Navigating foreign airline frequent flyer programs can feel complex, but the rewards, especially on award travel, can be substantial. Avianca, the Colombian airline, offers a compelling example with its LifeMiles program, presenting unique opportunities within the Star Alliance network.
LifeMiles stands out with attractive redemption rates for Star Alliance awards and distinctive features that warrant attention, even after recent adjustments to its award chart value. Let’s explore the essential aspects of Avianca LifeMiles for savvy travelers.
Maximizing Your Miles: Earning Avianca LifeMiles
Alt text: Daily Newsletter signup banner for The Points Guy, encouraging readers to join for breaking news, guides, and deals.
Earning LifeMiles can be achieved by crediting flight miles from Avianca or its extensive network of Star Alliance partners. This includes major airlines like United Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Air China, and Air New Zealand. Furthermore, partnerships extend to Gol Airlines, Iberia, and Clic Air, broadening your earning potential.
For U.S. based customers, Cardless offers dedicated Avianca LifeMiles credit cards:
- Avianca LifeMiles Elite American Express Card: This premium card offers a substantial bonus of up to 100,000 miles: 60,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days, and an additional 40,000 miles after spending $25,000 within the first year. Cardholders earn 3 LifeMiles per dollar on Avianca purchases, 2 miles per dollar on dining and non-Avianca travel, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. Benefits include a 10% discount on Star Alliance award redemptions, 500 bonus LifeMiles monthly, a 25% discount on Avianca award flights, and Star Alliance Silver status while holding the card. The annual fee for this card is $249.
- Avianca LifeMiles American Express Card: This card provides up to 40,000 bonus LifeMiles after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days. Earning rates include 2 LifeMiles per dollar on Avianca purchases, groceries, and restaurants, and 1 LifeMile per dollar on all other purchases. Cardholders also receive Star Alliance Silver status as long as they have the card. This card has a $99 annual fee.
Note: Credit card information is independently collected and not provided by the card issuer.
Beyond co-branded cards, transferring points from popular rewards programs is a valuable avenue for accumulating LifeMiles. You can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Bilt Rewards Points, Wells Fargo Rewards points, and Citi ThankYou Rewards points. Keep an eye out for transfer bonuses from these programs to maximize your miles.
Marriott Bonvoy points can also be transferred at a 3:1 ratio. However, unlike many airline programs, LifeMiles no longer participates in the 5,000 bonus miles offer for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.
Avianca frequently offers discounts on purchasing LifeMiles directly. Sale prices can drop significantly, sometimes as low as 1.2 cents per mile, although typical sales range from 1.3 to 1.35 cents per mile. While speculative point buying is generally discouraged, these sales can be advantageous if you have a specific award redemption in mind.
If you are a frequent flyer on Star Alliance carriers, consider crediting your miles to Avianca LifeMiles. This can be more rewarding than programs like United MileagePlus or Air Canada Aeroplan, especially if you value LifeMiles redemption options. It’s also beneficial for travelers who don’t achieve elite status but want to optimize their mileage redemptions.
LifeMiles+ World: Enhancing Your Membership
Alt text: Promotional banner for the TPG Daily Newsletter, inviting readers to subscribe for expert travel insights and exclusive deals.
LifeMiles offers LifeMiles+ World, a paid subscription program with four tiers: Lite, Basic, Pro, and Max. Lite membership is complimentary for Avianca LifeMiles Elite American Express cardholders, who also receive discounts on higher tiers.
Membership benefits vary by tier, including monthly bonus miles and increased earning on Avianca American Express cards. A minimum six-month subscription is required, representing a $120 minimum investment for non-Amex cardholders.
A key benefit is a 10% discount on the mileage cost of many award redemptions. For large redemptions, such as family travel requiring over 200,000 miles, this discount can make the subscription worthwhile.
Alt text: Call to action banner to subscribe to the TPG daily newsletter for travel news, guides, and exclusive offers.
LifeMiles+ World subscriptions are payable by credit card.
Redeeming Avianca LifeMiles for Award Flights
Alt text: TPG Daily Newsletter signup promotion, highlighting breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive travel deals.
As a Star Alliance member, Avianca LifeMiles allows redemptions on Avianca flights and across the extensive Star Alliance network. Partnerships with Gol Airlines, Clic Air, and Iberia further expand redemption possibilities on select flights.
LifeMiles typically employs a zone-based award chart, differentiated by partner airlines. However, domestic U.S. flights can sometimes deviate, occasionally offering lower mileage costs than the standard chart.
Redeeming miles is generally user-friendly through the LifeMiles website. Search for your desired award flight after logging in.
It’s crucial to be aware that while LifeMiles should theoretically access the same Star Alliance award availability as United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan, it often displays fewer seats. The program’s IT limitations can also lead to phantom award space, where seats appear online but are unbookable.
Conversely, award space visible in LifeMiles might not always appear in United or Air Canada programs. Therefore, cross-referencing with another Star Alliance search engine or tools like ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures) is recommended before transferring points. This ensures accurate, current availability before proceeding with your LifeMiles redemption.
