(QCOSTARICA) On Sunday, the Colombian airline, Avianca, filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, to reorganize its debt “due to the unpredictable impact” of the coronavirus pandemic.
No word from the airline how the filing affects its Costa Rica operations, Avianca Costa Rica, formerly known as LACSA (Lineas Aéreas Costarricenses S.A.).
In a letter to customers, the airline says business is as usual. Well, as usual as it can be in this time of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hoy hemos anunciado nuestra intención voluntaria de reorganización en los Estados Unidos de América para preservar y fortalecer nuestros negocios para el futuro. Para conocer más: https://t.co/2DVXVvsP0w. Avianca #SeguiráVolando pic.twitter.com/NSHMrdVTSH
— Avianca (@Avianca) May 10, 2020
Dear customer,
Because our relationship with you is important, I wanted to reach out directly to let you know about the actions Avianca is taking to make sure we have the financial strength we need to continue serving you well into the future.
Today, Avianca voluntarily filed for reorganization proceedings under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. We did so to protect our business as we continue to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as comprehensively address our debt and other commitments. We considered many other possibilities before determining that a reorganization made possible by the Chapter 11 process is the best path forward to protect the essential air travel services that we provide across Colombia and important locations throughout South America, Central America, North America and Europe.
Avianca has flown the skies for more than 100 years, and we are committed to our purpose to connect people, families and businesses. We look forward to returning to the skies and helping you and your organization safely travel across Latin America and the world.
Here is what you need to know:
- Avianca will continue to operate through this process, and Avianca will return to the skies and continue to fly once COVID-19 travel restrictions are gradually lifted.
- Customers’ safety and well-being remain a top priority for us today and moving forward. Customers can be confident that they can continue to depend on Avianca for safe, reliable air travel and high-quality service. To that end, Avianca has implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and customers. Additional information on the steps Avianca has taken can be found here.
- Customers can expect to continue to arrange travel and fly with Avianca in the same way they always have. We plan to honor all customer programs throughout this process.
- Customers will be able to use tickets, vouchers, travel coupons, gift cards and any additional travel services purchased before we initiated this process.
- Additional frequent flyer benefits remain active, including access to VIP Lounges, priority check-in, upgrades and other benefits.
- Given the impact COVID-19 has had on travel plans, we will continue with our Flexibility Policy. Subject to government policies, we expect to continue to allow changes free of penalty and fare difference charges for previously booked tickets and/or newly purchased as long as the original and changed flights are until October 31, 2020. All customers who have booked travel or will purchase flights during this period can be confident they can rely on Avianca for their travels.
- The LifeMiles™ program is administered by a separate company and is NOT part of Avianca’s Chapter 11 filing.
- Avianca customers will continue to accrue miles when they fly with Avianca, and can continue to redeem miles earned through LifeMiles™ to purchase tickets with Avianca during this process. Tickets purchased through redemption of LifeMiles™ miles will continue to be exempt from penalty fees until October 2020.
We are proud of our 100-year legacy, and look forward to continuing to serve you. Thank you for your continued loyalty.
