Avianca

Avianca: same route as Iberia, different rights — here’s why

Avianca is one of the oldest airlines in the world — flying since 1919, second only to KLM — and Colombia’s flag carrier, a Star Alliance member connecting Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and San Salvador to Madrid, Barcelona and Paris with its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. For the large Latin-American and Spanish community travelling between the two continents, it’s a familiar name. But it carries a quieter lesson about EU 261 that’s worth understanding before you book.

Avianca is a Colombian carrier — a non-EU airline — so EU Regulation 261/2004 covers it only on flights that depart an EU airport. Your Madrid → Bogotá flight is fully protected, and because every Europe–Latin America route is over 3,500 km, it’s the €600 band. But the flight home, Bogotá → Madrid, is an inbound flight on a non-EU carrier, and the rule doesn’t reach it. The striking part: fly the exact same route on Iberia or Air Europa — EU carriers — and you’re covered in both directions. Same cities, same distance, different rights, purely because of the airline’s flag.

What your Avianca claim is worth

EU 261 sets the amount by the great-circle distance of your route, measured to your final destination:

Madrid and Barcelona sit roughly 8,000–8,700 km from Avianca’s Latin American cities, so every covered Avianca flight is the €600 band. Pick a route:

(A London → Bogotá flight is just as long, but it departs the UK — so it’s UK261 at £520, not EU 261. For a clean EU 261 claim, start from Madrid, Barcelona or Paris.)

Delays, cancellations and overbooking

• Delays. For an EU-departing Avianca flight, reach your final destination 3+ hours late for a reason within the airline’s control and you’re owed €600. Measured at arrival.
• Cancellations. A refund or rerouting, care, and — unless 14+ days’ notice or extraordinary — the €600 on top.
• Denied boarding. Bumped from an oversold EU-departing flight? €600, immediately.
• The return leg. A Latin America → EU flight on Avianca sits outside EU 261. (On Iberia or Air Europa, it would be covered.)

Real example. A Madrid → Bogotá flight is delayed 5 hours by a technical fault. EU departure, over 3,500 km, not extraordinary → €600 per passenger; a family of four is owed €2,400. Check a delayed flight →

Real example. A Madrid → Bogotá flight is cancelled the night before and rebooked two days later. EU departure, short notice → €600 per passenger, plus a hotel and meals. The same family’s Bogotá → Madrid return, delayed six hours, is not covered — because Avianca is a non-EU carrier. Check a cancelled flight →

How to claim from Avianca yourself

1. Gather your evidence — booking reference, boarding passes, flight number and date, Avianca’s stated reason, and any receipts.
2. Confirm it qualifies — it departed an EU airport; you arrived 3+ hours late (or it was cancelled with under 14 days’ notice, or you were denied boarding); the cause wasn’t extraordinary.
3. Work out the amount — for a Europe → Latin America departure, that’s €600 per passenger.
4. Submit Avianca’s claim form. File at Avianca’s online request form, stating clearly that you’re claiming under EU 261/2004, with the flight details and the arrival delay. Avianca’s stated response window is 30 days.
5. Escalate if refused. Because only EU departures count, escalate to the national enforcement body of the country you flew from — Spain’s AESA for Madrid or Barcelona, France’s DGAC for Paris — or hand the claim to a specialist.

Real Avianca scenarios

• Long-haul technical delay. Madrid → Bogotá 5 hours late after a fault → €600 each (family of four = €2,400).
• Cancelled the night before. Barcelona → Bogotá cancelled short-notice → €600 plus a hotel and meals.
• The return — the honest no. Bogotá → Madrid on Avianca delayed 6 hours → not covered by EU 261.
• The contrast. The same Bogotá → Madrid return on Iberia or Air Europa → covered, €600, because they’re EU carriers.

See real won cases and verdicts →.

Avianca at a glance

Flying since 1919, Avianca is the world’s second-oldest airline still operating and a Star Alliance member, now part of the Abra Group (led by Group CEO Adrian Neuhauser) alongside Brazil’s GOL. It serves Europe from Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and San Salvador with Boeing 787s to Madrid, Barcelona and Paris. For your rights, the rule is the same as for any non-EU carrier: only the EU departure is covered — and on that leg, to Latin America, it’s the €600 band.

Why hand your Avianca claim to Refundio

An Avianca claim turns on a distinction the airline won’t spell out — that your €600 outbound from Madrid is covered but your return from Bogotá isn’t, while the same return on an EU carrier would be. Refundio works out exactly what’s owed on each leg, buys your claim and pays you upfront, then takes Avianca on itself and escalates to AESA if needed. No win, no fee.

Check your Avianca claim in 2 minutes →

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim from Avianca for a flight to Latin America?

Yes — for the flight that departs an EU airport. A Madrid, Barcelona or Paris departure to Bogotá, Medellín or San Salvador is covered, and every route is over 3,500 km, so €600. The flight back into the EU from Latin America isn’t covered.

My Avianca flight from Bogotá to Madrid was delayed. Am I owed anything?

Not under EU 261 — it’s inbound on a non-EU carrier. The crucial contrast: Iberia or Air Europa would cover that same return both ways, because they’re EU carriers. Avianca covers only the Madrid departure.

How much does Avianca pay for a delayed flight to Latin America?

€600 per passenger — every Europe–Latin America route is over 3,500 km. Rerouted and under four hours late can be €300; four hours or more, the full €600.

Same route, Avianca vs Iberia — does it really change my rights?

Yes. On Madrid–Bogotá, Iberia and Air Europa (EU carriers) cover both directions; Avianca (non-EU) covers only the Madrid departure. Identical route, different protection — because of the airline’s nationality.

How do I claim compensation from Avianca?

Use Avianca’s online help-centre request form, stating you’re claiming EU 261 compensation with your flight details and the arrival delay. Response window 30 days. If refused, escalate to Spain’s AESA — or hand it to Refundio.

Does this cover flights from London to Bogotá?

No — a London departure is UK261 (£520 long-haul), enforced by the UK CAA. For an EU 261 claim, start from Madrid, Barcelona or Paris.