Frequent flyers in the United States have access to over 60 airline loyalty programs with which to earn points and miles. While many people choose a domestic carrier from each major airline alliance, savvy travelers have often looked further afield to find a carrier in their preferred alliance that offers additional earning and redemption opportunities.
One of the international programs our readers frequently cite as offering exceptional value in the 
Star Alliance
is avianca’s lifemiles loyalty program.
All in with avianca
The Colombian flag carrier avianca
is the world’s second oldest airline and one of just five that has been operating for over 100 years. The carrier was named the most punctual airline in the world for 2023, and its lifemiles program is often recognized as a leader in the loyalty space. This past month alone, it nabbed an award for Best Customer Service at the prestigious Frequent Traveler Awards 2024, and was named the best Frequent Flyer Program in Latin America by point.me.
Simple Flying recently sat down with Valeria Yglesias, Chief Commercial Officer at lifemiles
, to find out what goes into a winning program and how US travelers can use it to receive the most value for their miles. The program has gained over 13 million members in the 15 years since launching and has recently expanded its US offerings to encourage travelers to look for new ways to earn and redeem miles in the Star Alliance.
Given the program’s smaller footprint in the US compared to other Star Alliance carriers like 
United Airlines
, the revenue team is always looking for sweet spots where they can bring a bit more value to US travelers. The program also offers additional airline and mileage transfer partners not offered by other US carriers, which often have exclusive deals with financial institutions. This provides more flexibility and can result in a greater value-per-mile, with Yglesias noting:
“The external sources that value points and miles clearly show that we are 20% above the biggest carriers in the Star Alliance in terms of value.”
Photo: Fabricio Burbano | Shutterstock
Lifemiles also has a range of transfer partners that allow you to move your existing points to the lifemiles program, including American Express, Bilt, Brex, Capital One, Citi, Marriott Bonvoy, Ramp, and Wells Fargo. Points can also be earned through hotels, car rentals, and cruises, with activities coming soon.
One of the most significant ways the program seeks to expand is with its two new cobranded credit cards, which launched earlier this year in partnership with Cardless.
Avianca launched two American Express cards earlier this year, both of which notably come with avianca Silver Staus, which equates to Star Alliance Silver Elite Status
. The benefits are significant and include avianca lounge access, premium seat selection, an additional checked bag, priority check-in, and priority boarding.
Both cards feature a digital experience where the card number is provided immediately upon approval for purchases before the card arrives. The credit cards come at two price points, $99 and $249 annually, with the standard American Express card aimed at general spending and the premium one aimed at frequent travelers.
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite Card
The avianca Lifemiles American Express Elite Card from Cardless comes with a $249 annual fee and offers cardholders elite status and a complimentary monthly subscription to LifeMiles+ Lite.
- Sign-up Bonus
-
60,000 lifemiles after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days + 40,000 lifemiles after spending a total of $25,000 in the first 365 days
- Earning Rate
-
3x On all avianca airlines and lifemiles purchases
2x On travel and restaurants
1x On everything else - Card Benefits
-
Star Alliance Silver Status
Lifemiles+ monthly membership, which includes a 25% redemption discount on avianca airlines flights and 10% discount on Star Alliance flights
avianca lifemiles American Express Credit Card
The avianca lifemiles American Express Card from Cardless comes with a $99 annual fee and earns 2 miles on most purchases with avianca or lifemiles, 2 lifemiles on restaurants & groceries, and 1 lifemiles on all other purchases.
- Sign-up Bonus
-
40,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days
- Earning Rate
-
2x On all avianca airlines and lifemiles purchases
2x On groceries and restaurants1x On everything else
- Card Benefits
-
Star Alliance Silver Status
Get a 5% redemption discount on avianca airlines flights booked through lifemiles.com
No foreign transaction fee
Miles do not expire for as long as you use your card
When asked what sets the cards apart in the crowded US consumer market, Yglesias explained how the company began with the end in mind and revealed what the reception has been so far:
“We really did this card benchmarking against others cards in the market and making it the best card for someone that wants to fly in Star Alliance and somebody that wants to have more value from their miles.
“There has been a good reception if we compare it to other Latin American cards that have been launched in the market. Because it’s such a great card, we think there is still a lot of value to be unlocked from the people in the US”
Photo: Miguel Lagoa | Shutterstock
The premium card comes with a lite plan of the carrier’s lifemiles+ subscription program, which offers significant discounts and regular mileage top-ups.
What is LifeMiles+ all about?
The program is unique in the US because it offers a subscription product where you pay a monthly fee for a range of benefits, including bonus miles awarded monthly. The program was designed after lifemiles looked at other programs and benchmarks in the market to find the best practices for helping customers accrue miles without diluting the value of its points.
Among other benefits, members receive 10% miles back on their redemptions with Star Alliance carriers, Iberia
, and GOL
. Plus, up to 25% off redemptions on avianca flights. Cardholders of the cobranded American Express cards earn double miles on purchases (up to 10,000 miles on the top plan) and a $20 monthly discount for upgrades to a higher lifemiles+ tier, with Yglesias confirming:
“We do make an effort to make the discount as big as possible so that people really feel the value of the plan.”
The program even comes with a monthly mileage bonus of 500 miles on the lite plan, all the way up to 10,000 miles on the max plan, which costs $180 a month for cardholders. This provides US residents with a unique way to earn Star Alliance miles without traveling on avianca-operated flights. As Yglesias notes, the program offers significant savings over purchasing miles outright:
“If you do the math, just the miles that you get on a monthly basis will be cheaper than the 2 for 1 promotion, and all the other things come extra.”
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
For reference, 10,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles retail for $350. Even with the current 30% discount, the total, including taxes, still comes to $263.38.
A gateway to the Americas
In addition to redemption opportunities on Star Alliance carriers, GOL, Iberia, and Clic, avianca offers a robust network of its own. The airline flies to over 75 destinations in more than 25 countries across North and South America and Europe.
The carrier has 1,149 flights to the US scheduled for November across a range of routes. The most-served airport is New York JFK, which is connected to six cities in avianca’s network. Miami International Airport is linked to four gateways, and Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport to three.
Boston, Los Angeles (LAX), and San Juan each have direct flights to two destinations. Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Ontario, Orlando, and San Francisco are all served from Bogata or San Salvador.