Avianca

Avianca (AV) is a Star Alliance member based in Bogotá (BOG). It is the biggest airline in Colombia and a major player across Latin America, with connections throughout South and Central America plus nonstops to the US and Madrid. Its LifeMiles program is also one of the most useful mileage currencies around, whether or not you ever fly Avianca itself.

Which miles can you use to book Avianca?

Because Avianca is in Star Alliance, you can book its award space with partner miles, including:

United MileagePlus: no fuel surcharges, and united.com is also the easiest place to search
Air Canada Aeroplan
Avianca LifeMiles: often the cheapest, no surcharges
Turkish Miles&Smiles

How to search for Avianca award space:

The easiest place to search is the United Airlines website. United displays Star Alliance partner availability, including Avianca, and you can search without holding any miles.

Step 1

Step 2

Select the Book Travel box and fill in your trip details:

Select either Round Trip or One Way
Enter your departure and arrival city. For Avianca, think routes touching Bogotá (BOG), like BOG-JFK, BOG-MIA, BOG-MAD, or connections down to Lima and Santiago
Enter your dates
Select the number of passengers
Select Award Travel

Then click Search.

Step 3

Pick the flight option that fits your schedule. Watch the connection times carefully, as some options have very long layovers.

If you would like to search a different day, use the calendar to scan nearby dates. Award space within Latin America is usually plentiful outside holiday periods.

Make sure you select the Saver Award, as standard awards cost far more miles and usually can’t be booked with partner programs anyway.

Step 4

Choose your preferred flight and open its details. Write down the following information: flight number, dates, and cabin class.

Step 5

Now book with the program your miles live in. If it’s United miles, book right there on united.com. For other programs (Aeroplan, LifeMiles, Miles&Smiles), check their website first, since most can book Star Alliance partners online now. If the flight doesn’t show, call the program and read the agent the exact flights you found. They should be able to see and book the same space for you.

Tips before you book

The screenshots above show an older United site design. Menu names have shifted slightly, but the flow (log in, award search, pick saver space) is unchanged.
Avianca’s own LifeMiles program frequently sells miles at a discount, and since it adds no fuel surcharges it’s often the cheapest way to book Star Alliance awards on any carrier, not just Avianca.
If united.com shows nothing, cross-check the same route on lifemiles.com. Partner sites occasionally disagree on the last seat or two.