The Guide to Avianca Airlines LifeMiles

One of the best mileage programs for flying United, Lufthansa or other Star Alliance airlines doesn't belong to any of them at all. Instead, it belongs to Avianca, which is Colombia's national airline.

Yes, even if you never fly to Colombia in your life, participating in the Avianca LifeMiles mileage program is one of the smartest moves you can make in the world of airline miles.

Not only are redemption rates generally quite low with Avianca, but Avianca is great in that it also doesn't pass along the carrier-imposed surcharges that make award flights on carriers like Lufthansa deceptively expensive elsewhere. When you redeem miles through Avianca, you're often paying little beyond taxes and fees. And again, you never have to fly Avianca (or even set foot in Colombia) to take advantage of any of it.

NerdWallet values Avianca LifeMiles at 1.3 cents each. To earn them, you can transfer points from major loyalty programs including American Express, Citi, Capital One, Bilt and Marriott.

But while Avianca has historically been great (and still is by many metrics), Avianca is overhauling its LifeMiles program starting Jan. 1, 2027, including a new top elite tier and a new "qualifying miles" currency separate from the miles you actually spend.

Here’s your guide to Avianca Airlines, what's changing in 2027 and what you need to know about Avianca LifeMiles.

Avianca Airlines routes and fare classes

Avianca has the following fare classes:

• Basic: Personal item only included. Earn 3 miles per USD.

• Light: All of the above, plus carry-on bag included. Earn 3 miles per USD.

• Classic: All of the above, plus one checked bag included. Earn 6 miles per USD.

• Flex: All of the above, plus a Plus seat and eligible for changes and cancellations. Earn 8 miles per USD.

• Business: All of the above, plus a Business-class seat, priority airport services, lounge access, two checked bags. Earn 10 miles per USD.

Avianca currently operates flights to about a dozen U.S. airports, mostly connecting through its hubs in Bogotá, Colombia, and San Salvador, El Salvador.

Avianca LifeMiles: What's new

Avianca’s mileage program and mileage currency are called LifeMiles. NerdWallet values Avianca LifeMiles at 1.3 cents each.

What's changing in 2027

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Avianca will split LifeMiles into two separate currencies:

• Redeemable miles: These are what you earn and spend on award flights and other redemptions. This is the "LifeMiles" that NerdWallet's 1.3 cents-per-point valuation applies to. Redemption itself isn't changing.

• Qualifying miles: This is a new currency that exists only to track your progress toward elite status. You can't spend these, but rather these just determine which tier you reach each year.

This mirrors a move several airlines have made recently, including Southwest's 2027 Rapid Rewards overhaul.

How to earn Avianca LifeMiles

1. Earn by flying

You earn LifeMiles flying Avianca (except on Basic or Light fares) and on Star Alliance partner flights, at rates that vary by airline and fare.

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, how many redeemable miles you earn per dollar on Avianca flights depends on your elite tier, plus a fare bonus. Here's the breakdown:

• No status: 2 miles per $1.

• Red Plus: 3 miles per $1.

• Silver: 5 miles per $1.

• Gold: 8 miles per $1.

• Diamond: 9 miles per $1.

• Magno: 10 miles per $1.

On top of that, there's a fare bonus, where more expensive fares earn additional miles. Here's how that fare bonus shakes out:

• Basic/Light: None.

• Classic: +1 mile per $1.

• Flex and Business: +2 miles per $1.

In practice, that means a Magno member booking Business could earn up to 12 miles per $1 spent on their fare, which is well above the current cap.

You’ll also earn LifeMiles by flying on Star Alliance flights, though the rates for this will vary depending on which airline you’re flying and your fare class.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of the Star Alliance

2. Earn by transferring from credit card rewards programs

You can transfer points to LifeMiles from a handful of U.S. bank and credit card programs:

• American Express: Transfer 1,000 Membership Rewards points to get 1,000 LifeMiles.

• Capital One: Transfer 1,000 Capital One Miles to get 1,000 LifeMiles.

• Citi: Transfer 1,000 Citi ThankYou points to get 1,000 LifeMiles.

