Update 1/18/19: Some people have been targeted for an additional 15% miles. That offer runs through 1/22/19, I believe it was sent out via e-mail but unsure on the subject line. Hat tip to TPG.
The Offer
- Avianca’s LifeMiles program has lanched a new program called ‘Club LifeMiles’. This lets you purchase miles on a monthly basis. If you purchase miles for a full 12 months, you’ll also receive a bonus. The plans are as follows (amount of miles and prices are quoted as monthly, with the yearly bonus in brackets):
- $10.99 plan: 500 miles (2,000 bonus miles): 1.649¢ – 2.198¢ per mile
- $19.99 plan: 1,000 miles (3,000 bonus miles): 1.599¢ – 1.999¢ per mile
- $32.99 plan: 2,000 miles (4,000 bonus miles): 1.414¢ – 1.65¢ per mile
- $49.99 plan: 3,000 miles (6,500 bonus miles). 1.411¢-1.66¢ per mile
- $92.99 plan: 6,000 miles (8,000 bonus miles): 1.395¢ – 1.55¢ per mile
- $129.99 plan: 8,000 miles (16,000 bonus miles: 1.392¢ – 1.62¢ per mile
The Fine Print
- Plans automatically renew after 12 months
- Miles don’t count towards elite status
- Bonus miles are paid out after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months
- Miles do reset LifeMiles expiration dates (12 months after earning. Requires earning points to reset this clock)
Our Verdict
Personally I don’t think purchasing miles makes sense for most people. I guess if you’d usually pay cash for business class tickets and can’t earn enough from credit card bonuses then it can, but it’s something I never do. It’s also worth noting that LifeMiles frequently go on sale, the best sales make them cost 1.32¢ per mile. Given this I guess the only reason to do this is to keep miles active and I’d argue if you’re needing to do that you’d be better off just purchasing a lump sum of miles and using those to actually redeem any orphaned miles you have.
Hat tip to Flyertalk via Point Me To The Plane
