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Avianca LifeMiles is one of the most underrated loyalty programs thanks to its excellent array of partners and ease of earning. The program has its quirks, but you can get fantastic value out of LifeMiles by booking everything from economy United flights to Lufthansa first class. If you find yourself flying Star Alliance airlines, Avianca LifeMiles should be a key part of your overall rewards strategy. The lack of outrageous carrier surcharges is one of the best features of the program.
Before you can use them, it pays to know the ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles. Here's everything you need to know about earning LifeMiles so you can develop your own strategy to keep the LifeMiles flowing in.
Page Contents
Earn LifeMiles by Flying
The original mileage-earning method — butt-in-seat flying on a plane — remains a key way to earn Avianca LifeMiles. You can earn miles on Avianca flights and flights with a long list of partner airlines.
Before you can earn any LifeMiles, however, you'll need to make sure to sign up for the loyalty program. Creating a LifeMiles account is free and easy to do online. Once you make an account, add your LifeMiles account to AwardWallet to get notifications about any changes to your account, such as account balances or flight check-in reminders.
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Flying with Avianca
The number of LifeMiles you can earn with Avianca Airlines depends on which fare type you book and how much you pay for your ticket. Avianca has mirrored the earning structure of many U.S. airline programs — such as United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles — which credit miles based on how much you spend with the airline, rather than how far you fly.
Avianca fares earn at the following rates per $1 USD spent:
- Basic/Light: 3 LifeMiles
- Classic: 6 LifeMiles
- Flex: 8 LifeMiles
- Business/INSIGNIA: 10 LifeMiles
Elite members will earn additional LifeMiles as a perk of their status. Avianca has four elite status levels (after the base level). Elite members will earn:
- Red Plus: 10% bonus LifeMiles
- Silver: 20% bonus LifeMiles
- Gold: 60% bonus LifeMiles
- Diamond: 80% bonus LifeMiles
Here's what this looks like in practice. I am a Silver Elite member, and I can book a nonstop flight from Miami (MIA) to Bogota (BOG) in April for just $175 one-way by purchasing a classic fare. This fare would earn 6 LifeMiles per $1, so I'd earn 1,050 miles on the flight. Since I'm a Silver Elite member, I'll earn a 20% bonus, yielding a total of 1,260 LifeMiles for my flight. It's not much, but Avianca has incredibly affordable tickets. I'd rather earn fewer miles and spend less out of pocket than the other way around.
Miles from Avianca flights should credit to your LifeMiles account within four days of your flight.
Base miles earned also count as qualifying miles toward LifeMiles elite status. There are other ways to earn elite qualifying miles, though. We don't cover the other benefits of elite status here, but it can provide significant benefits beyond bonus LifeMiles.
Apart from actual flights, you can also earn 5X miles per $1 USD spent on lounge passes and on upgrades to business class.
Related: Subscribing to Club LifeMiles: Is It Worth It After Recent Changes?
Flying with partner airlines
Unlike Avianca-marketed flights, the LifeMiles you earn from partner flights depends on the fare class of the ticket and the distance flown. These rates are different for each partner airline. While the rates themselves are too complicated to display here, this table shows some of the essential details of how to earn LifeMiles with partners. The earning rate is based on the flown miles and will depend on the exact fare class.
| Airline | Earning rate (of flown miles) | Minimum miles earned | Earns elite qualifying miles? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines | From 100% to 200% | 500 to 750 | Yes, all miles qualify |
| Air Canada | From 25% to 150% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Air China | From 25% to 200% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Air India | From 50% to 200% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Air New Zealand | From 70% to 200% | - | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| ANA | From 30% to 150% | - | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Asiana Airlines | From 50% to 135% | 500 to 625 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Austrian Airlines | From 50% to 200% | 125 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Brussels Airlines | From 50% to 150% | 250 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Clic | Codeshare; earns at Avianca rates | - | Yes, all miles qualify |
| Copa Airlines | From 25% to 125% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Croatia Airlines | From 50% to 150% | 250 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| EgyptAir | From 50% to 125% | 250 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Ethiopian Airlines | From 25% to 200% | - | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| EVA Air | From 50% to 125% | 250 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Gol | From 50% to 150% | - | Yes, all miles qualify |
| Iberia | From 25% to 125% | - | No elite qualifying miles awarded |
| LOT Polish Airlines | From 25% to 150% | 125 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Lufthansa | From 50% to 200% | 250 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| SAS | From 0% to 150% | 0 to 750 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles, but not on ineligible fare classes |
| Shenzen Airlines | From 50% to 150% | 250 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Singapore Airlines | From 75% to 150% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| South African Airways | From 25% to 150% | 125 to 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| SWISS | From 50% to 150% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| TAP Air Portugal | From 50% to 200% | - | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| THAI | From 50% to 150% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| Turkish Airlines | From 50% to 200% | - | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
| United Airlines | From 50% to 125% | 500 | Yes, up to 100% flown miles |
The vast majority of Avianca partners earn LifeMiles that are also elite-qualifying miles. However, for fare classes where the normal accrual rate exceeds 100% (usually business class but sometimes premium economy as well), elite earning is nearly always capped at 100% of flown miles. Note that Avianca also imposes a minimum amount of elite qualifying miles to be flown with Avianca to reach status.
