What are Avianca miles?

Avianca’s frequent flyer program is called LifeMiles. The miles you transfer, earn, and redeem are called Avianca LifeMiles.

Which credit cards earn Avianca miles?

Credit cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points, Brex Rewards points, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards Points, or Marriott Bonvoy points can transfer those rewards to Avianca LifeMiles.

What are Avianca LifeMiles worth?

The value of your Avianca LifeMiles is totally dependent on how you redeem them. LifeMiles can be worth anywhere from 1.7 cents per point all the way up to 10 cents per point when redeeming for something like Lufthansa first class. That’s like getting a $100 ticket for 1,000 miles.

How do I transfer Avianca LifeMiles to a spouse?

You can transfer your LifeMiles online. The cost of transferring miles is $15 for 1,000 LifeMiles. Fill in the LifeMiles number, along with personal information such as the recipient name, and you’ll be all set. Be sure to confirm the correct number of miles you want to transfer before completing the transaction, as transfers are irreversible.

Who are Avianca LifeMiles partners?

LifeMiles partners with all Star Alliance airlines. In addition, it partners with Iberia, GOL, and Aeromexico. It also partners with the following hotel chains: ALL – Accor Live Limitless Barcelo Hotels and Resorts Best Western Hilton IHG Marriott Wyndham

When do Avianca LifeMiles post in your account?

Generally, LifeMiles post within a week to your account. If they don’t post, you’ll want to contact LifeMiles. Unfortunately, Avianca’s customer service isn’t the best so some patience may be required.

Are Avianca LifeMiles bookings refundable?

Yes, they are. The fee is $200 per cancellation per passenger and $150 for changes per passenger.

When do Avianca LifeMiles expire?

Avianca LifeMiles expire after 12 months of inactivity. The only way to extend the miles is to earn more miles. Fortunately, you can purchase any amount of miles or transfer credit card points to LifeMiles, which will reset the expiration date.

The 18 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Avianca LifeMiles [2023]

LifeMiles is the frequent flyer program that Avianca offers. Although it was known as a niche program in the past, it’s one of the most popular frequent flyer programs that points travelers use in this day and age.

Using Avianca LifeMiles is actually one of the best ways to redeem points and miles in the Star Alliance.

There are tons of quick and unique ways to earn LifeMiles. We have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started.

Sign Up for an Avianca LifeMiles Account

The Avianca LifeMiles program functions a bit differently than other frequent flyer programs. For example, the United MileagePlus program is directly tied to United Airlines, which means you access both directly from United.com.

The same can’t be said for Avianca LifeMiles. You must visit the separate LifeMiles website to make award bookings and create a LifeMiles account.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make an Avianca LifeMiles account:

Visit the LifeMiles website.
The default language is Spanish, so you’ll want to click on the flag icon in the top right corner to change your language.
Click the blue button in the middle of the page that says Join LifeMiles for free.
Create your login information by typing in your email and a password. Click Next.
Type in your information, along with your driver’s license or ID number.
Follow all the prompts and create your LifeMiles account.

Your LifeMiles account will be crucial in earning LifeMiles, whether it’s from purchasing miles at one of their great sales, eating out, or booking hotel rooms.

After you create your LifeMiles account, write down your LifeMiles number and get ready to earn a lot of miles!

Earn Avianca LifeMiles With Credit Cards

Using credit cards to earn Avianca LifeMiles is now easier than ever with the addition of American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and more.

There are tons of different options to earn Avianca LifeMiles, but the easiest way is through credit cards.

1. American Express Membership Rewards Cards (Best Option)

American Express Membership Rewards is an extremely competitive points currency to have in your arsenal.

It’s arguably one of the best flexible points currencies due to the frequent transfer bonuses and ease of earning points.

There are many Amex transfer partners, giving you the ability to use your points how you want to. You can transfer at a 1:1 ratio from Amex to LifeMiles, and transfers happen almost instantly. Amex is also known for offering transfer bonuses to LifeMiles relatively often, so you might get bonus points if you transfer at the right time.

The advantage of American Express is that it has many cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points, which means you have tons of options to get extra points.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Amex business cards that earn Membership Rewards.

2. Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards

In our opinion, transferring Citi ThankYou Rewards points is one of the best ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles quickly.

