Great Card If
- You’re an Avianca frequent flyer.
- You’ll get plenty of value from the card perks, like automatic Lifemiles Silver elite status.
Don’t Get If
- You rarely fly with Avianca.
- You prefer cards that earn transferable rewards.
Avianca Lifemiles Elite Card: Is It Worth It?
If you’re an Avianca frequent flyer, it may be worth holding the Avianca Lifemiles Elite card. Consider whether you’d get value from the card perks, such as Lifemiles Silver status and a Lifemiles+ membership, which includes a discount on Avianca flight redemptions and annual bonus points.
Alternatively, if you travel with Avianca only occasionally and are primarily interested in earning miles, consider that the Avianca Lifemiles program partners with most major transferable rewards programs.
Avianca Lifemiles Elite Card Top Benefits and Perks
The Avianca Lifemiles Elite card charges a sizeable annual fee. Here are the top benefits and perks you can expect as a cardholder:
- Double up to 1,000 miles per month: Your card doubles the amount of miles you earn from your daily purchases, up to a maximum of 1,000 miles per month.
- Complimentary Lifemiles+ Lite membership, which includes:
- Up to 6,000 miles annually
- 10% back on Star Alliance flight redemptions
- Up to 25% redemption discount on Avianca flights
- Up to 40% more miles on Lifemiles hotels and Lifemiles cars
- Up to 10% discount on Lifemiles cars
- Complimentary Lifemiles Silver status, which includes:
- 2 passes to Avianca lounges each year for the status holder and 1 pass annually for a companion
- 6 upgrades to business class in the Americas (subject to flight availability and not valid in basic or light fares)
- 4 premium seat selection passes
- 10% discount on premium seat purchases for you and your companions
- Emergency row and Plus seat selection at booking
- Additional checked bag
- 20% elite bonus miles
- Priority check-in and group B priority boarding
- No foreign transaction fees: Use your card during international travel to earn more miles without paying added fees.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Avianca Lifemiles
Using your Avianca Lifemiles Elite card can help you earn Lifemiles quickly, thanks to its 3x miles on Avianca and Lifemiles purchases, 2x miles on dining and all other travel, like hotels, taxis, and other airlines, and 1x miles on all other purchases.
The card doubles the miles you earn each month, up to 1,000 miles per month. If you were to spend $500 on nonbonus purchases one month, you’d earn 500 miles, which would double to 1,000 miles. Additionally, as a Lifemiles+ member and cardholder you’ll receive up to 6,000 bonus miles annually.
There is no shortage of great ways to redeem Lifemiles, both on flights with Avianca and its Star Alliance partners. For instance, you can fly Lufthansa first class one-way between the U.S. and Europe for 87,000 Avianca miles or fly transcontinental in the U.S. aboard United Airlines in Polaris business class one-way for 25,000 miles.
Alternative Cards to the Avianca Lifemiles Elite Card
Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Credit Card
If you’re interested in receiving benefits on your Avianca flights and want to earn more Avianca miles on your daily purchases but prefer a card with a lower annual fee, then the Avianca Lifemiles card might suit you better.
With it, you still earn 2x miles on Avianca and Lifemiles purchases, 2x miles on dining and groceries, and 1x miles on all other purchases. Additionally, the card offers valuable benefits, including complimentary Lifemiles Silver elite status, no foreign transaction fees, and the ability to keep your points from expiring.
If you’re comfortable with the annual fee of the Avianca Lifemiles Elite card but would prefer to earn transferable rewards to open up your redemption options, consider opting for the Amex Gold card.
It’s a heavy hitter for earning points. You earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1x thereafter), 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x thereafter), 3x points on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com, and 2x points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through AmexTravel.com.
Additionally, cardholders get perks including an up to a $120 annual dining credit, up to $120 in annual Uber Cash, up to a $100 annual Resy credit, and up to a $84 annual U.S. Dunkin’ credit, access to The Hotel Collection, various travel protections, and access to the over 20 American Express transfer partners, including Avianca. Enrollment is required for some of these benefits.
