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Some Partner Awards Currently Unavailable Through Avianca LifeMiles Website

May 29, 2019
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2 min read
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Some Partner Awards Currently Unavailable Through Avianca LifeMiles Website
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This may not come as a surprise to some, but Avianca LifeMiles is having some issues with its website. Earlier this month, we noticed that many partner awards are pricing lower than they should — as low as 3,500 LifeMiles each way for domestic United awards in economy. Now, it appears that some partner awards don't show on the LifeMiles website at all.

Based on our searches, it looks like all domestic United award space and at least some Air Canada award space is missing from LifeMiles' site. Take Los Angeles (LAX) to Denver (DEN) for example. There's nearly wide-open availability on United's site, but absolutely no availability on LifeMiles'.

International awards, on the other hand, such as between Newark (EWR) and Frankfurt (FRA), do appear.

Fortunately, it appears that this glitch is only with LifeMiles' website as we were able to search for and book partner awards without problem over the phone. Although hold times have improved, calling Avianca for anything can be painful, as the call center employees’ English isn’t always great and they're not all trained well in partner bookings. So, your best bet would be to find availability on United or Aeroplan's website before calling.

It’s possible the IT issue has to do with the transition to the new pricing for some domestic United awards, which takes effect on July 15. Once those changes kick in, the prices of economy awards will range between 6,500 to 13,500 miles each way, instead of 7,500 to 12,500 miles, and the $25 booking fee will drop to $10 for some flights. Even with the changes, LifeMiles will continue to be one of the best programs for booking Star Alliance awards due to its low redemption rates, lack of fuel surcharges on all awards and ability to easily earn miles through many of the major transferable points programs, including Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards.

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.