The second-oldest airline in the world is based in Colombia — here’s what it was like to fly on Avianca to Bogotá

• Avianca is Colombia's national airline.
• I recently flew with Avianca round trip from New York City's John F. Kennedy airport to Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport.
• I found the flight comfortable yet lacking in many aspects.

I recently flew with Avianca roundtrip from New York City's John F. Kennedy airport to Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport.

Avianca is Colombia's national airline, and it's actually the second-oldest airline in the world. The airline was founded in 1919 as the Colombian-German Air Transport Company. Because the oldest airline in the world is the Netherland's KLM, it's the Americas' oldest airliner. 

It's the second-largest airliner in South America, after Chile's LATAM. As Business Insider's Benjamin Zhang reported, the two airlines are vying to edge each other out in the continent, particularly in Brazil.  

With the understanding that Avianca was one of South America's biggest, and the Western Hemisphere's oldest, my expectations for the airline was high.

Here's why I was more disappointed than impressed with my flying experience.

I reached out to Avianca for a response to some of my issues on the flight and they responded in the article below.

SEE ALSO: 2 super airlines are fighting for supremacy over the skies of South America

After a delightful trip to Bogotá, I made my way to El Dorado International Airport, which is Avianca's hub in Colombia. The line to drop off one's bag and check in looked hectic, but luckily I didn't have a bag to check and I had checked in online.

But, if I had packed a bit more, Avianca has a pretty forgiving baggage policy. I could have checked two bags as an Economy passenger, which Avianca calls "Tourist Class." And business class travelers get *four* bags checked for free, two of which can be up to 70 pounds.

After a relatively speedy immigration and security process, I was in Bogotá's international terminal. The airport was definitely one of the nicer ones I've been to — the signage was clear, the facilities looked new, and there was an array of dining, shopping, and beverage options.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Contributer : Tech Insider https://read.bi/2S8kbQk

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