Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card review 2024

The Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is a new offering from the Bogota-based airline. For just $99 a year, you can enjoy benefits like Silver elite status, which extends to Star Alliance flights. Although there aren’t any perks like travel insurance or application fee credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, the card provides plenty of value for frequent flyers. Read on for a full Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card review.

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card basics

• Annual fee: $99.
• Welcome bonus: 40,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
• Rewards: 2 points per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Avianca Airlines and Lifemiles purchases, 2 points per $1 on eligible purchases on groceries and at restaurants and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
• APR: 21.24% to 28.24% variable APR on purchases.
• Recommended credit score: Fair to good.
• Does the card offer preapproval? No.
• Other benefits: Silver elite status, instant card delivery through Cardless. 

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card review

Avianca, one of the leading carriers serving Latin America, has partnered with Cardless to release two credit cards for U.S. consumers. These cards operate on the American Express network and come in two variants: the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. with a $99 annual fee and the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. with a $249 annual fee (terms apply).

The Avianca LifeMiles American Express credit card was designed with points and miles enthusiasts in mind, as many of the features are built around benefits that the average consumer might not appreciate as much. 

To start, the LifeMiles American Express card gives automatic Silver elite status to cardholders, which is uncommon for cards at this price point. Silver is the second of four elite status tiers and offers perks like bonus miles on Avianca flights, passes to Avianca lounges each year, priority services and an additional checked bag. If you’re someone who likes to fly basic economy to save a few bucks, you won’t be able to maximize the value of this card, as many of the elite benefits are for classic fares and higher. 

Avianca is a member of the Star Alliance, which also includes airlines like United, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and more. As such, the LifeMiles you earn with this card can take you to more than 1,300 locations worldwide. The earning structure is simple — earn 2 points per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Avianca Airlines and Lifemiles purchases, 2 points per $1 on eligible purchases on groceries and at restaurants and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. For every two dollars you spend on your card, you will earn one Qualifying Mile to earn toward upgrading your elite status. 

This card is best for the infrequent Avianca flyer not ready to commit to the higher-annual-fee version of this card. It’s thoughtfully designed and beneficial to most travelers who use Avianca or a partner airline a couple of times a year. Any more than that and you’re likely better off with the Elite card, which packs more benefits into a slightly higher annual fee. 

One major thing to note is that Cardless, the issuer, has a policy that states that you can only have one Cardless card at a time. So, if you already have one of its six other cards, you must cancel it if you want to apply for the new Avianca card. This likely won’t be a massive deal for most travelers, but it could pose an issue in the future as more cards get released. 

Pros

• Simple rewards structure: Earn elevated rewards on Avianca purchases and restaurant and grocery spend.
• Silver elite status: Cardholders receive automatic Silver elite status as long as they are a cardholder. 
• Instant digital card delivery: You can use your Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. as soon as you’re approved, making it easier to earn your welcome offer.

Cons

• Low bonus category earning: Even on Avianca purchases, you’ll earn a lower rewards rate than other cobranded airline cards offer at the same price point. 
• Limited benefits outside of status: Cardholders don’t receive many ongoing benefits outside of elite status. 
• Might be difficult to use abroad: Since the card operates on the American Express network, it might not be as widely accepted internationally.

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card rewards

The Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. earns 2 points per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Avianca Airlines and Lifemiles purchases, 2 points per $1 on eligible purchases on groceries and at restaurants and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. You can earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. This is a solid welcome offer when considering how inexpensive some flights with the airline can be. 

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has around $29,525 in annual expenses that can be charged to a credit card. Here’s how our sample household’s rewards could break down:

SPENDING CATEGORY	SPENDING AMOUNT	POINTS PER DOLLAR	POINTS EARNED
Avianca Airlines and Lifemiles	$1,414	2 points	2,828 points
Restaurants	$3,639	2 points	7,278 points
Groceries	$3,992	2 points	7,984 points
Other	$18,769	1 point	18,769 points
TOTAL	$29,525		36,859 points

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The cardholder in this example earns a grand total of 36,859 LifeMiles annually. The exact value of a LifeMile will depend on your redemption method and which flight and route you are taking. With almost 40,000 LifeMiles, you can easily take a few flights to or around South America. You can use your LifeMiles for flights, upgrades, lounges, hotels, cars, cruises and other deals. Avianca currently has flights departing from Boston, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oakland, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington.

Here are a few examples of how you can use your LifeMiles. A one-way flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Medellin, Colombia (MDE) costs just 12,000 LifeMiles, plus $52 in taxes and fees. 

