This is a full review of my Avianca A319 economy experience from Bogota to Miami in June of 2019.
Those baby Airbuses will be gone from the fleet by the time most of you read this, but no matter.
It was one of the most comfortable A319 economy flights of my entire life. Not including it in my ever-growing archive of airline reviews would be one of the most dim-witted things I’ve ever done.
Avianca A319 (N730AV) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from Bogota to Miami today as AV004.
My full review of Avianca A319 economy class from Bogota to Miami
Despite arriving into Bogota from Buenos Aires 14 minutes early (in Avianca A330-200 economy), I was still facing a very tight connection. I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it!
“Boga–taw.”I could sense that at least one of these connecting passengers was holding back an overwhelming urge to castrate me for such an Americanized pronunciation of “Bogota.” I’m sorry!Welcome to Terminal 1 by the way. This is nice!Destination: Gate 53. Current location: stuck in traffic on the moving walkway. The desire: to weave through all of this like a clapped out 2006 Dodge Charger ripping up the I-95 out of Miami.Nothing says “vintage airline review” more than seeing a picture of an airplane with a livery you forgot even existed. It’s a good looking A319 though. I’ll give it that.
Despite the tight connection, I did have enough time to attempt to exchange my leftover Argentinian currency for USD. Never in my life have I had employee at a currency exchange booth laugh at me so hard. The stuff is basically worthless (and boy did she let me know it).
The boarding process for AV004 to Miami
The tighter the connection, the greater the probability of boarding starting exactly on time. They weren’t messing around here at gate 53!
I had only been in the gate area for 3 minutes before they called for my zone number to get the F onboard. At least that’s what it sounded like with my limited understanding of Spanish.
By golly I think I’m going to make it. That was a little closer than I would’ve liked!Hello to all of you typed “Bogota Airport Gate 53 jet bridge” into your favorite search engine just now.Boarding door action (Avianca A319 style).
Seat overview
One of the best things about writing reviews of my older flights is that it’s a fun look back and how things used to be. I didn’t remember Avianca A319 economy class seats being so plush and spacious. A classic case of not knowing what you’ve got until it’s gone I guess.
Holy fluffy seats Batman! Remember when economy class seats used to be comfortable? Avianca remembers.Fluffy economy class seats *with* legitimate legroom?? 2019 was a helluva year.Pretty awesome legroom IMHO. Under seat storage space? Not so much.I thought it was a rule that A319 economy class must be a sh*tty experience. The hell is going on here?Granted, back in 2019, most airlines still sorta cared about economy class passengers. For example, these seats don’t look all that much different from American Airlines A319 economy of the time.I, on the other hand, have changed bigly since 2019. I was just a pup back then!If I haven’t mentioned it already, there are video screens at every seat on this airplane. Just thought I would mention it. Since I’m mentioning things, maybe now is a good time to mention that there weren’t any electrical outlets either.Yup. I’ve watched Romancing the Stone enough times to know that plane crashes in Columbia are no joke. You’re damn right I’m reading the safety card.How come I’m not seeing anything about jungle survival skills? That seems important.
The departure
There was a nasty looking storm front rolling in just prior to push back. Once again (for the second time in this review) I didn’t think I was going to make it.
They did get us pushed the gate two minutes early though – just as the rain was starting. By the time we took off, we were 11 minutes behind schedule.
Can I get a round of applause for successfully capturing every 2019 Avianca livery in this one shot? Thank you.Pushing off the gate 2 minutes early somehow resulted in taking off 11 minutes late. I don’t ask questions. I just write the reviews.“Hasta luego mofos!” – SANspotter“¡Adiós, asqueroso americano!” – the residents of Bogota
In-flight entertainment
As I was assembling the pictures for this review, the thing that stood out to me the most about the in-flight entertainment system was… the wired (full function) remote control. When’s the last time you saw that in A319 economy class?
If I had a time machine? I’d go back to June 11, 2019 and slap myself silly for not taking better pictures of the video screens in these seats. Come on Scott!
A full catalog of movies and TV shows was accessible via these seat back video screens. I didn’t watch any of it, but from what I could tell (just by looking around), all the menus – and the user interface – seemed fairly decent for the time.
Still, after all these years, I don’t understand the purpose of remote controls for the video entertainment system in economy class. I can certainly appreciate it, but I still don’t understand it.Honestly? I think I spent more time reading the in-flight magazine anyway. “That’s weird. Since when did Avianca stop flying to Billings Montana?”
The meal service
Being served a full meal in economy class on a 3 hour flight seemed completely normal to me back in 2019. “Today” me is downright impressed (and feeling highly nostalgic for the good ol’ days).
Uh oh. Should I be concerned that the woman in the aisle seat is playing dead as the meal cart arrives at our row? What does she know that I don’t?Hot damn! You just know it’s gonna be a good in-flight meal when a “Jet Wafer” is included as part of the package.Cheesy pasta? With ham? I would’ve killed for something this decadent in Aeromexico 737 MAX 9 business class. Just sayin’.Maybe something as even halfway decadent. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for a bowl of cheesy pasta topped with freakin’ ham.
The meal itself wasn’t very high-quality, but it was substantial. Most importantly? It was completely free. Everybody got one.
Pure Colombian spring water! Sure. Let’s go with that. Even if this came from a drainage ditch somewhere in the heart of industrial Bogota, a full bottle of the stuff seemed like a luxury considering that I was only expecting a small cup of the stuff.
