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It's no secret that Avianca LifeMiles is one of my favorite loyalty programs. I spend a large chunk of each year living in Latin America, and I'm a cardholder of the avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card. Plus, LifeMiles is one of the best ways to book redemptions on Star Alliance partners.
So, it's particularly upsetting to report on a no-notice devaluation from Avianca LifeMiles that hikes prices by 20% or more. This is the third devaluation in a little over a year, so it's becoming more and more challenging to defend the program. Without a fixed award chart, it's hard to know just how bad the damage is.
However, here are some examples of higher costs, and how to still find value in the program.
Examples of Devalued Routes Using LifeMiles
As with airlines that forgo an award chart in favor of dynamic pricing — or simply obscure rates to make no-notice devaluations easier — it’s hard to pinpoint which routes are affected. What makes it even more complicated is that these devaluations typically don't make much sense and aren't the same across the board. For instance, some transatlantic flights appear to be affected, while others remain unchanged. There's also substantial variation depending on your dates, carrier, and, as our friends at Thrifty Traveler first reported, how you perform a search.
Short-haul United flights
You could often book short-haul United flights through LifeMiles for cheaper than you could book them using United MileagePlus miles. A little over a year ago, you could book these awards for 6,500 LifeMiles. Over the last two devaluations, that got bumped to 10,000 LifeMiles. However, it now appears that short-haul United flights are priced at 12,100 LifeMiles each way in economy — a 21% change overnight.
Star Alliance flights to Europe
Star Alliance flights to Europe took a sad hit. Before the devaluation, you could book a flight to Europe on several Star Alliance partners, such as United and Lufthansa, for 40,000 LifeMiles in economy or 80,000 LifeMiles in business class. Now, these awards will cost 48,400 LifeMiles in economy or 92,400 LifeMiles in business. To put that into greater context, you could get to Europe for 45,000 LifeMiles in business class at the beginning of 2025.
Flights to Europe on other Star Alliance partners, such as SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, and Brussels Airlines, were previously bookable for 55,000 LifeMiles in business class. Now, these awards are bookable for 63,530 LifeMiles, but can go as high as 92,400 LifeMiles.
Egyptair flights to Africa
You can fly nonstop from New York (JFK) to Cairo (CAI) on EgyptAir. Previously, you could book an economy ticket at the same rates as flights to Europe: 40,000 LifeMiles in economy and 80,000 LifeMiles in business. The price has just gone up, in line with the new European rates: 48,400 LifeMiles in economy or 92,400 in business.
What Does This Devaluation Mean for Travelers?
Both luckily and unluckily, LifeMiles award pricing is inconsistent. You might still be able to find flights at lower rates, but it'll take a lot more searching than it used to. However, if you are a LifeMiles+ subscriber, you'll still get a 10% discount on Star Alliance redemptions, which can help reduce the sting of the devaluation.
It also appears that the devaluation largely impacted Star Alliance partner flights. While this might be the only reason you've ever engaged with the program, Avianca offers impressive connectivity throughout Latin America, along with some fantastic rates. The three-and-a-half-hour flight from Miami (MIA) to Medellin (MDE) starts at just 8,060 LifeMiles.
Or, the six-and-a-half-hour flight from Buenos Aires (EZE) to Bogota (BOG) would cost just 15,120 LifeMiles.
Plus, LifeMiles runs regular award sales for flights on its own metal, frequently offering flights as low as 3,000 LifeMiles. There's still plenty of value to be found in the program, but the sweet spots for booking business class flights with Star Alliance partners have taken a hard hit.
- Earn 3x miles on avianca or lifemiles purchases
- Earn 2x miles on restaurant and other travel purchases
- Earn 1x on all other eligible purchases
- Receive complimentary lifemiles+ lite membership
- Receive avianca lifemiles Silver Elite status
- No foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees)
- *See Offer Terms
- Earn 3x miles on avianca or lifemiles purchases
- Earn 2x miles on restaurant and other travel purchases
- Earn 1x on all other eligible purchases
Bottom Line
These are just a few examples of the most recent devaluation of Avianca LifeMiles. Unfortunately, the damage is likely far more extensive than we could find with just a few searches. As disappointing as this is, we can't forget that it's one part of being an award traveler. No-notice devaluations happen all the time, which is why we always recommend earning and burning your miles. Hoarding points and miles for a far-off redemption is rarely a good idea.
Plus, Air Canada, a fellow Star Alliance partner, is updating its award chart this summer, so it's not surprising to see this from Avianca. However, Air Canada at least gave members a heads-up so members could plan accordingly before the changes take effect.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card (Rates & Fees)
