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Lifemiles Basics

Buying miles:

Lifemiles runs frequent promotions for buying miles, usually for 1.5 cents per mile. Given that Lifemiles has one of the most reasonable Star Alliance award charts, linked here, and doesn't charge fuel surcharges for any partners, buying miles can make a lot of sense.

The promos are usually run in one of two ways.

1. A straight up buy miles promo at 1.5cpm. In all previous buy miles promos, you needed to have an account before the promo starts in order to buy miles. Buying miles though the promo is limited to 75k per year. Be sure to use a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees.

2. A share miles promo. You can share miles from one account to another with a 100% bonus on each transaction. The cost is again 1.5cpm. Although in the past you needed to have a Lifemiles account in order to take advantage of the promo, the current promo (7/3-13) does not require a previously open account to participate. In order to maximize the promo on accounts not previously open, open 2 accounts, buy 1k miles at 3cpm, then share back and forth between both account at 1.5cpm. You can share back and forth between 2 accounts an unlimited amount of times provided you stay under the 75k cap. Doing this will most likely trigger a fraud alert with your CC, so it may be a good idea to call them beforehand and give them a heads up.

Lifemiles will also allow you to buy up to 60% of the miles required for booking a flight. The cost starts at 3cpm but is nonlinear. There are sweet spots that allows you to buy a large quantity of miles for 1.5cpm, usually in the 25-35k range. The 1.5cpm sweetspot varies depending on the amount required for the award. Full CPM spreadsheet linked here. (HT: Some dude on FT.)

Lifemiles is known to devalue without warning so hoarding miles is not advised. Buying miles at booking allows to hedge against sudden devaluations.

There is also a Lifemiles credit card  that occasionally offers a 40k bonus. Linked here.

Redeeming Lifemiles:
You can only redeem flights which are shown online. The Lifemiles call center has a horrible reputation and is usually useless. Emailing them usually yields better results if you can wait a day or two.

Lifemiles does not allow mixed cabin redemptions. If you want to book a first class flight with connections, you will need to book all legs in first class or book separate tickets.

Lifemiles is known to have better access to Miles & More and Singapore premium cabins than the rest of Star Alliance.

Lifemiles does not charge any fuel surcharges.

Lifemiles does not allow stopovers or open jaws on awards.

The max layover time that the booking engine will usually show is 8 hours, although people have had success forcing much longer layover times.

Lifemiles does not issue any lap infant award tickets.

Lifemiles cannot book any Austrian flights operated by Tyrolean Airways.

You can access partner confirmation numbers and eticket numbers with your Lifemiles PNR at checkmytrip.com

Lifemiles will occasionally show boomerang routings, which are routings that go from A-B, via C.  ;)

There are many mispriced cities and quirks in the Lifemiles booking engine, allowing for really cheap international awards.  ;)

Canceling a Lifemiles award: (HT, FT)

Lifemiles charges $150 to change an award and $50 to cancel.

Canceling:

1. This will take 20-30 minutes and costs $50
2. You have to pay the $50 up front and will need to have your credit card handy
3. You will need a PIN number for the call center. You set up the PIN online by changing your "information and preferences". Note that this has 3 pages but you only need to change the "Manage the Basics" page and hit "Save". The progress-bar at the top never seems to reach 100% but it doesn't matter. There are two places to press "Save and continue" when you give the PIN. The top button doesn't work. You have to click on the one on the bottom of the screen
4. Call the USA reservations number preferably during business hours +1 800 284 2622
5. Key 2 for English (or 1 for Spanish), 3 for Lifemiles/Corporate, then 1 for Lifemiles
6. If you have got a noisy phone line, hang up and go back to step 4. It is possible to get a good line even from overseas.
7. With luck, someone coherent will answer. If not, don't waste your time, HUCA
8. Give them the PNR to be cancelled
9. You will be asked "do you have a PIN". say yes. You will be put on hold
10. You will be connected to an automated system to key in your PIN. Don't press # afterwards.
11. You will be asked to pay the $50 via an automated system. You'll be asked for your CC number, then you must repeat it. Don't press # afterwards. Then the expiry month, then year, then the id number. Be ready to rattle through the keys as any hesitation causes the system to think you've finished. So, typically you will need 2-3 attempts. [The operator listens in on the automated process and helps you along if you don’t key in the right numbers]
13. You will be put on hold for 5-10 minutes while the card is checked. It may fail the first time, for no reason. Go back to step 12.
14. Once the CC is confirmed the operator will ask you for the full billing address, then your name as it appears on the card, then the name of the bank which issued the card.
15. You will be put on hold for 5-10 minutes
16. The operator will confirm the cancellation, or rather confirm it will be put in the queue for manual cancellation.
17. After 24 hours or so, you should receive an E Mail receipt for the $50 (could be in Spanish)
18. Miles will be refunded within 2-3 days, as if you had paid using the maximum miles with no cash to refund all the cash and the miles to what you had before making the booking. The miles sometimes reappear immediately. [Most often, the miles are available within 24 hours.]
19. The taxes - fairly modest - will be refunded in full since you already paid the cancellation fee up front. The refund should hit the CC within a week or so. No refund for the $25 booking fee.
20. The refund will be refunded to the original card.



« Last edited by username on March 11, 2019, 02:37:39 PM »

Author Topic: Lifemiles Master Thread  (Read 130302 times)

Offline Mendel72

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #160 on: May 28, 2019, 07:12:39 PM »
Just had the exact same thing on Friday so called in the booking and they made a PNR and said someone would call me for the CC for the taxes and that's what they did today. So I would say HUCA.

