Contingency plan

Avianca customer service plan

Issued in accordance with 14 C.F.R. § 259.5 (August 2011)

The airlines conform Avianca Holdings S.A  (hereinafter Avianca Holdings S.A) aim to win the loyalty of our customers, working with professionalism, talent and enthusiasm, to share exceptional travel experiences with them. To achieve this objective, we have multiple tools at our disposal, including:  standardized processes, infrastructure, technology, institutional policies, guidelines, and others.

Nevertheless, it is clear that loyalty in any business relationship is based on continued goodwill from our customers, our fulfillment of promises and, above all, our sense of obligation to carry out the task that has been assigned to us. In this Customer Service Plan, which applies to Avianca's scheduled flights to and from the United States, we present aspects of our policies and guidelines that we have designed in order to offer a comfortable flight experience.

1. Delays, cancellations and diversions

At Avianca, we continually work to supply accurate information to our customers on flight irregularities that may impact their travel. We will provide notification to passengers of known delays, cancellations or diversions as required by 14 C.F.R. § 259.8.

2. Baggage delivery

At Avianca, we utilize a team a highly trained professionals and internal processes and procedures, focused on ensuring that our passengers and their belongings depart and arrive on time. We strive to deliver your baggage promptly after your flight arrives at the gate. Nevertheless, circumstances occasionally are presented that delay the delivery of baggage. In order to address customer inconvenience in such circumstances, for covered flights, our customer service personnel at each airport will undertake every reasonable effort to ensure that your bag is located and delivered within 24 hours. In the event that your baggage is delayed, we will compensate you for reasonable expenses as required by applicable international agreements.  In the event that your baggage is lost, we will compensate you for the loss as required by international agreements and will reimburse you for any fees charged to transport such baggage.

3. Guaranteed fares

At Avianca, we offer a range of fares, providing customers a choice according to their particular needs and requirements. When you book and ticket a reservation through Avianca's U.S. ticketing locations, Avianca's U.S. telephone reservations line or Avianca's U.S. web site, Avianca.com, we will allow you to cancel the ticketed reservation without penalty and receive a full refund provided that you cancel the reservation within 24 hours of purchase and the reservation is made one week or more prior to the scheduled flight departure date.

4. Refunds

Avianca Holdings S.A will provide prompt refunds, as required by the U.S. DOT, where due, for eligible tickets once we receive your request accompanied by any required documentation. Once refunds are authorized we will process payment as required by Aviation Consumer Protection standards including the purchase price, less any applicable service fees, to the original form of payment

You may seek a refund through our website www.avianca.com, filling out the refund request form and following the pages steps. Avianca Holdings S.A will refund fees charged to a passenger for optional services that the passenger was unable to use due to a flight cancellation or oversale situation.You can request a refund option will refund the fees charged to a passenger for optional services that the passenger could not use due to a flight cancellation or an overbooking situation.

5. Properly accommodating passengers with disabilities and other special needs

Avianca Holdings S.A will accommodate our customers who require additional assistance, including individuals with disabilities (as required by 14 C.F.R. part 382) and unaccompanied minors, with the attention, respect and care they deserve.

6. Meeting customers' essential needs during lengthy tarmac delays

Should a lengthy tarmac delay occur, and if safety and security considerations permit, we will make every reasonable effort to ensure that your essential needs are met during a lengthy tarmac delay, as required by 14 C.F.R. § 259.5. For additional information, please consult Avianca's Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays, which is available at Avianca.com.

7. Treating passengers fairly and consistently in the case of oversales

Avianca Holdings S.A will hand passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding in an oversales situation with fairness and consistency as required by 14 C.F.R. part 250 and as described in Avianca’s policies and procedures for determining boarding priority

8. Disclosing cancellation policies, frequent flyer rules and aircraft configuration

Our website Avianca.com and our reservations staff, can provide clear information about our policies and the aspects of our services that may be important to you. The above refers to providing clear information about:​

• ​Aircraft configuration, including seat location and the availability of restrooms.
  
  
• Important terms and conditions that apply to your ticket, including cancellation policies.
  
  
• We also provide information about our frequent traveler program, LifeMiles, including program rules, which are available in LifeMiles.com or from our reservations staff.​

9. Providing notification of changes to travel itineraries

We will do our best to contact you in advance, and in a timely manner, regarding a change to your itinerary.

10. Ensuring responsiveness to customer complaints

Customer feedback is the best source of information on ways to improve our services. Your comments allow us to design and implement permanent changes along the way to achieving our mission of winning your loyalty. We will respond to your written complaints as required by 14 C.F.R. § 259.7. For information about filing a complaint, please visit Avianca.com.

11. Providing services to mitigate inconveniences resulting from cancellations and misconnections

In order to reduce any inconvenience you experience during cancellations and misconnections, Avianca Holdings S.A will:

• Do it best to contact you in advance regarding a flight cancellation using the contact information in your reservation.
  
• Work to confirm you on the next flight we operate that has seats available in the same class of service when rebooking is necessary.
• Self-management tools have been developed. This can be consulted through the website.

It is important to clarify that this Customer Service Plan does not form any part of those Conditions of Carriage, meaning that this document does not represent any contractual or legal rights for the customers besides the ones listed and ruled by Avianca's Conditions of Carriage.