tons of different flight options you can take to/from the U.S. However, most of these options will involve San Salvador (SAL) or Bogotá (BOG). Still, there are some unique flight options you can take outside of these 2 cities, such as Managua (MGA) in Nicaragua, Medellín (MDE) in Colombia, and even Guatemala City (GUA) in Guatemala.

Best Points to Earn to Fly Avianca

As mentioned, Avianca is a Star Alliance partner, which naturally means that you can redeem miles from Star Alliance airlines for flights on Avianca and all of its subsidiaries. LifeMiles employs a variable award pricing structure when you fly on Avianca, which means that you can redeem LifeMiles for a cheaper price, if available.

You can also book Avianca flights using any transferable rewards program. Here are the main transferable currencies, along with the most popular and applicable mileage partners:

1. Chase Ultimate Rewards: Singapore KrisFlyer or United MileagePlus
2. American Express Membership Rewards: Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, and Singapore KrisFlyer
3. Citi ThankYou Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Singapore KrisFlyer, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
4. Capital One Miles: Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
5. Marriott Bonvoy: Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air New Zealand Airpoints, All Nippon Airways Mileage Club, Asiana Club, Avianca LifeMiles, Copa Airlines ConnectMiles, Singapore KrisFlyer, TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and United MileagePlus

If you wanted to fly between the U.S. and Central America, you could redeem according to the following award table:

Airline Miles Type	One-Way Economy Cost	One-Way Business Cost
Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus	30,000	45,000
Air Canada Aeroplan	6,000 to 10,000	20,000 to 25,000
ANA Mileage Club	55,000 (round-trip only)	88,000 (round-trip only)
Asiana Club	17,500	27,500
Avianca LifeMiles	14,000 to 17,500	25,000 to 37,000
Copa Airlines ConnectMiles	17,500	30,000
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands	25,000	40,000
Lufthansa Miles & More	17,500	30,000
Singapore KrisFlyer	17,500	34,500
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go	35,000	50,000
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus	17,500	32,500
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	52,500	75,000
United MileagePlus	19,300	33,000

Here’s the award table you’ll follow for flights between the U.S. and South America:

Airline Miles Type	One-Way Economy Cost	One-Way Business Cost
Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus	30,000	45,000
Air Canada Aeroplan	30,000	50,000
ANA Mileage Club	55,000 (round-trip only)	88,000 (round-trip only)
Asiana Club	17,500	27,500
Avianca LifeMiles	15,000 to 17,000	30,000 to 35,000
Copa Airlines ConnectMiles	20,000	35,000 (40,000 to Peru)
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands	34,000	52,500
Lufthansa Miles & More	30,000	60,000
Singapore KrisFlyer	30,000	57,500
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go	35,000	50,000
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus	17,500	32,500
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	52,500	75,000
United MileagePlus	22,000	38,500

As you can see, the redemption costs across all the major airlines vary dramatically. This is thanks to a variation in regional categorization, where 1 frequent flyer program may consider a certain country to be in a different region as another frequent flyer program.

Avianca First Class Options

Unfortunately, Avianca doesn’t currently offer a first class product aboard its flights.

Avianca Business Class Options

Avianca’s business class is one of the best ways to fly to South or Central America. It remains one of the top ways to reliably get award availability without trying to sweat over the scarce availability on LATAM or American Airlines.

Instead, Avianca releases lots of business class award seats, and its product is comfortable enough for a long-haul flight. Avianca is surprisingly well-equipped with its soft product. You’ll receive a Tumi amenity kit, tasty food and drink programs, and a comfortable seat. Let’s get into the business class options to/from the U.S.

Avianca 787-8 Business Class

Avianca’s best business class seat is aboard the 787-8. Known as the flagship within the fleet, this aircraft is deployed on Avianca’s most premium long-haul routes. Unfortunately, this doesn’t usually include U.S. routes, which are easily serviced by lower-capacity aircraft.

If you have a chance to fly this aircraft, you’ll find reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration — notice that all of these seats become lie-flat, have direct aisle access, and a lot of privacy.

In this cabin, you’ll find a total of 7 rows of business class seats, each with 21 inches of width and 72 inches of seat pitch. It’s arranged with 5 rows of business class in the front cabin and another 2 rows of business class seats in the mini-cabin, which is separated from the larger business class cabin by an in-flight bar.

