Bilt Rewards adds Avianca LifeMiles as its first South American airline transfer partner
Editor's Note
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Good news for Bilt Rewards members: The program has added a new airline transfer partner. Starting Dec. 15, 2023, Bilt Rewards members can transfer Bilt Points to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio.
Avianca LifeMiles is the 13th Bilt Rewards airline transfer partner. So, along with five hotel transfer partners, Bilt Rewards members now have 18 transfer partners to consider when redeeming their points.
Bilt members can transfer points in increments of 1,000 points. Bilt Blue members must redeem at least 2,000 points per transfer, while others must redeem at least 1,000 points per transfer.
Transfer Bilt points to book Avianca LifeMiles awards
You don't need to travel to South America or farther abroad to get good value when redeeming LifeMiles, as some of our favorite sweet spots involve using Avianca LifeMiles for travel within the U.S. and to Canada.
For example, you can redeem 6,500 LifeMiles plus $26.70 per person for an economy award flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL).
You can also redeem 6,500 LifeMiles plus the standard $5.60 in taxes and fees per person for an economy award flight from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).
You can redeem 6,500 LifeMiles plus $5.60 per person for an economy award flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Meanwhile, an economy award flight from Los Angeles to Newark in economy will cost you 13,500 LifeMiles plus $5.60.
There are also great ways to redeem Avianca LifeMiles for longer-haul flights. For example, you can fly Lufthansa from Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) for 30,000 miles in economy or 63,000 miles in business class. Either way, you must also pay $26.70 in taxes and fees on your one-way award flight.
These are just some examples of how you could redeem Avianca LifeMiles. Check out our guide to earning and redeeming Avianca LifeMiles for more inspiration, and then do some searches on the LifeMiles website.
Related: How long do Bilt Rewards points take to transfer?
Earning Bilt Rewards points
There are a number of ways to earn Bilt Rewards points, including Bilt Dining and Bilt Rent Day promotions. However, one of the best methods is with the Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees). You'll earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases — including paying your rent with the card (up to 100,000 points per calendar year). However, you must use your card at least five times in a statement cycle to earn any points.
The Bilt Mastercard can be great for renters, but check out our Bilt Mastercard review to determine if it's right for you.
Related: Should you use the Bilt Mastercard? Why it's a game changer for renters
Bottom line
It's always good news when a transferable points program adds a new transfer partner, and Avianca LifeMiles has some solid uses. However, it's important to understand that travelers often have issues with the LifeMiles program that range from poor customer service to random IT issues. In addition, we don't recommend transferring your Bilt Rewards points to any partner (including LifeMiles) until you're ready to book an award.
Nevertheless, it's great to see yet another new airline partner added to the Bilt Rewards program to provide even more options for its members.