It is usually a good suggestion to open a card with an airline you fly incessantly. If you happen to’re typically on Avianca flights, the Avianca Lifemiles American Specific® Card might very effectively be up your alley.
The principle promoting level of this mid-tier airline card is its complimentary Avianca elite standing. I view it as an incredible match for many who incessantly fly to Colombia and Central America, the areas the place Avianca’s route community is strongest. If you have already got standing with Avianca or solely fly with the service sometimes, chances are you’ll battle to justify this card’s $99 annual payment (see charges and charges).
Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card score relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Avianca Lifemiles Amex: The fundamentals
The Avianca Lifemiles Amex seems like a reasonably normal middle-of-the-road card at first look. It has a $99 annual payment, earns bonus miles on Avianca purchases and a number of on a regular basis classes and comes with airline-specific advantages. It is these airline perks that set it other than different airline playing cards.
Particularly, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex gives complimentary airline elite standing, one thing you hardly ever discover on airline playing cards. You will obtain Avianca Silver standing with this card, granting you the next perks, amongst others:
- Avianca lounge entry twice annually
- Additional-legroom seat choice
- Choose improve choices
- An additional free checked bag (excludes Primary and Mild fares)
- Precedence check-in and boarding (Group B)
Many airline playing cards make checked luggage and precedence boarding the centerpieces of their advantages, however the standout right here for me is the lounge entry. It is very uncommon to return throughout sub-$300 playing cards that supply any type of lounge entry.
It will not be as far-reaching as a Precedence Move membership, but when your urge for food for annual charges is slim, this card may very well be a superb compromise.
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On prime of what you get by way of Avianca Silver standing, this card has no international transaction charges (see charges and charges) and gives a 5% low cost on redemptions for Avianca flights booked by way of Lifemiles.
It is vital to notice that regardless of the title, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is not issued by American Specific. Quite, it is issued on behalf of Cardless by First Digital Financial institution utilizing Amex’s cost community.
Avianca Lifemiles Amex execs and cons
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Avianca Lifemiles Amex advantages
At present, Avianca gives 4 standing tiers. Silver standing is the second tier, usually requiring 12,000 qualifying miles in a standing qualification yr (3,000 of which should be earned on Avianca flights). It matches to Star Alliance Silver standing, a stable worth proposition for those who’re on the lookout for primary advantages like precedence waitlisting and standby with a whole airline alliance.
It is vital to notice that you’re going to solely get two Avianca lounge visits per yr, however any lounge entry is a significant perk with a card that expenses simply $99 annually. How far this explicit profit stretches for you’ll rely on whether or not you’ve lounge entry with one other card and what lounges are within the airports you transit by way of most.
You will obtain entry to all Avianca VIP lounges with Silver standing, although it is vital to notice that the Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) lounge location is included within the Precedence Move community. You may also redeem certainly one of your entry passes for a companion (apart from the Miami lounge).
Relying on what number of lounges you’ll be able to entry within the airports you frequent, chances are you’ll or might not discover this card profit helpful.
You will not obtain your further free checked bag on Primary and Mild fares, which may very well be an enormous con for this card for those who incessantly e book these fares. Your further checked bag may value effectively over 100 {dollars}, relying in your origin and vacation spot, so this profit alone can web you again the cash you spend on the cardboard’s annual payment. However I want this card adopted the sample of different airline playing cards by providing a free checked bag from the beginning, fairly than tacking an extra bag onto the one included along with your fare.
Whereas this card’s perks are helpful for these with no Avianca standing, anybody with Avianca Gold or Diamond standing will not get a lot. Avianca Silver is the spine of this card, and its perks are already included in Gold and Diamond standing.
Associated: San Francisco will get a brand new nonstop flight to Central America starting June 1
earn and use your rewards
earn your rewards
The one method I see Avianca Gold or Diamond members getting significant worth from the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is that if they put important spending on the cardboard.
This card’s bonus classes are:
- 2 miles per greenback spent on Avianca and Lifemiles purchases, eating and groceries
- 1 mile per greenback spent on every thing else
Airline playing cards are virtually by no means a superb place to place your on a regular basis spending. If you happen to put these bills on a common journey rewards card as an alternative, you will earn transferable factors or miles that you should utilize with many various airways and lodges. That can make it so much simpler to get most worth out of your rewards.
