Avianca Airlines Customer Service Issues

Dear GH, I recently attempted to book a flight with Avianca, inputting all my details, only to receive an error message stating the booking couldn't be completed. I then went to a third-party website, booked the same itinerary at the same price, and promptly received confirmation. Shortly after, I surprisingly received an email confirmation from Avianca for the initial booking I thought had failed. Now, I find myself with two tickets for the same passenger on the same itinerary. I tried calling Avianca but after enduring a 20-minute hold, I had to give up. The added challenge is that I am calling long-distance from Australia.

I am writing on behalf of my sister Rosa Perez who was a passenger on Avianca Airlines flight # AV211 with booking # 4ZIBGG departing from NY JFK on Saturday 09-02-[redacted] to El Dorado INTL, (Bogota) at 14:20 pm, continuing on to Ecuador. Unfortunately, my sister, Rosa Maria Perez Ponce, does not speak English and is a senior. She experienced emotional abuse from an unnamed wheelchair assistant from Avianca, who demanded a large tip while yelling at her in a secluded area. This incident left my sister in shock as she did not understand the assistant's demands until someone translated for her. It is unacceptable for employees to behave in this manner, especially considering tipping is optional. I urge the company to identify the wheelchair assistant involved, take appropriate disciplinary action, provide better training for all assistants, and offer compensation to my sister for the emotional distress caused. Thank you for addressing this issue promptly. Sincerely, Myriam Gomez