You can transfer your Citi ThankYou Points at a 1:1 ratio and you can often get transfer bonuses if you transfer during bonus periods.

Recommended Citi Cards

3. Capital One Miles Credit Cards

Capital One Miles is a welcome addition to traditional giants such as American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Capital One miles transfer almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio to Avianca LifeMiles.

Recommended Capital One Cards

Hot Tip: Check out some of the best ways to redeem Capital One miles, including many business and first class options!

4. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

Marriott Bonvoy has the most flexible rewards currency out there. With 40+ Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners, you have a lot of options on how you use your points. Avianca LifeMiles is no exception.

However, there are much better and more effective ways to use your Marriott Bonvoy points, which is why this isn’t at the top of our list. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to LifeMiles in about 1 business day at a 3:1 ratio.

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points from cards offered by both Chase and American Express:

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

5. Brex Rewards Cards

Brex is one of the newest fintech companies offering startups state-of-the-art financial software to help manage spending, access credit, and more. Its suite of corporate and charge cards earn Brex Rewards points and these points transfer at a 1,670:1,000 ratio to Avianca LifeMiles.

Most transfers occur instantly, but allow up to 1 business day for these to process.

6. Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles

With the Amex refer-a-friend program, you’re able to refer your friend to virtually any card in the American Express portfolio.

Capital One also offers a referral program, though you’ll need to log into your online account to access your referral bonus offer, which is customized for each cardholder.

Brex offers a referral program, but that is currently limited to a cash-back bonus, not points. Lastly, Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards also offer referral bonuses, whether they’re from Amex or Chase.

Earn Miles Through Travel

You can earn a lot of LifeMiles for paid flights, hotel stays, and more! This section will be dedicated to travel-related purchases and using them to grow your LifeMiles balance.

7. Airfare and Airline Purchases

Avianca Boeing 787 Business Class small rear cabin middle — Flying on Avianca’s 787 business class is a great way to earn LifeMiles. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Unsurprisingly, you can earn a lot of Avianca LifeMiles by flying on Avianca flights. Mileage earning is dependent on the price you paid for your ticket.

The base accrual is 5 miles per $1 spent (excluding taxes and fees). You can also use elite status to earn:

6 LifeMiles per $1 spent (Red Plus)
8 LifeMiles per $1 spent (Silver)
9 LifeMiles per $1 spent (Gold)
11 LifeMiles per $1 spent (Diamond)

These miles are redeemable miles; your qualifying miles accrual (for elite status) remains at 5 miles per $1 spent, regardless of your current elite status.

For example, if you fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Bogotá (BOG) on a ticket costing $1,180 (with $45 in taxes and fees) as a base-level LifeMiles member, you’ll accumulate 5,675 LifeMiles.

8. Crediting Partner Airlines to LifeMiles

You can accrue LifeMiles from many different airline partners, but each partner has specific accrual rates.

You’ll also be able to accrue LifeMiles for flights on Star Alliance partners, Iberia (a Oneworld airline), GOL, and Aeromexico (a SkyTeam airline).

You can review the complete list of partner airlines and LifeMiles accrual rates.

Hot Tip: For more information, check out this in-depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.

9. Car Rentals and Other Ground Transportation

You can also earn LifeMiles through car rental partners.

Here’s a list of car rental partners:

Rental Company	Miles	Rental Company	Miles
Alamo	2 miles per $1 spent	National	2 miles per $1 spent
Avis	500 miles per rental plus 10% discount	Rentalcars.com	5 miles per $1 spent
Budget	500 miles per rental	SIXT	500 miles per rental
Dollar	50 miles per day	Thrifty	50 miles per day
Hertz	50 miles per day

Avis has the best deal on earning LifeMiles, so we would suggest utilizing this company when possible.

10. LifeMiles Hotel Partners

LifeMiles partners with a lot of different hotel brands, so there are many opportunities to top off your LifeMiles by booking hotels.

