10 viva colombia review Ideas

One of the most significant burdens to every budget-conscious traveler is the costs of the flights. We’ve previously reviewed airlines like Vueling Airlines and EasyJet. Still, with many different budget airlines popping up in your search for cheap flight deals, it’s hard to track which airlines are legit.

If you’re headed to Central or South America, you might come across Viva Air. Are they a reputable airline you should use? Are their budget costs worth the compromises? Let’s find out!

What is Viva Air?

Founded in 2009, Viva Air, also known as Viva Air Colombia, is a low-budget Colombian airline based out of Rionegro, Colombia. They are Colombia’s only low-cost airline. Its goal is to deliver consistent and reliable service while keeping the flights cost low in the region. 

The low-cost model means that all Viva Air’s flights are operated on a single aircraft: Airbus A320, and all passengers fly economy. Tickets are basic, with little amenities, operating with a model that you can pay extra to have any further amenities for your flight. You will also be randomly assigned a seat with the low fare option. 

Where does Viva Air Fly?

Due to how Viva Air’s low-cost model is structured, they don’t fly everywhere in the world. Their flights operate throughout Colombia and Peru and some cities in Mexico and Buenos Aires in Argentina. 

According to their Wikipedia page, they are looking at expanding destinations into Brazil, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Puerto Rico, and several cities in the United States. Those launch dates are currently TBA, so there is no word on when that expansion might happen. Still, Viva Air is looking to make low-cost air travel more widely available on their network. 

If you’re looking at flying to Colombia, check out our blog posts on Medellin and nightline if Cartagena to get you started!

Viva Air Deals

Who doesn’t love a good deal, especially on air travel? Even though Viva Air already works to make their flights low cost, that doesn’t mean they don’t like promoting deals on some of their routes! If you’re flexible with your travels enough to fly specific routes on specific dates, you can get your fare even cheaper than normal. 

Head to Viva Air’s flight deals page to explore their international flight offers.  

Contact information

While we always hope that any travel goes off without any hitches, you never know when you might need to call your airline. Viva Air has a few different ways to get in touch with them should you need any assistance. 

The easiest way is through their 24-hour online chat function, but you can also call their call center. If you’re in the United States, dial 8556520600. You can also email Cuentanos@vivaair.com or reach out using Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

Checking in

As your flight nears, you’ll need to check-in for your flight. Unlike many airlines, Viva Air requires you to show a printed boarding pass to check-in, so be sure to have that in hand when you arrive at the airport. Online check-in becomes available between 24 hours and 3 hours before your flight for international flights and between 48 hours and 2 hours before your flight for domestic flights. 

You can also pay an additional fee to have Viva Air check you in at the airport. 

Baggage Policy

Viva Air doesn’t come with much luggage allowance as a low-cost model airline. Every passenger is allowed one personal item, which cannot exceed 10 kg (26 lbs) and 40x35x25cm, and it must be placed under the seat in front of you. In addition to your personal item, you can also bring binoculars, a small camera, reading material (books), a jacket, or a small duty-free bag free of charge.

If you would like to bring any additional luggage, this will come at an additional cost. Checked baggage starts at COP 36.999 for domestic flights and $24.99 for international flights if booked when making your initial web reservation. Prices go up if you book extra luggage at a later date, with the most expensive time to book is at the gate itself. 

You can also purchase a medium fare ticket, including one checked bag of up to 20kg. 

Does Viva Air Serve Food?

One of the biggest questions I know I ask myself when I’m getting on any flight. Still, especially international ones are, what’s the food situation. As a low-cost model airline, don’t expect any food services with Viva Air. Both domestic and international flights come with onboard menus, so you can snack at high altitudes, but all food and drink will have to be paid for onboard. Their menus are pricey, so you may want to consider bringing some snacks, especially on longer flights!

Viva Air reviews

On Trustpilot, Viva Air holds an average rating of 1.5/5 stars. Most Viva Air reviews fall into the one-star, “bad” category. Previous travelers have commented that Viva Air has many hidden fees, and their online system defaults to adding extra charges. 

As a low-cost airline, they also don’t always inform passengers of requirements (such as needing to purchase a San Andres Tourist Tax Card before boarding a flight to San Andres). They then can deny boarding due to those restrictions. 

Travelers also report poor customer service and Viva Air’s customer service responsiveness. 

Expectations with Viva Air should be treated like any other low-cost airline. Viva Air shouldn’t be your first choice for low-cost flying based on other travelers’ reviews. While the prices may be enticing, it seems to come at the cost of having surety in your travels. Plus, there have been reports of recurring charges in hidden fees, which is less than optimal considering this is a budget airline.

However, some of their routes may be more difficult to access on other airlines. If you’re looking for a low-cost airline purely and not fussed with baggage or potential customer service issues, their prices can’t be beaten. 

Our rating: 2.3/5

Pros

• Low cost
• Several routes, especially within Colombia and Peru

Cons

• Poor customer service
• Hidden fees
• Little luggage allowance

Where to next?

Whether you decide to fly Viva Air or try out another airline, booking flights is always an exciting part of travel. Once you’ve started putting your itinerary together, check out Pilot to keep every element of it all in one place! 

