Avianca LifeMiles is running a Cyber Week promotion for buying LifeMiles with a 140% bonus. The promotion is running from November 20 to November 26, and the 140% bonus is on all purchases.
Usually, LifeMiles has different bonuses for a certain amount of miles bought, but with this promotion, it’s a flat 140% bonus on all miles purchased making it valuable for any amount of miles you buy. Here is the link directly to the promotion.
With the 140% bonus, you are purchasing the miles at 1.37 cents each. I personally think this is a pretty good deal since previous promotions LifeMiles ran always limited you to buying a certain amount to get that valuation with 140% bonus.
LifeMiles limits how many miles can be purchased within a calendar year to 150,000 miles purchased. Luckily, LifeMiles doesn’t count the bonus miles, only the base miles you buy.
What can I do with Avianca LifeMiles?
Avianca LifeMiles is one of my favorite programs to redeem without fuel surcharges for Star Alliance premium cabin award tickets. LifeMiles sometimes has award space missing for their partner and specific routings might not work. However, LifeMiles can be very valuable if it works for you.
My favorite use of LifeMiles is crossing the Atlantic or Pacific in first or business class on one-way redemptions.
- Fly Asiana or ANA in first class from the US to North Asia for $1,254 (90,000 miles)
- Fly in business class from the US to North Asia for $1,056 (75,000 miles)
- Fly in Asiana or ANA first class from the US to Southeast Asia for $1,386 (99,000 miles)
- Fly in business class from the US to Southeast Asia for $1,089 (78,000 miles)
- Fly Lufthansa in first class from the US to Europe for $1,221 (87,000 miles)
- Fly in business class from the US to Europe for $891 (63,000 miles)
All without those pesky fuel surcharges, which can save you 100s of dollars.
If you’re outside of the US and find yourself in Asia, then one could fly Thai Airways 747 in first class from North Asia to Southeast Asia for $693 (50,000 miles) and have a fantastic ground experience.
LifeMiles certainly has some good redemptions for multiple different regions, which make the program still worthwhile outside the US.
Buying miles during promotions like this one can result in cheap first and business class tickets. For certain itineraries, it’s easy to find significant savings when buying miles and redeeming them instead of outright buying the revenue fare.
For example, Chicago to Tokyo flying ANA first class one-way is $13,443 or round-trip is $20,369.
If you ended up buying LifeMiles during this promotion for a round-trip award ticket to Tokyo from the US it would only be $2,475 (180,000 miles) which is a steal!
What credit card should I use to buy Avianca LifeMiles?
The great thing about buying Avianca LifeMiles is that it codes as airfare. That means you will earn 5x points per dollar spent when using the American Express Platinum Card to buy miles.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, American Express Gold Card, or the Citi Premier Card will earn 3x points per dollar spent.
I would personally use the American Express Platinum Card earning 5x points per dollar resulting in an 8.5% return when valuing Membership Reward points at 1.7 cents each.
Final word
I have been pleased the times I have redeemed LifeMiles for premium cabin tickets. If you’re in the market to fly first or business class, then this promotion might work out in your favor.
Steve is a senior contributor for UponArriving and spends close to 300 nights a year in hotels while traveling the world and trying to eat as much as he can. Steve has spoken at summits like the FBZ Elite Summit in Austin. He holds top-tier elite status with almost every hotel program as a Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire, and GHA Black. Utilizing credit card points and miles, Steve takes over 100 flights per year while experiencing some of the top first class and business class cabin in the sky.