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
Apr 13, 2017, 11:12 am
#2626
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Apr 13, 2017, 3:56 pm
#2628
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 153
Well this will be interesting [LifeMiles Inks Seven Year Contract with IBS Software]
The question becomes, if their user interface becomes easier to use, will more people start buying miles in their sales, and subsequently draw negative attention to the LifeMiles tactics of exploiting Star Alliance reciprocal agreements with their mile sales?
Apr 13, 2017, 4:06 pm
#2629
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
You personally may have achieved a mixed class through the screen-shot method, but the official line since mixed-class first came in is that they are only available on-line, not via screen-shot.
As a general principle, I think it is a fair statement of LM policy. Worth trying for a mixed-class, but it's not an inconsistent response to get declined.
As a general principle, I think it is a fair statement of LM policy. Worth trying for a mixed-class, but it's not an inconsistent response to get declined.
Apr 13, 2017, 4:16 pm
#2630
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
You personally may have achieved a mixed class through the screen-shot method, but the official line since mixed-class first came in is that they are only available on-line, not via screen-shot.
As a general principle, I think it is a fair statement of LM policy. Worth trying for a mixed-class, but it's not an inconsistent response to get declined.
As a general principle, I think it is a fair statement of LM policy. Worth trying for a mixed-class, but it's not an inconsistent response to get declined.
So yeah, let's just conclude boomies no longer work, LH F is not bookable, mixed cabin screenshot method never works and so why have the forum at all?
Apr 13, 2017, 4:27 pm
#2631
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
Agree. But while the other things are/have been available, the mixed class via screen shot has not generally been something which is achievable. Worth trying, but manage expectations accordingly.
Apr 13, 2017, 4:36 pm
#2632
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
True, but folks here already should know better than saying things such as "you could never book Mixed Classes Awards via Email"
Last edited by scibuff; Apr 13, 2017 at 4:55 pm
Apr 13, 2017, 5:00 pm
#2633
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
With LM, I view everything as theoretically possible, but also arbitrary and capricious as to its actual chances of successful execution, even basic things. It's an approach that has served me well enough.
Apr 14, 2017, 12:03 am
#2634
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,839
I'm sure everyone participating in this thread has already seen you know it all, so there's really no need to remind us every day.
Last edited by mlqsko; Apr 14, 2017 at 12:15 am
Apr 14, 2017, 4:01 am
#2635
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Just manage expectations, thats all being said.
Dont complain if "it didnt work", if "you called and were denied", if "you cant get it to show", if "you cant book it" etc.
the site is "fantastic as it is" , so its better not to expect too much!
In other (not new) news, Aeromexico and Iberia are visible from the drop-down menu. Anyone tried to book them via LM?
Dont complain if "it didnt work", if "you called and were denied", if "you cant get it to show", if "you cant book it" etc.
the site is "fantastic as it is" , so its better not to expect too much!
In other (not new) news, Aeromexico and Iberia are visible from the drop-down menu. Anyone tried to book them via LM?
Apr 14, 2017, 5:32 am
#2636
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
I try, I really do, I watched this thread being taken over by dilettantes and cry babies to the point I stopped responding. But when you (who really should know better than to say something 100% doesn't work with LM) or others post incorrect information and insist it's 100% true, I just point out it isn't (so that others don't get discouraged from even trying to figure it out)
Last edited by scibuff; Apr 14, 2017 at 5:37 am
Apr 15, 2017, 10:40 am
#2637
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,166
With Lifemiles, is it possible to book USA to Asia with a connection in Europe instead of crossing the Pacific Ocean?
I want to fly from New York to Tokyo in either J or F, and I'm wondering if I can book something like JFK-FRA-NRT if the connection in FRA is less than 24 hours.
I don't care about which airline I fly on, and I just want to have a connection in Europe. (connection point doesn't need to be FRA either.)
If I can, is the only way to book this kind of an itinerary by emailing Lifemiles with the screenshots of the flights I want?
Thank you-!
I want to fly from New York to Tokyo in either J or F, and I'm wondering if I can book something like JFK-FRA-NRT if the connection in FRA is less than 24 hours.
I don't care about which airline I fly on, and I just want to have a connection in Europe. (connection point doesn't need to be FRA either.)
If I can, is the only way to book this kind of an itinerary by emailing Lifemiles with the screenshots of the flights I want?
Thank you-!
Apr 15, 2017, 12:38 pm
#2638
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
With Lifemiles, is it possible to book USA to Asia with a connection in Europe instead of crossing the Pacific Ocean?
I want to fly from New York to Tokyo in either J or F, and I'm wondering if I can book something like JFK-FRA-NRT if the connection in FRA is less than 24 hours.
I don't care about which airline I fly on, and I just want to have a connection in Europe. (connection point doesn't need to be FRA either.)
If I can, is the only way to book this kind of an itinerary by emailing Lifemiles with the screenshots of the flights I want?
Thank you-!
I want to fly from New York to Tokyo in either J or F, and I'm wondering if I can book something like JFK-FRA-NRT if the connection in FRA is less than 24 hours.
I don't care about which airline I fly on, and I just want to have a connection in Europe. (connection point doesn't need to be FRA either.)
If I can, is the only way to book this kind of an itinerary by emailing Lifemiles with the screenshots of the flights I want?
Thank you-!
Apr 15, 2017, 5:28 pm
#2639
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
Yes +2. ORD-ZRH-PVG on Swiss came up the other day for me as did OS via VIE. But I had to play around to get the connection, selecting the specific airline from the drop-down.
Apr 16, 2017, 1:08 pm
#2640
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: SHA ✈ LIS ✈ NYC
Programs: IHG Spire, CA Gold
Posts: 59
With Lifemiles, is it possible to book USA to Asia with a connection in Europe instead of crossing the Pacific Ocean?
I want to fly from New York to Tokyo in either J or F, and I'm wondering if I can book something like JFK-FRA-NRT if the connection in FRA is less than 24 hours.
I don't care about which airline I fly on, and I just want to have a connection in Europe. (connection point doesn't need to be FRA either.)
If I can, is the only way to book this kind of an itinerary by emailing Lifemiles with the screenshots of the flights I want?
Thank you-!
I want to fly from New York to Tokyo in either J or F, and I'm wondering if I can book something like JFK-FRA-NRT if the connection in FRA is less than 24 hours.
I don't care about which airline I fly on, and I just want to have a connection in Europe. (connection point doesn't need to be FRA either.)
If I can, is the only way to book this kind of an itinerary by emailing Lifemiles with the screenshots of the flights I want?
Thank you-!