Here’s what the seat map looks like:

The most private seats will be near the rear of the plane, away from the 2 lavatories and galleys at the front of the aircraft. We’d recommend choosing 6A or 6K for solo travelers due to the absence of foot traffic near your seat. For couples traveling together, you can choose either 6D/6E or 7D/7E to maximize your privacy and seclusion from the rest of the business class cabin.

You’ll want to avoid 5A and 5K in general because these seats are missing 1 window and are directly next to the in-flight bar.

Here are the U.S. routes on which Avianca’s 787-8 can sometimes be found:

• New York City (JFK) – Medellín (MDE)

Hot Tip: Check out one of our writers’ less-than-excellent experience on an Avianca 787-8 Dreamliner from Miami to Bogotá.

Avianca A330-200 Business Class

Avianca has 2 variants of the A330-200. Unfortunately, the lesser variant is flown on routes to/from the U.S. The other variant features fully lie-flat business class reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access, which is an excellent business class product.

On U.S. flights, however, Avianca has opted to offer angled-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, which is a significant downgrade both in terms of comfort and privacy. This is Avianca’s sole wide-body plane operated to/from the U.S.

There are 5 rows of business class seats aboard the A330-200 angled-flat variant with 6 seats in each row arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration. These 30 seats are separated into 2 sections: 1 in the front with 3 rows and 1 in the back with 2 rows. The 2 sections are separated by a set of lavatories and galleys, plus an exit row.

Each of these seats is 21 inches wide and 65 inches in pitch. These angled-flat seats don’t have direct aisle access at window seats (A and K).

See below for the business class seat map:

The Avianca A330-200 is currently being flown on these nonstop routes to/from the U.S.:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Bogotá (BOG)
• Miami (MIA) – Bogotá (BOG)
• New York City (JFK) – Bogotá (BOG)

Bottom Line: For flights to/from the U.S., the closest we can currently get to a true Avianca business class product is to fly on the A330-200’s angled-flat seats. This is only because the Dreamliner (which has reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration) has been pulled from all of the U.S.’s nonstop routes. 

Avianca A319, A320, and A321 Business Class

Besides the sole wide-body plane that Avianca flies to the U.S., there are 3 aircraft that are used on the remaining routes: the A319, A320, and A321. These planes are single-aisle, and the business class seats are the same throughout.

The seats are recliner seats that resemble those found in domestic U.S. first class flights. On all of these aircraft, the business class section consists of 3 rows of seats in a 2-2 configuration. Each of these seats is 18-21 inches wide and 40 inches in pitch. Simply put, these seats recline slightly more than ordinary economy seats, and the cushions are slightly thicker.

Here’s what the seat map looks like:

Here are all the nonstop routes on which the A319, A320, or A321 is operated:

• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Bogotá (BOG) 
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Guatemala City (GUA)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Miami (MIA) – Barranquilla (BAQ)
• Miami (MIA) – Cali (CLO)
• Miami (MIA) – Managua (MGA)
• Miami (MIA) – Medellín (MDE)
• New York City (JFK) – Medellín (MDE) sometimes
• New York City (JFK) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Orlando (MCO) – San Salvador (SAL) 
• San Francisco (SFO) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Bogotá (BOG)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – San Salvador (SAL)

Avianca Premium Economy Class Options

Unfortunately, Avianca doesn’t currently offer a premium economy class product aboard its flights.

Avianca Economy Class Options

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to South America or Central America, you’ll find that Avianca is almost always the cheapest airline. Sometimes, these cheap tickets involve an “inconvenient” layover in San Salvador (SAL) before heading to your final destination in South America. However, if you’re price sensitive, it makes sense to save several hundred dollars by flying on a 1-stop itinerary.

Avianca’s economy class product is a relatively no-frills product. It is intended to get you from point A to point B as cheaply as possible, which is why the ticket prices beat the competition. Still, though, Avianca is considered to be a full-service airline, so you’ll be able to enjoy some comforts, such as inflight entertainment and a meal.

Let’s take a look at the best economy options you can take to/from the U.S.:

Avianca A330-200 Economy Class

In general, the experience on wide-body aircraft tends to be better than narrow-body aircraft. This is due to the installation of inflight entertainment, the amenities aboard the aircraft, and even the ability to enjoy a full meal service.

