Changes in the points and miles world are usually negative, rarely positive, and sometimes a mix of good and bad. Avianca's latest changes to its LifeMiles award chart are definitely having a mixed effect.
On Aug. 13, certain award tickets, particularly business-class sweet-spot tickets to Europe, saw their prices increase by 86%, while other award tickets were either reduced by 25% or remained unchanged.
It's a shame to see good deals go extinct, especially when they come without much advance notice, but there are still plenty left for future European stays.
Avianca LifeMiles Award Price Changes
That said, LifeMiles are easy to earn with several popular travel credit cards, and many award tickets were reasonably priced before the unannounced changes.
Popular LifeMiles redemptions have been award tickets between the US and Europe, at 30,000 LifeMiles for an economy class ticket one way, or 63,000 LifeMiles for a business class ticket one way. Prices for these transatlantic routes currently range from 35,000 to 39,000 LifeMiles one way for an economy class ticket, and 65,000 to 70,000 LifeMiles one way for a business class ticket.
Another change is that the price for a Business Class award seat (full-flat seat) from New York JFK to Lisbon, Portugal (LIS) is now 65,000 Lifemiles, whereas previously it was available for just 35,000 Lifemiles on some itineraries – an 86% increase.
Other routes affected are first class flights on Avianca's partner airline ANA and Lufthansa. Before the change, you could fly first class on Lufthansa between the US and Europe for 87,000 Lifemiles. Now, the same perk will cost 130,000 Lifemiles. That's a big price increase.
But it's not all bad: The price of a short-haul business class flight from the US East Coast to Europe, including the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, has dropped from 60,000 LifeMiles one-way to 45,000 LifeMiles.
Avianca doesn't publish an official awards table, which means they don't disclose the range of amounts Avianca can charge you for a particular route, so if you find a great deal, grab it before it's gone. With so many ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles, topping up your miles balance is easy.
Best spots for flights to Europe
First, check out Air France-KLM's monthly promo rewards, which are discounts on select Air France or KLM award tickets every month. Right now, you can fly from Boston, Houston, and Toronto to Europe for just 15,000 Flying Blue miles one way, which is a great deal.
Flying Blue has many points transfer partners, including American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou points.
While the taxes and fees can be steep, it could be worth it if you have a cheap connecting flight to another part of Europe (or, of course, if you want to visit London.) Even better, Virgin Atlantic is a transfer partner for several credit card programs, including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
With some luck, I was able to find a nonstop one-way economy class flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Madrid, Spain (MAD) for just 22,500 AAdvantage miles on American Airlines. If your dates are flexible, oneworld partner Iberia has plenty of business class seats available starting at 57,500 miles one way.
Considering that business class seats can cost thousands of dollars, this could be a valuable way to use your miles.
Here are some more of the cheapest ways to fly to Europe using points and miles: If you have the time to plan, there are still some great deals to be had with Avianca Lifemiles.
Flexible points hedge against future depreciation
It's no fun when you have a goal in mind and then the bar is raised, especially without warning. That's the best reason to earn flexible, transferable points. Your hard-earned points or miles aren't locked in if values drop within a particular program. Instead, you can preserve their value by holding onto them until you're ready to make an award booking and then transferring them. Some of the best travel cards that earn flexible points that can be transferred to Avianca and other partners include the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express. With a little research, these points can get you to Europe and beyond. Terms and conditions apply.
For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this page.
