Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card
- Best for: Travelers who fly Avianca to Latin America or book Star Alliance awards with LifeMiles
- What Sets It Apart: Automatic LifeMiles Silver status; 5% off Avianca award flights; no fuel surcharges on Star Alliance awards booked with LifeMiles
- Cost: $99 annual fee; 19.49% to 29.49% variable APR; no foreign transaction fee; late fee up to $8
- Features: 40,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spending within 90 days; 2 miles per dollar on Avianca and LifeMiles purchases, restaurants, and groceries; 1 mile per dollar elsewhere; 1 qualifying mile per 2 miles earned
- Pros: Priority check-in and boarding on Avianca; extra checked bag on Classic and Flex fares; two Avianca lounge visits a year
- Cons: 1 mile per dollar on other spending; Gold status requires flying Avianca; no companion fare
Get the Avianca LifeMiles American Express Card if you fly Avianca to Latin America or book Star Alliance awards with LifeMiles, which adds no fuel surcharges. The $99 fee buys LifeMiles Silver status, with priority boarding and two Avianca lounge visits a year. If you mostly fly airlines outside Star Alliance, collect transferable points instead.
Cardless offers the card, issued by First Electronic Bank on the American Express network, as the U.S. successor to the Avianca Vida Visa, which Banco Popular closed in 2022. Earning the same Silver status without it takes 12,000 qualifying miles, the miles that count toward elite tiers, plus 3,000 miles flown on Avianca.
Key Features
- $99 annual fee, charged from the first year, and no foreign transaction fee
- 19.49% to 29.49% variable interest rate (APR)
- 40,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spending within 90 days, about $640 at The Points Guy’s October 2026 valuation of 1.6 cents a mile
- 2 miles per dollar on Avianca and LifeMiles purchases, restaurants, and groceries, and 1 mile on everything else
- LifeMiles Silver status for as long as the account stays open and in good standing
Pros
- Priority check-in and boarding on Avianca flights
- An extra checked bag of up to 23 kg (about 50 pounds) on Classic and Flex economy fares, when Avianca operates every flight on the ticket
- Two Avianca VIP lounge visits a year, plus one for a companion
- 5% off the miles needed for Avianca award flights
- No fuel surcharges on LifeMiles awards with Star Alliance partners such as United and Lufthansa, only taxes and a $25 booking fee
Cons
- Only 1 mile per dollar outside Avianca, restaurants, and groceries
- 1 qualifying mile for every 2 miles earned on purchases, up to LifeMiles’ caps, but Gold status also requires 12,000 miles flown on Avianca
- No companion fare
- LifeMiles raised award prices on partner flights to Europe and Asia without notice in 2025
Avianca flyers get the most from it, since its bag and boarding perks work only on Avianca flights, and those who fly Avianca often can step up to the $249 Elite card. If you mostly fly outside Star Alliance, collect Amex, Capital One, or Citi points instead, since you can still transfer them to LifeMiles for a Star Alliance award.
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