Colombian Lawmakers, Regulators to Consider New Passenger Protection Measures Following Viral Incident of Poor Customer Service

A now-infamous incident of poor customer service by Avianca in the Colombian capital could lead to a new law intended to protect passenger rights and prevent similar infractions in the future.

The situation reportedly began when Jesús Orlando Jerez’s flight from Bogotá to Bucaramanga was canceled attributed to bad weather conditions in November. In the video posted to social media, an Avianca employee did not offer him a solution, and instead responded by saying, “if you were my dad or someone important to me, I could help you.”

After the video went viral, Senator Sandra Jaimes, coordinator of the Air Transport Monitoring Commission in the Colombian congress, shared her thoughts on the matter and announced that for the next period of the legislature, she is committed to file a bill that would seek to protect all air transport users in the face of these abuses. In her opinion, the Avianca violated the Consumer Statute regulation regarding their protection from discriminatory or unequal treatment.

Colombian regulator Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) has also demanded an investigation. 

“We see with concern the constant complaints that are publicly known regarding the lack of quality of the services provided by Avianca,” said agency head Andrés Barreto González in a statement.

He added that the entity reviewed 4,138 lawsuits against air transport service providers during 2020 and 2021 alone, and highlighted 12 specific complaints known via Twitter, including incidents related to delays, cost overruns, flight cancellations, migration processes, or lost luggage.

For its part, the Colombian airline acknowledged the poor treatment, noting in a press release that “expressions were used that do not reflect our commitment to service, and we regret it.”

In a second public statement, Aviancia stated: “We currently have 453 people in training to attend to the high season and the growth of the operation, including the person in the case. We know that this is no excuse, and we regret the wrong handling you had with our client. We are aware that your communication does not reflect our promise of service and that it also does not represent our more than 14,000 employees who get up every day to connect this country.”

(Photo credit: Avianca)