Key Takeaways
Avianca LifeMiles has good value, especially for international premium cabin flights.
- LifeMiles often has the lowest business class pricing to Europe and Asia
- Domestic short-haul flights also have some sweet spots, as does travel between the U.S. and South America
- Flexible dates and using an award tool will be key to finding these hidden gems
- Their booking site is clunky, but occasional “mixed cabin” quirks can work in your favor.
- Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt make LifeMiles easy to accumulate.
Reward Program Ratings
Hobby Score
5.3Travel Partner Transfers
Transfers In
Transfers Out
Points Transfer Guide
Associated Alliances
Avianca Lifemiles associated alliance is Star Alliance
Visit Star AllianceAirlines within Star Alliance Alliance
How to Earn Miles
The most efficient ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles are to fly on Avianca or one of its partners or to open one of their co-branded credit cards to earn miles directly. Avianca partners with several major credit card programs, giving you the flexibility to transfer points for top ups or to book flights with Avianca or its partners.
Earn by Flying Avianca
You earn LifeMiles on Avianca flights based on the fare type you book. Elite members earn additional bonus miles on top of the base earning rates.
You will earn 5 miles per dollar spent on the following additional services:
- Seat selection
- Avianca lounges
- Upgrades to business class
- Empty seat purchases
- Priority boarding
Miles earned per dollar by fare type:
- Basic/Light: 3 miles per dollar
- Classic: 6 miles per dollar
- Flex: 8 miles per dollar
- Business/INSIGNIA: 10 miles per dollar
Elite bonus earning rates:
- Red Plus: 10% bonus
- Silver: 20% bonus
- Gold: 60% bonus
- Diamond: 80% bonus
Earn by Opening Co-Branded Credit Cards
Avianca offers two co-branded credit cards backed by American Express. Both are personal cards and come with different signup bonuses, annual fees, and perks. These cards are an easy way to earn LifeMiles directly.
Earn by Opening Transferable Miles Cards
The following major credit card rewards programs all partner with Avianca and transfer to LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio:
You can also transfer hotel points, but the rates are poor:
- Marriott Bonvoy: transfers at 3:1
- IHG One Rewards: transfers at 5:1
- Wyndham Rewards: transfers at 5:1
We don’t recommend transferring hotel points unless you need a small top up and have no other options.
Flying with Partners (alliance and non-alliance partners)
Avianca is part of Star Alliance, so you can earn LifeMiles when flying with partners such as United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and many others. The earning rates vary by airline, fare class, and route.
- Earn LifeMiles on all eligible Star Alliance flights.
- Each partner has its own earning chart and mileage rules.
- Always check the specific partner’s earning table before booking.
Annual Bonuses & Big Spend Bonuses
Avianca LifeMiles Elite American Express Credit Card
- Spend bonus: Earn an extra 40,000 miles when you spend $25,000 on the card in the first year.
- Our take: While 40,000 additional miles is solid, putting $25,000 in spend on this card isn’t the best strategy for most travelers. After meeting the initial $3,000 minimum spend for the 60,000-mile welcome offer, you’d likely earn far more by directing that extra spend toward signup bonuses on other cards.
Other Options to Earn
How to Redeem Miles
Redeeming your LifeMiles for flights on Avianca or its partners will almost always give you the highest value. The program is often overlooked, but there are many strong sweet spots across Avianca, Star Alliance partners, and select non-alliance partners.
- Best value: Award flights on Avianca or Star Alliance partners like United, Lufthansa, and Air Canada.
- Mixed-cabin awards: LifeMiles uniquely allows mixed class bookings (for example, economy + business on the same ticket), which is rare and can provide exceptional value.
The LifeMiles website is known for being slow, buggy, and unreliable, but once results load, you’ll see availability across Avianca, United, and other Star Alliance partners.
How to search for award flights
- Use the LifeMiles app or go directly to LifeMiles.com (not the main Avianca site, though you can navigate from there).
- All search results display in miles, making comparisons simple.
- LifeMiles uses a zone-based award chart for most flights. Partner airlines follow the same Star Alliance chart, though it is buried on the site.
- You can view the Star Alliance award chart on the LifeMiles site (scroll down the page once you find it).
Hotel Stays, Car Rentals, and Other Redemptions
You can redeem LifeMiles for a variety of travel and non-travel purchases, but these options offer poor value compared to booking flights. We recommend avoiding these redemptions unless you have a small balance to burn.
Avianca also has a travel portal where you can use LifeMiles for these bookings, but prices are often inflated and rarely competitive compared to paying cash.
Sweet Spots Finder
Look at the chart below to find the best sweet spots for this airline. Use the filters to find the optimal Sweet Spot for your trip and points.