Spoke to multiple agent, including a supervisor. They say they can't do that.

No response from email support either.

Offline israshot

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #161 on: June 02, 2019, 04:03:09 PM »
Anyone was able to book air Canada flights with LM in the past few days?

Offline bznt

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #162 on: June 02, 2019, 04:10:34 PM »
Spoke to multiple agent, including a supervisor. They say they can't do that.

No response from email support either.
Interesting.  I had a issue where it errored out just before booking and I knew that the flights is available because I saw it on United. So I called and they gave me this option. They created a PNR. And about an hour later someone called me back for my credit card. They did not ask for any booking fees

Offline Mendel72

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #163 on: June 02, 2019, 06:02:15 PM »
Anyone was able to book air Canada flights with LM in the past few days?

Mine didn't go through yet. They say they are still "working on it".

Offline yelped

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #164 on: June 03, 2019, 08:02:19 PM »
New 25% transfer bonus. From now until July 5th. Seems like from hotel partners and thank you points only.

Offline davidrotts63

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #165 on: June 03, 2019, 08:03:01 PM »
New 25% transfer bonus. From now until July 5th. Seems like from hotel partners and thank you points only.
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=104157.msg2098971.msg#2098971
:)
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Offline yelped

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #166 on: June 03, 2019, 08:05:53 PM »
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=104157.msg2098971.msg#2098971
:)
Lol. From email seems like 25% on CC partners is only from thank you points.

ETA: Scratch that. I thought you wrote MR...

Offline ludmila

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #167 on: June 03, 2019, 08:09:35 PM »
Lol. From email seems like 25% on CC partners is only from thank you points.

ETA: Scratch that. I thought you wrote MR...
Was not there one with MR lately?
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Offline theyankel

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #168 on: June 20, 2019, 05:19:03 PM »
i found saver on UA and Aeroplan and Miles and More. not showing on LM. anyone having same issue?
« Last Edit: June 20, 2019, 05:28:10 PM by theyankel »

Offline grodnoking

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #169 on: June 20, 2019, 06:43:49 PM »
i found saver on UA and Aeroplan and Miles and More. not showing on LM. anyone having same issue?
Always. They don't have everything.


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Offline ExGingi

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #170 on: June 26, 2019, 01:31:14 PM »
Got the following email:

Quote
As you may be aware from recent news, Avianca is going through some significant managerial & Board changes at the moment. As a result of this news, some LifeMiles members have asked us about the future of the LifeMiles program and of their miles.

We would like to reassure you that LifeMiles will continue to be the loyalty program of Avianca for many years to come.  In fact, going forward, we only expect both Avianca and LifeMiles to be stronger and better than ever.

In addition to the above, we should clarify that Avianca Brazil and Avianca Argentina, as well as their respective loyalty programs, are managed and owned separately from Avianca and LifeMiles. Accordingly, impacts on Avianca Brazil, Avianca Argentina, and/or their respective loyalty programs, do not affect LifeMiles in any way.

We are committed to continue striving to provide the best possible service and value for our members, and we thank you for your loyalty!

Best,


The LifeMiles Team

Whenever someone tells you not to be concerned, might be the time to be concerned.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Offline sillypainter

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #171 on: June 26, 2019, 01:49:43 PM »
Was thinking the same :-)

Offline yelped

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #172 on: June 26, 2019, 02:36:40 PM »
But they did say that it's not owned by the airline.

Offline Pesach

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #173 on: June 26, 2019, 03:07:23 PM »
can you transfer into one lifemiles account  from multiple citi accounts/ a friend, relative etc and still get the 25% bonus?
« Last Edit: June 26, 2019, 03:39:13 PM by Pesach »

Offline yandmk

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #174 on: June 26, 2019, 03:40:51 PM »
Anyone else find the sight to be very buggy?
Allows to search even while not logged-in but results show no availability  ::) (misleading)
Looking out 2 weeks from now EWR - TLV and I see significantly less availability than on united.com (UA metal)

Offline grodnoking

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #175 on: June 26, 2019, 03:44:05 PM »
Anyone else find the sight to be very buggy?
Allows to search even while not logged-in but results show no availability  ::) (misleading)
Looking out 2 weeks from now EWR - TLV and I see significantly less availability than on united.com (UA metal)
The don't show connecting flights which the second leg starts the day after the first leg. At least when I used it last it was like that. Bothersome.
I'm not who you think I am.

Offline yandmk

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #176 on: June 26, 2019, 03:57:01 PM »
The don't show connecting flights which the second leg starts the day after the first leg. At least when I used it last it was like that. Bothersome.
That would be the case with any eastbound international flight. But I'm even referring to UA nonstop

Offline ExGingi

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #177 on: June 26, 2019, 05:14:06 PM »
That would be the case with any eastbound international flight. But I'm even referring to UA nonstop

UA nonstop service to TLV is rarely available for miles (in J).
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Offline yandmk

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #178 on: June 26, 2019, 05:22:22 PM »
UA nonstop service to TLV is rarely available for miles (in J).
I'm referring to things available on united.com (when not logged in) and haapens to be Y

Offline israshot

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Re: Lifemiles Master Thread
« Reply #179 on: June 26, 2019, 05:27:46 PM »
The don't show connecting flights which the second leg starts the day after the first leg. At least when I used it last it was like that. Bothersome.
Huh...not true. Just saw a few today.