The avianca lifemiles program is among the most helpful frequent flyer applications on the market for redeeming miles. The great thing about lifemiles is that it’s not simply helpful if you wish to fly with avianca, but in addition if you wish to journey on any Star Alliance provider, particularly in a premium cabin.
On this put up I needed to take a better have a look at the lifemiles program, particularly in mild of latest developments. I’ll discuss incomes and redeeming miles, and normal suggestions for maximizing worth.
Greatest methods to earn avianca lifemiles
Incomes avianca lifemiles couldn’t be a lot simpler, starting from shopping for them outright, to transferring factors from different currencies, to choosing up a lifemiles bank card, to signing up for a month-to-month subscription. Let’s cowl a few of these factors.
Purchase lifemiles instantly
The avianca lifemiles program sells miles instantly, and this system continuously presents promotions on shopping for miles. Typically when this system presents a possibility to purchase miles, you may anticipate the associated fee to be within the vary of 1.2-1.5 cents per mile. This is usually a nice worth.
Switch factors to lifemiles
It’s tremendous straightforward to accrue miles with the lifemiles program, provided that this system companions with some main transferable factors currencies. Particularly, you may switch factors at a 1:1 ratio from Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, and Citi ThankYou.
Be aware that we generally see bonuses on factors transfers to lifemiles, which might stretch your factors even additional. For my part this might be price a speculative switch, given this system’s large enchantment.
Get a lifemiles bank card
Cardless and avianca lifemiles have two co-branded bank cards in america. Not solely do these playing cards have vital welcome presents, however they will doubtlessly be profitable for spending as nicely.
Get a lifemiles+ subscription
The lifemiles+ subscription service lets members pay a month-to-month payment in trade for a wide range of perks. There are fairly a couple of advantages (I’ll discuss extra about them in a bit), however they will earn you wherever from 500 to 10,000 miles per 30 days. I wouldn’t make this my main manner of incomes lifemiles, nevertheless it’s a great way to complement the miles you in any other case earn.
Fundamentals of redeeming avianca lifemiles
Earlier than particularly looking at redemption charges with the lifemiles program, let me discuss some points of this system which might be vital to grasp.
There aren’t any provider imposed surcharges
The lifemiles program doesn’t have provider imposed surcharges for journey on any companions, which is unbelievable. Another Star Alliance frequent flyer applications do have gasoline surcharges, and people can actually add up, particularly for first and enterprise class tickets. So you may know that you simply’ll pay restricted charges whenever you go to redeem your miles.
Don’t trouble with sophisticated itineraries
Should you’re trying to ebook a sophisticated itinerary with a number of layovers, or are fascinated with stopovers, the lifemiles program isn’t for you.
I don’t suppose I’ve ever booked a lifemiles award ticket that included journey on greater than two segments on a one-way itinerary. Some report having luck emailing lifemiles to ticket reservations, however that appears mighty sophisticated, and my purpose with this recommendation is to be sensible. For me, lifemiles is a program that’s about easy, point-to-point journey.
If you wish to ebook sophisticated Star Alliance itineraries (particularly with stopovers), I’d extremely suggest going by Air Canada Aeroplan, which is one other nice program.
Purchase miles at ticketing at an inexpensive price
One factor that makes lifemiles distinctive is that this system enables you to purchase as much as 60% of the miles wanted for a ticket on the time of reserving. The fee per mile doing this varies wherever from 1.5 cents to three.3, although in the event you purchase round 40-60% of the miles wanted on the time of reserving, you may anticipate to pay 1.5 cents per mile.
That’s marginally larger than you’ll pay in the event you outright purchase miles throughout one of the best promotions, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a very good choice to at the very least pay attention to.
There are award availability discrepancies
There are some discrepancies between the award house that lifemiles has entry to and the award house that different Star Alliance frequent flyer applications have entry to. Some individuals report this being an enormous challenge, and declare that this system is ineffective attributable to lack of availability.
I completely don’t wish to dismiss these claims, however that largely doesn’t match my expertise. Maybe it’s the kind of redemptions persons are making an attempt to make. As talked about above, I normally use lifemiles for nonstop, point-to-point journey, particularly throughout the Atlantic (the place the relative pricing is one of the best). Personally I don’t discover many availability discrepancies.
Simply to ensure issues haven’t modified not too long ago, I simply did 4 random award searches for flights I might see myself utilizing lifemiles for:
- LOT enterprise class from Chicago to Warsaw
- Lufthansa enterprise class from Miami to Frankfurt
- SWISS enterprise class from Montreal to Zurich
- United enterprise class from Newark to London
In every case lifemiles displayed precisely the identical award availability as different companion applications. One vital factor to remember is that on lifemiles’ web site there are completely different search choices. There’s a drop down the place you may choose “Sensible Search,” “Star Alliance,” or the title of any particular person companion airline.
