Avianca is a Colombian airline that flies to a number of destinations within Colombia as well as a variety of international destinations in North America, Central America, Europe, and the Caribbean.
This article will tell you all you need to know about how much baggage you can take on your Avianca flight.
Avianca has four fare types to choose from, and your carry-on and check-in baggage allowance will depend on your selected fare type. All fare types include one personal item such as a laptop bag or handbag free of charge.
You have a number of different opportunities to purchase a carry-on or check-in baggage allowance once you have purchased your ticket.
Read on to understand Avianca’s fare types, baggage allowances, and your options to purchase additional baggage allowances.
Avianca Fare Types
To understand Viva Avianca’s baggage rules, you need to have an appreciation of the various fare types on offer. Avianca has four fare types to choose from, each with different benefits included, as follows:
Avianca Cabin Baggage
Cabin Baggage Size and Weight Limits
One personal item is allowed with all Avianca fare types, including the cheapest XS fare. The maximum permitted dimensions of a personal item (purse, backpack, diaper bag, laptop bag, or a small package) are 45 x 35 x 25 cm (height, length, and width). Personal items need to comfortably fit under the seat in front of you.
A carry-on bag is included with all Avianca fares except the XS – Lowest Fare type. The maximum permitted weight of carry-on bags is 10kg (22lb), and the dimensions must not exceed 55 x 35 x 25cm (height, length, and width), including wheels and handles. Carry-on bags must be placed in overhead compartments.
If your carry-on bag exceeds Avianca’s size and/or weight limits, or the permitted/purchased number of items, any excess items will be checked in as hold baggage at additional charges.
Carry-On Baggage Fees
If you are traveling on an XS fare, you can purchase a carry-on bag through the Avianca website, either when you purchase your ticket, or when you check in online. Alternatively, you can purchase a carry-on bag allowance at the airport check-in desk, or at the departure gate but these latter two options are significantly more expensive, see the pricing table below extracted from the Avianca website:
I checked the available prices for a carry-on bag during the Avianca website flight booking process for XS fares for a domestic flight within Colombia and a Colombia-USA international flight two months ahead. This is what I found:
| New York JFK – Mexico City Carry-on Bag | Bogota – Cartagena Carry-on Bag |
| 176,000COP (USD40) | 55,000COP (USD13) |
Avianca Check-In Baggage
Check-In Baggage Size and Weight Limits
The standard permitted dimensions for each check-in baggage item are 158 linear cm (height + length + width), and a maximum weight of 23kg.
If your check-in bag exceeds these dimensions or weight, you will need to pay excess baggage fees.
Any item of baggage that exceeds 230 linear cm will need to be transported as air cargo.
Check-In Baggage Fees
If you want to add a check-in bag to your XS or S fare, or add additional baggage to your M or L fare, you can purchase additional check-in baggage allowances via the Avianca website when you purchase your ticket, or after you have purchased your ticket. Alternatively, you can purchase an additional baggage allowance during the online check-in process, or at the airport check-in desk. The online rates prior to check-in are cheaper than the rates applied during online or physical check-in.
The Avianca website gives the following rates as guidance if you wish to add additional baggage to your booking.
I checked actual check-in bag fees generated from the flight booking prices for flights two months ahead. This is what I found:
All fees apply on a one-way basis.
Excess (Oversize and Overweight) Check-In Baggage
If your check-in baggage exceeds the permitted size and/or weight limits you will be charged excess baggage fees in the form of an oversize charge, an overweight charge, or both.
For domestic flights within Colombia or Ecuador, the excess check-in baggage fees are as follows:
| Excess Check-In Baggage Type | Colombia | Ecuador |
| Oversize | COP100,000 (USD23) | USD25 |
| Overweight | COP90,000 (USD20 | USD15 |
For international flights excess check-in baggage fees are as follows:
| Excess Check-In Baggage Type | Fee |
| Oversize | USD235 – USD260 |
| Overweight | USD100 – USD150 |
Sports Equipment
Certain items of sporting equipment can be taken into the aircraft cabin as follows:
- Bowling equipment;
- Tennis equipment;
- Fishing equipment; and
- Archery equipment.
Cased sports equipment taken into the aircraft cabin must have maximum dimensions of 115 linear cm and a maximum weight of 10kg. These items count as your carry-on item and if you are traveling on an XS fare you will need to purchase a carry-on baggage allowance.
Other larger items of sporting equipment need to be transported in the aircraft hold. These include:
- Skiing equipment – one pair of skis or a snowboard, two poles, boots, and shoes, up to 230 linear cm;
- Hang-glider in a bag that must not exceed 23kg in weight and 158 linear cm;
- Surfing equipment – one bag containing up to three surfboards with a maximum length of 3.7m;
- Diving equipment in a bag up to 230 linear cm;
- Golf bag up to 230 linear cm; and
- Bicycle packed in a cardboard box measuring up to 230 linear cm.
The fees for these larger sports equipment items are typically around USD20 – USD30 within Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and range from around USD50 to USD150 per item on other Avianca flights.
If you are traveling with an Avianca ticket on a regional airline, different rules may apply.
Full details of Avianca’s sports equipment rules can be found here:
Can I bring my sports equipment? – Help Center (avianca.com)
Musical Instruments
There are three options if you wish to take a musical instrument with you:
| Carry-on | If you are carrying musical instruments with dimensions less than or equal to (120 x 30 x 20cm, H x W x L) and weighing no more than 10kg, you may carry them into the aircraft cabin instead of your carry-on baggage or personal item. |
| Check-in | To transport an instrument as check-in baggage, it must be held within a rigid case with dimensions not exceeding 158 linear cm and with a maximum weight of 23kg. Each instrument counts as one item of check-in baggage, and therefore, additional charges may apply. You can travel with musical instrument items weighing up to 45kg and measuring up to 300 linear cm, however, overweight and/or oversized baggage charges will apply. |
| Aircraft seat | You can book an aircraft seat for your musical instrument in an additional seat in the same cabin of the aircraft where you fly. The additional seat booking entitles you to an additional baggage allowance in accordance with the fare type purchased. The maximum permitted weight is 75kg, and the maximum permitted height of the musical instrument in its case is 203.2cm. |
Traveling With Infants
If you are traveling with an infant (less than 2 years of age) the key things to know are as follows:
- You can take a stroller to the boarding gate where it will be checked in as hold baggage.
- Infants traveling on adult laps do not have a carry-on or check-in baggage allowance.
- If you have booked a seat for your infant, the infant seat must be approved for use in an aircraft.
Frequent Flyers
Avianca LifeMiles Members receive the following additional check-in baggage allowances:
Conclusion
When traveling with Avianca, your carry-on and check-in baggage allowances depend on the fare type selected. If you select the lowest fare (XS) your only baggage allowance is a personal item and there is no carry-on bag or check-in bag allowed.
Regardless of the fare type purchased, you have a number of options to add carry-on or check-in bags to your booking. You can do this online or at the airport, with the cheapest process available online during the booking process, or after (but before online check-in).
Additional check-in bag fees within Colombia and Ecuador are reasonable. However, the additional bag fees for some international flights are relatively expensive, especially if flying to Europe, and even more so if you leave it to online or physical check-in to buy the additional baggage allowance.
Excess baggage fees within Colombia and Ecuador are also reasonable. But the rates for international excess baggage, especially oversized baggage, are expensive. So, make sure you follow the check-in baggage weight and size rules (158 linear cm and 23kg) to avoid excess baggage charges.
