Avianca Vuela datapoint

[Anonymous]

Last year, I signed up for the Vuela card when it had a huge bonus, as LifeMiles work on my hometown airline United.

The card has a $149 annual fee.   It's due to hit my account in early July.

I had read elsewhere that Banco Popular never waives annual fees or offers retention bonuses on the Avianca card, so I called today inquire about canceling my card.  

First, I asked if there was a grace period.  The rep said no, that if I wanted to contest the annual fee after it was assessed, I would have to file a claim within 60 days with their claims department.

I said I better cancel the card now.  The customer service rep offered to waive the annual fee!  I accepted.

I don't know if it's COVID or the Avianca bankruptcy, but things have apparently changed.  Perhaps I should have asked for a retention bonus too LOL...

[Gmood1]

I called to cancel the card last year.

The fee was already on the card. They credited the account, so I wouldn't close the card.

[CreditCuriosity]

Ya avianca along with pretty much every airline are in issues but avaianca is certainly having bigger issues!  So least they could do is waive the AF of a card that might go away.  grats on getting that removed.

[coldfusion]

This isn't anything new really, there have been other datapoints mentioned elsewhere in the last couple of years of an AF being waived.

It wouldn't surprise me if Banco Popular was a bit more willing right now to waive it given that Avianca was grounded in March and filed in Columbia for bankruptcy protection early last month.