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This Amex transfer bonus is no longer available. Here's our full list of current transfer bonuses.
Now through February 28, 2025, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Avianca LifeMiles with a 15% bonus. This transfer bonus is being offered directly by LifeMiles, so you won't see it when logging into your Amex account.
Considering LifeMiles already offers some of the best redemption rates for Star Alliance award bookings, this presents an opportunity to stretch your Membership Rewards points even further.
Transfer as few as 6k Amex points to get a domestic United award, 40k Amex points to fly business class to Europe, or take off for Japan in ANA first class for 105k Amex points. And, since LifeMiles restored Lufthansa award availability, you can book Lufthansa first class between North America and Europe for 84k Amex points each way.
Here's a closer look at this deal and some great uses of your LifeMiles to consider.
Page Contents
15% LifeMiles Transfer Bonus Key Terms
- Transfer Amex Membership Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles and receive a 15% bonus miles. Here's how to transfer Amex points.
- This bonus is available for point conversions initiated by February 28, 2025.
- Points conversions are non-reversible/non-refundable.
- Bonus is offered by LifeMiles directly, so you won't see this bonus listed on Amex's website.
- Minimum transfer is 1,000 points.
- Amex caps transfers at 750,000 points.
- Bonus points will deposit in your account within 24 hours of the transfer.
- Terms and conditions are available here.
Avianca LifeMiles: The Good and the Bad
While a transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles isn’t uncommon, it's still exciting since it opens the door to some outstanding redemption value. That is, of course, if you’re willing to deal with LifeMiles in the first place.
Put bluntly, many have a love/hate relationship with LifeMiles. On the one hand, as a part of Star Alliance, it enables award bookings with a diverse set of LifeMiles partners, including ANA, United, and Lufthansa. Even better, LifeMiles offers some of the best redemption rates available.
On the other hand, the program can be frustrating to deal with — from award availability outages to inconsistent award search results. As a result, many award travelers are reluctant to book with LifeMiles unless they’ve found a particularly fantastic redemption.
Bottom line: If you need to make a Star Alliance award booking, you should absolutely check availability with LifeMiles. With few exceptions, if there’s availability, LifeMiles will provide the best redemption rate.
Lucrative LifeMiles Redemption Opportunities
U.S. domestic flights on United
One of the places that LifeMiles shines is in simple, domestic economy redemptions. The LifeMiles award chart carves up the U.S. into several confusing regions. Rather than trying to learn this award chart, just check the LifeMiles mileage price anytime you need to fly domestically.
United award flights start at just 6,500 LifeMiles each way. During this LifeMiles transfer bonus, you'll transfer just 6k Amex points to book these awards. Sexy? No. Practical? Absolutely.
U.S. to Europe in United business class
One of the newest LifeMiles sweet spots is for Star Alliance business class between the northeast U.S. and western Europe. With Avianca, this now costs as few as 45,000 LifeMiles plus taxes and fees (which are often $5.60).
With a 15% bonus, Amex cardholders can book this business class award by transferring just 40k Amex points. This transfer bonus makes this much less expensive than Aeroplan’s 60k business-class award rate — one of our favorite business-class redemptions to Europe.
U.S. to Asia in ANA First Class
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is one of the flag carriers of Japan. It’s well known for its incredible onboard soft product (customer service, dining, etc.), particularly in premium cabins.
Flying ANA first class from the United States to Japan costs 120,000 LifeMiles. With a 15% bonus, it’s possible to book this once-in-a-lifetime experience using 105k Membership Rewards.
Fly Lufthansa First Class
Lufthansa first class is one of the most aspirational award bookings you can make. Unfortunately, Lufthansa can impose hefty surcharges and withhold award availability until the last minute. Booking it is quite a task.
With that said, if you’re dead set on flying Lufthansa First, LifeMiles is one of the best places to book it. Despite a recent LifeMiles award devaluation, LifeMiles still offers a comparatively reasonable 120,000 miles between the U.S. and Western Europe. Even better, LifeMiles doesn’t pass on carrier surcharges.
Through this promotion, it’s possible to book Lufthansa first class from the U.S. to Europe (or vice-versa) for only 105k Membership Rewards points.
Even better, if you can position to/from Mexico City, you can score an even longer experience in Lufthansa First Class for just 96,000 LifeMiles. During this transfer bonus, that requires a transfer of 84k Membership Rewards points to book!
Bottom Line
Through February 28, 2025, LifeMiles is offering a 15% transfer bonus on all transfers from Amex Membership Rewards to LifeMiles. If you need to book a Star Alliance award ticket, this transfer bonus is a fantastic opportunity to save thousands of points. However, we generally don't recommend transferring points speculatively.
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Not very exciting promo, I will wait for the next ones. However I’m satisfited with Lifemiles, so far so good!
Nice Article. Lifemiles its a good program. Both Avianca and Copa have their own programs, but still linked to StarAlliance!!
The problem is that you will not be able to redeem any premium intercontinental awards soon.
Great news. Too bad I transfered some the day before this offer. Drats.
I feel for you, as I’ve had the same happen to me. Made a transfer and the very next day a nice bonus appears, as if they did it to taunt me personally. 😉
Lifemiles was not very generous in the bonus, but it is better than nothing.
I will not be taking them up on this offer. I would rather use my amex points for some other redemption partners.
Bigger question is when chase will offer similar point transfers
The unfortunate thing is that LH has drastically scaled down its first class services.
Generous promo, however in spite of this I’m not sure I would transfer Amex to Lifetime in the current climate.
Muy buena iniciativa, siempre intentando el crecimiento.
Nice to hear. Need to get some Lifemiles to extend my expiration date from a cancelled trip from the-year-of-the-covid.
Article says no limit to #of miles….but is there a minimum? don’t want to transfer too many miles.
Nice news!! Lifemiles is a cute rewards program!!!!
I love these transfer bonuses, though unfortunately I now have 160K-ish Lifemiles due to a canceled trip to NSI.
I know some see value in first class redemptions, but for me business class is the best. It provides all the space and amenities I need at a lower expenditure. I would like to see more focus on those rates, but appreciate the information nonetheless.
Any idea how long it typically takes for these transferred miles (and the 15% bonus) to post to your Avianca LifeMiles account?
I had heard that Avianca was bankrupt . I understand that this has already been solved?
I’m not sure about the bankruptcy status. Historically, airline bankruptcies have rarely affected their loyalty programs. I did book a ticket using LifeMiles on a United-operated itinerary in the past few days and didn’t have any issues. I spoke with United and was able to assign seats and confirmed the reservation was ticketed.
Probably a better deal to just buy them outright with the sale, no?
Good review of the pros and cons of using LifeMiles.
Just wait for the more attractive offers when the pandemic is finally behind us.
I saw the email come through from LIfeMiles, but I don’t see the bonus on the Amex side. Usually the bonus would show up in the process of transferring the points. Is it coming from LIfemiles after the transfer?
Yes, the bonus is added by LifeMiles.