Avianca LifeMiles has raised the redemption prices for all awards to Europe by as much as 50%.

Booking first-class flights to Europe with points and miles has just become significantly pricier: Avianca's LifeMiles program has raised redemption rates overnight by up to 50%.

According to One Mile at a Time, the South America-based program has unexpectedly increased award rates for flights with Star Alliance partners from North America to Europe as follows:

• Economy class: From 30,000 miles to 35,000 miles (an increase of 17%)
• Business class: From 63,000 miles to 70,000 miles (an increase of 11%)
• First class: From 87,000 miles to 130,000 miles (an increase of 50%)

The LifeMiles program has yet to refresh its partner award chart, which still reflects the old mileage rates, but current searches indicate higher prices.

The hikes in redemption rates for economy and business class on partner airlines—such as Swiss, Air Canada, United Airlines, and Austrian Airlines—are relatively minor and still offer good value compared to other programs, especially since the program doesn't impose fuel surcharges. However, the increase for first-class rates is quite significant.

LifeMiles has long been recognized as one of the most cost-effective ways to book first-class awards to Europe. While Swiss, a fellow Lufthansa Group airline, does not offer transatlantic first-class awards to Europe, Lufthansa regularly opens first-class seats to partners within 14 days of departure. Most seats are typically made available just a few days before departure, benefiting those who can book last minute.

The program has also raised the cost of first-class awards from North America to Asia from 90,000 miles to 120,000 miles on partner airlines like All Nippon Airways; availability for these flights is extremely limited.

While you might not initially think of a Colombian loyalty program for redeeming miles on flights to Europe, LifeMiles are easy to accumulate as the program is a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. According to TPG's August 2024 valuations, LifeMiles are valued at 1.7 cents each.

This devaluation comes at an unfortunate time, especially since Cardless has recently introduced two new Avianca-branded credit cards for U.S. residents. If you applied for this card hoping to book a flight to Europe, you might need to settle for business class instead of first class at these new higher rates.

If you're aiming to experience Lufthansa's first class and the renowned first-class terminal at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), your best bet now is to book through the Air Canada Aeroplan program — which is also a transfer partner of several credit card currencies. Business-class awards on partner airlines like Lufthansa to Europe cost 60,000 points from the U.S. East Coast or 70,000 points from the Midwest and West Coast, comparable to LifeMiles rates.

For first-class awards to Europe, Aeroplan's rates range from 90,000 to 100,000 points, depending on your North American departure point. This is a more advantageous option compared to the 130,000 miles now charged by Avianca LifeMiles.

Conclusion

Devaluations are an unfortunate aspect of earning and using points and miles, and they become particularly frustrating when programs raise prices without informing members. For years, LifeMiles was the most cost-effective way to book premium cabin flights to Europe with miles.

Currently, the business-class rates with partners are on par with those of other programs like Aeroplan; for first-class travel, it's advisable to consider booking through Aeroplan instead.