LM Upgrades
Apr 29, 2013, 9:48 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Multiple locations
Programs: AAdvantage ExPlat LT Gold, BA Silver, Aegean Star Gold
Posts: 5,038
LM Upgrades
So I've decided to not only use LM as a miles bank but use them for Star Gold. They require 10,000 miles on their own metal but one of the benefits seem to be unlimited upgrades (at the 48, 72 or 120 hour mark) for almost all their NA-SA flights:
This could be useful for me (see my handle JFK-EZE) 
hehe
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the process, seems automatic, but was wondering if we had any AV/TA *G who had gone through the process...
What I've found so far:
Exclusions: European flights and Intra-country promo fares (I'm assuming within Peru and Colombia)
Timing: 48,72,120 hours out... Wondering if a AV *S has any chance of an upgrade...
Complimentary space available upgrades (excluding routes to and from Europe and promo fares in domestic routes), administrated via an automated process that begins assigning upgrades according to the times listed above.
heheAnyway, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the process, seems automatic, but was wondering if we had any AV/TA *G who had gone through the process...
What I've found so far:
Exclusions: European flights and Intra-country promo fares (I'm assuming within Peru and Colombia)
Timing: 48,72,120 hours out... Wondering if a AV *S has any chance of an upgrade...
May 1, 2013, 6:42 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: TGU
Programs: Lm silver / MileagePlus / Aadvantage / Amex platinum / stargold points silver
Posts: 266
LM does not have a clear upgrade policy, I really don't know how they do their upgrades, even when I was a diamond member, always got my upgrade at the airport, my routes where intranet Central America and USA, if the system did not upgrade you and you really want that F seat you must go very early to the airport because someone they could give the upgrade to someone else. I don't know if they manage the upgrades better now, that was my experience from 2007 to 2011 and then I switched to Copa I almost always get the upgrade on the time that they say.
May 3, 2013, 8:00 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: SJO
Programs: TA Platinum (Now LifeMiles Diamond), CO/CM Platinum. (Now UA Premier 1K) AMEX Platinum
Posts: 379
I agree with Mario. I left Distancia/Lifemiles after being Platinum/Diamond for over 10 straight years, and the main reason was frustration with their upgrade policy. With a 4 segment reservation, sometime I would clear an upgrade on a 30 minute flight that had no food or beverage service anyhow, and that upgrade seemed to exclude me from other upgrades on the reservation.
It got to be who you know at the airport type of thing, and I just got tired of the game. Copa is much more transparent and since they are both now *G there is no reason to throw any additional business to a company that did not value their elite flyers.
It got to be who you know at the airport type of thing, and I just got tired of the game. Copa is much more transparent and since they are both now *G there is no reason to throw any additional business to a company that did not value their elite flyers.
May 4, 2013, 8:33 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SIN
Posts: 543
I am thinking of upgrading using lifemiles on star alliance flights, anyone has the latest star alliance upgrade chart? There was mileage increase for full redemption for business and first class, but is there an increase for upgrade chart?
May 5, 2013, 9:46 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
Here is the Thai link, but I assume Lifemiles required for upgrade are the same for all * alliance partners
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/abo/sta/stathai.aspx
Halfway through "Enjoy your Lifemiles" section on the page, there is a link for ugrades which opens up in another window.
Business Class and/or First Class upgrades:
You can use your LifeMiles for upgrades on flight segments operated by THAI.
Find out how many miles you need to request your upgrade on THAI here.
Redeem your LifeMiles here for upgrades on THAI.
The only caveat seems to be that the fares which can be upgraded would be expensive to buy in the first place, so buying an economy/ business ticket with cash and upgrading using Lifemiles may not be the best use of Lifemiles
Feb 17, 2016, 5:14 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Feb 19, 2016, 1:32 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 25
You can use Avios to book redemptions - http://www.headforpoints.com/2015/01...ios-points-on/ - so I thought I might be able to upgrade with them.