You can find out all the hotel partners on the LifeMiles website, but check out our consolidated list below:

Hotel	Miles/Stay	Hotel	Miles/Stay
Barceló Hotels & Resorts	Up to 1 mile per dollar spent	Marriott	Up to 2 miles per dollar spent
Best Western	Up to 250 miles per stay	Wyndham	Up to 2 miles per dollar spent
IHG	Up to 2 miles per dollar spent

Regional Hotel Chains

Hotel	Miles/Stay	Hotel	Miles/Stay
Hotel 101 Park House	340 miles per stay until the fourth night; 100 miles per night from the fifth night	Hotel Suite Lugano Imperial	300 miles per stay
Hotel Morisson	150 per night	Hoteles Xarms	2 miles per $1 spent on stays
Hotel San Fernando Plaza	300 miles per stay above COP 239,000 spent	Movich	500 per stay

11. Convert Points From Hotel Partners

While we don’t recommend transferring points from a hotel program to LifeMiles, the option is available if you need to top-up your balance for an award.

Hotel	Transfer Ratio (Program:LifeMiles)	Hotel	Transfer Ratio (Program:LifeMiles)
ALL – Accor Live Limitless	4,000:2,000	Radisson Rewards Americas	2,000:200
Best Western Rewards	5,000:1,000	Wyndham Rewards	6,000:1,200
IHG One Rewards	10,000:2,000

12. LifeMiles Hotel Booking Portals

If none of the hotel chains above are a good fit for you, there are quite a few booking portals that you can also utilize to earn LifeMiles.

LifeMiles currently partners with these booking portals:

Booking Portal	Miles Earning	Booking Portal	Miles Earning
Booking.com	2 miles per dollar spent	Kaligo.com	Up to 20 miles per dollar spent
Hotels.com	2 miles per dollar spent	Rocketmiles	Up to 10,000 miles/night

One of the biggest hidden perks of using booking portals is that LifeMiles periodically offers huge bonuses on hotel bookings, but sometimes for only a single day.

These bonuses can earn you miles that are more valuable than the booking itself!

13. LifeMiles Experiences

LifeMiles also offers experiences through Rocket Travel, which is LifeMiles’ partner for LifeMiles Experiences.

You’ll usually earn around 2 to 3 LifeMiles per dollar spent on LifeMiles Experiences.

Earn Miles Through Shopping and Dining

Earning LifeMiles doesn’t have to involve credit card applications and spending. Although cards are the best feasible way to earn a gigantic chunk of LifeMiles in a short period of time, you can still do great by earning LifeMiles via shopping and dining.

14. LifeMiles Shopping Partners

LifeMiles has a whole slew of shopping partners. Although most of the partners are South American, there are quite a few familiar brands on the list, such as Adidas, Aerie, Calvin Klein, Sony, Steve Madden, and Tumi.

To start earning LifeMiles with shopping partners, follow these instructions:

Visit the LifeMiles shopping portal.
Click Find commercial partners.
Change the filter at the top left from Colombia to all countries.
Select the partner where you want to shop.

LifeMiles Shopping. Image Credit: LifeMiles

Keep in mind that you can only earn LifeMiles at specific locations in Latin America, such as shops in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala since LifeMiles primarily services customers in Latin America.

You can earn up to 5 LifeMiles per dollar spent with these partners, so it’s a great way to earn miles.

Once you’ve selected your shopping partner, the following page will provide you with directions on how to earn bonus LifeMiles, which can vary from company to company.

15. LifeMiles Restaurant Partners

Avianca LifeMiles has a variety of restaurant partners in addition to its shopping partners. You’ll only earn LifeMiles when dining at specific restaurants in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

You can earn up to 6 LifeMiles per $1 spent at restaurant partners. Some examples of restaurant partners are P.F. Chang’s, American Cheesecake, and El Rancherito.

Remember that earning LifeMiles with partners is subject to specific terms and conditions, which can vary from partner to partner.

Specialty Earnings for Avianca LifeMiles

One of the most effective ways to get tons of LifeMiles is by taking advantage of deals that are exclusive to Avianca LifeMiles. As you’ll find out, taking advantage of these deals is extremely easy.

The main thing to watch out for is timing. The best way to illustrate this point is with the example below.

16. Buy Avianca LifeMiles During Huge Sales

Avianca typically sells LifeMiles at a prohibitively high price of 3.3 cents per mile. We do not recommend purchasing LifeMiles at this price unless you’re in an emergency and need the miles as soon as possible.

