First Electronic Bank
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
- Top earn
- 2.4%
- Annual fee
- $249
Card comparison
Which card is better between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card is the better overall pick over avianca lifemiles American Express Elite because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (55 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Bilt Obsidian Card
Annual fee Bilt Obsidian Card
Welcome bonus avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
Benefits value Bilt Obsidian Card
Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger overall pick between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (55 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. avianca lifemiles American Express Elite (2.4% top effective rate) vs Bilt Obsidian Card (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose avianca lifemiles American Express Elite when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Bilt Obsidian Card when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card trade wins row by row. avianca lifemiles American Express Elite peaks at 2.4% effective; Bilt Obsidian Card peaks at 3%. Bilt Obsidian Card wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | avianca lifemiles American Express Elite | Bilt Obsidian Card | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2x miles (2.4%) | 3x points (3%) | Bilt Obsidian Card · 0.6 pts |
| Grocery | 1x miles (1.2%) | 3x points (3%) | Bilt Obsidian Card · 1.8 pts |
| Gas | 1x miles (1.2%) | 1x points (1%) | avianca lifemiles American Express Elite · 0.2 pts |
| Travel | 1x miles (1.2%) | 1x points (1%) | avianca lifemiles American Express Elite · 0.2 pts |
| Other | 1x miles (1.2%) | 1x points (1%) | avianca lifemiles American Express Elite · 0.2 pts |
| Welcome bonus | ~$720 estimated | ~$2 estimated | avianca lifemiles American Express Elite |
| Est. annual benefits | $0/yr | $4105/yr | Bilt Obsidian Card |
| Annual fee | $249 | $95 | Bilt Obsidian Card |
| Holistic overall | 45 pts (cat 20, bonus 20, benefits 0, fee 5) | 55 pts (cat 20, bonus 0, benefits 25, fee 10) | Bilt Obsidian Card |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite (2.4% top effective rate) vs Bilt Obsidian Card (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use avianca lifemiles American Express Elite when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Use Bilt Obsidian Card when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. avianca lifemiles American Express Elite is.
Hold both?
Many First Electronic Bank users can hold both cards if each covers a different spend lane and the combined annual fees still clear your break-even math.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, avianca lifemiles American Express Elite leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Madeen estimates $0 annual benefit value on avianca lifemiles American Express Elite versus $4105 on Bilt Obsidian Card. Credits only matter if you will use them.
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
Total est. value: $0/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- 10% discount
- 10% miles back
- 25% redemption discount
- 40% more miles
- 6,000 miles annually
Bilt Obsidian Card
Total est. value: $4,105/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Lyft $1,440/yr
- Purchase Assurance $1,000/yr
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection $800/yr
- Mastercard Transit Benefit $200/yr
- World Elite Concierge $150/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, avianca lifemiles American Express Elite leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. avianca lifemiles American Express Elite lists 60k Avianca LifeMiles; Bilt Obsidian Card lists.
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
60k Avianca LifeMiles
Bilt Obsidian Card
200 Bilt Points
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Both avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card carry structured reward caps in the catalog. Compare the category that matters most before assuming the headline multiplier lasts all year.
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
- 2x miles on dining
Bilt Obsidian Card
- 3X points on your choice of dining or grocery )Grocery up to $25K/year)
- 3X points on your choice of dining or grocery )Grocery up to $25K/year) Capped at $25000 per year.
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
Bilt Obsidian Card is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
Bilt Obsidian Card is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick avianca lifemiles American Express Elite
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, avianca lifemiles American Express Elite leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (55 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. avianca lifemiles American Express Elite (2.4% top effective rate) vs Bilt Obsidian Card (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick avianca lifemiles American Express Elite over Bilt Obsidian Card?
Choose avianca lifemiles American Express Elite if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $249 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2.4% effective (2x miles).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 80% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $249 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Avianca LifeMiles value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
When should you pick Bilt Obsidian Card over avianca lifemiles American Express Elite?
Choose Bilt Obsidian Card if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $95 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3% effective (3x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $95 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Bilt Points value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
Common questions about avianca lifemiles American Express Elite vs Bilt Obsidian Card
Which card is better between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (55 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card leads dining at 3% effective versus 2.4%.
Which card is better for cashback users: avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card is the better cashback-style pick between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, avianca lifemiles American Express Elite leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card has the simpler fee story in this pair ($249 vs $95). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is avianca lifemiles American Express Elite or Bilt Obsidian Card better for travel spend?
avianca lifemiles American Express Elite is the stronger travel-style pick between avianca lifemiles American Express Elite and Bilt Obsidian Card in this snapshot.
Can you hold both First Electronic Bank cards?
Yes, many people can hold both First Electronic Bank cards when each covers a different spend lane and the combined fees still make sense.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-06-25
Content tier Standard
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