The Avianca Vuela Visa® Card has an offer for 40,000 welcome bonus miles after the first purchase. We value that bonus at around $680. You can book flights with your miles here.
It is an airline rewards credit card with a $149 annual fee. Its rewards program is designed with frequent Avianca fliers in mind.
Avianca isn’t well-known in the U.S., but it has a dense route network in Central and South America. If you regularly fly to Latin American countries like Colombia and Costa Rica, you may like this card. In addition, as a Star Alliance member, Avianca’s LifeMiles currency are redeemable with about two dozen airlines worldwide. This includes well-known U.S.-based giants like United Airlines.
It’s a good credit card bonus, but the annual fee is considered a little high. For an option that offers a lower annual fee for fewer rewards, consider the Avianca Vida Visa®Card.
The best way to earn miles with this card is with Avianca purchases. Cardholders earn 3 LifeMiles per $1 spent on Avianca purchases. Then, earn 2 LifeMiles per $1 spent at gas stations and grocery stores. All other purchases earn 1 LifeMile per $1 spent.
The Avianca Vuela Visa features other noteworthy benefits like, a solid discount on purchased LifeMiles, a free bag on most Avianca trips, and steep airfare discounts for heavy spenders.
(Visit Avianca for more details)
Avianca Vuela vs. Avianca Vida
| Aviance Vuela
40,000 Bonus LifeMiles $149 Annual Fee |
Avianca Visa
20,000 Bonus LifeMiles $59 Annual Fee |
| Earn 3 LifeMiles per $1 spent on Avianca purchases |
Earn 2 LifeMiles per $1 spent on Avianca purchases |
| Earn 2 LifeMiles per $1 spent at gas stations and grocery stores |
Earn 1 LifeMile per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| No foreign transaction fees | |
| Read Our Review | Read Our Review |
In addition to earning LifeMiles using the Avianca Vida card, you can also transfer rewards from the partners listed below to your LifeMiles account.
Avianca is a partner of the following major programs:
- American Express Membership Rewards (e.g. American Express® Gold Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and more.)
- Capital One (e.g. Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business)
- Citi ThankYou Rewards (e.g. Citi Rewards+, Citi Premier, Citi Prestige, Citi Rewards+ Student)
- Marriott Bonvoy (e.g. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card)
Avianca Vuela Visa Card Summary
| Bonus Available | 40,000 Bonus LifeMiles after first card use |
| Bonus Value* | $680 |
| Travel Credit | No travel credit. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | 3 LifeMiles for every $1 spent on Avianca purchases, 2 LifeMiles for every $1 spent on gas and grocery purchases, and 1 LifeMile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
15% discount on purchases of miles with Multiply Your Miles. Free additional checked bag for travel between the U.S. and Central America. 50% discount on an award ticket redeemed for travel to Central America or Colombia from the U.S. when you hit $12,000 and $24,000 spent each year. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees? | No |
| Airport Lounge Access | N/A |
| Annual Fee | $149 |
Recommended Free Credit Score (Get Free Score)
690 – 850 (Good – Excellent)
* Compare Avianca Vida Visa® Card with other credit card bonuses!
* Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by BankCheckingSavings and not the card issuer.
View our latest valuations here.
PROS
- Bonus miles
- 15% discount on LifeMile purchases
- Free additional checked bag
- Airfare discounts for heavy spenders
- Partner airlines
- No foreign transaction fees
CONS
- Annual fee
- Good-Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Complicated rewards
Editor’s Alternate Pick
 The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM • 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries • 2x on all other travel purchases • 1x on all other purchases • $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase TravelSM This card carries a $95 annual fee. |
Earning 40,000 Avianca Vuela Bonus LifeMiles
Take advantage of the Avianca Vuela card’s 40,000 bonus LifeMiles promotion. It’s a pretty good bonus considering the card’s $149 annual fee.
Plus, it’s really easy to get the bonus. All you have to do is make one purchase with your card. There’s no spend or time limit in order to qualify. However, if you ever need any ideas for other credit cards to reach their spending requirements, here are some:
Earn Up To 3X LifeMiles
Earn an unlimited 3 LifeMiles per $1 spent on Avianca airfare, vacation packages, and other travel-related expenses. To earn these miles, you must go through Avianca’s call center, Avianca.com, or at Avianca ticket counters. Your bonus miles accumulate in addition to base miles earned by all LifeMiles members, including non-cardholders, on Avianca airfare purchases.
As a LifeMiles member, you can also earn LifeMiles with Star Alliance airlines, like United Airlines. Plus, you can earn with partner retailers that offer geography- and time-limited deals on merchandise and experiences.
On Avianca airfare purchases, base mile earnings are dictated by flight distance and class. For example, depending on the fare class, economy flights earn anywhere from 25% to 150% of the total trip mileage, while business and first class flights earn 200% or more of the total trip mileage. You earn base miles in addition to the 3 LifeMiles for every $1 spent on the ticket itself.
In addition, cardholders earn an unlimited 2X LifeMiles on gas station and grocery store purchases. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1X LifeMile.
There are no caps or restrictions on how many LifeMiles you can earn over the life of your account.
Redeem Rewards
On average, each Avianca LifeMile is worth $0.017. Non-airfare redemptions will generally give you the worst redemption value.
You can use your Avianca LifeMiles for:
- Avianca or partner-operated flights
- Seat upgrades
- Extra baggage
- Avianca VIP lounge access
- Merchandise
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
But to maximize the value of your rewards, use your LifeMiles is to use them to cover the cost of airfare with Avianca or within the Star Alliance. Star Alliance Members include:
| Adria | Aegean | Air Canada |
| Air China | Air India | Air New Zealand |
| ANA | Asiana Airlines | Austrian Airlines |
| Avianca | Brussels Airlines | Copa Airlines |
| Croatia Airlines | EgyptAir | Ethiopian Airlines |
| EVA Air | LOT Polish Airlines | Lufthansa |
| SAS | Shenzhen Airlines | Singapore Airlines |
| South African Airways | Swiss International Airways | Air Portugal |
| Thai Airways International | Turkish Airlines |
Redemption requirements are set by region and are a rough function of total trip length. They’re not tied to the dollar cost of a ticket. However, this is subject to change.
Thus, a round-trip economy flight within North America requires 25,000 LifeMiles. From North America to Brazil, a round-trip economy flight requires 60,000 miles. From North America to Central Asia, round-trip economy flight requires 85,000 miles. These redemption requirements are the same throughout the Star Alliance, regardless of your preferred airline.
You cannot redeem for an award flight until you’ve accumulated the number of LifeMiles required. However, you can buy additional LifeMiles to make up any you don’t have.
LifeMiles’ redemption values vary, depending on flight distance, fare class, and other factors. Nonetheless, the general rule of thumb is that they’re worth less than one cent apiece on short-haul flights and up to three cents apiece on long-haul flights.
Other Avianca Vuela Cardholder Benefits
- Free Additional Checked Bag: Your first checked bag is already free. With the Avianca Vuela card, you get your second checked bag free as well. This perk is limited to flights from the U.S. to Central America.
- Airfare Discounts: Heavy spenders can earn 2 airfare discounts every year. Get 50% discounts on award tickets for travel from the U.S. to Central America or Colombia. This perk applies after you hit $12,000 and $24,000 in annual spending.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: Make purchases abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees. The lower annual fee Avianca Vida Visa®Card. doesn’t have this benefit.
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Conclusion
The Avianca Vuela Visa® Card has some useful features and benefits for frequent Avianca and Star Alliance members. Nonetheless, it’s not the best airline rewards credit card, especially since most people don’t fly Avianca in the U.S. Most travelers will benefit better with general-purpose travel cards. An example would be the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, earning 2x miles on all purchases.
However, because Avianca is part of the Star Alliance, frequent overseas travelers may still benefit from earning LifeMiles. Cardholders can significantly boost your return on spending, when you use it specifically for Avianca flights and redeem for flights on other Star Alliance airlines. You may even get regularly pricey flights for free!
But, if you’re not interested or you’re looking for something else, I highly recommend checking out our complete list of Credit Card Promotions for all your credit card needs.
(Visit Avianca for more details)
Other Credit Cards To Consider
* Below are some of the top competitors to the Avianca Vuela Visa Credit Card to consider.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM • 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries • 2x on all other travel purchases • 1x on all other purchases • $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase TravelSM This card carries a $95 annual fee. |
 The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel. You're able to earn: • 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. • 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection This card does come with a $95 annual fee. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔®. |
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
