It is usually a good suggestion to open a card with an airline you fly often. If you are ceaselessly on Avianca flights, the Avianca Lifemiles American Specific® Card could be up your alley.
The primary promoting level of this mid-tier airline card is its complimentary Avianca elite standing. I view it as a perfect have compatibility for individuals who often fly to Colombia and Central The us, the spaces the place Avianca’s course community is most powerful. If you have already got standing with Avianca or handiest fly with the service sometimes, you could combat to justify this card’s $99 annual charge (see charges and charges).
Card ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card ranking is in line with the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by way of the cardboard issuer.
Avianca Lifemiles Amex: The fundamentals
The Avianca Lifemiles Amex seems like a quite same old middle-of-the-road card in the beginning look. It has a $99 annual charge, earns bonus miles on Avianca purchases and a collection of on a regular basis classes and is derived with airline-specific advantages. It is the ones airline perks that set it with the exception of different airline playing cards.
In particular, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex provides complimentary airline elite standing, one thing you hardly to find on airline playing cards. You can obtain Avianca Silver standing with this card, granting you the next perks, amongst others:
- Avianca living room get entry to two times every yr
- Further-legroom seat variety
- Make a selection improve choices
- An additional loose checked bag (excludes Elementary and Gentle fares)
- Precedence check-in and boarding (Crew B)
Many airline playing cards make checked luggage and precedence boarding the centerpieces in their advantages, however the standout right here for me is the living room get entry to. It is very uncommon to return throughout sub-$300 playing cards that provide any more or less living room get entry to.
It is probably not as far-reaching as a Precedence Go club, but when your urge for food for annual charges is slender, this card generally is a just right compromise.
Praise your inbox with the TPG Day by day publication
Sign up for over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s mavens
On most sensible of what you get thru Avianca Silver standing, this card has no overseas transaction charges (see charges and charges) and provides a 5% bargain on redemptions for Avianca flights booked thru Lifemiles.
You must observe that in spite of the identify, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is not issued by way of American Specific. Fairly, it is issued on behalf of Cardless by way of First Digital Financial institution the use of Amex’s fee community.
Avianca Lifemiles Amex professionals and cons
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Avianca Lifemiles Amex advantages
Lately, Avianca provides 4 standing tiers. Silver standing is the second one tier, typically requiring 12,000 qualifying miles in a standing qualification yr (3,000 of which will have to be earned on Avianca flights). It fits to Big name Alliance Silver standing, a cast price proposition in case you are on the lookout for elementary advantages like precedence waitlisting and standby with a whole airline alliance.
You must observe that you’ll be able to handiest get two Avianca living room visits in line with yr, however any living room get entry to is a significant perk with a card that fees simply $99 every yr. How a ways this actual receive advantages stretches for you’ll rely on whether or not you’ve gotten living room get entry to with some other card and what lounges are within the airports you transit thru maximum.
You can obtain get entry to to all Avianca VIP lounges with Silver standing, even though you need to observe that the Miami World Airport (MIA) living room location is integrated within the Precedence Go community. You’ll additionally redeem one in all your access passes for a significant other (aside from for the Miami living room).
Relying on what number of lounges you’ll get entry to within the airports you widespread, you could or won’t to find this card receive advantages helpful.
You will not obtain your further loose checked bag on Elementary and Gentle fares, which generally is a large con for this card for those who often e-book the ones fares. Your further checked bag may just value nicely over 100 bucks, relying in your beginning and vacation spot, so this receive advantages by myself can web you again the cash you spend at the card’s annual charge. However I want this card adopted the trend of alternative airline playing cards by way of providing a loose checked bag from the beginning, fairly than tacking an extra bag onto the only integrated along with your fare.
Whilst this card’s perks are helpful for the ones with out a Avianca standing, any person with Avianca Gold or Diamond standing would possibly not get a lot. Avianca Silver is the spine of this card, and its perks are already integrated in Gold and Diamond standing.
Similar: San Francisco will get a brand new nonstop flight to Central The us starting June 1
The right way to earn and use your rewards
The right way to earn your rewards
The one approach I see Avianca Gold or Diamond individuals getting significant price from the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is that if they put important spending at the card.
This card’s bonus classes are:
- 2 miles in line with buck spent on Avianca and Lifemiles purchases, eating and groceries
- 1 mile in line with buck spent on the entirety else
Airline playing cards are virtually by no means a just right position to place your on a regular basis spending. In case you put the ones bills on a common shuttle rewards card as an alternative, you’ll be able to earn transferable issues or miles that you’ll use with many alternative airways and accommodations. That can make it so much more straightforward to get most price out of your rewards.
