(EXPIRED) Targeted LifeMiles offer to get elite status with a single flight

I received a targeted email reminder today from Avianca LifeMiles about a targeted opportunity to earn their lowest level of elite status with a single flight on Avianca metal. This offer isn’t great as low-level Avianca elite status doesn’t provide many benefits, but perhaps others have been targeted with something better.

The Deal

• Avianca LifeMiles is offering some members the opportunity to earn Red Plus elite status with a single Avianca flight purchased and flown between July 21, 2023 and October 31, 2023 when you receive the promotion and register for it in advance. This excludes XS and S fares.

Key Terms

• Promotion valid only for members who have received this email directly from LifeMiles and have subscribed to the promotion through the link included in the email.
• Applies for tickets purchased and flown in their entirety from the date of subscription to this promotion until October 31st, 2023, on flights operated by airlines that are part of Avianca Group International in sizes M, L or XXL.
• The mile bonus to be received consists of 1,000 non-redeemable qualifying miles (in addition to regular base miles, received for flights) that will count for Avianca qualifying miles requirements and will give members LifeMiles Elite Red Plus Status to enjoy through 2024 until January 31st, 2025; for at least one purchase and flight in sizes M, L or XXL.
• The maximum qualifying miles bonus to be received during the promotion is 1,000 qualifying miles per person. The qualifying miles bonus will be reflected in the member’s balance within 7 days of completing the flight.
• It is necessary f to enter their Frequent Flyer Number in the reservation in order to receive the qualifying miles bonus. In case you do not enter your frequent flyer number (LifeMiles), personal data or enter them incorrectly at the time of purchase or at the airport, you may request the qualifying miles bonus only during the promotional period. The name of the passenger on the ticket must match the name of the LifeMiles member registered at the time of purchase.
• Does not apply to code share flight purchases.
• Does not apply for redemption tickets or partial payment with miles.

Quick Thoughts

Avianca is a member of the Star Alliance, so their elite program may be of interest to those who fly Star Alliance airlines regularly. Earning Avianca Gold status, for example, would get you United club lounge access when flying United, even domestically within the United States (a perk that not even United’s own elite members get).

Unfortunately, the offer I received would only grant Red Plus elite status, which is the first tier of Avianca’s program and doesn’t offer any benefits on Star Alliance partners.

However, this offer caught my eye because this year Avianca began offering elite qualifying miles for a variety of activities, including mileage transfers from credit card programs. I’ve actually earned enough Avianca elite-qualifying miles from transfers to earn top-tier Avianca Diamond status. The catch is that Avianca also requires a minimum number of miles flown on Avianca flights in order to earn status. I would need 20,000 miles flown on Avianca in order to actually get Avianca elite status.

With this offer, a single flight on Avianca would give me Red Plus elite status. Based on my read of the terms, it sounds like a single flight on Avianca, regardless of the actual distance flown, should yield 1,000 “miles flown” with Avianca. I could be mis-reading the terms (or Avianca could be wording them oddly), but the terms seem to indicate that you’ll get credit for additional miles flown on Avianca that stack on top of normal earnings from the flight.

I guess that could be handy if there were a mileage run that made sense to get you close to one of the higher tiers assuming that this 1,000-mile bonus does indeed stack on top of whatever else you’ll earn from the flight.

I should note that I wrote earlier in the year that I wasn’t entirely clear about the requirement for miles earned from Avianca (See: The easy-ish path to Star Alliance Gold status: Avianca LifeMiles). While it sounds like those would be based on distance flown on Avianca flights, I concluded that I was pretty sure it referred to miles earned by paying for Avianca flights, which is based on fare rather than distance.

But then the wording of the terms on this promotion led me to believe that the “Miles flown with Avianca” requirement actually refers to distance flown on Avianca flights. I bolded a key term above that indicates that one will receive 1,000 bonus non-redeemable qualifying miles in addition to the base miles earned from flights, which is why I think the “Miles flown on Avianca” requirement is likely distance-based rather than being a requirement to earn a minimum number of miles from Avianca purchases, though I can’t say with 100% certainty.

If my interpretation is correct, I think that a single round-trip from Boston to Buenos Aires (flown from Boston to Bogota to Buenos Aires and back) would yield just enough miles flown with Avianca for Gold status (just over 11,000 actual miles flown + this 1,000-mile bonus). Unfortunately, I don’t see great prices on that route — and I’m not completely sure that this would work (YMMV).

At any rate, keep an eye on your email if you’re looking for low-level Avianca elite status and/or a small boost that I believe will count toward higher-level status.

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