Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card vs Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus
Side-by-side comparison
| Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $99 | $99 |
| Welcome offer | 40,000 miles | |
| Dining | 2x | 1x |
| Groceries | 2x | 2x |
| Gas | 1x | 2x |
| Travel | 1x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $382 | $373 |
| Points type | Locked to Avianca LifeMiles | Locked to Southwest Rapid Rewards |
| Network | American Express | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified August 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 40,000 miles | 50,000 Rapid Rewards® bonus points |
| To earn it | $3,000 in 90 days | $1,000 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $683 | $774 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $283 | $274 |
This one splits by time horizon. In year one the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus is ahead by roughly $91, thanks largely to its welcome offer. But the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card earns more every year after, so if you keep it, it overtakes the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus after about 11 years. Chasing the sign-up bonus and open to canceling before the second annual fee? Take the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus. Planning to keep it for years? The Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card pulls ahead.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | Yes | None |
| Annual credits | None | 1 listed credits |
| Points & redemptions | Locked to a single program | Locked to a single program |
On perks and redemptions, only the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card gets you into airport lounges. Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card earns about $382 a year in rewards and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus about $373, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card charges $99, which you clear through its rewards and perks. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus charges $99, which you clear through its rewards and perks. The two are close on value, but the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card edges ahead by about $8 a year, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on dining. Neither leans on transferable points, so the deciding factors are the welcome offer, the card network, and which everyday perks you will actually use. On the sign-up bonus, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus currently has the larger welcome offer (a limited-time offer above its usual amount, so treat it as a one-time boost). A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card if your spending leans toward dining. Pick the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus if your spending leans toward gas.