Beware: Your next transfer to LifeMiles might not actually be instant
There's lots to love about the Avianca LifeMiles program. It offers excellent redemption rates and doesn't add fuel surcharges on Star Alliance flights. Even better, it's a transfer partner of most of the major point currencies (American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy) and frequently offers bonuses on transfers, such as one right now for transfers from Capital One.
The program does have some major restrictions, though. For example, LifeMiles doesn't always have access to the same award space as Star Alliance partners and awards cannot be canceled online. Plus, it imposes a small partner booking fee on all partner-operated tickets.
In this post, we'll discuss another quirk that can be problematic if you plan on transferring points to the program.
The problem
With the exception of Marriott Bonvoy, point transfers to LifeMiles are usually instant. This means that when you initiate a transfer, your miles should appear in your LifeMiles account right away (though you may need to log out and log back in before they pop up).
That still holds true. However, you might not actually be able to redeem your miles right away.
Based on multiple tests conducted by TPG staffers, transfer activity from Capital One is indeed showing up on account statements almost instantaneously. However, the mileage balance on the accounts isn't updating right away. In other words, the miles can't actually be redeemed right after you transfer.
We reached out to LifeMiles' customer support team and were informed that account balances might not update until around midnight El Salvador time (1 a.m. EST). Even more frustrating, LifeMiles agents have no way to manually update the account balances sooner.
The TPG team only experienced this issue when transferring points from Capital One, and the miles did end up becoming usable by the next day. However, readers have reported similar issues when transferring points from American Express.
Related: Save on Star Alliance award flights with 20% transfer bonus to LifeMiles
The implications
Waiting an extra day or so for miles to post might not seem like a big deal, but it can have some major implications.
The biggest issue is that award availability can change while you're waiting for miles to show up in your account. LifeMiles does not let you put partner awards on hold so there's no guarantee that you'll be able to book the flight you wanted by the time your miles post. Transfers are irreversible, so in the worst-case scenario, you'll be stuck with thousands of miles you have little use for beyond your originally intended award ticket.
Related: Here's why you need a healthy stash of Avianca LifeMiles
This also makes it harder to redeem miles for last-minute awards. Same-day and next-day bookings are effectively out of the picture if you won't be able to redeem your miles right away. This can also make it more difficult to secure Lufthansa first-class awards, for instance, which are generally released closer to departure.
Bottom line
You can often get great value by transferring flexible points to Avianca LifeMiles, especially now with the 20% transfer bonus from Capital One. However, there's some risk in doing so as you might not be able to redeem your miles right away and the award you originally intended to book might no longer be available by the time they become redeemable.
Unfortunately, LifeMiles' customer service agents have no way to expedite transfers, but hopefully, this issue will be resolved soon. For the time being, transferring points from Citi ThankYou Rewards might be your safest bet for boosting your LifeMiles balance.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
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- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
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- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees