LAN LANPASS - Lanpass KMs expire end of August. What to do?

I have 90k Lanpass kilometers and have just realized they expire at the end of August:eek: I have no South American trips planned for the near future. Any recommendations on what I can do to either use the KMs or avoid having them expire? Can Lanpass KM's be used for something other than flights (ie hotels, car rental, merchandise)?

Help! I hate the thought of losing the ff value of all the flights I took.

In Peru there is a huge catalogue of products to “buy” with Kms. But delivery in Peru only, you are in the states, right? No similar catalogue exists on the USA site. Maybe buy it and get delivery to someone in Peru who could then forward to you?

Transferring them to someone gracious enough to accept them :) is questionable because it costs $7 per 1000 to do so. Given LAN should soon be offering their 1/2 price km sale (1 cent per km instead of 2 cents) the arithmetic doesn't work too well... but there is a small margin...

Best would be to fly LAN and get a 3 year expiry extension. I am trying to recall if a LAN code share would count to extend them? i.e. MIA-NYC. You could call them.

In Peru there is a huge catalogue of products to “buy” with Kms. But delivery in Peru only, you are in the states, right? No similar catalogue exists on the USA site. Maybe buy it and get delivery to someone in Peru who could then forward to you?

Transferring them to someone gracious enough to accept them :) is questionable because it costs $7 per 1000 to do so. Given LAN should soon be offering their 1/2 price km sale (1 cent per km instead of 2 cents) the arithmetic doesn't work too well... but there is a small margin...

Best would be to fly LAN and get a 3 year expiry extension. I am trying to recall if a LAN code share would count to extend them? i.e. MIA-NYC. You could call them.

Thanks for your response bingo. Yes I am in the US. Having reviewed the US LAN site, I see no option of using KMs other than for flights. Also, the rules given on the website on how to avoid expiration are quite vague. It is clear that if I take a LA flight between now and end of August, the KM's would get extended an extra 36 months. What is not clear is if I fly AA and use my Lanpass account to accrue KMs, will the kms be extended another 36 months. I think I will need to call them to find out.

Thanks for your response bingo. Yes I am in the US. Having reviewed the US LAN site, I see no option of using KMs other than for flights. Also, the rules given on the website on how to avoid expiration are quite vague. It is clear that if I take a LA flight between now and end of August, the KM's would get extended an extra 36 months. What is not clear is if I fly AA and use my Lanpass account to accrue KMs, will the kms be extended another 36 months. I think I will need to call them to find out.

Only LA flights extend validity... You might be able to rebook your award flights after expiration day.

You could use the kms to fly with AA within the US. IAH to MIA is 28.000 kms RT on AA, you have plenty of options.

You could use the kms to fly with AA within the US. IAH to MIA is 28.000 kms RT on AA, you have plenty of options.

Yeah. I think I will do some domestic trips on AA before the end of the month. I'll try and use the LA KMs for these. Thanks.

Only LA flights extend validity... You might be able to rebook your award flights after expiration day.

I don't think this is true.

I had my first LAN revenue flight this year on 18 August, before then I was flying AA all year and unless I am completely mistaken, AA (or other OneWorld partner) flights push validity up to the end of the second year (so up to 36 months) or practically for a flight taken in September, it would take you up to 31 Dec 2014 for validity.

Oddly when you then take a LAN flight it unites your validity dates again and pushes everything 36 months out.

bingocallerb22 A LAN codeshare would push forward validity in one of the above ways but it is moot because I don't believe you would be able to buy a LAN codeshare MIA to NYC without a connecting international flight

I don't think this is true.

I had my first LAN revenue flight this year on 18 August, before then I was flying AA all year and unless I am completely mistaken, AA (or other OneWorld partner) flights push validity up to the end of the second year (so up to 36 months) or practically for a flight taken in September, it would take you up to 31 Dec 2014 for validity.