Consult the LifeMiles flight booking page for more details on each partner. As an example, here are the earnings for United flights:
Note that there is a minimum number of miles earned. So, if you're flying a short distance, you'll still earn at least 500 LifeMiles on your trip.
Let's say you book a round-trip fare from San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul (ICN) in a V-class economy fare. This fare will earn 75% of flown miles as LifeMiles and the same number of elite-qualifying miles. The distance between these two cities is 5,658 miles. Based on the chart, you should earn 4,243 LifeMiles per direction, for a total of 8,487 redeemable LifeMiles and elite qualifying LifeMiles.
Missing miles?
If you're missing miles from an Avianca or Star Alliance partner flight, or want to retroactively credit a flight that didn't earn miles in any program to LifeMiles, use the form here. You can claim miles for flights taken within the past 12 months. You'll need your ticket number or reservation code and flight details to request missing LifeMiles.
No matter what, make sure you credit your flights to some program. Even if earning LifeMiles doesn't make sense, you can likely credit a flight somewhere, so ensure you're getting rewards for every flight you take.
Earn LifeMiles Using Credit Cards and Transfers
Several bank and other loyalty programs let you to transfer points to Avianca LifeMiles. Some bank programs will also occasionally offer transfer bonuses to LifeMiles, helping you stretch your points even further. There's now an added incentive to transferring points to LifeMiles, as they help you qualify for elite status.
The partner programs can all transfer points to LifeMiles as follows:
Since there are so many loyalty programs that transfer to LifeMiles, here are some of the best credit cards within each program to help build your points balance. Credit cards will likely be the best strategy for amassing LifeMiles — both through welcome offers and general spending.
Co-branded LifeMiles credit cards
Avianca issues two co-branded LifeMiles credit cards for U.S. consumers.
The Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card has a $99 annual fee in exchange for a variety of benefits, including Silver Elite status and 2X miles on Avianca, dining, and grocery purchases.
The Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Elite Card has a higher $249 annual fee, but allows you to earn an extra point per dollar on Avianca purchases and 2X miles on general travel purchases. It also comes with a subscription to LifeMiles+, which gives you 500 LifeMiles each month and a discount of up to 25% on Avianca award redemptions.
- 2x on all avianca airlines and lifemiles purchases
- 2x on groceries and restaurants
- 1x on everything else
- 3x on all avianca airlines and lifemiles purchases
- 2x on travel and restaurants
- 1x on everything else
American Express Membership Rewards earning credit cards
One primary option for accruing LifeMiles is to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers are instant. LifeMiles is just one of many useful Membership Rewards transfer partners, so it can be very advantageous to have a Membership Rewards earning credit card.
The American Express Platinum Card® is a fantastic option for Avianca frequent flyers. That's because it earns 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and 5X points on prepaid hotels (including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection) booked through American Express Travel®, which is great when you want to pay for your Avianca flight in cash.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
- More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
- More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
- More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
It also offers some of the best lounge access of any credit card on the market. Avianca doesn't have a huge lounge network, so it's nice to have lounge access through a credit card instead.
Read more in our Platinum Card® review.
Bilt Rewards earning credit cards
Bilt Rewards is a loyalty program designed for renters. With the The Bilt Mastercard®, you will earn points by paying your monthly rent through Bilt, plus for other purchases you make. Dining is a solid Bilt bonus category, offering 3X points per $1 spent (or more through a Bilt neighborhood dining partner).
- 3x points on dining
- 2x points on travel
- 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
- 1x points on other purchases
- *You must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points—see Rewards & Benefits.
You can transfer Bilt points to LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio, and transfers are nearly instant. Do note that you must make at least five non-rent purchases on your card each month to earn points.
Read more in our The Bilt Mastercard® review.
Capital One Miles earning credit cards
A third bank loyalty currency you can move to LifeMiles is Capital One miles. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000, and transfers are instant. You can earn Capital One miles with cards like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Of those two, the Capital One Venture X is a no-brainer for almost any traveler. In addition to earning transferable miles, you can enjoy benefits like lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit, 10,000-bonus anniversary miles, and more.