Related: The best websites to search for Star Alliance award availability
Avianca LifeMiles Sweet Spots for Award Travel
Alt text: Promotional graphic for TPG’s daily newsletter, emphasizing breaking news, in-depth travel guides, and exclusive deals.
Often, award travel involves a trade-off: lower mileage rates versus high fuel surcharges, or more miles to avoid fees. LifeMiles distinguishes itself by offering both competitive award rates for Star Alliance flights and no fuel surcharges for members. This means you can expect minimal taxes and fees on award tickets.
While LifeMiles once boasted some of the lowest award rates, devaluations in 2024 and 2025 have shifted the landscape. While still competitive, Air Canada Aeroplan is now often more economical on many routes.
Business Class from the US to Europe
The robust network of carriers between the U.S. and Europe makes finding business class award availability via LifeMiles relatively easy, especially with flexibility in departure/arrival cities and dates.
LifeMiles’ zone-based chart offers fixed rates regardless of distance, making West Coast to Central/Eastern Europe business class redemptions particularly valuable. Expect to pay 80,000 miles each way for U.S. to Europe business class, with no fuel surcharges.
Related: On board the first Lufthansa Allegris flight — was the new cabin worth the wait?
Longer Domestic Economy Flights within the US
The LifeMiles award chart for United Airlines domestic flights has three zones, resulting in variable pricing depending on origin and destination states.
Shorter flights, such as within California, start at 10,000 miles one-way in economy – decent, but not exceptional. However, longer transcontinental flights like Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) are only 15,000 miles each way in economy, a fantastic value for a roughly six-hour flight.
Business Class from the US to Asia
As expected, U.S. to Asia award rates are higher. For example, Chicago (ORD) to Taipei (TPE) on EVA Air costs 55,000 miles in economy and 100,000 miles in business class.
Despite the higher mileage, this can still be a cost-effective way to reach Asia compared to other programs.
Related: Is EVA Airways business class worth it on the Boeing 787-10?
Business Class from the US to Australia
Premium cabin award space to Australia is notoriously difficult to find. When availability surfaces, LifeMiles charges a competitive 100,000 miles in business class, significantly less than Delta Air Lines’ often exorbitant rates exceeding 350,000 miles.
Alt text: TPG Newsletter signup banner, promoting daily delivery of travel news, expert guides, and exclusive deals.
While Air Canada Aeroplan may offer slightly lower pricing at 75,000 points for similar awards, LifeMiles remains a strong option, especially if purchasing miles during a sale.
Economy Class from the US to Colombia
Flights operated by Avianca within their network can be remarkably affordable with LifeMiles. Flights from Washington D.C. (IAD) to Bogota (BOG) can be found for under 7,000 miles each way – an exceptional price for a 5.5-hour flight.
Alt text: TPG Daily Newsletter promotion, encouraging sign-ups for travel news, in-depth guides, and exclusive deals.
Mixed-Cabin Awards
Mixed-cabin awards are common on long-haul business or first-class itineraries with LifeMiles. This occurs when:
- First class isn’t offered on shorter connecting routes, requiring business or economy class for those segments.
- Award space isn’t available in your desired cabin for all segments.
Unlike programs that price awards based on the highest cabin class, LifeMiles prices each flight leg separately based on the booked class. This often results in a lower overall mileage cost for mixed-cabin itineraries.
Alt text: Newsletter signup banner for The Points Guy, advertising daily travel news, expert guides, and exclusive deals.
In scenarios where business class isn’t available on the longer Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG) leg, but is available on the shorter Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) segment, LifeMiles offers flexibility. You can choose to upgrade the shorter leg to business class for a reasonable 6,000 miles or fly economy for the entire journey. This optionality is a significant advantage of the LifeMiles program.
Potential Drawbacks of Avianca LifeMiles
Alt text: TPG Daily Newsletter banner, highlighting breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive travel deals from experts.
Despite its attractive award rates, LifeMiles isn’t without its challenges. The program is known for occasional IT glitches and inconsistent customer service.
Website errors during redemptions are a common complaint among LifeMiles members. Furthermore, upgrading an economy award ticket to business class requires paying a cancellation fee to redeposit miles before rebooking in the desired cabin.
While booking through Avianca can save miles, cancellations can be complex and potentially costly. Online cancellations for award bookings are often unavailable, and refunds can be slow. Resolving issues through Avianca’s call center can also be difficult, particularly for non-Spanish speakers.
Final Verdict: Is Avianca LifeMiles Right for You?
Avianca LifeMiles has solidified its position as a valuable frequent flyer program in the award travel landscape. With competitive redemption rates, no fuel surcharges, and partnerships with major transferable points programs, LifeMiles provides both value and flexibility. While customer service inconsistencies and IT quirks exist, the benefits often outweigh the drawbacks for many travelers. However, it’s worth noting that Air Canada Aeroplan has emerged as a potentially more valuable program after recent LifeMiles devaluations.
Taking the time to understand Avianca LifeMiles, exploring its sweet spots, and considering how it aligns with your travel goals can unlock significant award travel possibilities. With careful research and planning, LifeMiles can be a powerful tool when deciding where to transfer your valuable credit card points and miles, especially when leveraging Avianca Partners within the Star Alliance network.
