How to earn Avianca LifeMiles

Operating primarily out of Colombia as its national carrier, Avianca was once a relatively secluded airline as far as rewards programs go. However, Avianca recently added American Express and Capital One to its card partners.

These new transfer partners make earning LifeMiles for travel easier and faster.

10 ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles

Earn miles with credit cards

Like many airline rewards programs, you can earn Avianca LifeMiles making everyday purchases with eligible credit cards and taking advantage of signup bonuses.

Avianca offers two cobranded credit cards with signup bonuses that can help you earn LifeMiles directly to your account.

If Avianca’s cobranded cards are too limited for your tastes, you can take advantage of one of their credit card transfer partners to build your LifeMiles cache.

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
American Express® Gold Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	3x points on directly-booked flights; 4x at restaurants; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points)	$250		Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 with this upper-mid tier travel card. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Platinum Card® from American Express		75,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 6 months, plus 10x points at US gas stations and US supermarkets on up to $15,000 in combined purchases in the same timeframe	10x points at US gas stations and US supermarkets on up to $15,000 combined in the first 6 months, 5x points on directly-booked flights or on flights and hotels on Amex Travel. 1x points on all other purchases. Starting January 1, 2021, your 5x points on flights will be capped on up to $500,000 annually (then 1x points).	$550		One of the most valuable premium travel cards, featuring two welcome offers worth up to $4,500, multiple travel credits and unrivaled lounge access. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Avianca Vuela Visa® Card		40,000 miles after first purchase	3x miles on Avianca, 2x miles on gas and groceries, 1x miles on all other purchases and 15% Multiply Your Miles discount	$149		Earn 40,000 bonus LifeMiles after first purchase.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Flying with Avianca

Flights you book with Avianca will also earn you miles based on your flight distance, cabin and class fare. Paying for your flight with Avianca’s cobranded cards can earn you even more miles for your flight.

Flight accrual rates

Data obtained March 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

LifeMiles Elite

Avianca’s LifeMiles Elite status grants up to 100% additional LifeMiles points when you book a flight with Avianca, depending on your status level. Check out our LifeMiles article for more information on how to earn Elite status.

Fly with Star Alliance partners

Flights you book through eligible Star Alliance members can also earn you LifeMiles so long as you provide your LifeMiles number when you make your reservation or during check-in at the airport.

The number of LifeMiles you can earn on Star Alliance flights greatly depends on each member. Avianca currently offers a list of eligible partners and earning tables at their website.

Buy miles

You can buy LifeMiles directly through Avianca’s website. While this is rarely a good deal for reward programs, Avianca has a history of running great limited-time offers to make direct LifeMiles purchases more valuable.

For example, a recent deal allowed the purchase of two LifeMiles for the price of one. Normally this would cost $165 for 5000 miles, meaning you’d be purchasing each mile for about 3.3 cents.

With a promo like that in the example, you’d instead get 10,000 miles for the same price, with each mile costing about 1.6 cents. That comes in just under the average value of each mile and can be a great deal with the right redemption.

Subscribe to miles

Avianca’s Club LifeMiles allows you to subscribe to a monthly allotment of LifeMiles. Depending on your subscription level, you’ll also receive an annual bonus of LifeMiles.

The largest plan is currently for 7,000 miles per month at $125.99 and offers a 28,000 mile bonus. All told, you can earn 112,000 LifeMiles for just 1.3 cents per mile if you make the commitment.

Multiply your miles

This unique feature allows you to double or even triple miles earned from flights, credit cards or travel partners within the last 12 months for a fee. Avianca credit card holders receive a discount on this fee.

Transfer your miles to friends

For every 1,000 miles you pay to transfer to a friend or family member’s account, Avianca will grant 2,000 miles to their account. You can transfer up to 75,000 LifeMiles each calendar year.

Make purchases with Avianca partners

LifeMiles members can earn up to 5 LifeMiles per dollar spent at eligible partners. To earn your LifeMiles, you’ll need to provide your LifeMiles ID number when checking out.

Book a partnered hotel

Booking an Avianca partnered hotel can earn you LifeMiles depending on your nights stayed or dollars spent.

Data obtained March 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

Car rentals

Renting a car from eligible Avianca partners will earn you bonus LifeMiles depending on your rental company of choice.

Dine with Avianca partners

Like many airline programs, you can earn bonus LifeMiles for dining out at eligible Avianca restaurant partners.

Bottom line

Avianca’s transfer partners make earning miles through the LifeMiles rewards program simple, so consider picking up a few eligible cards. Plus, Avianca’s status as a Star Alliance member means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to earn on partnered flights no matter where you’re located. Once you’ve built up your mile collection, review your redemption options to find out where to place your miles for best value.

Compare your credit card options to find an eligible airline rewards card that fits your spending needs or review other airline rewards programs if you’re looking for a particular set of travel bonuses.

How to redeem Avianca LifeMiles

Frequently asked questions

• Does it cost money to join LifeMiles?

  No. Joining LifeMiles is free of charge.

• How can I find my LifeMiles number?

  Go to LifeMiles.com and click on Having trouble logging in? Then, click on I’ve forgotten my LifeMiles number and follow the directions to get your number emailed to you.

• Do LifeMiles expire?

  Yes. LifeMiles will expire after 12 months without making at least one accrual transaction or cobranded credit card purchase each month.

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