I usually discover availability is finest in the event you search the precise airline that has availability, as there are generally variations in what’s displayed relying on the way you search.
So award availability discrepancies is one thing to concentrate on and one thing to do your personal analysis on, nevertheless it’s not one thing I personally think about to be a serious draw back to this system, at the very least based mostly on the varieties of awards I ebook. Others clearly really feel in another way, and I respect that. Nearly all applications have some discrepancies, although.
Change charges & mileage expiration coverage
It’s at all times vital to grasp the change payment and expiration insurance policies for frequent flyer applications, so what are the insurance policies for lifemiles?
- Miles expire after 12 months of inactivity, although lifemiles solely counts mileage incomes exercise (and never mileage redemption exercise) for these functions; so in the event you accrue miles with this system at the very least each 12 months, they gained’t expire
- This system has change and cancelation charges, and you may anticipate that adjustments will ordinarily price $150, whereas cancelations will usually price $50-200; nevertheless, you will get this waived by getting a lifemiles+ subscription (extra on that beneath)
Signal-up for a lifemiles+ subscription
The lifemiles+ subscription service presents 4 completely different tiers you may subscribe to, with a month-to-month payment. There are a couple of key advantages:
- All 4 tiers obtain a ten% rebate on Star Alliance award redemptions, which might stretch your miles additional
- The highest three tiers (all tiers besides “lite”) supply waived change and cancelation charges on lifemiles award tickets
- All tiers supply a month-to-month bonus miles quantity, starting from 500 to 10,000 bonus miles
Should you redeem lifemiles with any frequency, I believe getting a membership right here is a superb worth, notably for the ten% refund and the waived charges. I believe the “fundamental” tier is one of the best worth.
Redemption charges with avianca lifemiles
The avianca lifemiles program now not publishes an award chart, however does have fairly constant award pricing. Simply to offer an instance of charges you may anticipate to pay when originating journey within the mainland of america (all costs are one-way):
- An award inside america prices 7,500-12,500 miles in economic system, or 15,000-25,000 miles in enterprise
- An award to Europe prices 30,000 miles in economic system, 60,000-63,000 miles in enterprise, or 87,000 miles in first
- An award to Southern South America prices 30,000 miles in economic system, or 60,000 miles in enterprise
- An award to North Asia prices 35,000 miles in economic system, 75,000 miles in enterprise, or 90,000 miles in first
- An award to South Asia prices 39,000 miles in economic system, 78,000 miles in enterprise, or 99,000 miles in first
- An award to Central Asia prices 42,500 miles in economic system, 78,000 miles in enterprise, or 111,000 miles in first
- An award to the Center East or North Africa prices 42,500 miles in economic system, 78,000 miles in enterprise, or 105,000 miles in first
- An award to South Africa prices 40,000 miles in economic system, 78,000 miles in enterprise, or 105,000 miles in first
How I strategy redeeming lifemiles
How does lifemiles match into my technique of redeeming miles for first and enterprise class journey? Let me share a couple of normal ideas on how I strategy this system, and the way I at the moment really feel about it:
- I at all times wish to have a stability of at the very least 150K lifemiles (give or take), so will purchase them opportunistically, like when there’s a sale on bought miles, or when there’s a switch bonus
- Once I’m trying to ebook a easy Star Alliance award, I at all times comparability store with Air Canada Aeroplan and avianca lifemiles; I at all times ebook sophisticated awards by Aeroplan, whereas I typically ebook less complicated awards by lifemiles
- I’m pondering of signing up for the brand new lifemiles+ subscription, as a result of the ten% rebate on redemptions, plus the waived change and cancelation charges, makes this system much more compelling
Backside line
The avianca lifemiles program is among the most helpful frequent flyer applications for Star Alliance award redemptions. Should you’re trying to get an excellent deal on a primary or enterprise class award on a Star Alliance provider, it’s powerful to beat the worth of this system.
There are positively some issues to concentrate on with lifemiles, as is the case with all frequent flyer applications. The 2 airline applications I redeem essentially the most factors by are avianca lifemiles and Air Canada Aeroplan, and so they’re nice enhances to at least one one other. Given the low potential acquisition price for lifemiles, you may’t beat the worth of reserving easy, lengthy haul premium cabin awards with these miles.
What has your expertise been with redeeming lifemiles?
