How does Avianca’s boarding process work?

When you fly with Avianca, you’ll see a boarding group on your boarding pass (groups A, B, C, etc.). Groups board in that order after any special or priority passengers, such as those with elite status or those with small children.

Yes, but there are ways to keep them active. The policy is that your LifeMiles expire after 12 months if there’s no miles accrual activity. Simply earning miles (by flying, credit card transfers, or partner activities) resets the timer. For elite members, your miles are valid for 24 months.

How can I earn LifeMiles besides flying with Avianca?

Lots of ways: transfers from U.S. credit card reward programs (like Amex, Capital One, and Citi), booking with Star Alliance partners, and via nontravel partners (like gas, hotels, and shopping). Sometimes, there are promotions or bonus offers to accelerate earning.

What are the best redemption sweet spots in the LifeMiles program?

Some especially good-value redemptions include domestic U.S. awards on Star Alliance partners, flights to or from Europe in business class, and routes to Colombia and the rest of Latin America. You can often get good value because Avianca doesn’t pass big fuel surcharges on to passengers, and when you’re flexible with dates, you can find great deals.

What are the elite status tiers in LifeMiles, and what benefits do they bring?

Avianca has 4 tiers: Red Plus, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. As you move up, you get perks like priority boarding, lounge access, extra baggage allowance, and sometimes discounts on awards or better service. The higher tiers also help with Star Alliance status benefits when flying with partner airlines.

Avianca Boarding Groups and Process — Everything You Need To Know

Updated: October 18, 2025, 3:00pm CDT

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Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
Avianca Boarding Groups
Boarding Timing
How To Boost Your Avianca LifeMiles Balance
Final Thoughts

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Key Takeaways

Avianca uses lettered boarding groups to board flights. Those flying in premium cabins or with elite status will move into higher groups.
Avianca regularly starts boarding without confirming that the flight attendants are ready to receive passengers, so scanning your boarding pass and then waiting in the jet bridge is common — especially for those in the first boarding groups.
Preboarding is available on Avianca flights for passengers who need special assistance.

Headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, Avianca is one of the oldest airlines in the world and a major player in Latin American aviation. With a network that spans dozens of countries and a strong presence across the Americas, it’s an airline you’re likely to encounter if you’re flying to, from, or within the region.

What does this mean for you? It means that whether you’re planning a quick hop between cities in Colombia or a long-haul journey connecting through Bogotá, Avianca is often a practical and competitive option.

Like many global carriers, Avianca has its own way of organizing passengers at the gate — and if you’re not familiar with the system, it can cause unnecessary delays or stress at the start of your trip.

To help make your travel experience smoother, let’s take a closer look at how Avianca handles its boarding process and what you should know before stepping on board.

Avianca Boarding Groups

Avianca has a robust network in South and Central America, thanks to its main hub in Bogotá (BOG), Colombia, and smaller hubs in Medellín (MDE), Colombia, and San Salvador (SAL), El Salvador. Avianca’s routes to the U.S. serve multiple cities in California, Texas, and Florida, as well as other major destinations such as Chicago, New York City, and Las Vegas.

Avianca Boeing 787 Business Class MIA boarding — Avianca boarding is a process. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Gate agents regularly make announcements about which group is boarding, and you may find signs indicating where passengers should line up or which group is currently boarding. While those aren’t guaranteed, Avianca’s gate employees make regular, clear announcements to facilitate the boarding process.

Preboarding

Preboarding is available upon request for Avianca flights. However, those with an obvious need for it, such as those with infants or in a wheelchair, are welcome to board before general boarding. The plane’s crew may not be ready to receive passengers yet, though, and these guests may need to wait in the jet bridge.

Group A

The first group includes passengers flying in Avianca’s business class and those with Avianca LifeMiles Gold and Diamond status.

Avianca boarding CUN BOG passengers — Although the Group A sign only lists elites, business class passengers also board in this group. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Group B

Those with Avianca LifeMiles Silver status and those who purchased priority boarding are in this group.

Both the Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card and Avianca LifeMiles American Express Elite Card offer complimentary Silver status, so holding either of these cards can be an easy way to improve your boarding position.

Group C

Those flying in economy with Avianca and holding Classic and Flex tickets board in this group unless they paid to add early boarding privileges to their ticket.

Group D

Depending on the plane size, Avianca may use an additional group for economy passengers. Whatever the final group is, those with basic economy tickets are assigned to the final group.

Boarding Timing

Avianca typically starts boarding 45 minutes before the scheduled departure. Unfortunately, it’s very common for gate agents to start boarding passengers even if the flight crew isn’t ready to let them onto the plane.

This can create long lines in the jet bridge — and gate agents often continue boarding passengers anyway, creating winding lines of people waiting in this staging area.

Avianca boarding snaking line in jet bridge BOG — The line to the jet bridge snaking around due to delays. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Avianca flights conclude boarding 15 to 20 minutes before scheduled departure. If you aren’t on board by this point, you will need to be rescheduled on another flight.

How To Boost Your Avianca LifeMiles Balance

Avianca’s loyalty program is called LifeMiles, and you can use these miles to book award flights on Avianca and its partner airlines. One of the biggest positives of the LifeMiles program is the relatively low taxes and fees you pay when redeeming your miles, unlike some other programs.

Luckily, earning LifeMiles is pretty easy, thanks to the many ways to do so. Avianca has a pair of credit cards available in the U.S. that can help you earn from everyday spending, and you can also earn miles by crediting your paid flights on Star Alliance airlines into your LifeMiles account.

Additionally, you can earn miles with the LifeMiles shopping portal, restaurant partners, and other retailers throughout Latin America, including gas and shopping.

Additionally, you can send the following credit card rewards to LifeMiles:

American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:1.6 ratio
Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio
Brex Rewards at a 3:2 ratio
Capital One Miles at a 1:1 ratio
Citi ThankYou Rewards at a 1:1 ratio
Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio
Wells Fargo Rewards at a 1:1 ratio

There are also recurring sales to buy LifeMiles at a discount, and these often present good value.

Final Thoughts

If you’re flying to, from, or within South America and Central America, there’s a good chance Avianca can get you there. The airline has a robust flight network and offers some of the cheapest fares in the region.

Avianca uses boarding groups with letters, plus a preboarding option for those who need it, to get customers onto its planes. The group numbers are clearly announced by gate agents, making it obvious who is boarding when. That said, you have a good chance of waiting in the jet bridge after scanning your boarding pass, as Avianca’s gate agents routinely start boarding before the onboard crew is ready to receive passengers.