The Avianca Amex isn’t any exception — I do not suggest placing your on a regular basis spending on this card.
That stated, for those who’re extremely loyal to Avianca or you should prime off your Lifemiles stability for a selected redemption, this card earns reasonably effectively on groceries and eating. It is a first rate possibility for Avianca purchases, until you’ve a card that earns extra on flights (such because the American Specific Platinum Card®).
I would prefer to see this card supply a better incomes price for Avianca purchases since many airline playing cards with an annual payment supply at the least 3 miles per greenback spent.
redeem Avianca Lifemiles
Avianca Lifemiles are highly effective as a result of they are often redeemed for flights on any Star Alliance airline, not simply Avianca. As a cardholder, you will need to fly with Avianca at the least a few instances annually to correctly make the most of your Silver standing.
Outdoors of that, although, you could find some nice award redemptions on different Star Alliance airways, similar to United Airways, Air Canada and Lufthansa. The Lifemiles program is an effective way for factors and miles freshmen to apply associate award redemptions.
Katie Genter, TPG’s lead author for factors and miles, lately redeemed 8,280 Lifemiles plus $81 in taxes and charges for a one-way flight from Juan Santamaría Worldwide Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica to Mexico Metropolis Worldwide Airport (MEX). The money worth was $279, so she obtained 2.39 cents per mile in worth.
If Katie had the Avianca Amex and brought benefit of its 5% redemption low cost, she would’ve saved greater than 400 miles and obtained 2.5 cents per mile in worth.
Potential drawbacks to the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
If you happen to’re somebody who flies with Avianca on a regular basis, chances are you’ll not discover the perks that Avianca Silver standing supplies to be sufficient. Relying on how typically you fly, you could possibly obtain Gold or Diamond standing, negating most of the advantages of this card.
I will not dock too many factors from the Avianca Lifemiles Amex for under providing two lounge visits per yr since this is not a premium airline card. Nonetheless, it may very well be a downside for somebody who considers having lounge entry a prime precedence.
Lastly, this card does not supply the strongest incomes charges. It earns decently on Avianca purchases, nevertheless it’s outclassed by many common journey rewards playing cards that earn extra rewards per greenback 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 premium possibility with a $249 annual payment (see charges and charges).
Each playing cards supply Avianca Silver standing, however the Avianca Amex Elite gives extra perks past this, together with:
- As much as 6,000 bonus miles yearly, deposited as 500 miles per thirty days
- 10% of your miles again on Star Alliance redemptions
- An as much as 25% low cost on Avianca redemptions
- 3 miles per greenback spent on Avianca purchases
- 2 miles per greenback spent on eating and journey, as an alternative of eating and groceries
Based on TPG’s April 2026 valuations, 6,000 Lifemiles are value $84. That will not put an excessive amount of of a dent within the Avianca Amex Elite’s annual payment, and its different perks are onerous to place a worth on. Personally, I would follow the Avianca Lifemiles Amex.
Is the Avianca Lifemiles Amex value it?
If you happen to’re an enormous fan of Avianca otherwise you fly incessantly with Star Alliance airways, I like to recommend critically contemplating the Avianca Lifemiles Amex. It is not the strongest or most well-rounded card round, nevertheless it gives sufficient to the fitting cardholder. Simply remember that you will need to fly with Avianca a few instances a yr to correctly make the most of Avianca Silver standing.
When to use for the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
At present, new Avianca Lifemiles Amex cardholders can earn 40,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
Based on TPG’s valuations, that welcome supply is value $560.
Keep in mind: Since this card is not issued by Amex, you will not want to fret about Amex’s once-per-lifetime welcome bonus rule.
Different playing cards to contemplate if you don’t need the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
If the Avianca Lifemiles Amex does not fairly sound like the fitting match for you, take into account certainly one of these choices as an alternative:
For added choices, browse our picks for the greatest journey playing cards.
Backside line
For Avianca followers, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is a stable possibility. It requires a average dedication to the airline, however you needn’t fly with Avianca completely to get loads of worth.
If you happen to already maintain Avianca Gold or Diamond standing, I would take into account a card that earns transferable rewards on flights or common journey as an alternative. In any other case, the Silver standing that comes with this card can go a little bit method towards making your experiences with Avianca extra gratifying.
Apply right here: Avianca LifeMiles American Specific Card
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