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Avianca is the flag carrier of Colombia and one of the largest airlines in South America. The airline loyalty program LifeMiles is one of the most rewarding, especially when it comes to using LifeMiles to book Star Alliance partner awards.
Unfortunately, while Avianca LifeMiles can provide great value, the airline does not have the most generous mileage expiration policy. However, with some proper planning, it is relatively simple to keep your mileage balance active.
Do LifeMiles Expire?
Your Avianca LifeMiles will expire if you have no accrual activity on your account for a period of 12 months. Per the LifeMiles Help Center page:
“Just make one accrual transaction every 12 months, and the validity of all the LifeMiles in your account will extend for a minimum of 12 months.”
Track your points and miles expiration for 630+ loyalty programs and get email alerts before your miles expire by signing up for a free AwardWallet account.
Exceptions to The Expiration Policy
While the normal expiration deadline is 12 months, there are two distinct exceptions to that rule:
- Avianca elite members have their mileage validity extended by 24 months every time they earn miles on their account.
- Spending on Avianca co-branded cards — like the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card or Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Elite Card in the U.S. — resets your miles' validity by 24 months.
Ways To Keep Your Miles Valid
Earning LifeMiles in any of the following ways will extend the validity of your mileage balance:
- Fly with Avianca or on its Star Alliance and non-alliance partners, then credit a flight to LifeMiles.
- Stay with hotel partners, including Marriot Bonvoy, IHG, and Best Western Rewards.
- Earn miles for your next car rental with partners including Hertz, Avis, National, and Budget.
- Spend on an Avianca co-branded credit card.
- Shop or dine at a host of partners in Latin and South America.
One thing worth noting is that, according to the rules, transferring credit card points to LifeMiles does not count for extending the validity of your miles. You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One miles, and Citi ThankYou® Points to Avianca LifeMiles at 1:1 ratios. You also can transfer Marriot Bonvoy points to LifeMiles at a ratio of 3:1.
We have found this rule not to be enforced. Transferring points to LifeMiles might extend your mileage validity, but it's not a guarantee. However, it is worth keeping this as an option if you can't easily generate other activity.
Reinstating LifeMiles After They Expire
With only 12 months to stop your miles from expiring, the risk of it happening is greater than with other programs. If that happens, you can buy back your LifeMiles after they expire — for a price, of course. Avianca LifeMiles can be reinstated for $10 per 1,000 miles. Miles are reinstated in blocks of 1,000, and there are no limits on how many can be reinstated.
Use AwardWallet To Track Avianca LifeMiles Expiration
With such a short points expiration window, it pays to keep a close eye on your Avianca LifeMiles expiration. The best and easiest way to do so is to use AwardWallet to keep track of your Avianca LifeMiles balance. This way, you will receive a timely reminder if you have any miles in danger of expiring.
To enable AwardWallet to track your LifeMiles balance, log into your account and link your Avianca account.
Related: How To Track Your Rewards Using AwardWallet
Our Take
Avianca LifeMiles is one of the strongest Star Alliance programs and does offer some excellent sweet spots on redemptions. The program also has some excellent offers to buy LifeMiles and may offer a better price on your next United booking.
However, a notable downside is the short mileage expiration policy. It's much shorter than most of the other expiration policies we track. That being said, if you are regularly traveling and accruing miles and are confident that you will not be caught out with the 12-month expiration deadline, then LifeMiles can be a solid part of your travel rewards strategy.
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