Avianca frequently offers gigantic bonuses on purchased miles. And by gigantic, we mean gigantic.

It’s not unusual to see bonuses of 125% to 200% on purchased miles. In other words, if you buy 1,000 miles during these sales, you’ll get an extra 1,250 to 2,000 miles for free, bringing your total up to 2,250 to 3,000 miles.

The maximum number of LifeMiles you can purchase per year is currently 200,000 (before bonuses).

17. Subscribe to Club LifeMiles

Club LifeMiles is a recently launched subscription service from Avianca LifeMiles that allows you to make recurring purchases for miles.

In addition, the more miles you buy (for a full 12 months), the larger your bonus for purchasing miles.

Here’s the breakdown of the subscription levels:

Plan	Total Miles With Bonus (Year Total)	Total Cost (Including Taxes and Fees)	Cents per Mile (CPM)
Plan 500	8,000	$9.99 per month	1.50
Plan 1,000	16,000	$19.49 per month	1.46
Plan 2,000	32,000	$38.49 per month	1.44
Plan 3,000	48,000	$56.99 per month	1.42
Plan 6,000	80,000	$91.99 per month	1.38
Plan 8,000	112,000	$125.99 per month	1.35

Best case scenario? You buy miles at 1.35 cents per point, which means that you can fly on Lufthansa first class one-way between the U.S. and Europe (87,000 LifeMiles) for $1,174.40 using this subscription.

Considering that Lufthansa often retails for $10,000 or more, you can get tons of value this way.

Hot Tip: LifeMiles processes all purchases directly on Avianca, meaning that you’ll qualify for 5x points with an Amex Platinum card (up to $500,000 per year).

18. Multiply Your Miles

The very last way that we’ll discuss earning a lot of LifeMiles is through a program called Multiply Your Miles.

Through this method, you can double and even triple your miles. This is done in these 2 ways:

Flying
LifeMiles partner spending

For example, if you earned 2,000 miles from flying and 1,000 miles from LifeMiles partner spending, you’re eligible to earn up to 9,000 miles total. Basically, you’ll be able to buy up to 3x the miles for a discounted rate.

The overall message of this method is that you’ll be able to buy LifeMiles at a much cheaper price than usual. The catch is it’ll have to be from Avianca-related spending, whether it’s on travel or with their partners

You’ll only be able to buy a relatively small amount compared to the normal miles sales, but you’ll get the miles at a larger discount.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of neat ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles.

Avianca LifeMiles is an extremely versatile frequent flyer program. It never passes on any fuel surcharges, it’s got tons of ways to get lots of points, and there are many great ways to redeem LifeMiles for maximum value.

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6 comments

Guy Supa March 31, 2019

Hi Stephen,
“Avianca LifeMiles expire after 12 months of inactivity. The only way to extend the miles is to earn more miles.”

In terms of earning more miles, does it count if those miles are from shopping, hotel booking portals, hotel& credit card partners, car rentals and Club Lifemiles subscriptions?

- Stephen Au April 1, 2019
  
  Hey Guy,
  
  All of these count. Thanks for reading!
  
jeff September 11, 2020

Stephen, so if I transfer AMEX MR points once a year to Lifemiles, the miles will keep resetting for another year for a max of 2 years or indefinitely?

In essence, as long as I transfer or accrue miles once a year on LifeMiles, the miles will never expire?

- Stephen Au September 21, 2020
  
  Hi Jeff,
  
  Yes!
  
  Check out my guide on frequent flyer miles and hotel points expiration policies:
  
  https://upgradedpoints.com/when-do-my-frequent-flyer-miles-expire
  
Ernest Burkhalter August 24, 2021

My Avianca credit card annual fee of $149.00 was just posted. I called to cancel the card and they would not refund the annual fee. Called back again to confirm. So I have a canceled the card but still have to pay the annual fee? This is insane. Looking for areas of recourse, but this is Puerto Rico. Any ideas?

- Jarrod West August 24, 2021
  
  Hi Ernest,
  
  This is highly unusual. Usually, if the annual fee was just posted, you should have around 30 days to cancel your card and receive a refund of the annual fee. Have you tried calling again to speak to a supervisor? It might be the case that the person you spoke to was misinformed.