Avianca/Taca LifeMiles - Taca has the worst customer service

Dear Future Travelers-

If you are thinking about booking a flight on Taca don't do it unless you want cancelled flights, no compensation, and to waste your time getting help from the airline. Recently I purchased a flight on Taca, as it was a good fair and the most direct flights from Chicago to Honduras. On my way home the flight connection to El Salvador was cancelled because of a mechanical issue they had. Taca offered $150 vouchers because of the inconvenience and rebooked for a much later flight. This delay made me miss my transportation from the airport home. When pushed Taca let me know that they would provide a $200 voucher and that I had to contact customer service if I wanted anything else. The voucher also stipulated that I needed to use it on a flight less than $750 USD. When I got home I started to look for flights. It turns out that flights on Taca less than $750 from Chicago are few and far between. When I finally found a flight I called Taca and was told that I needed to visit a Taca Service Center to use the voucher. The nearest Taca Service Center is four hours round trip from my home. When I explained this to the agent and then the supervisor I was told there was nothing they could do.

My experience with Taca reveals that they cancel flights because their planes are not maintained. They inconvenience their passengers and do nothing to make up for it. Finally, Taca has no IT support to work in the digital age. In the end I suppose it is best that I will never fly for such a technologically challenged company with terrible customer service. However, I felt completed to create to post to warn others. If you are thinking about trying Taca, rethink your decision.

U should send ur complain to TACA here is a link: http://res.taca.com/heroes/esp/otah/otahconfor02.asp


I also suggest u to write in their facebook, sometimes that helps.


Next time dont fly TACA worst airline, U should try Copa or Continental.

Wow, that sounds like an awful experience. Sorry to hear you had to go through that.

I have to say that my experience on Avianca/TACA recently has been pretty good. So, they're not an amazing international airline, but they have been pretty decent for me. Most of the flights were on time and the staff are decently friendly.

In a recent two hour tarmac delay in Lima, they gave us frequent updates, snacks, and even let one passenger off who no longer wanted to travel (that was sort of annoying for the other passengers because of the delay, but it was nice that they let people opt out after a substantial delay on the ground).

Just thought I would share a few of my experiences here.

I had a major issue with taca. Talked to a supervisor- was referred to a customer service supervisor - filled out their webform. Got an email i spanish- then called back to the general 800 number asked for the email to be sent in english. it finally was. Taca's response had nothing to do with my complaint. I called back the 800 number they gave me the direct dial of the supverisor who sent me the email. They said call her. I have called her 3 times over the last 2 weeks or so. still havent heard anything. HELP!

There not a lot to do other than keep posting in Facebook, I was Diamond (higest tier status with TA) and I did some complains and they just dont care about their passengers.

Other thing is send an email to the person who sent u an email telling that u are expecting for an answer. If you are near a TACA office you can also go there and talk with a supervisor.

I had a major issue with taca. Talked to a supervisor- was referred to a customer service supervisor - filled out their webform. Got an email i spanish- then called back to the general 800 number asked for the email to be sent in english. it finally was. Taca's response had nothing to do with my complaint. I called back the 800 number they gave me the direct dial of the supverisor who sent me the email. They said call her. I have called her 3 times over the last 2 weeks or so. still havent heard anything. HELP!

My experience with Taca reveals that they cancel flights because their planes are not maintained. They inconvenience their passengers and do nothing to make up for it. Finally, Taca has no IT support to work in the digital age. In the end I suppose it is best that I will never fly for such a technologically challenged company with terrible customer service. However, I felt completed to create to post to warn others. If you are thinking about trying Taca, rethink your decision.

I have flown on TACA for nearly 7 straight years and the total cancelled flights were zero, late, zero, on time or early close to 100%. That would be approximately 250-280 flights vs. your sample of , well , 1 flight.

Their Airbus fleet is newer than almost all other airlines and they maintain them in SAL along with aircraft for the airlines you might be wanting to fly, FYI.

U should send ur complain to TACA here is a link: http://res.taca.com/heroes/esp/otah/otahconfor02.asp


I also suggest u to write in their facebook, sometimes that helps.


Next time dont fly TACA worst airline, U should try Copa or Continental.

If you do write to them I suggest using words vs. SMS letters that subsitute for words like u and ur as that would guarantee a one way trip to the delete bin if I got one.

People can practice here using real words vs. "u" and "ur" as unlike an SMS there is no 160 character limit in a forum.

If you do write to them I suggest using words vs. SMS letters that subsitute for words like u and ur as that would guarantee a one way trip to the delete bin if I got one.

People can practice here using real words vs. "u" and "ur" as unlike an SMS there is no 160 character limit in a forum.

I agree.

I have flown on TACA for nearly 7 straight years and the total cancelled flights were zero, late, zero, on time or early close to 100%. That would be approximately 250-280 flights vs. your sample of , well , 1 flight.

Their Airbus fleet is newer than almost all other airlines and they maintain them in SAL along with aircraft for the airlines you might be wanting to fly, FYI.