The obvious drawback is that widebody aircraft have more seats, so there will be more people on the plane with you. Still, it’s easy to relax on the A330-200 from Avianca. There are a total of 222 economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration tapering to 2-3-2 at the rear of the plane. Each of these seats is around 17-19 inches wide and 31-32 inches in pitch.

The best part of the 2-4-2 configuration is that couples traveling together can have a whole row to themselves.

Here’s what the A330-200 seat map looks like:

The best seats for solo travelers are 7C and 7J, which give extra legroom and are near the front of the plane. If you’re traveling with a companion, you’ll do well to reserve seat pairs 7A/7C, 7J/7K, 23A/C, 22J/K, and even 2 of the seats in row 22. All of these seats have extra legroom, which is a massive benefit for economy flights.

Here are the routes on which the A330-200 can be found:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Bogotá (BOG)
• Miami (MIA) – Bogotá (BOG)
• New York City (JFK) – Bogotá (BOG)

Avianca A321 Economy Class

Avianca’s A321 economy class consists of 182 economy seats in a 3-3 configuration. Each of these seats is 17-18.5 inches wide and 31-32 inches in pitch.

Here’s the seat map:

The best seats for solo travelers are 14A and 14K. There’s no seat in front of you, which means there’s a nearly infinite amount of legroom. For couples, the best seats are 12B/C, 12D/E, 27B/C, and 27D/E.

Here are the routes on which the A321 is operated to/from the U.S.:

• Miami (MIA) – Managua (MGA)
• New York City (JFK) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Orlando (MCO) – Bogotá (BOG)

Avianca A320 Economy Class

A sister aircraft, the A320, has 138 economy seats. Each of these seats runs around 18 inches wide and 31-32 inches in seat pitch. The seats are arranged in a 3-3 fashion.

Here is the seat map:

You’ll want to avoid rows 7 and 12, as those have restricted legroom or restricted recline, respectively. Row 15 is the absolute best to pick, and any of the 6 seats in that row will do.

Here are the nonstop routes to/from the U.S. offering the A320 service:

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Bogotá (BOG)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Guatemala City (GUA)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – San Salvador (SAL) on AV 521
• Miami (MIA) – Barranquilla (BAQ)
• Miami (MIA) – Cali (CLO)
• Miami (MIA) – Medellín (MDE)
• San Francisco (SFO) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Bogotá (BOG)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – San Salvador (SAL)

Avianca A319 Economy Class

The very last aircraft utilized happens to be the smallest aircraft discussed: the A319. This plane only has 108 seats in a 3-3 configuration. Each of the seats is 17.8 inches wide and 31-33 inches in pitch. Here’s how the seat map looks:

The seats to avoid are in rows 7, 11, and 25 due to restricted legroom or restricted recline. The seats to reserve are row 12 seats, due to the exit row legroom.

Here are the routes on which the A319 service is offered:

• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – San Salvador (SAL)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – San Salvador (SAL) on AV 523
• New York City (JFK) – Medellín (MDE)

Avianca 787-8 Economy Class

The very last economy seat is Avianca’s 787-8. The reason why it’s ranked so low is that the seats are generally the most cramped, narrow, and crowded.

Avianca’s 787-8 has 222 economy seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration shown here:

The seats are each 17 inches wide and 31-36 inches in pitch, depending on which seats you reserve.

If possible, we’d recommend you reserve seats in row 8, due to the extra legroom from the bulkhead. You should avoid rows 21, 22, 24, 33, and 35 when possible, due to the proximity to the lavatories.

Here are the U.S. routes on which Avianca offers the 787-8:

• New York City (JFK) – Medellín (MDE) sometimes

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Avianca’s fleet isn’t necessarily anything to write home about. In the past, Avianca operated Dreamliner flights with a true business class product on various routes around the world, but it’s pretty rare on U.S. routes nowadays.

You might find them on flights from New York City (JFK) to Medellín (MDE) sometimes. Other than that, the other available business class product that isn’t just a recliner seat is the A330-200 with angled-flat 2-2-2 seats.

The other aircraft offerings are similar to domestic flights with recliner seats, so there’s not much to get excited about.

In addition to expected flights to San Salvador (SAL) and Bogotá (BOG), there are tons of unique options to far-flung places, such as Barranquilla (BAQ), Guatemala City (GUA), and even Managua (MAG). You’re definitely going to want to add this guide to your trip planning portfolio when contemplating flying Avianca to Central and South America.