Oddly when you then take a LAN flight it unites your validity dates again and pushes everything 36 months out.

bingocallerb22 A LAN codeshare would push forward validity in one of the above ways but it is moot because I don't believe you would be able to buy a LAN codeshare MIA to NYC without a connecting international flight

You mean miikkak. But since I am here, as you say, there are two expiries, one for Lan kms the other for partners kms. Lans are 36 months from the date of the flight at the end of that month.

Partners kms valid for 3 calendar years expiring the 31 december of the 3rd year.

Flying 1 km on Lan will renew kms in your account 36 months more.

at least, thems are the rules.

You mean miikkak. But since I am here, as you say, there are two expiries, one for Lan kms the other for partners kms. Lans are 36 months from the date of the flight at the end of that month.

Partners kms valid for 3 calendar years expiring the 31 december of the 3rd year.

Flying 1 km on Lan will renew kms in your account 36 months more.

at least, thems are the rules.

No, I definitely meant you. You said

Best would be to fly LAN and get a 3 year expiry extension. I am trying to recall if a LAN code share would count to extend them? i.e. MIA-NYC. You could call them.

I was just saying that I don't think you would be able to buy such a LAN code share flight.

Interesting if you can extend the validity of all your points by flying with OW partners (when flight is both operated & marketed by them), the rules don't mention anything about it...

8.13 The kilometers earned by flying on LAN have a validity of 36 consecutive months, starting from the date of the flight. In all cases, the kilometers shall effectively expire on the last day of the month of said expiration.

8.14 The kilometers earned by flying oneworld® Airlines or Associated Airlines, or Partner Companies, using any services of the Partner Companies or promotional bonuses, are valid for 3 calendar years, which means that they shall expire on the 31st of December of the third year in which they were earned.

8.15 However, each time the passenger flies on LAN and earns 1 or more kilometers on the flight, all existing earned kilometers in his/her account up to the date of said flight will automatically be renewed, going on to have a period of 36 consecutive months, from the date of said flight and will effectively expire on the last day of the thirty-sixth month.

Ah, OK, sorry. It is an interesting one. Here the language is cada vez que el pasajero vuele en LAN y acumule 1 o más kilómetros por ese vuelo, but elsewhere on other conditions they are more specific and use "marketed by LAN or operated by LAN". Do not know why they were not more specific here.

Just to add to this thread, another option:

"If your kilometers are about to expire, they can be used towards a reward ticket (which will have a period of validity of six months for domestic flights and 12 months for international flights). If you do not have a clear desired travel date, then you can change the date of your reward ticket as many times as you like at LAN.com at no additional cost."

Si sus kilómetros estan prontos a vencer puede emitir un pasaje premio, que tendrá una vigencia de 6 meses para vuelos domésticos y 12 meses para vuelos internacionales, y si no tiene claras las fechas en las que desea viajar, puede cambiar la fecha de su pasaje premio cuantas veces quiera y sin costo alguno en LAN.com.

Are you quoting that off LAN.com Bingo?

I thought only Premium Silverwares and Comodoros can make changes without penalty to award bookings

Are you quoting that off LAN.com Bingo?

I thought only Premium Silverwares and Comodoros can make changes without penalty to award bookings

Hmm. you got a point.. Got it from the link at bottom of My Account status so it might know i am Comodoro... guess we need someone with Premium to check their link?

here is the link (it is not category specific, is it?):

http://www.lan.com/es_pe/sitio_personas/lanpass/acerca_de_lanpass/vencimiento_kms.html

Hey, Seat 1F, did you get to use your LANPASS kms.?

Hmm. you got a point.. Got it from the link at bottom of My Account status so it might know i am Comodoro... guess we need someone with Premium to check their link?

here is the link (it is not category specific, is it?):

http://www.lan.com/es_pe/sitio_personas/lanpass/acerca_de_lanpass/vencimiento_kms.html

I think that is a fairly static page that doesn't change content based on status.

Therefore I think it is wrong, like LAN sometimes gets things wrong on its website

Hmm. you got a point.. Got it from the link at bottom of My Account status so it might know i am Comodoro... guess we need someone with Premium to check their link?

here is the link (it is not category specific, is it?):

http://www.lan.com/es_pe/sitio_personas/lanpass/acerca_de_lanpass/vencimiento_kms.html

Could the difference between Comodoros and non-status members be which channels can be used for the free changes?

