2 new airline cards launch in the US, including 1 with an up-to-100,000-mile bonus

21.05.2024 - 14:49 / thepointsguy.com

If you live in the U.S., you may not be familiar with Avianca and its LifeMiles frequent flyer program. But if you like to fly on Star Alliance carriers — such as United Airlines, Air Canada and Lufthansa — you really should familiarize yourself with Avianca LifeMiles, even if your travels don't frequently take you to the airline's home country of Colombia.

In addition to its array of airline alliance partners, Avianca has a partnership with Cardless, making it possible for those in the U.S. to get an Avianca cobranded credit card for the first time in a few years. Through the airline's partnership with Cardless, U.S. travelers will have their pick of two exciting new Avianca cards.

These new cards could be a good match for travelers who frequently fly between the U.S. and Latin America or those looking to capitalize on great award redemptions on Star Alliance partners, as one of the cards will take the often quite impressive LifeMiles award redemption rates and make them even better via a 10% mileage rebate.

Let's jump into the details of the new Avianca cards.

The first of the two new Avianca cards is a mid-tier option ideal for frequent flyers. And a fun fact for those who like a card with a bit of weight to it: This one will be issued as a metal card.

Annual fee: $249 (see rates and fees)

Avianca LifeMiles Elite American Express Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles — 60,000 miles awarded after $4,500 spent in the first 90 days and an additional 40,000 miles after $25,000 spent in the first 365 days.

TPG values this full bonus at up to $1,700 and places it among the most valuable credit card welcome offers available right now.

Additionally, LifeMiles earned from card spending count 2-for-1 for qualifying miles in the LifeMiles elite status program. So, for every 2 miles earned from card spending, you earn 1 qualifying elite mile.

Those with the Avianca LifeMiles Elite card can also double the number of LifeMiles earned with the card each statement cycle, up to 1,000 extra LifeMiles per cycle, via the LifeMiles+ program.

So, for example, if you normally would have earned 850 LifeMiles that month by using the card, you'll actually get 1,700 total LifeMiles thanks to that program. Again, that bonus match is capped at 1,000 extra LifeMiles awarded per month.

On top of that, those in the LifeMiles+ program, which this card provides access to, also get 500 LifeMiles added to their account each month. That translates to an additional 6,000 LifeMiles per year, which is a pretty unusual perk and exciting in the world of airline credit cards.

While you can transfer earnings to Avianca LifeMiles from programs such as American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards, having a