It is usually a good suggestion to open a card with an airline you fly incessantly. If you happen to’re usually on Avianca flights, the Avianca Lifemiles American Categorical® Card could very nicely 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 important 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, you could wrestle to justify this card’s $99 annual payment (see charges and charges).
Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card score is predicated 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 to be 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 choice of on a regular basis classes and comes with airline-specific advantages. It is these airline perks that set it aside from different airline playing cards.
Particularly, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex presents complimentary airline elite standing, one thing you not often discover on airline playing cards. You may obtain Avianca Silver standing with this card, granting you the next perks, amongst others:
Avianca lounge entry twice every yearExtra-legroom seat selectionSelect improve optionsAn further free checked bag (excludes Primary and Mild fares)Precedence check-in and boarding (Group B)
Many airline playing cards make checked baggage and precedence boarding the centerpieces of their advantages, however the standout right here for me is the lounge entry. It’s totally uncommon to return throughout sub-$300 playing cards that supply any sort of lounge entry.
It will not be as far-reaching as a Precedence Go 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 Avianca Silver standing, this card has no international transaction charges (see charges and charges) and presents a 5% low cost on redemptions for Avianca flights booked by Lifemiles.
It is necessary to notice that regardless of the identify, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is not issued by American Categorical. Relatively, it is issued on behalf of Cardless by First Digital Financial institution utilizing Amex’s cost community.
Avianca Lifemiles Amex professionals and cons
Complimentary Avianca Silver standing
A superb possibility for Avianca purchases
Redemption low cost for Avianca flights
No international transaction charges
Star Alliance Silver advantages, together with precedence waitlist and precedence standby
Not an important match for many who fly Avianca sometimes
Weak earnings on on a regular basis spending
Provides little if you have already got Avianca standing
Restricted advantages when flying Star Alliance companions
Avianca Lifemiles Amex advantages
At the moment, Avianca presents 4 standing tiers. Silver standing is the second tier, usually requiring 12,000 qualifying miles in a standing qualification 12 months (3,000 of which should be earned on Avianca flights). It matches to Star Alliance Silver standing, a strong worth proposition if you happen to’re on the lookout for fundamental advantages like precedence waitlisting and standby with a complete airline alliance.
It is necessary to notice that you will solely get two Avianca lounge visits per 12 months, however any lounge entry is a significant perk with a card that costs simply $99 every year. How far this specific profit stretches for you’ll rely on whether or not you will have lounge entry with one other card and what lounges are within the airports you transit by most.
You may obtain entry to all Avianca VIP lounges with Silver standing, although it is necessary to notice that the Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) lounge location is included within the Precedence Go community. You too can redeem considered one of your entry passes for a companion (apart from the Miami lounge).
Relying on what number of lounges you possibly can entry within the airports you frequent, you could or could 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 a giant con for this card if you happen to incessantly e-book these fares. Your further checked bag might value nicely over 100 {dollars}, relying in your origin and vacation spot, so this profit alone can internet 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, reasonably than tacking a further 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
The best way to earn and use your rewards
The best way to earn your rewards
The one approach 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 groceries1 mile per greenback spent on all the pieces 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 may earn transferable factors or miles that you should utilize with many various airways and lodges. That may make it rather a lot 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 mentioned, if you happen to’re extremely loyal to Avianca or you might want to prime off your Lifemiles stability for a selected redemption, this card earns reasonably nicely on groceries and eating. It is a first rate possibility for Avianca purchases, except you will have a card that earns extra on flights (such because the American Categorical Platinum Card®).
I might prefer to see this card provide a better incomes fee for Avianca purchases since many airline playing cards with an annual payment provide at the least 3 miles per greenback spent.
The best way to 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 may wish to fly with Avianca at the least a few occasions every year to correctly reap the benefits of your Silver standing.
Exterior of that, although, you could find some nice award redemptions on different Star Alliance airways, corresponding to United Airways, Air Canada and Lufthansa. The Lifemiles program is a good way for factors and miles novices to follow associate award redemptions.
Katie Genter, TPG’s lead author for factors and miles, just 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, you could not discover the perks that Avianca Silver standing supplies to be sufficient. Relying on how usually you fly, you might be able to obtain Gold or Diamond standing, negating lots of the advantages of this card.
I will not dock too many factors from the Avianca Lifemiles Amex for less than providing two lounge visits per 12 months 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 provide the strongest incomes charges. It earns decently on Avianca purchases, but it surely’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 Categorical® Elite Card, a extra premium possibility with a $249 annual payment (see charges and charges).
Each playing cards provide Avianca Silver standing, however the Avianca Amex Elite presents further perks past this, together with:
As much as 6,000 bonus miles yearly, deposited as 500 miles per month10% of your miles again on Star Alliance redemptionsAn as much as 25% low cost on Avianca redemptions3 miles per greenback spent on Avianca purchases2 miles per greenback spent on eating and journey, as an alternative of eating and groceries
In accordance with 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 laborious to place a price on. Personally, I might persist with the Avianca Lifemiles Amex.
Is the Avianca Lifemiles Amex value it?
If you happen to’re a giant 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, but it surely presents sufficient to the correct cardholder. Simply understand that you may wish to fly with Avianca a few occasions a 12 months to correctly reap the benefits of Avianca Silver standing.
When to use for the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
At the moment, 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 accordance with TPG’s valuations, that welcome provide is value $560.
Bear 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 think about if you do not need the Avianca Lifemiles Amex
If the Avianca Lifemiles Amex does not fairly sound like the correct match for you, contemplate considered one of these choices as an alternative:
For added choices, browse our picks for the finest journey playing cards.
Backside line
For Avianca followers, the Avianca Lifemiles Amex is a strong possibility. It requires a reasonable dedication to the airline, however you need not fly with Avianca solely to get a whole lot of worth.
If you happen to already maintain Avianca Gold or Diamond standing, I might contemplate 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 just a little approach towards making your experiences with Avianca extra fulfilling.
Apply right here: Avianca LifeMiles American Categorical Card
