Will Citi refund the transfer if the award seat is gone?

No. Citi's pages make no exception for award seats that disappear after a transfer, which is why the usual advice is to find the seat and confirm the price before moving points. Once the miles post, the choice is between waiting for new availability, using them another way or selling them.

How much are my Avianca LifeMiles worth now?

Published valuations put Avianca LifeMiles at 1.30¢ to 1.55¢ each when redeemed for flights, with partner premium-cabin awards above that and cash-style redemptions below. As cash, Points Plug pays 1.11¢ to 1.32¢ per mile depending on the balance, so 100,000 miles fetch about $1,180.

How does selling Avianca LifeMiles to Points Plug work?

Enter your balance in the quote form for an instant offer and price per mile. Accept it, and our team confirms the details, books last-minute travel for pre-qualified customers through your account and pays you by your preferred method, typically within 24-48 hours of the booking. The minimum is 50,000 miles in one program, and the quote is free with no obligation.

Accidental transfer · Citi to Avianca LifeMiles

Accidentally transferred Citi points to Avianca LifeMiles? Here's how to sell the miles

No bank reverses a points transfer, and Citi is no exception. Citi's points transfer FAQ says transfer requests cannot be cancelled or reversed, and that once ThankYou Points are transferred, the travel program's currency cannot be converted or transferred back to ThankYou Points. The Citi ThankYou Points points you moved are Avianca LifeMiles now, and Avianca LifeMiles's rules decide what can happen to them.

If you will not fly on them, Points Plug buys Avianca LifeMiles from 50,000 miles at 1.11¢ to 1.32¢ per mile, depending on the balance, with payment in 24-48 hours: 100,000 miles fetch about $1,180. This page covers what the miles are worth, what Avianca LifeMiles lets you do with them instead, and how to sell.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed October 29, 2026.

Can Citi reverse it?: No; Stated on its own pages
Transfer ratio: varies; Citi lists Avianca LifeMiles as a ThankYou partner and says the rate depends on the card
Miles expiry: After 18 months without activity
Points Plug pays: 1.11¢ to 1.32¢ per mile; From 50,000 miles

Can a Citi transfer to Avianca LifeMiles be reversed?

Citi's ThankYou points transfer FAQ states that points transfer requests cannot be cancelled or reversed, and that once ThankYou Points are transferred, the resulting currency of the travel loyalty program cannot be converted or transferred back to ThankYou Points. The card terms repeat it: a submitted request to transfer points may not be cancelled, and the points in it may not be returned to your ThankYou account.

Citi also says a transfer can take up to 14 days to post. A transfer that has not arrived yet is still not one you can cancel; it is in progress, and the points will land under the airline's rules when it completes.

How Citi transfers work

Transfers go in 1,000-point increments from a 1,000-point minimum with no fee. Premium ThankYou cards (Strata Elite, Strata Premier and Prestige) transfer at 1:1; since mid-2026 no-annual-fee cards can transfer at 1:0.7 to every partner except American AAdvantage, which stays premium-only.
The first and last names on the ThankYou account and the airline account must match.
Citi says transferred points post within up to 14 days. Most partners post within a day; Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines can take longer.
For Avianca LifeMiles specifically: Citi lists Avianca LifeMiles as a ThankYou partner and says the rate depends on the card.

If the points have not posted, or went somewhere you did not expect

If the points have not posted after 14 days, contact Citi through the ThankYou site or the number on your card with the transfer confirmation.
Citi's pages describe no process for moving points that posted to the wrong partner; the airline's rules decide what can be done with them.

What your Avianca LifeMiles are worth now

Published valuations put Avianca LifeMiles at 1.30¢ to 1.55¢ each, about 1.39¢ on average, as of September 23, 2026. The published figure assumes the miles go on flights; what you actually get depends on the award, and the Avianca LifeMiles valuation page lists the redemptions behind the range.

Before the transfer, Citi would have paid about 1.0¢ per point as cash back (1¢ on Double Cash, Custom Cash and Rewards+; 0.75¢ on Strata Premier and Prestige), and that option is gone. For the miles you hold now, Points Plug pays 1.11¢ to 1.32¢ per mile, rising with the balance; 100,000 miles fetch about $1,180. The quote form on this page shows the exact figure for your balance.

Balance	Rate per mile	Example offer
50,000 to 99,999 miles	1.11¢	50,000 miles: $555
100,000 to 199,999 miles	1.18¢	100,000 miles: $1,180
200,000 to 499,999 miles	1.25¢	200,000 miles: $2,500
500,000+ miles	1.32¢	500,000 miles: $6,600

Offers are a share of the program's typical published value; our rates page explains how they are set for every program.

How to sell Avianca LifeMiles

Get a quote. The form on this page is preset to Avianca LifeMiles; enter your balance and the offer and price per mile appear before you give up anything.
Accept the offer. Our team reaches out to confirm the details and explain how the booking will be handled. You keep your account and your login.
The miles are used to book last-minute travel for pre-qualified customers through your account, usually in one or two bookings rather than many small ones.
You are paid through the method you choose, typically within 24-48 hours of the booking.

The minimum is 50,000 miles in one program, and balances of 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 earn higher rates. You never pay anything: the quote is free and the offer you accept is the amount you receive. Read how it works and the guide to selling airline miles for the detail.

Airline programs' terms restrict selling miles. Our Avianca LifeMiles Q&A quotes Avianca LifeMiles's own rule, so you can read it before you decide.

