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
I do not know what is wrong, but my price for the 8000 plan is always 125.99 which the actual costs of each point is 1.35 cents. Not 1.39
In general, one should only purchase Lifemiles for a particular flight that will be booked immediately. Miles tend to inflate in the long term and thus have an uncertain value in the long term.
I try to keep all my airline mile balances as low as possible at all times since like you said they can be devalued. Nothing wrong with having a giant pile of bank points (citi, amex, chase, USB) and transferring as close to the exact amount you need right before booking a flight or hotel.
Has anyone else noticed that LM award levels have basically become variable?
LifeMiles has the weirdest pricing for LH F.
It costs more miles to fly JFK-FRA than it costs to fly JFK-FRA-PRG.
For JFK-FRA-VIE is usually less than JFK-FRA but sometimes it’s more.
Total mess. JFK-FRA(MUC)-VIE ranges from 84,820 to 87,550 to to 91,740 to 95,130 to 101,060.
Also JFK-MUC-FRA is fewer miles than JFK-FRA
What a shitshow LifeMiles has become.
Is that because of mixed cabins?