You've been flying Avianca for years, and you may have thought that some day they would honor your loyalty with something truly high-end. Well, that day has arrived.

Avianca's Lifemiles loyalty program just got a brand new top-tier elite status: Magno, which builds upon all the benefits they offered before. Complimentary upgrades and free lounge access, double mileage earning, dedicated support and much, much more comes to mind when considering the way Magno is designed to make Avianca's most avid customers feel like the most cherished customers of the airline. Well, they are. The new status comes with a lot of benefits, here are all the details!

A Fifth Tier Enters the Picture

It is important to grasp the importance of this launch and understand its place in the prevailing Lifemiles framework. In the past, the program was in four categories: Red Plus, Silver Elite, Gold Elite and Diamond Elite. Diamond was the ceiling, the pinnacle both Avianca's highest volume travelers had strived for and been proud of.

Magno changes that. It comes after Diamond Elite, forming a fifth, and unique class for the airline's “most loyal customers.” It's a sort of addition that suggests it's the sort of loyalty the firm is dedicated to competing with on the high-end market, not just in Latin American, but internationally as its membership in the Star Alliance and growing presence in the market indicate. Avianca didn't state the precise requirements that will incentivize members to become Magno, but the benefits package sends the message loud and clear.

The Benefits, From the Ground Up

It isn't a single feature that's so remarkable about Magno it's the layered, end to end experience. The advantages are available from the moment you arrive at the airport until you leave, and much longer afterwards!

In addition to all of these conveniences before travel, Magno members enjoy the added luxury of having access to all seat classes, such as the Plus seats and emergency exit row seats (usually extra-class seats that others have to pay for). Another very convenient benefit that members enjoy is the possibility of having same-day flights changed in Colombia, which can be very useful for those who have tight schedules.

One of the more unique pre-travel advantages, however, is a committed WhatsApp support channel that can be availed before, during as well as after every journey. These days, phone support is usually a time-consuming and unhelpful process, so a personal phone support line is what makes a customer loyalty program great.

New York and London's top tip for the airport: Priority everything!

All Magno members use a separate track within the terminal at the airport. Priority check-in and check-out and priority boarding are standard, as are Fast Track security measures at participating airports, which are invaluable in such a time-challenged world.

Avianca's main airport is Bogotá El Dorado International Airport (BOG) where Magno members can enjoy their own Magno Executive agents dedicated to their care. It's not just a shared premium services desk, it's a dedicated touchpoint for Avianca's highest status travellers. The package at the airport level also includes additional baggage allowances, which will result in less mental calculation and costs before each journey.

• The ultimate in lounge access.Lounge access with a twist.
• It is a basic requirement and expectation for most prestigious programs at this level. But Avianca has pulled that standard up a lot with Magno.
• What Magno Members will see on the front of their lounge:
• No limitations on how many visits to Avianca's VIP rooms you may make.

Up to four guests per lounge visit is a very liberal number of guests per lounge visit when compared to most other programs that will only allow one or two guests to come in per visit. Hundreds of partner lounges around the world, including access to Full Star Alliance Gold lounge around the world.

A select few trips to Star Alliance partner lounges.

The lounge package is virtually a major real-world value to those travelers who spend many hours in airport lounges around the world, not to mention in Latin America, the Americas and anywhere else. The advantages of being Onboarded and Powers of being Earned.

It's not as if the Magno benefits end after you get on board. Subject to availability, members can get complimentary upgrades on business class Avianca routes in the Americas and on domestic flights in Colombia. This is a positive change for customers who have been waiting years and booking economy and finding it hard to believe that they'll upgrade.

Frequent flyers with Magno enjoy free snacks and drinks on all flights, a gesture which is very helpful and makes them feel welcome for the entire flight.

The program offers 100% elite mileage bonus on all flights operated by Avianca on the earning side. In real terms, that also means that the members who fly eligible miles will collect double the miles to use in the future. That compounded effect adds up rapidly over a year's worth of travel for a high frequency traveler.

What We Still Don't Know

One thing is holding back the announcement, Avianca hasn't yet revealed its qualification conditions for members achieving “Magno” status. While the airline has stated that it is aimed at the most loyal to its customers, the requirements are not yet revealed, either in terms of flight segments, miles of flight, or a spending measure.

That's a huge factor for travelers who are weighing their travel options when it comes to purchasing any more flights with Avianca to climb to the next tier. As soon as the qualification criteria are announced, we will be able to determine much more clearly if Magno is achievable for the regular regional traveller or only a very select few of the high-volume regional flyers.

Final Thought

Avianca's Magno Elite launch is one of the more compelling loyalty program moves to come out of Latin American aviation in recent years. The benefit package is thoughtful, layered, and genuinely premium from the WhatsApp support channel to the four-guest lounge access to the upgrade eligibility and doubled mileage earning. It's not a status built on marketing language; the perks are concrete and practically valuable for anyone flying Avianca with real frequency.

The missing piece qualification criteria is a significant one, and the program's true value won't be fully assessable until those thresholds are public. But the direction is clear: Avianca is investing in its top travelers, and Magno is the most serious statement the Lifemiles program has made yet about competing at the premium tier of airline loyalty. If you're already a Diamond Elite member, it's worth watching this space closely.