Pilot is your brand new travel planner that helps you discover and build travel itineraries connecting you to resources everywhere. Make the planning experience more fun by collaborating with your travel buddies! Pilot makes it fun and easy to share and relive your favorite travel memories with many useful features!

Did we mention that it’s completely free? Try it out now!

• Author: pilotplans.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: Saw a cheap Viva Air flight during your search for flights to South America, but unsure if they’re legit? Don’t book until you find out whether Viva Air’s legit!

• Matching Result: On Trustpilot, Viva Air holds an average rating of 1.5/5 stars. Most Viva Air reviews fall into the one-star, “bad” category. Previous travelers …

• Intro: Viva Air 2022 Review: Is Colombia’s only budget airline worth it?One of the most significant burdens to every budget-conscious traveler is the costs of the flights. We’ve previously reviewed airlines like Vueling Airlines and EasyJet. Still, with many different budget airlines popping up in your search for cheap flight deals, it’s hard to…

• Source: https://www.pilotplans.com/blog/viva-air-review

• Author: airlinequality.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: Read Verified [name] customer reviews, view [name] Photos, check customer ratings and opinions about [name] standards.

• Matching Result: Not Verified | This airline deserves zero stars. The staff is unaccommodating and they will check everyone’s bags to make sure they are to the …

• Intro: Customer Reviews – SKYTRAX 1/10 ✅ Trip Verified | This is a low cost airline so they made money and find a way to charge you for anything. I guess this is expected even with certain questionable practices, but my 1 star is regarding customer service which it may sound…

• Source: https://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/vivacolombia/

• Author: airlinequality.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: Read Verified [name] customer reviews, view [name] Photos, check customer ratings and opinions about [name] standards.

• Matching Result: ✓ Trip Verified | VIP Boarding is a scam, VIP Seats are a scam. Too many flight cancellations without warning. Every question I ask, the response is “I don’t …

• Intro: Customer Reviews – SKYTRAX 1/10 Not Verified | Worst Airline Ever! I will never fly with this airline again. I checked in online where it said I was allowed a carry-on and personal item. When I get to the gate they charged us $170 CAD per person for carry-on luggage!…

• Source: https://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/viva-air/

• Author: trustpilot.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: Do you agree with VivaColombia’s TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 37 customers have already said.

• Matching Result: Join the 37 people who’ve already reviewed VivaColombia. Your experience can help others make better choices.

• Intro: VivaColombia is rated “Bad” with 1.5 / 5 on Trustpilot5-star0%4-star3%3-star0%2-star3%1-star94%Sort:Worst experience everWorst experience ever, don’t use it even if you have to pay double for any other company. Only way to buy something while fliying is with cash, no CC acepted, and the refreshments are limited, meaning that if you…

• Source: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/vivacolombia.co

• Author: businesstraveller.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: A review of a short internal Colombian flight with the low cost carrier from Medellin to Bogota…

• Matching Result: This was a low cost flight, which was on-time, safe and with no delay to our bags. As you would expect legroom is not generous, but the flight …

• Intro: Flight review: Viva Air A320 economy class – Business Traveller Background Viva Air is a regional airline with its hub in Medellin, Colombia, with a fleet of Airbus A320 neo aircraft. It was originally called Viva Colombia but changed its branding to Viva, “A new brand with a heart of…

• Source: https://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/flight-review-viva-air-a320-economy-class/

• Author: travelupdate.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: What’s better than flying a low-cost carrier? Flying one during a pandemic. Here’s my experience on a short-haul Viva Air Colombia flight in February 2021.

• Matching Result: In a nutshell: Flying no-frills low-cost-carrier Viva Air Colombia during COVID-19 mean being subjected to packed gate areas and a packed …

• Intro: My Experience Flying Viva Air Colombia During COVID-19 In a nutshell: Flying no-frills low-cost-carrier Viva Air Colombia during COVID-19 mean being subjected to packed gate areas and a packed plane. Boarding was confusing. Seating was confusing and cramped. But they got me safely to Cartagena, and the airline is taking…

• Source: https://travelupdate.com/viva-air-colombia-during-covid-19/

• Author: skytraxratings.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: Viva Air is Certified as a 2-Star Low-Cost Airline for airport services, seat/bag charges, cabin comfort, catering, cabin cleanliness and cabin staff service.

• Matching Result: While cabin staff service is functional, it lacks in service interest or quality. As with most LCCs, there are strict check-in and baggage rules and customers …

• Intro: Viva Air is certified as a 2-Star Low-Cost Airline | Skytrax Viva Air is Certified as a 2-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service…

• Source: https://skytraxratings.com/airlines/viva-air-rating

• Author: play.google.com

• Rating: 3⭐ (356726 rating)

• Highest Rate: 5⭐

• Lowest Rate: 3⭐

• Sumary: New Viva App: Manage your trips from the comfort of your cell phone. Fly more!

• Matching Result: New Viva App! Viva is the leading Low Cost airline in Latin America that invites you to fly more, paying less: on new planes, arriving on time, …

• Intro: Viva – Apps on Google PlayNew Viva App!Viva is the leading Low Cost airline in Latin America that invites you to fly more, paying less: on new planes, arriving on time, with certified biosafety protocols and with the best Viva Attitude.With our new Viva App for mobile devices we are…

• Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vivaair.viva_web_view&hl=en_US&gl=US