After a five-year hiatus, Colombia’s flag carrier is returning to the Windy City. Beginning in late October, Avianca will begin nonstop service to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
The move will mark the first time the Bogota-based airline has served Chicago since 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. The carrier will operate daily flights from O’Hare to its home base, El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogotá.
As a Star Alliance partner with the popular LifeMiles loyalty program for redemption sweet spots, it makes sense that the carrier would return to United Airlines’ home city.
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Route details
Avianca will operate its service between Chicago and the Colombian capital daily with Airbus A320 aircraft, with a total capacity of 180 passengers.
Here’s how the guidelines pan out:
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- ORD-BOG — Departs at 2:35 PM, arrives at 8:25 PM
- BOG-ORD — departs at 7:00 a.m., arrives at 1:15 p.m
More Avianca, LifeMiles offer
Avianca’s return to Chicago will give the carrier a total of 13 US cities, and with a growing footprint. Even before the announcement of these new routes, the carrier’s total seats in the U.S. in 2024 are set to grow 27% from 2023 — and nearly 38% from 2019, according to data from aviation analytics firm Sirius.
Fundamentals of Loyalty: The best ways to earn airline miles
While plenty of travelers may be eager to fly Avianca on this new route, keep in mind that even if you’ve never (or rarely, at least) set foot on an Avianca aircraft, its LifeMiles program is a useful bet.
The program is known for its award chart that often creates sweet spots for Star Alliance redemptions, including domestic US flights on United.
American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, CitiThankYou Rewards and Built Rewards all transfer 1:1 to Avianca LifeMiles.
Hoping to earn enough points for your next redemption? Here are the best credit card welcome offers we’re seeing this month.
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Editorial Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone, not of any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.