Last edit by: Tokyoite
Coronawiki (March 2020)
Does anyone know if Lifemiles will waive cancellation fees for an award ticket due to COVID-19 concerns?
Unfortunately, barring an outright flight cancellation, Lifemiles will not waive cancel fees.
Just pay the $200 as a "self caution fee". (nobody is actually preventing you the passenger from flying as you booked).
In the future, it would be wise to invest in travel insurance.
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Transferring Amex MR points will extend expiration of LM. Post #906 confirms this. Expiration date updates overnight, so wait 24 hours after the transferred miles have posted to LM.
LifeMiles' Star Alliance Award Chart
Cash & Miles redemptions: the price per mile purchased during award booking varies significantly depending on how many miles are purchased. The "sweet spots" are between 38% and 58% of the total mileage required, where miles are purchased for 1.5 cents. See here for some examples.
Beware of Cabotage: LifeMiles has been known to issue tickets that constitute Cabotage, and at least one instance of denied boarding has been reported, stranding the passenger. An example is travel on Avianca from LAX to SJU (via SAL/BOG). For additional information see the WIKI of this thread.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/abo/wnb/wnbtercond.aspx
Does anyone know if Lifemiles will waive cancellation fees for an award ticket due to COVID-19 concerns?
Unfortunately, barring an outright flight cancellation, Lifemiles will not waive cancel fees.
Just pay the $200 as a "self caution fee". (nobody is actually preventing you the passenger from flying as you booked).
In the future, it would be wise to invest in travel insurance.
=====
Transferring Amex MR points will extend expiration of LM. Post #906 confirms this. Expiration date updates overnight, so wait 24 hours after the transferred miles have posted to LM.
LifeMiles' Star Alliance Award Chart
Cash & Miles redemptions: the price per mile purchased during award booking varies significantly depending on how many miles are purchased. The "sweet spots" are between 38% and 58% of the total mileage required, where miles are purchased for 1.5 cents. See here for some examples.
Beware of Cabotage: LifeMiles has been known to issue tickets that constitute Cabotage, and at least one instance of denied boarding has been reported, stranding the passenger. An example is travel on Avianca from LAX to SJU (via SAL/BOG). For additional information see the WIKI of this thread.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/abo/wnb/wnbtercond.aspx
Miles Expiration Policy valid from April 15th , 2018.
- Any miles accrual transaction in a members account in the Program extends the validity of the miles in the account of such member for a term of twelve (12) months from the date of such accrual of miles. Other transactions that may affect the balance of miles in a members account, including redemption transactions, will have no effect on them and will not extend the validity of the miles in such account. This general rule will have the following exceptions that extend the validity of such miles in the account of such member for twenty-four (24) months from the date of such accrual: (i) any accrual of miles in a members account with an Elite Status at the time of the accrual; (ii) any accrual of miles derived from a cobranded credit or debit cards under the LifeMiles brand.
- ......the following accrual activities do not extend the validity of the miles in the members account: 1) the birthday bonus or any other miles bonus that may be given by the LifeMiles Program and LifeMiles LTD so establishes.; 2) the migration of points or miles from other loyalty programs to the LifeMiles Program made as a consequence of the union of both loyalty programs or the migration of one member from another loyalty program to the LifeMiles Program; and 3) the merger of accounts of the LifeMiles Program, including those derived from a members duplicate accounts.
LM Newbie Lounge: Ask your Questions Here (Flame Free)
#437
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,199
Send them a email with the flight details. They will create PNR and call you for payment.
#438
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NSW
Programs: QF P1 + LTG VA Plat, AA nothing, HH Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 764
#439
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Georgia, USA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Silver, AV
Posts: 126
Complete noob here ... I think I can guess ... but what is C1, C3 etc.? My guess is these are region designations in the LM award chart. Any place where these are explained? Thanks y'all.
#440
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
At the top of this page there is a sticky post (under cabotage), which links to another thread - the wiki post there reveals all.
#441
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AA, HH, UA, Marriott, SW, Club Carlson, IHG
Posts: 202
Copa Economy Availability with LM?