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
You can accrue miles very quickly thanks to the ability to earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on other eligible purchases. The annual fee is just $395, making it a cost-effective option compared to other premium credit cards.
Read more in our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review.
Citi ThankYou Points earning credit cards
Another major bank currency that transfers to LifeMiles is Citi ThankYou Points. You can earn these points with a variety of Citi cards, but you'll need to have at least one that allows points transfer to travel partners. Like with Membership Rewards, points transfer at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000 points and transfer instantly.
The Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) is an excellent all-around travel card, offering 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. It also has a solid sign-up bonus and doesn't levy foreign transaction fees.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
If you prefer a premium option, you can try out the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, which offers a suite of benefits in exchange for a $595 annual fee. However, the earning potential leaves a lot to be desired, so you'll likely want to stick with the Citi Strata Premier.
Read more in our Citi Strata Premier Card review
Marriott Bonvoy earning credit cards
LifeMiles is one of many airline programs that partners with Marriott Bonvoy. Points transfer at a ratio of 3,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to 1,000 LifeMiles and can take up to a day. One bummer is that Marriott has removed the bonus for transferring Marriott Bonvoy points in increments of 60,000 to obtain bonus miles. This still applies to some other airline partners, but you won't be given a bonus if you transfer Bonvoy points to LifeMiles.
We don't recommend you transfer Bonvoy points this way unless it's the only option for topping up your account — or you're sure you're getting more value out of them for a specific redemption than you would using them for a Marriott stay.
Popular Marriott Bonvoy credit cards include the low-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and the premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Wells Fargo Rewards earning credit cards
The last major credit card currency to transfer to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio is Wells Fargo Rewards. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is a phenomenal credit card with a low annual fee of just $95. It earns 4X points on flight purchases, making it another great option if you want to book your Avianca flight in cash. It also offers sky-high earning rates on hotels, restaurants, and other travel purchases.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's $600 toward your next trip.
- Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
- Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
- Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- 5X points per $1 spent on hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent on airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
This is a card that's been in my sights for quite a while, thanks to its impressive earning potential and annual airline statement credit.
Read more in our Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card review.
Other Ways To Earn Avianca LifeMiles
Hotel partners
You can book hotels directly through LifeMiles Hotel platform — partnering with Booking.com — to earn miles for every night of your hotel stay. In addition, LifeMiles partners with a number of hotel chains where you can earn 1–2 LifeMiles for every $1 you spend.
Car rental partners
LifeMiles partners with an array of car rental partners bookable via lifemiles.com/drive. Rental car partner brands include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, and Sixt. You'll generally 50 miles per rental day, but some partners will earn 2 miles per $1 USD spent.
Cruises
If you book a cruise from over 8,000 options through the LifeMiles platform, you'll earn 5X miles per $1 USD. You'll also earn 1 qualifying elite mile for every 2 miles you earn.
Experiences
You can book one of more than 300,000 experiences available on the LifeMiles platform and earn up to 14,000 miles per experience.
Shopping partners
Multiple shopping partners let you earn Avianca LifeMiles, but the primary obstacle is that none are available in the U.S. There's an online listing of stores where you can earn up to 3 LifeMiles per $1 spent. In many cases, you must shop in person and provide your LifeMiles number to earn miles — not very useful for most people, especially if you aren't based in Colombia.
Related: 511 United Award Routes That You Can Book for Just 6,500 LifeMiles
Buying LifeMiles
Buying miles can be a surprisingly good strategy to earn Avianca LifeMiles if you don't mind shelling out a little cash. Given that there are some excellent LifeMiles sweet spots, the math can work. We don't recommend buying LifeMiles at their standard price, but during times when bonus promotions for buying LifeMiles are offered, it can make sense.
Keep in mind that you only want to buy miles if you already have a plan on how you want to use them. We don't recommend buying miles speculatively. In other words, don't buy them just because you think it's a good deal. Buy them with a redemption in mind, and complete the redemption as quickly as possible.
Related: What is Avianca LifeMiles Family Pooling and How Does It Work?
Final Thoughts
There are a plethora of ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles. Transferring points to Avianca LifeMiles will be the winning strategy for most, as you have multiple major bank programs and many credit card options available for accruing transferable points. If you are an Avianca frequent flyer, it can also be worth applying for a co-branded credit card.
What's especially cool is that miles earned by transferring points from credit card programs help you earn Avianca elite status, which can potentially provide Star Alliance Gold. You'll still need to do some flying with Avianca, however. Don't discount crediting flights to Avianca, either, to earn miles. That's especially true if elite status is part of your goal.
Beyond this, keep the other ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles in the back of your mind. Know they are there, but these first two are likely enough to keep your LifeMiles balance nice and healthy.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), and Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.