Why I’m Applying For The New Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card – Forbes Advisor – Technologist

One of the primary reasons I’m applying for the Avianca LifeMiles Elite Card is the welcome offer. Right now, you can earn 60,000 miles after spending $4,500 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening plus 40,000 miles after spending $25,000 in the first year of account opening.

Although that might sound like a standard welcome offer, it’s important to contextualize how many Avianca LifeMiles it takes to book a flight. Over the past few years, I’ve spent around six months in Medellin, Colombia. I can fly on a short trip from Medellin to Bogota, Colombia’s capital, for as little as 4,000 LifeMiles one way. Knowing I can take weekend trips while I’m based in Colombia for so few miles is extremely enticing.

I also consider Buenos Aires, Argentina, my second home. I can fly from Miami, Florida (MIA) to Buenos Aires (EZE) for just 14,350 LifeMiles. For an international journey, that’s not a bad deal. As long as redemptions stay low, it’s clear that I can stretch 100,000 LifeMiles remarkably far.

Apart from the welcome offer, the card provides solid earning potential, especially for someone like me who flies on Avianca at least once a month when I’m in the region. Cardholders earn 3 LifeMiles per dollar spent on Avianca or LifeMiles purchases, 2 LifeMiles on restaurants and other travel and 1 LifeMile on all other purchases. Plus, earn double the number of LifeMiles earned with each statement cycle, up to 1,000 extra LifeMiles per month. That’s up to an additional 12,000 bonus miles per year. This is an unconventional perk that is easy to take advantage of. I’ll also receive silver elite status, which grants me access to Avianca lounges, priority boarding, premium seat selection and additional checked bags when I fly.

As a cardholder, I’ll receive a complimentary LifeMiles+ lite subscription, which gives me up to 25% off award redemptions on Avianca, bonus miles on select purchases, 10% back on Star Alliance flight redemptions and a 10% discount on cash redemptions on select Avianca purchases. This is a brand-new program that was launched in conjunction with the co-branded credit cards. These benefits allow me to stretch my miles and help me save money when I buy an Avianca flight with cash. When you look at the cardholder perks as a whole, applying for the card makes plenty of sense if you regularly fly Avianca.