Tried for 3 hours to amend seat via the app and website. Directed to the automated WhatsApp chat which didn't work. Phoned and spent 45 mins on the line to someone only to get cut off with no resolution.
Flight to Bogota delayed for over 2 hours.
Baggage at Quito lost for 3 hours. An airport employee told me to ask for help at an unmanned Avianca desk. When I pointed out that there was no one there, she said to use the QR code taped to the desk. The qr code took me to an FAQ on the avianca website which was neither bilingual nor helpful. Again directed to WhatsApp help bot which doesn't work. I protested and was sent to the avianca desk who sent someone to search the conveyor belt in case it was jammed somewhere. He returned empty handed and his colleague said, he didn't know where it was, why it had been lost or what I could do to get it back. I protested again and he sent me upstairs to the avianca office where a man who mostly ignored me somehow located the bag. This man refused to respond to me when I spoke but eventually walked me to the luggage which had appeared on the conveyor belt. No apology or explanation when asked where it had been. He left without another word. I'd been travelling for 30 hours by this point and it was v stressful.
Missed airport collection due to 3 hour delay and had to get an expensive taxi to the hotel.
Avianca flight from Guayaquil to Seymour Island - unable to buy snacks because they only accepted cash and my full wallet was packed away. Return flight from San Cristóbal to Guayaquil - unable to buy snacks because they only accepted card. This time I'd brought cash in preparation. No consistency or payment policy.
Avianca baggage drop at San Cristóbal took 45 minutes despite 3 desks and a small queue of people. No AC. Customers pouring with sweat. No clear reason why - just an indifferent attitude to customer service.
Once the baggage was checked, the scanning machines were broken so airport staff were manually checking bags with their bare hands. Not avianca's fault but everyone's stress was exacerbated because of the prior delays with avianca which meant we all risked missing the flight. Everyone eventually boarded with minutes to spare.
Bogota to Heathrow - delayed by 2 hours and the boarding gate was moved to the opposite end of the airport with short notice leading to several people running panicked to get there in time.
Once boarded, there was a further delay to take off with no apology or explanation given.
Underneath my feet was a manky half eaten sandwich and god knows how long it'd been there.
Then when we finally took off, the airplane started DRIPPING cold water on my head. I pressed the assistance button twice but no one came.
The lights were left on until 3am so it was difficult to sleep.
Then at 3am, they served pasta and coffee??? And woke everyone up who had fallen asleep.
No water offered during 9 hour flight apart from 1 cup at meal times = 2 small cups. I'd been boiling all day so was dehydrated and suffered because I'd expected water or at least the option to buy some having drank my personal bottle.
In the morning, my row wasn't offered coffee but other rows were. The 2 people next to me received 2 glasses of water whereas I had 1 for no clear reason. They collected rubbish from other rows but not ours so we had to sit in it for hours.
At Heathrow, they lost my luggage again. I was sent to search the oversized luggage area for it then scolded because I didn't have the luggage tag. Note - the Bogota avianca employee did NOT give me a luggage tag but I was blamed for this and treated with suspicion.
Then again, as if by magic, after the Bogota luggage drop had closed, my luggage reappeared with no explanation and no apology. Staff were rude and defensive.
Due to the delayed flight, I missed my connection at Heathrow so had to buy another coach ticket back to Wales.
Total hours delayed: 4 (+1 to get later coach home)
Total hours spent looking for luggage: 3.5
Apologies received: 0
Total extra costs due to delays: around £200
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