I am not so sure about that- at least for TACA peru. On a recent trip from LIM-CUS we noticed they cancelled their flights due to weather. We noticed that LAN had their flights go out. We asked why and they finally admitted LAN has more advanced plans (airbus fleet) with higher rated landing instruments and pilots- thus they could land in more adverse weather conditions in CUS. I realize this is "taca peru" so perhaps they are updating their technology on board but this was confirmed by both TACA and LAN personnel at the airport. Horrible airline- in my opinion- based on what I wrote above. No excuse for not responding to customer emails or phone calls. Not how I would run a business.

I agree, TACA has some horrible customer service. I am on my 10th straight year as Platino (now called Diamond) on segments. Their on-time record is very good, and their planes are in good condition, and they even have some nice front line employees at alot of the stations I visit.

But their IT system is a POS, their upgrade policy is so opaque that it is almost non-existant, and their other policies seem to be focused on doing as little as possible for the customer. Seats cannot be chosen until OLCI, and that often doesn't work, they routinely block the front of the cabin, or bulkheads and exit rows. As a top tier elite I get about 20% upgrades before OLCI, with mabe another 15% because I pester them during airport check-in.

Inter Central America, they have very little competition, and I am routinely gouged over $500 for a 1 hour RT flight. For the same money I could do SJO-to most US major cities on UA/CO with a 75% upgrade chance.

When possible I am now taking COPA within Central America, and will try to use TACA as little as possible until they can figure out the customer service thing. But today, and tomorrow, it is 4 more segments on TACA:(

TacaCopaFlyer did they give you Diamond status for eternity?, When they were Distancia they use to give Platinum forever to those who have flown 1,000,000 miles, I am close to 1,000,000 miles and I contacted them and they now say that with the new program they will not give Diamond status forever once a person reach to 1,000,000 flown miles.

Have u heard anything about it, I am also taking a lot more Copa.


I agree, TACA has some horrible customer service. I am on my 10th straight year as Platino (now called Diamond) on segments. Their on-time record is very good, and their planes are in good condition, and they even have some nice front line employees at alot of the stations I visit.

But their IT system is a POS, their upgrade policy is so opaque that it is almost non-existant, and their other policies seem to be focused on doing as little as possible for the customer. Seats cannot be chosen until OLCI, and that often doesn't work, they routinely block the front of the cabin, or bulkheads and exit rows. As a top tier elite I get about 20% upgrades before OLCI, with mabe another 15% because I pester them during airport check-in.

Inter Central America, they have very little competition, and I am routinely gouged over $500 for a 1 hour RT flight. For the same money I could do SJO-to most US major cities on UA/CO with a 75% upgrade chance.

When possible I am now taking COPA within Central America, and will try to use TACA as little as possible until they can figure out the customer service thing. But today, and tomorrow, it is 4 more segments on TACA:(

Saludos Mario,

Last I checked I have "flown" only about 700,000. On Taca I am a segment flyer, so even though in 2007 I flew 128 segments, it was only 64,000 miles because almost 100% of my segments are under the 500 mile minimum. The past 3 years I have been between 85 and 95 segments per year to requalify, but I don't even see the value of that in the new program.

Historically, I have "earned and spent" over 2,000,000 program miles, but all the bonus miles and such do not count towards million miler status.

I have been re-directing most employee travel to Copa also, and they seem to be happier with that choice. Taca knows it does not have to please anybody to sell their tickets, so they really do not even try.

Ive flown Taca a fair amount and always enjoyed the flights, planes are new, agents have always been good. Last time I flew though there was a mechanical problem and I got a $250 travel voucher for the delay, which at the time I was happy with as compensation. However, when I got back from my trip I tried to redeem the voucher and was told I had to personally redeem the voucher at a Taca service desk. That was my only issue with Taca... and because they wouldn't honor it, I won't fly them again. Let me book the flight and I can drop the voucher off when Im there for the flight... or I will mail it..... charge me full rate and credit my credit card with the $250 at a later day or something... They might as well have given me a $10,000 voucher only to be redeemed in San Salvador one day a year... lol

I had a major issue with taca. Talked to a supervisor- was referred to a customer service supervisor - filled out their webform. Got an email i spanish- then called back to the general 800 number asked for the email to be sent in english. it finally was. Taca's response had nothing to do with my complaint. I called back the 800 number they gave me the direct dial of the supverisor who sent me the email. They said call her. I have called her 3 times over the last 2 weeks or so. still havent heard anything. HELP!



Oh no! Another crap airline! Beware, your story sounds horrible. Sorry for the troubles you had!

Oh no! Another crap airline! Beware, your story sounds horrible. Sorry for the troubles you had!

Can't be worse than LAN's appalling customer service and unsurpassed IT glitches.

Can't be worse than LAN's appalling customer service and unsurpassed IT glitches.
Or can't even be worse than AZ...

But have flown COPA. I can honestly say that COPA is one GREAT little airline!!! I can't say enough good things about them.

My ONLY complaint is their lounge at PTY. Small, outdated, & NO showers )-:

I have flown taca and Copa, Copa it's so much better in everything, service, lounges, upgrades, there is only one thing where Taca beats Copa and that's inflight entertainment.

But have flown COPA. I can honestly say that COPA is one GREAT little airline!!! I can't say enough good things about them.

My ONLY complaint is their lounge at PTY. Small, outdated, & NO showers )-: