Point transfers from Amex Membership Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles currently unavailable
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Things are not looking good for the Avianca LifeMiles program at the moment.
The TPG team has discovered Friday morning that point transfers from the American Express Membership Rewards program to Avianca LifeMiles are unavailable. Points usually transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Per a message on Amex’s website, the suspension of transfers is only temporary. However, some may speculate that this is tied to the airline’s struggling financial position.
Avianca — the airline attached to LifeMiles — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May of this year. LifeMiles operates as a separate company from Avianca and isn’t included in this bankruptcy filings. However, if the airline ends up going out of business or is forced to liquidate, LifeMiles members could lose the ability to redeem miles on Star Alliance flights.
At this point, it appears that transfers from Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards are still possible.
In the meantime, if you urgently need to redeem Amex points for Star Alliance flights, you can do so through programs like Air Canada Aeroplan or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
We reached out to American Express for comment and received the following statement from a spokesperson:
“The Membership Rewards to Avianca points transfer capability is temporarily unavailable due to a technical issue. We are working to get this back up and running soon.”
Hopefully this will be resolved quickly, and we’ll update this article as more information becomes available.
Featured image by Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership. Offer ends 11/10/2021.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.