• Bilt: Transfer 1,000 Bilt Rewards points to get 1,000 LifeMiles.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

3. Earn by transferring from hotel loyalty programs

You can also convert hotel points from five hotel loyalty programs into LifeMiles:

• Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 transfer ratio.

• IHG One Rewards: Transfer 10,000 IHG One Rewards points to get 2,000 LifeMiles. Accor Live Limitless: 2:1 transfer ratio.

• Best Western Rewards: Transfer 5,000 Best Western Rewards to get 1,000 LifeMiles.

• Wyndham Rewards: Transfer 6,000 Wyndham Rewards to get 1,200 LifeMiles.

Other ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles

• Buying LifeMiles: You can purchase LifeMiles here.

• Hotel stays: Earn up to 14,000 LifeMiles per night spent at LifeMiles hotel partners.

• Rental cars: Earn 5 LifeMiles per $1 spent.

• Shopping: Earn up to 3 LifeMiles per dollar spent through LifeMiles’ shopping partners.

• Dining: Members can earn up to 3 LifeMiles per dollar on dining partners.

How much are Avianca LifeMiles worth?

Based on NerdWallet's annual points and miles valuation analysis, Avianca LifeMiles are worth 1.3 cents each.

Use the LifeMiles-to-dollars calculator below to figure out how much your Avianca LifeMiles are worth based on our estimated value.

How to redeem Avianca LifeMiles

Domestic U.S. award flights

Domestic U.S. flights on United start at just 6,500 LifeMiles each way as long as you stay within the same region.

Award flights to Europe

Award flights to Europe can start at just 17,500 LifeMiles in economy or 63,000 LifeMiles in business class.

However, this great pricing is only for flights between United States 1 (generally the U.S. East Coast) and Europe 1 (which includes the British Isles and Scandinavia).

Business class awards to Asia

If you want to head to Asia in style, business class award flights from any contiguous U.S. region to Asia can cost a quite reasonable 40,000 LifeMiles each way.

Other ways to redeem (that you should pass on)

You can use LifeMiles on more than just flights, but the value is so poor that we rarely recommend it. That said, here is one other way that you can redeem Avianca LifeMiles:

Using LifeMiles for hotel bookings

LifeMiles members can earn miles by booking hotel stays through LifeMiles Hotels. The exact redemption rate varies by property, but we're generally finding redemption rates under 0.5 cent per LifeMile. That means you’ll generally want to pass on this option and look for something flight-related.

Do Avianca Airlines LifeMiles expire?

Every loyalty program has its own policies around when frequent flyer miles expire, but Avianca LifeMiles have among the shortest expiration periods of them all.

LifeMiles expire after just 12 months of account inactivity.

Nearly any activity resets the clock another 12 months, including flying Avianca, earning through a partner or spending on an Avianca LifeMiles card (not available to U.S. residents).

What are Avianca's elite status tiers?

Avianca's program has five tiers: Red Plus, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Magno (which was launched in mid-2026 as a top-tier elite status).

Here are both the current requirements for earning status in the LifeMiles program, as well as what happens in 2027.

Avianca’s elite status benefits

Red Plus is the lowest level of elite status. Here are a handful of the best status level perks, broken down by level.

Why LifeMiles is such a great program

No expensive fees: Unlike some Star Alliance partners, Avianca LifeMiles doesn’t pass along carrier-imposed surcharges on award tickets. Booking a Lufthansa first-class award through LifeMiles can save you hundreds of dollars in fees compared to booking the same seat through other programs.

No need to build a balance: You can transfer in from Amex, Citi, Capital One or Bilt right before booking, meaning there's no reason to hold a standing LifeMiles balance.

The 2027 changes raise the ceiling for elite members: Gold, Diamond and the new Magno tier will soon be able to earn well into double digits per dollar on the right fare, which is a big jump from today's flat structure. If you're close to a status threshold, it's worth checking whether this year or next makes the tier you want easier to hit.

Price out your next Star Alliance award on LifeMiles before booking elsewhere — the math is often better than people expect.

(Top photo courtesy of Avianca)