What to do about an Avianca delay or cancellation
General guidance. Your specific rights depend on the route, cause and your fare.
Confirm the current status on avianca.com or the Avianca app before you head to the airport. Avianca notifies of any schedule change of 15 minutes or more and offers free rebooking, and your Bogota connection time may shift with it.
You are generally offered a rebooking on the next available flight or a refund. On disruptions Avianca itself causes, that can apply even to restricted fares like Basic and Light.
This is where Avianca differs from many carriers. On airline-caused disruptions departing Colombia, care builds with the wait: a snack past one hour, a meal past three hours, and hotel plus ground transport past five hours. Know these so you can ask for them.
Because many Avianca trips connect at Bogota El Dorado, a delay on the first leg can put your onward flight at risk. If Avianca's own delay causes a misconnection on one ticket, they generally rebook you, so get on it right away.
When many passengers are rebooking at once, seats on the next good flight go fast. Calling immediately often gets you a better option than standing in an airport line, and we can also help you claim care or compensation you are owed.
Rights and remedies vary by route, cause and fare, and the rules differ between Colombia's Aerocivil and US DOT depending on your itinerary. We do not quote compensation amounts. Call us with your flight and we will tell you your realistic options and act on them fast. Checking status at avianca.com is free.
Disruption quick-reference
General guidance. Your rights depend on the route, cause and fare.
Care on Colombia-departing, airline-caused disruptions
General guidance. These build with the wait and come from Aerocivil's floor, not DOT.
As the wait grows
Colombia-departing
- Past 1 hour: a snack
- Past 3 hours: a meal
- Past 5 hours: hotel plus ground transport
- Additional compensation can apply to longer itinerary impacts
On US-touching itineraries
DOT instead
- US DOT rules apply, not Aerocivil
- DOT auto-refund covers the ticket price only
- It does not guarantee hotels or meals
- The airline's own plan governs extra care, so ask us
Call before you queue. When an Avianca flight is cancelled, or a delay threatens your Bogota connection, the phone often rebooks you faster than the airport line. You can be on the next flight before you would reach the front, and we will also flag any care or compensation you are owed. We are on 24/7 for exactly this.
Frequently asked
My Avianca flight was cancelled, what am I entitled to?+
Do I get meals or a hotel if I am stuck?+
Am I owed compensation for the delay?+
Should I go to the airport or call first?+
Contact options
Reach Avianca directly, or let us handle it.
Contact Avianca directly
The airline's own official channels, free.