The Avianca Amex is not any exception — I do not suggest placing your on a regular basis spending in this card.
That stated, in case you are extremely unswerving to Avianca or you wish to have to most sensible off your Lifemiles steadiness for a particular redemption, this card earns relatively nicely on groceries and eating. It is a first rate possibility for Avianca purchases, until you’ve gotten a card that earns extra on flights (such because the American Specific Platinum Card®).
I might like to peer this card be offering a better incomes fee for Avianca purchases since many airline playing cards with an annual charge be offering a minimum of 3 miles in line with buck spent.
The right way to redeem Avianca Lifemiles
Avianca Lifemiles are robust as a result of they are able to be redeemed for flights on any Big name Alliance airline, now not simply Avianca. As a cardholder, it would be best to fly with Avianca a minimum of a few instances every yr to correctly profit from your Silver standing.
Outdoor of that, even though, you’ll to find some nice award redemptions on different Big name Alliance airways, corresponding to United Airways, Air Canada and Lufthansa. The Lifemiles program is a good way for issues and miles newbies to apply spouse award redemptions.
Katie Genter, TPG’s lead author for issues and miles, not too long ago redeemed 8,280 Lifemiles plus $81 in taxes and charges for a one-way flight from Juan Santamaría World Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica to Mexico Town World Airport (MEX). The money value used to be $279, so she won 2.39 cents in line with mile in price.
If Katie had the Avianca Amex and brought good thing about its 5% redemption bargain, she would’ve stored greater than 400 miles and won 2.5 cents in line with mile in price.
Possible drawbacks to the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
If you are any individual who flies with Avianca at all times, you won’t to find the perks that Avianca Silver standing supplies to be sufficient. Relying on how ceaselessly you fly, you might be able to reach Gold or Diamond standing, negating lots of the advantages of this card.
I would possibly not dock too many issues from the Avianca Lifemiles Amex for handiest providing two living room visits in line with yr since this is not a top rate airline card. Nonetheless, it generally is a problem for any individual who considers having living room get entry to a most sensible precedence.
In spite of everything, this card does not be offering the most powerful incomes charges. It earns decently on Avianca purchases, however it is outclassed by way of many common shuttle rewards playing cards that earn extra rewards in line with buck spent on flights.
Avianca Lifemiles Amex vs. Avianca Lifemiles Amex Elite
The Avianca Lifemiles Amex‘s older sibling is the Avianca Lifemiles American Specific® Elite Card, a extra top rate possibility with a $249 annual charge (see charges and charges).
Each playing cards be offering Avianca Silver standing, however the Avianca Amex Elite provides further perks past this, together with:
- As much as 6,000 bonus miles once a year, deposited as 500 miles per 30 days
- 10% of your miles again on Big name Alliance redemptions
- An as much as 25% bargain on Avianca redemptions
- 3 miles in line with buck spent on Avianca purchases
- 2 miles in line with buck spent on eating and shuttle, as an alternative of eating and groceries
In step with TPG’s April 2026 valuations, 6,000 Lifemiles are value $84. That would possibly not put an excessive amount of of a dent within the Avianca Amex Elite’s annual charge, and its different perks are exhausting to place a price on. In my view, I might persist with the Avianca Lifemiles Amex.
Is the Avianca Lifemiles Amex value it?
If you are a large fan of Avianca otherwise you fly often with Big name Alliance airways, I like to recommend significantly bearing in mind the Avianca Lifemiles Amex. It’s not the most powerful or maximum well-rounded card round, however it provides sufficient to the fitting cardholder. Simply remember the fact that it would be best to fly with Avianca a few instances a yr to correctly profit from Avianca Silver standing.
When to use for the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
Lately, new Avianca Lifemiles Amex cardholders can earn 40,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
In step with TPG’s valuations, that welcome be offering is value $560.
Take into account: Since this card is not issued by way of Amex, you will not want to concern about Amex’s once-per-lifetime welcome bonus rule.
Different playing cards to believe if you do not need the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
If the Avianca Lifemiles Amex does not somewhat sound like the fitting have compatibility for you, believe any such choices as an alternative:
For added choices, browse our selections for the highest shuttle playing cards.
Base line
For Avianca fanatics, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is a cast possibility. It calls for a average dedication to the airline, however you do not want to fly with Avianca solely to get a large number of price.
In case you already hang Avianca Gold or Diamond standing, I might believe a card that earns transferable rewards on flights or common shuttle as an alternative. Another way, the Silver standing that includes this card can move somewhat approach towards making your stories with Avianca extra relaxing.
Follow right here: Avianca LifeMiles American Specific Card
