Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[bcworld]

So...who's heard of Avianca Lifemiles!??

New Star member with a very interesting FFP.

-one way redemptions (albeit it seems no stopovers)
-part cash part miles options (only 40% of base miles needed)
-no YQ charged...only REAL taxes
-online award booking
-AND a history of running 100% bonus buy miles promos!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

So...who's heard of Avianca Lifemiles!??

New Star member with a very interesting FFP.

-one way redemptions (albeit it seems no stopovers)
-part cash part miles options (only 40% of base miles needed)
-no YQ charged...only REAL taxes
-online award booking
-AND a history of running 100% bonus buy miles promos!

I wonder how easy it would be to call and book an award!! (and I can't even access the frequent flyer page )

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I wonder how easy it would be to call and book an award!! (and I can't even access the frequent flyer page )

I've had no issues logging in and searching. Some examples - all oneway in J (and USD):

MEL-NRT: 50k miles OR 20k miles + $382 + tax
MEL-LHR: 85k miles OR 34k miles + $650 + tax
MEL-NYC: 67.5k miles OR 27.5k miles + $513 + tax

Standard non promo miles price = $30/1000 miles.

 

[wafliron]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

So...who's heard of Avianca Lifemiles!??

New Star member with a very interesting FFP.

-one way redemptions (albeit it seems no stopovers)
-part cash part miles options (only 40% of base miles needed)
-no YQ charged...only REAL taxes
-online award booking
-AND a history of running 100% bonus buy miles promos!

Sounds interesting... what do they charge for miles? What are the burn rates like?

hmmm - interesting point. It used to be the way that you could buy and gift miles and get the bonus for each. The last few promos (although granted they have just been for buy miles I think??) have stated the 50K max per promo.

However - there seems to be a catch-all which is that the offer cannot be combined with any other offer. The consensus on FT seems to be only one set of 50K.

If you tried it and missed the second 50K I'm not sure how it would work out. US would likely refer you to points.com (almost impossible to reach - they only have a live chat service which runs from 10am to 4pm ET - which is like midnight AU time and takes a while to get through). Even if they didn't, would you get a refund of your $ spent which didn't accrue the extra bonus? Unlikely. So it would be a case maybe of trying the gift with a small amount and seeing if it works...

I see your point re "offer cannot be combined with any other offer" - maybe that's the catch.

Ultimately I'll probably do as you suggest in the final paragraph - buy the initial 50k in each account and then do a small "test gift" to see if any bonus miles are applied (I assume they'd show up instantly if I am eligible?). If they are applied then great. If not I'll either wait for another promo, stump up the cost to just buy another 40k each, or redeem Amex MR to DM via SPG.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I've had no issues logging in and searching. Some examples - all oneway in J (and USD):

MEL-NRT: 50k miles OR 20k miles + $382 + tax
MEL-LHR: 85k miles OR 34k miles + $650 + tax
MEL-NYC: 67.5k miles OR 27.5k miles + $513 + tax

Standard non promo miles price = $30/1000 miles.

how do i get the FF program in english??

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Sounds interesting... what do they charge for miles? What are the burn rates like?



I see your point re "offer cannot be combined with any other offer" - maybe that's the catch.

Ultimately I'll probably do as you suggest in the final paragraph - buy the initial 50k in each account and then do a small "test gift" to see if any bonus miles are applied (I assume they'd show up instantly if I am eligible?). If they are applied then great. If not I'll either wait for another promo, stump up the cost to just buy another 40k each, or redeem Amex MR to DM via SPG.

If you were prepared to buy the miles at full cost anyway then well worth trying to see if you can get double now!

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

how do i get the FF program in english??

Que?


I just went to lifemiles.comand it was already in English. There is a language selector at the top right hand corner of the screen though - mine says Español so presumably yours would say English!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

FT Thread

[TABLE="class: tborder, width: 100%, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt1, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]Avianca/Taca Lifemiles may be Best Program in Star
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Que?


I just went to lifemiles.comand it was already in English. There is a language selector at the top right hand corner of the screen though - mine says Español so presumably yours would say English!

ah ha! thanks. I was entering through the avinca main site and any attempt to get to FF was directing me to some animated presentation.

I wonder if there is a waiting period? I am looking to buy miles for a friend with US but as new account we have to do the whole waiting thing...

