Citi is offering a 25% transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles when transferring ThankYou points to Avianca. LifeMiles has some fantastic sweet spot redemption opportunities, making this transfer bonus especially exciting for some.
If you transfer 1,000 Citi ThankYou points to Avianca LifeMiles, you will get a total of 1,250 Avianca miles. They will arrive in two separate transactions.
Terms & Conditions Of The Offer
- Bonus LifeMiles offer is valid for Point Transfers completed between 03/17/2024 12:00 AM ET and 04/13/24 11:59 PM ET
- Transfers to Avianca LifeMiles are often completed within 24 hours, however the process may occasionally take up to 5 business days
- Citi ThankYou® Premier, Citi Prestige®, AT&T Access More
Is This A Good Transfer Bonus?
Avianca LifeMiles is a transfer programs that doesn't as much recognition as some of the bigger airlines, but is a fan favorite amongst those deeply involved in the points & miles game. LifeMiles redemptions can be extremely high value, with the ability to fly intra US for just 7,500 miles or to Europe for just 35,000 miles.
In this next section, we will run through examples of high value LifeMiles redemptions.
U.S. <> Europe In Business Class For 63k Pts
LifeMiles nonstop business class fares to/from Europe typically price at just 63,000 pts each way, with minimal taxes/fees (fuel surcharges are not passed onto the user). These can be easily found and booked via the LifeMiles website. Additionally, they can be booked over email or phone.
Notably, economy prices are not half bad either. Prices for economy flights can vary, but you can expect to see up to 30k miles one way, with reports of as low as 16.5k one way (for certain airport combinations).
Intra United States For 7,500 Miles
LifeMiles splits the U.S. into three different zones:
- Region 1: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia
- Region 2: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin
- Region 3: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming
Flights within each zone start at just 7,500 miles each way. Going across zones isn't too bad either, with rates crawling up to the 13,500 miles bucket when going from Zone 1 / Zone 3.
JFK To LIS In Business Class For 35k Pts
Some things in life make little sense, and this price looking at LifeMile's award chart. However, this is an insanely high value booking you could snag to fly business class to Europe.
However, this booking is not as friendly on the way back, costing the expected 63k in business.
U.S. <> New Zealand In Business Class For 80k Pts
You can book Air New Zealand flights using LifeMiles for just 80,000 miles with minimal taxes/fees (fuel surcharges are not passed onto the user). Unfortunately, Air New Zealand award flights are considered extremely difficult to find, but can provide some incredible value otherwise.
U.S. <> Istanbul In Business Class For 63k Pts
Even with Turkish Airline's direct devaluation of its own points, you can still get some high value redemptions flying on Turkish metal using LifeMiles. Business class flights from various U.S. airports go for as high as 63k one way, making it a fantastic & high value way to experience Turkish culture in style.
The Problem With LifeMiles
While Avianca LifeMiles might offer up some fantastic deals, that doesn't come without the cost of several issues:
- LifeMiles does not get access to the same partner award space as other Star Alliance carriers do
- Website has tons of weird glitches/issues; some bookings may need to be made over the phone or via email
- Customer service is awful—you may need to wait on hold for a few hours and have to deal with many incompetent agents
- No stopovers on award tickets
- Miles expire—you need to accrue miles every 12 months
- $150 to change award tickets / $200 to redeposit most international award tickets
I definitely urge tremendous caution when booking with LifeMiles. While some people have generally escaped scott free, others have reported a multitude of issues with LifeMiles from booking to actually boarding.
How To Maximize Your Cashback & Turn It Into Miles
When you have a SavorOne card, you'll see it in your account as accruing cashback. However, there is a way to convert your cashback into (much more useful) Capital One miles that will allow you to unlock significant value out of your travels/miles.
Conclusion
Avianca LifeMiles have tremendous value when used correctly, but do note some of the hidden difficulties with making some of these bookings come to life. LifeMiles is known to sometimes have IT issues here and there, but if you can score seats, you're in for some tremendously outsized value.
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