Article: No Availability: What’s the Point of Buying LifeMiles in 2022?

[AFF Editor]

No Availability: What’s the Point of Buying LifeMiles in 2022? is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

No Availability: What's the Point of Buying LifeMiles in 2022?

LifeMiles, the frequent flyer program of Star Alliance member Avianca, is known for its regular and generous promotions that make it cheap to buy miles.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[drron]

Totally agree. Once I have been able to use my points LM will never be used again.

 

[Notyourbag]

Totally agree. Once I have been able to use my points LM will never be used again.

100% agree but I also haven't had much luck with Aeroplan as their "business reward seats" are often the domestic MEL-SYD leg of an overseas sector

 

[Guvner]

The good times have well and truly passed us by. Back in the day (July 2014) I snagged four business awards SIN-CDG on SQ flights for the family via LM and four MUC-JNB-DUR-JNB on SA as well.
Bookended them with flights in/out of MEL on QF points. All done online in about 2 hours.
Youngsters these days wouldn't believe me.

FROM /TO FLIGHT CL DATE DEP FARE BASIS NVB NVA BAG ST

SIN CHANGI SQ 336 I 27JUL 2355 /IAWARD 27JUL 27JUL NO OK
TERMINAL:3 FLIGHT OPERATED BY: SINGAPORE AIRLINES
PARIS CDG ARRIVAL TIME: 0720
TERMINAL:1

AT CHECK-IN, PLEASE SHOW A PICTURE IDENTIFICATION AND THE DOCUMENT YOU GAVE
FOR REFERENCE AT RESERVATION TIME

ENDORSEMENTS : NON END/REF FEE50USD/CHNG150USD/LIFEMILES TKT AWARD/NO MILES
PAYMENT : CC VI xx_xx_xx_xx_3353/Exp0815 M530713 26.99

FARE CALCULATION :SIN SQ PAR 000.00NUC 000.00 END ROE1.000000

AIR FARE : SGD 0.00
EQUIV FARE PAID : USD 0.00
TAX : USD 15.80SG 4.84OP 6.35OO
TOTAL : USD 26.99

 

[kpc]

I have literally bought millions of points with LM over the years.....booked a lot of long haul J awards to / from Sydney. Also managed some nice F awards eg 4 awards on OZ F from Jfk to Icn, 3 awards on TG F Syd-Bkk-Fra but in the last few years have bought none as awards to / from OZ have dried up. I still have about 600K LMs to use up and then that will be it with the LM program for me...unless of course J awards to / from Oz open up again

 

[drron]

I have found a few OZ j awards though not on the Australian routes. Will probably end up using those to get through my LM points.

 

[goldenhorn]

So depressing - over 300K in purchased points (cost close to $8K in 2019) for covid-cancelled SYD-YVR return trip. Losing hope I can use them to travel next year unless LM awards open up. I guess the worse case is I book hotels with them.

 

[aspro2]

I think people have to accept that points are either a short play or a game of patience. We're in an exceptional period still, from minimal travel and few planes to bazillions of travellers with hoards of points. There's no reason to assume it won't settle down to the "good old days", but it won't be for another year or three (assuming no wonderful "enhancements" to spoil all the old fun things).

 

[randompunter]

I agree, will only buy if I can immediately use them. Pre-covid I used them for a few different trips on CA J, OZ J and TG F. The CA J flights were a real PITA when BNE - PEK was cancelled a few months out and neither CA or LM would help re-ticket. CA put their own pax on a QF flight to MEL but all LM would offer was a refund for a steep fee. Eventually I whinged / spammed enough LM email addresses that they re-ticketed ex-MEL despite being a change in origin and against their own rules

Also not a fan when their website bombs and you have to use the "screenshot" method.

And believe it or not I once earned a few hundred Lifemiles by flying on Avianca metal from UIO to GYE.

 

[burmans]

Personally I think its too soon to call LM dead. Yes, availability is terrible at the moment but that doesn't mean it will be terrible for ever. While LM is an extreme example, availability is fairly poor across all FF programs. We all know the reasons behind this but I do think these will unwind over time.

Will I buy more points, only enough to keep those I have from expiring but have I written my existing LM points off, no way. I remain confident that reward availability will improve over time (and that's for all programs, not just LM).

 

[drron]

Well there may be a few green shoots appearing. Seeing a few more intra asia routes with J awards on BR and OZ. And also on OZ to and from SYD. 50000 points to ICN and 40000 return.
Hope the improvement continues.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes… BR does seem a ‘green shoot’! I just burned my total balance of LM with two separate redemptions on BR to and from BNE. The bookings were for different pax but I noticed that of booking round-trip the old mileage top-up calculator seems to be in play… decreasing cost to top up until you reach the sweet spot. For one way bookings only the - almost full - price of miles applied… USD30 per 1000 (slightly discounted from the standard USD33 per 1000)

FWIW SQ wanted 90k krisflyer each way as a standard award (dates are coming up in the next few months, no advantage to be found anywhere). LM was 90k for the return.

LM is a good program when you can find availability!

 

[Mattg]

You can currently get up to 4 NZ J seats on MEL-AKL or BNE-AKL, or up to 2 seats on SYD-AKL, for travel over the next 3 months.

