Transfer Marriott Bonvoy to Avianca LifeMiles — ratio, bonuses, sweet spots

How to transfer

The deal

1:1

Marriott Bonvoy → LifeMiles

Not instant

Open Marriott Bonvoy →Open LifeMiles →

Cents per LifeMiles point

Economy

1.3¢

Business

1.7¢

First

1.9¢

Approx value per point on average bookings. Sweet-spot redemptions can hit 4¢+ per point.

Do this first

Confirm award space on LifeMiles BEFORE you transfer

Transfers are final and cannot be reversed. Open LifeMiles's site in another tab, sign in, and load the exact flight you want at the points price you expect. Come back only when you're ready to redeem.

Open LifeMiles award search →

What you should know

You need a free LifeMiles account

Marriott Bonvoy asks for your LifeMiles member number during the transfer. Sign up takes a minute and costs nothing.

Create LifeMiles account →

Minimum transfer: 3,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

You can't transfer less than 3,000, and transfers must be in increments of 1,000. Transfer in 60,000-point blocks to capture the 5,000-mile bonus (60K Bonvoy → 25K miles).

2–7 days, sometimes longer

Marriott Bonvoy transfers are processed manually and are the slowest among mainstream currencies. Plan for several days minimum. These are typical times, not guarantees — always confirm award space first because transfers can't be reversed.

Cancellation: cancellation has a fee

$50-$200 redeposit fee (by cabin/distance) plus $25 booking fee that is never refunded.

Fee: ~$50Window: Anytime pre-departureTaxes: Partial refund

Points expiration

Marriott Bonvoy: Bonvoy points expire after 24 months without any account activity. A single earn (including from a co-brand card swipe) or redemption resets the clock.
LifeMiles: Avianca LifeMiles expire after 12 months of no activity. Easy to reset with a small partner earn or buying as little as 1,000 miles.

Step by step

1
Open Marriott Bonvoy → How to Use Points / Awards
Sign in to marriott.com and hover the Marriott Bonvoy tab in the top navigation. In the dropdown, click "How to Use Points / Awards".
2
Scroll to "Watch Your Points Take Off" and click Transfer Points
Scroll down past the rewards overview to the "Watch Your Points Take Off" section. Read the rules — Marriott transfers in 3:1 blocks, but every 60,000 Bonvoy points earns a 5,000-mile bonus, making the effective rate ~2.4:1. Click the Transfer Points button.
3
Click View All Airline Partners
The Transfer Points to Partners page shows three featured partners. Skip those and click "View All Airline Partners" below to see the full list including LifeMiles.
4
Pick LifeMiles, enter your member number and amount
On the Transfer Your Points form: choose LifeMiles in the Frequent Flyer Program dropdown, type your LifeMiles member number, then enter the Bonvoy points to transfer. Minimum is 3,000 points. To capture the 5K bonus, transfer in 60,000-point increments — you'll get 25,000 miles per 60K (20K base + 5K bonus). The name on your LifeMiles account must EXACTLY match your Marriott Bonvoy name.

What LifeMiles points are great for

Lufthansa Business to Europe

63–80k LifeMiles pts

BOS → FRA·Business

63k points, no fuel surcharges. The smartest J redemption.

TAP Business to Lisbon

63–80k LifeMiles pts

JFK → LIS·Business

Premium cabin to Europe for under 70k.

Sweet-spot pricing means LifeMiles charges far fewer points for these specific routes than the cash value of the ticket — typically 4¢+ per point versus the average of 1.45¢.

Watch out

!Mixed-cabin priced at lower tier
!Buy-miles promotions up to 145% bonus regularly
!Cash + miles allowed on most awards

Other ways to get LifeMiles points

Official sources

https://www.lifemiles.com/ →

Transfer ratios verified 2026-05-01. Programs change terms occasionally — confirm on the official site before transferring.