The flights I would like to book with Lifemiles show availability on United's website at the Economy Saver level. The flight is on Copa. There is not an over 8hr connection (it's about 5 hours).
But on the LM site, it doesn't show economy availability for that flight. But it does show business saver availability so they know about the flight.
It is only about 5 days inside the 11 month booking window. But United's site shows at least 4 seats available at the economy saver level. (I only need 2.)
Any suggestions on how to proceed? (I tried calling their reservation center tonight, but they said their system was down.) Will the Copa economy seats eventually show on LM?
But on the LM site, it doesn't show economy availability for that flight. But it does show business saver availability so they know about the flight.
It is only about 5 days inside the 11 month booking window. But United's site shows at least 4 seats available at the economy saver level. (I only need 2.)
Any suggestions on how to proceed? (I tried calling their reservation center tonight, but they said their system was down.) Will the Copa economy seats eventually show on LM?
#442
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 668
The flights I would like to book with Lifemiles show availability on United's website at the Economy Saver level. The flight is on Copa. There is not an over 8hr connection (it's about 5 hours).
But on the LM site, it doesn't show economy availability for that flight. But it does show business saver availability so they know about the flight.
It is only about 5 days inside the 11 month booking window. But United's site shows at least 4 seats available at the economy saver level. (I only need 2.)
Any suggestions on how to proceed? (I tried calling their reservation center tonight, but they said their system was down.) Will the Copa economy seats eventually show on LM?
But on the LM site, it doesn't show economy availability for that flight. But it does show business saver availability so they know about the flight.
It is only about 5 days inside the 11 month booking window. But United's site shows at least 4 seats available at the economy saver level. (I only need 2.)
Any suggestions on how to proceed? (I tried calling their reservation center tonight, but they said their system was down.) Will the Copa economy seats eventually show on LM?
#443
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
There are currently at least three throttles in place making booking *A flights via LM a question of nerves and luck:
1) many *A airlines open up less (or even no) award capacity to partners, even though the seats are available for their own loyalty program. Some even treat different partners' programs differently.
2) LM has filters in place that limit certain routes that have been used a lot in the past - we can only guess why this is, but it seems to be some cost control mechanism
3) LM has filters in place that limit certain airline/airport/transfer combinations, to avoid them being exploited for trick routing
You cannot do anything about #1.
Some have been able to override the #2 block by writing/calling the helpdesk with an exact route specification.
You can also simply chose different starting points or destinations to avoid the ##2,3 blocks.
The flights I would like to book with Lifemiles show availability on United's website at the Economy Saver level. The flight is on Copa. There is not an over 8hr connection (it's about 5 hours).
But on the LM site, it doesn't show economy availability for that flight. But it does show business saver availability so they know about the flight.
It is only about 5 days inside the 11 month booking window. But United's site shows at least 4 seats available at the economy saver level. (I only need 2.)
Any suggestions on how to proceed? (I tried calling their reservation center tonight, but they said their system was down.) Will the Copa economy seats eventually show on LM?
But on the LM site, it doesn't show economy availability for that flight. But it does show business saver availability so they know about the flight.
It is only about 5 days inside the 11 month booking window. But United's site shows at least 4 seats available at the economy saver level. (I only need 2.)
Any suggestions on how to proceed? (I tried calling their reservation center tonight, but they said their system was down.) Will the Copa economy seats eventually show on LM?
#444
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Programs: UA 1K; Hilton: Diamond;Kimpton: ?? ; Omni: Black; Avis: First; Hertz: Five Star
Posts: 656
Los Angeles Airport info for Avianca
Booked my daughter (adult) to SJO for a week of language school. She is in J out of LAX, connecting from a UA flight that comes into Terminal 8. I cannot figure out a few things.
1) What terminal will her flight go out of? She has a long layover so not is worried about making the connection as much as just want to make sure I can advise here where she needs to go. Is Avianca out of the international terminal
2) Does her business class seat get her lounge access at LAX?
3) On arrival in SJO, will she have access to a lounge there?
1) What terminal will her flight go out of? She has a long layover so not is worried about making the connection as much as just want to make sure I can advise here where she needs to go. Is Avianca out of the international terminal
2) Does her business class seat get her lounge access at LAX?