Other ways to use the miles

Fly on them

Star Alliance and Avianca awards searched together on lifemiles.com, which books one-way, round-trip and multi-city itineraries.
Avianca award sales in the special offers section; LifeMiles' 2024 US sale priced Miami to San Salvador at 5,550 miles and Miami to Cartagena at 6,060.
Redeeming with a US co-brand card: the Elite Card returns 10% of the miles on Star Alliance awards and takes up to 25% off Avianca awards, and the standard card takes 5% off Avianca awards booked on lifemiles.com.

The Avianca LifeMiles award chart shows what the balance books and which redemptions return the most per mile, and the Avianca LifeMiles program guide covers the traps.

Share or pool them

Avianca's help centre lists paid miles transfers between members among the LifeMiles transactions charged to a card, without giving the price. The head of an elite member's family group, up to seven people, can move miles between the group's accounts free of charge.

Move them to another program

No. Capital One says there is no way to move miles back into a Capital One account once a transfer is finalized, and LifeMiles lists no conversion out to a bank or another airline program.

Points Plug can also convert Avianca LifeMiles into another airline program from 50,000 miles, with the fee built into the rate the quote shows.

Will the miles expire?

LifeMiles' own terms load only in its app. The LifeMiles card rules BAC Credomatic publishes in Panama say miles expire on a rolling 18-month basis under conditions LifeMiles sets, and Cardless says US cardholders keep their miles while they use the card, which points to activity keeping miles valid. Check the date in your LifeMiles account. Holders of the US avianca lifemiles American Express cards keep their miles for as long as they use the card, according to Cardless.

LifeMiles' own terms load only in its app. The LifeMiles card rules published through BAC Credomatic describe a rolling 18-month validity, so check the expiry date shown in your LifeMiles account rather than assuming the transfer reset it.

Source: BAC Credomatic: LifeMiles credit card accrual rules, Panama. See do airline miles expire for every program's rule.

Avoiding the same mistake next time

Find the award seat first and confirm it books with Avianca LifeMiles at the price you expect. Only then transfer, and only the amount the award needs; the rest keeps its flexibility in Citi.
Read the partner name on the confirmation screen before you confirm. Several partners have similar names (Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Red, the four Avios programs) and a mis-tap lands the points somewhere else for good.
Hold Citi points in Citi until a trip is certain. There they keep their cash option and their choice of partners, and transfer bonuses of 20 to 40 percent come round several times a year.
Keep the confirmation email until the miles post, and check the airline account under the same name before assuming a transfer failed; posting times run from minutes to two weeks depending on the issuer and the airline.
Our guide to transferring credit card points to airlines covers ratios, timing and fees for every issuer.

Citi to Avianca LifeMiles: FAQ

Can I reverse a Citi transfer to Avianca LifeMiles?: No. Citi's points transfer FAQ says transfer requests cannot be cancelled or reversed, and that once ThankYou Points are transferred, the travel program's currency cannot be converted or transferred back to ThankYou Points. The points are Avianca LifeMiles now and follow Avianca LifeMiles's rules.
Can I move Avianca LifeMiles back to Citi ThankYou Points?: No. Capital One says there is no way to move miles back into a Capital One account once a transfer is finalized, and LifeMiles lists no conversion out to a bank or another airline program.
Will Citi refund the transfer if the award seat is gone?: No. Citi's pages make no exception for award seats that disappear after a transfer, which is why the usual advice is to find the seat and confirm the price before moving points. Once the miles post, the choice is between waiting for new availability, using them another way or selling them.
How much are my Avianca LifeMiles worth now?: Published valuations put Avianca LifeMiles at 1.30¢ to 1.55¢ each when redeemed for flights, with partner premium-cabin awards above that and cash-style redemptions below. As cash, Points Plug pays 1.11¢ to 1.32¢ per mile depending on the balance, so 100,000 miles fetch about $1,180.
How does selling Avianca LifeMiles to Points Plug work?: Enter your balance in the quote form for an instant offer and price per mile. Accept it, and our team confirms the details, books last-minute travel for pre-qualified customers through your account and pays you by your preferred method, typically within 24-48 hours of the booking. The minimum is 50,000 miles in one program, and the quote is free with no obligation.
Can I give the miles to someone else or pool them?: Avianca's help centre lists paid miles transfers between members among the LifeMiles transactions charged to a card, without giving the price. The head of an elite member's family group, up to seven people, can move miles between the group's accounts free of charge.
Do Avianca LifeMiles expire after a transfer?: LifeMiles' own terms load only in its app. The LifeMiles card rules BAC Credomatic publishes in Panama say miles expire on a rolling 18-month basis under conditions LifeMiles sets, and Cardless says US cardholders keep their miles while they use the card, which points to activity keeping miles valid. Check the date in your LifeMiles account. Holders of the US avianca lifemiles American Express cards keep their miles for as long as they use the card, according to Cardless. LifeMiles' own terms load only in its app. The LifeMiles card rules published through BAC Credomatic describe a rolling 18-month validity, so check the expiry date shown in your LifeMiles account rather than assuming the transfer reset it.

Sources

Citi ThankYou Rewards: points transfer FAQ · official page
Citi ThankYou Rewards FAQ · official page
Citi Premier Card terms and conditions (points transfers) · official page
Capital One: miles transfer partners guide · official page
Avianca help centre: duplicate charges on LifeMiles transactions (transfers are paid transactions) · official page
LifeMiles help centre: family pooling · official page
BAC Credomatic: LifeMiles credit card accrual rules, Panama (validity) · official page

Other accidental transfers

Into Avianca LifeMiles from another program

From Citi into another airline

Every bank's rule on reversing transfers, with a page for each transfer route.