Recuerda que el servicio de cambio de fecha de tu premio LANPASS no tiene costo asociado si lo realizas a través de LAN.com.

http://www.lan.com/es_pe/sitio_personas/lanpass/acerca_de_lanpass/cobros_cargos_lanpass.html

But why would it say this?

Liberación de cobros por reemisión de sus boletos-premio LANPASS

Desde el 7 de junio, LANPASS ha hecho extensivo este beneficio a los acompañantes del socio. En casos de cambios de fecha, ruta y/o vuelo, podrás reemitir tus tickets premios LANPASS sin costo.

If the acompañante can get their tix changed free anyway?

http://www.lan.com/es_co/sitio_personas/lanpass/categoria-premium-silver/beneficios/index.html

I assume that the difference should be the permitted channel. Not all changes can be done at lan.com and normal LANPass members have to pay a service fee when changes are processed by call center or sales office (change of destination etc).

I've tried many times unsuccessfully to change a lanpass ticket online, I always end up paying the service charge for my travel professional to do it for me at a ticket office.

I've tried many times unsuccessfully to change a lanpass ticket online, I always end up paying the service charge for my travel professional to do it for me at a ticket office.

Seem to recall similar, get an error message telling me to go to call LanPass for change... but maybe this will change with the new system?

Seem to recall similar, get an error message telling me to go to call LanPass for change... but maybe this will change with the new system?

At Xmas New Year 2011/2012 I changed my BOG LIM BOG tix at least 3 times without any problems or fees online. I am pretty sure I changed a reward trip to SMR online too because my travel partner booked a flight departing at the crack of sparrows rather than leaving later and chilling in the FlyerTalk beach lounge.

There is a FT beach lounge in SMR?! Seems like i picked the wrong vacay spot in Colombia by coming to ADZ

There is a FT beach lounge in SMR?! Seems like i picked the wrong vacay spot in Colombia by coming to ADZ

I sure hope not, I've got ADZ tix!

The FT SMR beach lounge? see

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lan-lanpass/1340319-lan-giveth-lan-taketh-away.html#post18482678

This is where that old LAN 5th Freedom New York to Toronto tag flight on SCL-JFK would have been handy for the OP. Two years ago I used that to extend my LAN km from expiring. I had to fly from Raleigh-Durham to Spokane. So I made it RDU-JFK(AA)-YYZ(LA)-YVR-SEA(AC)-GEG(AS). Extended my LA km, while booking the RDU-JFK and SEA-GEG which helped me keep AS MVP one more year, and the AC leg helped me keep a final year of UA 2P (Silver) Premier status in 2011.

LAN Check-in line at JFK took longer than the flight. But that short hop within North America kept my km alive. I do have to use them or fly LA sometime in the next year, but now that I live outside of Montevideo that shouldn't be too big a problem. I already redeemed some a few months ago to Lima.

This is where that old LAN 5th Freedom New York to Toronto tag flight on SCL-JFK would have been handy for the OP. Two years ago I used that to extend my LAN km from expiring. I had to fly from Raleigh-Durham to Spokane. So I made it RDU-JFK(AA)-YYZ(LA)-YVR-SEA(AC)-GEG(AS). Extended my LA km, while booking the RDU-JFK and SEA-GEG which helped me keep AS MVP one more year, and the AC leg helped me keep a final year of UA 2P (Silver) Premier status in 2011.

LAN Check-in line at JFK took longer than the flight. But that short hop within North America kept my km alive. I do have to use them or fly LA sometime in the next year, but now that I live outside of Montevideo that shouldn't be too big a problem. I already redeemed some a few months ago to Lima.

Now that was creative!

I miss that YYZ-NYC flight. Since they stopped it other airlines (AC, WJ, Porter) have significantly increased capacity on that route, so there was potencial if LAN had advertized / sold it better, especially with their better in-the-air service.