3) On arrival in SJO, will she have access to a lounge there?
#445
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 261
Rather than ask a bunch of dumb questions (and maybe this being one of them) - is there a wiki that explains the buying and use of LM
I currently use USDM (now AA) for my qantas travel and europe travel - however may have upcoming trips next year and the year after which might require *alliance flights.
As such I was hoping to start my prep work on how to best fly J from Australia to Asia in particular using LM.
From what I gathered there is a points plus pay sweet spot - so if there was a summary - that would save a stack load of time for people answering my dumb q's as a familiarise myself with the program
I currently use USDM (now AA) for my qantas travel and europe travel - however may have upcoming trips next year and the year after which might require *alliance flights.
As such I was hoping to start my prep work on how to best fly J from Australia to Asia in particular using LM.
From what I gathered there is a points plus pay sweet spot - so if there was a summary - that would save a stack load of time for people answering my dumb q's as a familiarise myself with the program
#446
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: AA Gold, IHG Plat AMB, Hilton Gold, SPG
Posts: 156
This is the first time that I am looking for an award ticket in Lifemiles.
In UA website, I was able to find HKG-ZRH-BOS flight with LX in business. However, I am not able to get the Lifemiles website to get me that one way ticket routed...
Is there a way for me to feed in the information to the website segment by segment?
Thanks...
Peter
In UA website, I was able to find HKG-ZRH-BOS flight with LX in business. However, I am not able to get the Lifemiles website to get me that one way ticket routed...
Is there a way for me to feed in the information to the website segment by segment?
Thanks...
Peter
#447
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
This is the first time that I am looking for an award ticket in Lifemiles.
In UA website, I was able to find HKG-ZRH-BOS flight with LX in business. However, I am not able to get the Lifemiles website to get me that one way ticket routed...
Is there a way for me to feed in the information to the website segment by segment?
In UA website, I was able to find HKG-ZRH-BOS flight with LX in business. However, I am not able to get the Lifemiles website to get me that one way ticket routed...
Is there a way for me to feed in the information to the website segment by segment?
If you search segment for segment on the LM site and both LX flights were shown, then you can try to call LM and try to book it over the telephone. If the LM search does not display any flight then you will be out of luck!
#448
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,320
Have liquidated my Lifemiles stash.
Their fixed chart and 1.7 cpm costs during 2x1 specials doesn't actually beat buying AS/AA miles at ~2.2 cpm, IMO, given bloated mileage costs in the chart, restrictions (can't mix classes, can't have more than a few hours between flights, no stopovers, dealing with refunds is an immense pain in the nether regions), and the soft spots in the AV award engine having gone away.
So, I gather that it takes a while for a ticket to issue with a number. About when should I panic if it doesn't show up on checkmytrip.com? (This is a fairly simple TG connect to NH flight, I can bring it up on both websites using the Amadeus record locator and assign a seat).
ETA: well, what do you know, ticket issued in about 4.5 hours. Go me.
Their fixed chart and 1.7 cpm costs during 2x1 specials doesn't actually beat buying AS/AA miles at ~2.2 cpm, IMO, given bloated mileage costs in the chart, restrictions (can't mix classes, can't have more than a few hours between flights, no stopovers, dealing with refunds is an immense pain in the nether regions), and the soft spots in the AV award engine having gone away.
So, I gather that it takes a while for a ticket to issue with a number. About when should I panic if it doesn't show up on checkmytrip.com? (This is a fairly simple TG connect to NH flight, I can bring it up on both websites using the Amadeus record locator and assign a seat).
ETA: well, what do you know, ticket issued in about 4.5 hours. Go me.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Apr 23, 2015 at 4:12 pm
#449
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Scandinavia
Programs: Eurobonus EBD, BW Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, IHG Plat Amb, HH Diamond
Posts: 352
How long time did pass between you sending them the e-mail and them calling you?
Trying to see if a couple of days is normal or if I should send another e-mail.
Thanks,
J
#450
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Brisbane
Programs: QF gold, HH Diamond, VA plat, Aegean Gold
Posts: 679