There's also an occasional AKL-PER J award available.

Unusual Air New Zealand Award Availability

Air New Zealand Business Class award availability via partner airlines is rare, but there are seats available on selected routes to Auckland.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[burmans]

Those AKL - PER awards are very good value! Not that it’s very useful to me.

 

[Buzzard]

In the past I have booked quite a few flights for family and friends as well as myself including F SYD - CDG.
These days I just buy the minimum to ensure my holding doesn't expire.

 

[burmans]

Our time will come! And if recent lack of availability causes some to look elsewhere that’s fine by me.

 

[Ansett767]

The good times have well and truly passed us by. Back in the day (July 2014) I snagged four business awards SIN-CDG on SQ flights for the family via LM and four MUC-JNB-DUR-JNB on SA as well.
Bookended them with flights in/out of MEL on QF points. All done online in about 2 hours.
Youngsters these days wouldn't believe me.

FROM /TO FLIGHT CL DATE DEP FARE BASIS NVB NVA BAG ST

SIN CHANGI SQ 336 I 27JUL 2355 /IAWARD 27JUL 27JUL NO OK
TERMINAL:3 FLIGHT OPERATED BY: SINGAPORE AIRLINES
PARIS CDG ARRIVAL TIME: 0720
TERMINAL:1

AT CHECK-IN, PLEASE SHOW A PICTURE IDENTIFICATION AND THE DOCUMENT YOU GAVE
FOR REFERENCE AT RESERVATION TIME

ENDORSEMENTS : NON END/REF FEE50USD/CHNG150USD/LIFEMILES TKT AWARD/NO MILES
PAYMENT : CC VI xx_xx_xx_xx_3353/Exp0815 M530713 26.99

FARE CALCULATION :SIN SQ PAR 000.00NUC 000.00 END ROE1.000000

AIR FARE : SGD 0.00
EQUIV FARE PAID : USD 0.00
TAX : USD 15.80SG 4.84OP 6.35OO
TOTAL : USD 26.99

The good times have well and truly passed us by. Back in the day (July 2014) I snagged four business awards SIN-CDG on SQ flights for the family via LM and four MUC-JNB-DUR-JNB on SA as well.
Bookended them with flights in/out of MEL on QF points. All done online in about 2 hours.
Youngsters these days wouldn't believe me.

FROM /TO FLIGHT CL DATE DEP FARE BASIS NVB NVA BAG ST

SIN CHANGI SQ 336 I 27JUL 2355 /IAWARD 27JUL 27JUL NO OK
TERMINAL:3 FLIGHT OPERATED BY: SINGAPORE AIRLINES
PARIS CDG ARRIVAL TIME: 0720
TERMINAL:1

AT CHECK-IN, PLEASE SHOW A PICTURE IDENTIFICATION AND THE DOCUMENT YOU GAVE
FOR REFERENCE AT RESERVATION TIME

ENDORSEMENTS : NON END/REF FEE50USD/CHNG150USD/LIFEMILES TKT AWARD/NO MILES
PAYMENT : CC VI xx_xx_xx_xx_3353/Exp0815 M530713 26.99

FARE CALCULATION :SIN SQ PAR 000.00NUC 000.00 END ROE1.000000

AIR FARE : SGD 0.00
EQUIV FARE PAID : USD 0.00
TAX : USD 15.80SG 4.84OP 6.35OO
TOTAL : USD 26.99

Oh my, those were the good old days!!! I hear you.

First and only time flying F for me. TG award availability back in 2013-15 to LHR in December and June when I travelled a lot were common.

I stupidly bought so many miles and have barely used them the last 6 years with a massive balance I’m keeping active by spending $ on 1k miles each year. Lesson learnt, but hoping J class availability to AU opens up again one of these days!! (Wishful thinking?)

 

[Buzzard]

Oh my, those were the good old days!!! I hear you.

First and only time flying F for me. TG award availability back in 2013-15 to LHR in December and June when I travelled a lot were common.

I stupidly bought so many miles and have barely used them the last 6 years with a massive balance I’m keeping active by spending $ on 1k miles each year. Lesson learnt, but hoping J class availability to AU opens up again one of these days!! (Wishful thinking?)

Not so many years ago I / we also enjoyed some fabulous F and J rewards on some interesting routes.
Like you, for USD $33/year I'm keeping my account alive and hopefully something will come up.

 

[kpc]

I have literally bought millions of points with LM over the years.....booked a lot of long haul J awards to / from Sydney. Also managed some nice F awards eg 4 awards on OZ F from Jfk to Icn, 3 awards on TG F Syd-Bkk-Fra but in the last few years have bought none as awards to / from OZ have dried up. I still have about 600K LMs to use up and then that will be it with the LM program for me...unless of course J awards to / from Oz open up again

I still have 487K miles...my latest bookings have been x2 SK J Kef-Cph and x2 MS J Ist- Cai-Kgl. So still can get some reasonable awards but not to / from Australian ports.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Not so many years ago I / we also enjoyed some fabulous F and J rewards on some interesting routes.
Like you, for USD $33/year I'm keeping my account alive and hopefully something will come up.

I use the hotel option to keep my miles alive (book with miles and later cancel).