Colombian airline Avianca opens new lounge at Miami airport. Take a look
Avianca’s newly renovated passenger lounge at Miami International Airport is now open, a sign Colombia’s largest airline expects to keep growing in South Florida.
The 6,559-square-foot space in Concourse J near gate J6 is a joint venture with TAP Portugal. It can accommodate 158 individuals seated.
The lounge is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It has work space, Wi-Fi and a quiet area. And yes, it has arepas (Colombian of course.)
Avianca previously had a lounge in the space but it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renovations didn’t start until Oct. 2024. The new space opened to travelers this month.
The lounge is modest compared to others at MIA. Lighting is minimum and there are no showers. A reclining room has chairs that don’t seem to recline. Yet for busy business travelers or families looking to catch their breath after bracing crowded TSA lines and taking their shoes off and on, the facilities meet basic needs.
Since reopening, about an average of 500 guests have used the lounge daily.
The added space comes as Colombia’s largest airline is growing at MIA.
Starting May 10, Avianca will operate daily service between Miami International Airport and Guatemala City. The airline will also add regular service between MIA and San José, Costa Rica. Last year, it boosted the number of business class seats it offers on three daily flights from MIA to Bogotá.
In 2024, the airline overall carried over 1.1 million passengers on nearly 7,500 flights.
Avianca belongs to the Star Alliance, one of the world’s largest airline partnerships that includes United Airlines and Lufthansa and allows travelers to use frequent flier miles on a host of different carriers. That’s a reason one could find people in the lounge heading from MIA to Germany or Switzerland.
Below are more details about the lounge.
Where is the Avianca lounge at MIA?
In terminal J, located at J6.
When is it open?
24 hours, 7 days a week.
What about food and drinks?
There are self-serve sandwiches and pastries available all day such as Portuguese pastéis de nata. For breakfast, scrambled eggs, pancakes and arepas (Colombian) are on the menu. They can be ordered using QR codes.
The wines are mostly American, but they also offer Portuguese Vinho Verde and Port Wine, beer. Aguardiente, a typical Colombian drink, is available as well as spirits. Sodas and infused waters are also plentiful.
Who can use lounge?
▪ First-class or business-class ticket on Avianca departing MIA same day
▪ First-class or business-class ticket on Star Alliance member departing MIA same day
▪ Diamond, Gold, Silver or Red Plus categories with Avianca lifemiles plus ticket on Avianca or Star Alliance member same day
▪ Star Alliance Gold plus ticket on Avianca or Star-Alliance member the same day
▪ Travelers connecting through MIA with a first-class or business class ticket the same day on Avianca or a Star-Alliance member
More rules can be found here: https://www.lifemiles.com
When is it busiest?
Peak hours are 3-5 p.m. when Star Alliance members have numerous departures.
What are the other amenities?
▪ Kids room
▪ Reclining room with non-reclining chairs (only legs recline)
▪ Flat-screen TVs
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 6:16 PM.