Seat and cabin comfort
Economy class on the Avianca A319 felt like a proper long-haul international economy class product. Compared to, say, Lufthansa A319 economy, I found these seats to be incredibly soft, spacious, and well-featured.
Having an empty seat next to me admittedly made this more comfortable than it could have been if I was pressed against the window like a sardine in a tiny can. Still, to this day, it’s been the most comfortable A319 economy experience of my life.I ain’t never experienced A319 economy class with this much legroom before. The only thing that would’ve made this better is if I could’ve figured out how to use that dang bottle holder…
The descent and arrival into Miami
Our 11 minute late departure slowly morphed into a 30 minute late arrival as we approached Miami. At least the weather was nice (something I’ve not often said about Summertime in south Florida).
Overflying Cuba (something you can only do on non-US airlines). I do believe this was the first time that I ever saw the place with my own eyes.Miami ho!“Avianca zero zero four, cleared to land on runway 9. And who you callin’ a hoe?”Bienvenidos a Miami!I spy the competition. This felt a lot like a scene in a Hollywood western where the sheriff and the outlaw give each other stink eye as they cross paths (each with an itchy finger on the trigger of their pistol just in case).“Unsuspecting wing walker decapitated by outlaw Avianca A319 at MIA. Story at 11.”And there you have it! The TLDR (for those who skipped ahead out of disgust for my adolescent commentary): Avianca A319 economy class was good. Admittedly a lot better than I thought I was going to be.
Pros and cons
I know. Considering that the A319’s are no longer a thing with Avianca, all of what you just read was a big fat tease. None of this matters anymore. But I’m going to tell you what I liked and didn’t like about it anyway:
Pros
I ain’t never sat in an A319 economy seat so thick and fluffy.
Video screens at every seat (with freakin’ full-function remote controls).
Leg room was as generous as what you would find in nearly any long-haul international economy seat at the time.
Cons
Why no electrical outlets? I recall electricity being a fairly common thing by 2019, so what gives?
It’s a shame they didn’t have the courage to add a splash of red to the interior of these planes (just like you saw in my AirAsia A320 Hot Seat review).
I’m enjoying these vintage airline reviews, and I’m especially glad you documented this flight considering there’s not even a video for it.
Regarding Avianca A319 Economy, I have to say that it reminds (or reminded) me of American’s A319 Economy product. The one found on the ones with sharklets, that is (those were the A319’s bought by American. The ex-US Airways/America West ones have the regular wingtip fences & a more basic interior, which you reviewed on those SAN-MIA-SAN flights a few years ago), which, much like Avianca, had well-padded seats with plenty of features, including IFE screens.
Unfortunately, both products are gone now. Avianca of course retired their A319’s and also installed painfully thin slimline seats on their A320’s (which used to have this exact same interior), and while AA still has IFE on their A319 sharklet fleet, there’s plans to fit them (& the ex-US/AW ones) with the Kodiak interior. Both soft products are worse as well, as Avianca is now an LCC and doesn’t serve free food, and American has significantly reduced their buy-on-board menu from offering a bunch of “real” food items (which was the next best thing after actually including food on the ticket) to just small snacks. Conclusion: We really had it better in 2019! And it’s a shame to see how far Avianca has fallen. They’ve changed their business model from full-service to LCC, and that means that instead of this well-rounded Economy product has been replaced by razor thin seats & overpriced buy-on-board food.
There was actually a video for this flight. Two as a matter of fact.
The first one I deleted due to being called out on culturally insensitive commentary. Totally my fault, as it showed my ignorance of the current situation in Colombia.
I re-edited the video and uploaded again. That one didn’t go over very well either. I deleted it – and vowed never to make political commentary in a video ever again lol.
Anyway – I had no idea that Avianca has switched to an LCC business model! Sounds like I need to get down to Latin America and do some more reviewing…
Peter
I’m enjoying these vintage airline reviews, and I’m especially glad you documented this flight considering there’s not even a video for it.
Regarding Avianca A319 Economy, I have to say that it reminds (or reminded) me of American’s A319 Economy product. The one found on the ones with sharklets, that is (those were the A319’s bought by American. The ex-US Airways/America West ones have the regular wingtip fences & a more basic interior, which you reviewed on those SAN-MIA-SAN flights a few years ago), which, much like Avianca, had well-padded seats with plenty of features, including IFE screens.
Unfortunately, both products are gone now. Avianca of course retired their A319’s and also installed painfully thin slimline seats on their A320’s (which used to have this exact same interior), and while AA still has IFE on their A319 sharklet fleet, there’s plans to fit them (& the ex-US/AW ones) with the Kodiak interior. Both soft products are worse as well, as Avianca is now an LCC and doesn’t serve free food, and American has significantly reduced their buy-on-board menu from offering a bunch of “real” food items (which was the next best thing after actually including food on the ticket) to just small snacks. Conclusion: We really had it better in 2019! And it’s a shame to see how far Avianca has fallen. They’ve changed their business model from full-service to LCC, and that means that instead of this well-rounded Economy product has been replaced by razor thin seats & overpriced buy-on-board food.
Scott (SANspotter)
There was actually a video for this flight. Two as a matter of fact.
The first one I deleted due to being called out on culturally insensitive commentary. Totally my fault, as it showed my ignorance of the current situation in Colombia.
I re-edited the video and uploaded again. That one didn’t go over very well either. I deleted it – and vowed never to make political commentary in a video ever again lol.
Anyway – I had no idea that Avianca has switched to an LCC business model! Sounds like I need to get down to Latin America and do some more reviewing…