 

[drron]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

The FT thread has a link with info for TAs which explains the program in English-sounds not too bad on first read-
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/pdf/111228_LifeMiles_Guidebook_PDF_2_eng.pdf

 

[arraitch]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

AviancaTaca – LifeMiles and Avianca, TACA, and Copa award space now bookable online with Aeroplan, ANA, and United! - One Mile at a Time might also be of interest.

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

AviancaTaca – LifeMiles and Avianca, TACA, and Copa award space now bookable online with Aeroplan, ANA, and United! - One Mile at a Time might also be of interest.

I love that exchange with the reservation agent...classic US!

 

[burmans]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I've had no issues logging in and searching. Some examples - all oneway in J (and USD):

MEL-NRT: 50k miles OR 20k miles + $382 + tax
MEL-LHR: 85k miles OR 34k miles + $650 + tax
MEL-NYC: 67.5k miles OR 27.5k miles + $513 + tax

Standard non promo miles price = $30/1000 miles.

So a trip Aus - Europe return on J would cost me 170K miles * $30 = $US5100 or to Asia $3000. At half price (100% bonus) US would seem to me to be slightly better but good to have another possible option. Or are my calculations wrong?

 

[thehound]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

So a trip Aus - Europe return on J would cost me 170K miles * $30 = $US5100 or to Asia $3000. At half price (100% bonus) US would seem to me to be slightly better but good to have another possible option. Or are my calculations wrong?

Wouldn't you just buy 34k points for $1020, plus $650 plus tax which will be $3500-3600 return? It seems so much cheaper doing it with points and pay there must almost be a catch?!

 

[travelislife]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I signed up and just did a dummy booking for BKK-MEL-BKK and it looks like brilliant value. 36,000 miles + 689 cash + 102 tax, total 36,000 miles + 791. If 36,000 miles at half price, it would be a total of approximately $1400 return in Business Class. Just need a sale to come along! It is nice how it can all be done online as well.

 

[smit0847]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I signed up and just did a dummy booking for BKK-MEL-BKK and it looks like brilliant value. 36,000 miles + 689 cash + 102 tax, total 36,000 miles + 791. If 36,000 miles at half price, it would be a total of approximately $1400 return in Business Class. Just need a sale to come along! It is nice how it can all be done online as well.

Avianca Life Miles (*A Member) should probably have it's own thread - mods - could you split this off?

 

[kamchatsky]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Avianca Life Miles (*A Member) should probably have it's own thread - mods - could you split this off?

Agree with that, with first post having all the essential info about it.

 

[smit0847]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

WOW.

I just signed up for life miles and tried a dummy booking. I am so impressed.

Let's just say if they have a 100% buy promo I will not be bothering with US DM at all. Lifemiles could not be simpler.

I tried a dummy booking MEL-NRT(stop)-MNL(dest)-MEL. This is my dream itinerary for my 30th but I dont even think its possible on US DM because the destination is so much backtracking and MNL is not a *A hub.

Lifemiles allows it.

You can book all online and it give you multiple options for flights with various carriers (it offered me 6 different J flight options for NRT-MNL).

It allows Singapore airlines.

You can do multi-city bookings.

It allowed me to choose MEL-SIN-NRT SQ J, NRT-MNL NH J, then MNL-SIN-MEL SQ J.

All for 55,000 + 22,500 + 45,000 miles (all buy no pay selected) + $110 in tax.

Maybe there is something I dont know about this program, and maybe it's too good to be true but after 5 minutes of using it I already like it much more than US DM because you can do it all online. It's so simple!

 

[burmans]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Wouldn't you just buy 34k points for $1020, plus $650 plus tax which will be $3500-3600 return? It seems so much cheaper doing it with points and pay there must almost be a catch?!

The other posters have hit on it, $3500-3600 by itself isn't great compared to US but combine with a 100% buy promo and you are rocking. Anyone have any idea how often these occur?

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

It allows Singapore airlines.

I am somewhat skeptical about what I was seeing re SQ...i.e. A380/77W options aplenty. Something is not quite right about that.

Also their own website says:
[h=3]Singapore Airlines

Enjoy your Miles[/h]As of September 2012, you will be able to use your LifeMiles to redeem tickets or to obtain Business Class or First Class upgrades on flights operated by Singapore Airlines that apply.