Frequent travelers to Latin America may want to look into the Avianca credit cards, which debuted to U.S. consumers in May 2024. The Colombia-based airline has multiple hubs, including in Lima and Bogota, and flies to over 75 destinations in the Americas and Europe. Plus, Avianca belongs to the Star Alliance, so miles earned with the Avianca cards can be used to book flights with more than 20 airlines within that group.
The Avianca cards earn elevated rewards on Avianca flights and give cardholders automatic Silver elite status, which comes with its own set of perks. However, though both cards charge an annual fee, they lack benefits that come standard with other airline credit cards — benefits that can make such annual fees more acceptable.
First Electronic Bank issues the Avianca cards, while the financial technology Cardless supports the cards’ rewards program in conjunction with Avianca’s LifeMiles loyalty program.
Here are five things to know about the Avianca credit cards.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
You may already have a card in your wallet that can earn LifeMiles. Several major banks — including American Express, Capital One, Citi and Wells Fargo — issue credit cards that let you transfer rewards to Avianca and multiple other travel loyalty programs, usually at a 1:1 ratio. 1. There are two Avianca credit cards
The Avianca lifemiles American Express Card and Avianca lifemiles American Express Elite Card have annual fees of $99 and $249, respectively. As you might expect, the more expensive Elite card has more perks, such as 6,000 free miles a year and a bigger sign-up bonus — but you’ll have to spend a significant amount of money to get that full bonus.
However, holding either card automatically grants you Silver elite status, the second-highest tier of four within Avianca’s loyalty program. Benefits of Silver status include passes to Avianca lounges, priority boarding and more.
| Avianca lifemiles American Express Elite Card | Avianca lifemiles American Express Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $249. | $99. |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn up to 100,000 LifeMiles: 60,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days, plus an additional 40,000 miles after spending $25,000 in the first year. Terms apply. | Earn up to 40,000 LifeMiles upon being approved for this credit card after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days. Terms apply. |
| Earnings rates |
|
|
| Other perks |
|
|
2. Credit card rewards stack with the airline’s loyalty program
Joining the LifeMiles loyalty program is free and allows members to earn 5 miles per $1 for a classic fare and 7 miles per $1 for flex and business class tickets. But you can accelerate the rewards earning process with either credit card. A Cardless representative confirmed that credit card rewards stack on top of the loyalty program’s earnings.
3. Miles may be redeemed for flights, hotels and more
Miles earned with the Avianca cards may be redeemed for the following:
- Avianca flights. (NerdWallet values Avianca lifemiles at 1.2 cents each.)
- Business class upgrades. (Only applies to travel to Europe and certain flights within the Americas.)
- Hotel stays booked in the LifeMiles Hotel platform.
- Products and services from one of LifeMiles’ commercial partners.
There’s no cap on the number of LifeMiles earned with the Avianca credit cards, and miles never expire.
4. Fees are pretty light
Yes, the Avianca cards have annual fees, but they do away with certain other fees, and/or at least keep them pretty low. Neither card charges foreign transaction fees, and there's also no penalty APR, a higher interest rate imposed by some credit cards for non-payment.
Late payment fees are capped at $8, which aligns with a proposal from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to reduce late fees from $32 to $8 per late payment.
Note, however, that paying late can affect your credit scores.
5. Perks are light, too
The travel-related benefits on both Avianca cards are surprisingly light given that they charge annual fees. Neither card offers free checked bags, trip protections, or credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. The United℠ Explorer Card, by comparison, has all of those perks, plus two United Club passes per year and 25% back on in-flight purchases.