Or, fly from Dallas (DFW) to Quito, Ecuador (UIO) for 19,000 LifeMiles, plus $41.80 in taxes and fees.

Once you’re in South America, it’s even cheaper to move around. If you’re on a multi-city trip, you can fly from Bogota, Colombia (BOG) to Lima, Peru (LIM) for just 9,000 LifeMiles plus $93.50 in taxes and fees.

There are some fantastic redemption opportunities, so even a small number of LifeMiles can take you almost anywhere you want to go. 

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card perks

Cardholders of the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. receive Silver elite status, the second of four elite status tiers. Benefits include:

• 30% bonus miles accrued on Avianca flights for Silver status elite members. Applies to tickets purchased in classic, flex and business fares.
• Priority check-in, boarding, call center service and baggage handling.
• Five complimentary lounge passes and two companion pass lounge entries to Avianca’s 12 VIP lounges. 
• One additional checked bag in economy fare up to 23 kg (50 lbs).
• 10% discount on premium seat purchases on Avianca.com.

These benefits also extend to Silver elite status in the Star Alliance, which gives access to the priority reservations waitlist and priority stand-by on Star Alliance-eligible flights. Elite status for a card with such a low annual fee is rare, so this is a valuable perk. 

Avianca recently launched a new subscription membership program, LifeMiles+. This allows members to earn bonus miles and other perks based on the membership level. The card gives you a $20 monthly discount on Basic, Pro and Max membership levels. The Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. includes a complimentary Lite subscription, the first of four subscription tiers, as a cardholder benefit.

How the Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card compares to other airline cards 

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card vs. Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is the $249-annual-fee sibling of the standard card. It has more extensive benefits, making it one of the best airline credit cards for frequent Avianca flyers. Namely, Elite cardholders receive a Lite subscription to the new LifeMiles+ program, which gives discounts on award redemptions and bonus miles. 

The welcome offer is significantly higher — earn 60,000 miles after spending $4,500 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days from account opening, plus 40,000 miles after spending $25,000 on eligible purchases in the first 365 days from account opening. The Elite version earns 3 points per $1 on eligible Avianca Airlines and Lifemiles purchases, 2 points per $1 on travel and restaurants and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. Between the two, the Elite variant is better for frequent flyers, while the standard version—the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. —is best for those who only fly Avianca once or twice a year. 

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card vs. LATAM Airlines World Elite Mastercard

The LATAM Airlines World Elite Mastercard is an excellent comparison for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . Both cards are issued through Cardless, have a $99 annual fee and are for a South American airline. The LATAM Airlines World Elite Mastercard earns 4 miles per $1 spent on LATAM Airlines purchases, 3 miles per $1 spent at restaurants, 3 miles per $1 spent on rideshares, taxis, and public transit and 1 mile per $1 spent on everything else. Each year, cardholders receive two passes to LATAM VIP lounges and two LATAM courtesy segments for cabin upgrades. 

The welcome offer is comparable. It allows you to earn 40,000 miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Since Cardless issues both cards, you can only hold one, so you must choose which carrier you prefer and which benefits you value most.

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

If you aren’t sold on a co-branded airline card, you can opt for a general travel rewards card with a transferable point currency. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a popular travel rewards card with a $95 annual fee. It earns 5 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and purchases through Capital One Entertainment and 2 miles per $1 on other purchases. 

The current welcome offer allows you to earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, almost double what the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers.

You can transfer your Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio to several airline and hotel partners, including Avianca LifeMiles. The Venture card would be a solid option for someone who wants to redeem miles for Avianca flights but also wants the flexibility to travel with other airlines. 

Is the Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card worth it?

The Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card can provide a lot of value for the right traveler. The earning potential isn’t exceptionally high, but Avianca has plenty of low-cost redemption opportunities. Your points will likely go farther than they would on an airline like Delta. A $99 annual fee is reasonable when you consider you get elite status.

The primary factor in determining whether the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is right for you is if you like to fly on Avianca or Star Alliance partners. If you don’t travel to Latin America at least a couple of times a year or don’t live near an airport that Avianca flies from, you might be better off with a general travel card. On the other hand, if you regularly fly on Avianca, you might find more value in the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , which gives more benefits at a higher annual fee. 

Avianca LifeMiles American Express Credit Card is right for you if:

• You can take advantage of the benefits on the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and maximize your earnings. 
• You do not fly Avianca regularly enough to justify the higher-annual-fee Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card * The information for the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . 
• You do not currently hold or plan to apply for another credit card from Cardless.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)