May 26, 2014, 8:47 am
Last edit by: SingaporeDon
Every forum on Flyertalk has a personality. A forum gains a personality through user input over time, and Lifemiles is a very definitive example of how users have developed a unique community.
While Flyertalk boards actively encourage sharing of info, the Lifemiles community has developed and thrived via obscuring of certain data elements. It may not be easy for new participants to break through the codes and gain knowledge of the program's quirks, but the overall board community has adopted this unique approach. And frankly, that is not going to change overnight.
If a FT member wants to participate on this board, then they will need to respect other users. Hence, posts that run counter to this community's standards, will be removed.
While Flyertalk boards actively encourage sharing of info, the Lifemiles community has developed and thrived via obscuring of certain data elements. It may not be easy for new participants to break through the codes and gain knowledge of the program's quirks, but the overall board community has adopted this unique approach. And frankly, that is not going to change overnight.
If a FT member wants to participate on this board, then they will need to respect other users. Hence, posts that run counter to this community's standards, will be removed.
C1 North America
C1.5 Caribbean, Bermuda
C2 Europe
C2.5 Middle East
C3 Asia
C4 South America
C5 Africa
C6 Oceania
2X, 3X: in the context of this LifeMiles thread, 2X and 3X refer to any 2nd and 3rd legs of a one-way award ticket.
LifeMiles' Star Alliance Award Chart
LifeMiles' old Star Alliance Award Chart (before Oct 15 2014) // Table of changes
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 easily-seen example is travel on Copa from LAX to SJU (via PTY).
Understand Cabotage: Departing country 1, transiting country 2, returning to country 1 (no stopping) *is* cabotage (example: depart JFK, connect in YYZ to return to ORD, or depart Miami, connect in Bogota, return to San Francisco). On the other hand, departing country 1, going to completely unrelated country 2, and ending up in country 3, is not cabotage. So if you fly JFK-JNB-ZRH, for instance, this is completely not cabotage.
Availability: Seeing availability for *A award seats elsewhere is no guarantee they are accessible on Lifemiles. For instance award space shown on ANA often is not accessible on Lifemiles. Similarly, finding award space on single legs doesn't mean you'll get award space on the combined itinerary. And no, there is no way to overcome that.
Screenshot Method
Send email to [email protected] with attached screenshots on Lifemiles website of each individual leg showing availability. Also, screenshot showing no availability as one booking. Include passenger names, gender and DOB and copy of passenger passport. They will either call you for payment or email the itinerary and give you 3 days to call up and make payment by CC.
NOTE: This previous thread has been closed; it can be read here LM F and J routes (and the occasional trick-it)
LM F and J routes (and the occasional trick-it) Rebooted v2.0
Jun 7, 2015, 5:45 am
#1862
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
I believe ( but do not know ) that some of the "fixes" were "Hard Fixes" i.e ad hoc and static in nature rather than dynamic and systemic. Therefore as new destinations and new schedules come on-line, ( some of ) the underlying imperfections - resurface.
Have to mention though that availabilities are Freakish. They may not be available for 4-6 months, then 3-5 availabilities during the next month and then nothing going forward to end of schedule.
Nobody seems to be able to explain exactly why these "Sweet Spots" occur. Empirically for me, January March May and September and T+ 14 seem to be the most active.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jun 7, 2015 at 7:21 am
Jun 7, 2015, 9:14 am
#1863
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 93
wondering how and why you are able to locate these sweet spots--even with maps etc I still get hardly around and looking for These spots just to minimize my travel cost and maximize the travel experience and not to destroy them via postings all over--
Jun 7, 2015, 12:11 pm
#1864
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto (YYZ)
Posts: 6,279
The second has been discussed in the past and every now and then appears like a twinkling star
Jun 7, 2015, 6:10 pm
#1866
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
As to the Second One, I doubt you have it at half price. Not 2/3 but 1/2.
The RMS algorithm seems to be the key. I initially noticed it, then analysed it and then applied it. While the algorithm seems to be necessary, I do not fully understand the rationale for it or why it is embedded in the LM search engine.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jun 7, 2015 at 6:31 pm
Jun 8, 2015, 1:57 pm
#1867
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
Of course, very few are positioned in the pacific, so it would only be useful if it were part of a more complex trip.
But isn't that true for anything we can achieve on LM nowadays? Given the higher mileage requirements, the availability woes and the fact that there are so many (dumped or not) rock-bottom-prices on the pay-ticket market now, even in C, makes LM valuable for one-way "missing links" only IMHO.
(For me it might actually make more sense to reverse the route, positioning could be cheaper and it might be an interesting adventure... there is availability)
That`s the spirit! Have to tell you however, that both routings are extremely difficult to find. A real challenge!
Jun 9, 2015, 5:00 am
#1868
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
But isn't that true for anything we can achieve on LM nowadays? Given the higher mileage requirements, the availability woes and the fact that there are so many (dumped or not) rock-bottom-prices on the pay-ticket market now, even in C, makes LM valuable for one-way "missing links" only IMHO.
NYC and FRA being the functional airports in each direction respectively.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jun 9, 2015 at 5:08 am
Jun 9, 2015, 9:08 am
#1871
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
Jun 9, 2015, 9:12 am
#1872
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto (YYZ)
Posts: 6,279
Jun 9, 2015, 11:24 am
#1874
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607