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
May 28, 2014, 1:35 pm
#91
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CDG
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 1,611
Flight C2x to BKK - times are same as before, flight BKK to C2y same as before. LM prices each flight (65,000) individually and both have availability. LM used to show this as an option, but not anymore. Both flight schedules are unchanged. I have a screenshot from about 10 days ago, flight times are exactly the same on these particular dates. This was NOT a forced airline itinerary, it was one with late departure.
It was such a cheap way to visit Asia for 22,500.
Thanks Jeff.
It was such a cheap way to visit Asia for 22,500.
Thanks Jeff.
May 28, 2014, 1:36 pm
#92
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,837
I know. It is a matter of time. But yeah, 1 option out of 15 to BKK is so much more relieving.
For the record, I believe they simply do not allow and show flights that take 24 hours or more which effectively kills the boomerang and trick. The flights are there, the availability is there, they just don't show (or even look for) flights that take "so long".
For the record, I believe they simply do not allow and show flights that take 24 hours or more which effectively kills the boomerang and trick. The flights are there, the availability is there, they just don't show (or even look for) flights that take "so long".
Last edited by mlqsko; May 28, 2014 at 1:42 pm
May 28, 2014, 1:48 pm
#94
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: IC Amb :-(, UA silver, BA Gold, SPG Plat, A-Club Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 913
I know. It is a matter of time. But yeah, 1 option out of 15 to BKK is so much more relieving.
For the record, I believe they simply do not allow and show flights that take 24 hours or more which effectively kills the boomerang and trick. The flights are there, the availability is there, they just don't show (or even look for) flights that take "so long".
For the record, I believe they simply do not allow and show flights that take 24 hours or more which effectively kills the boomerang and trick. The flights are there, the availability is there, they just don't show (or even look for) flights that take "so long".
May 28, 2014, 1:49 pm
#95
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,837
Hm. Thanks for the data point. I guess I am wrong or they may enforce it while travelling certain regions... eg. C2-C2 simply can't take 24 hours.
May 28, 2014, 2:05 pm
#96
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
Maybe this is part of the Amadeus algorithm?
What I believe happened is they've tightened that rule, so either it's simply a smaller divider or another calculation. Effectively that makes classical boomerangs impossible.
The problem is, given the current availability situation it's nearly impossible to test this. That's why if the Amadeus story holds true we would have a great test bed...
PS the one I spoke about earlier that didn't show up on Amadeus was an unforced boomerang. When we forced it on Amadeus (thanks for the help, GermanTraveller), it appeared. So that would be at least one data point corroborating the idea it could be Amadeus, and it could have to do with forcing the airline...
PPS I love Mozart
May 28, 2014, 2:06 pm
#97
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: IC Amb :-(, UA silver, BA Gold, SPG Plat, A-Club Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 913
Didn't the 'world end' on this thread about a dozen times before and then something changed again and certain routes came back?
also old 3Xs are always coming back to life as the underlying logic kicks in again and a new fare is published....
These may come back.
also old 3Xs are always coming back to life as the underlying logic kicks in again and a new fare is published....
These may come back.
May 28, 2014, 2:29 pm
#99
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
Well, many LH routes needed are gonna be two cabin anyway so a majority of C1-C2 boomerangs in LH F were going by the end of the year regardless.
@mlqsko you know that while it being dead for LH F it is not 100% dead (unlike the C1-C2 routes), right?
@mlqsko you know that while it being dead for LH F it is not 100% dead (unlike the C1-C2 routes), right?
Last edited by scibuff; May 30, 2014 at 6:02 am
May 28, 2014, 3:01 pm
#100
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,626
May 29, 2014, 1:52 am
#101
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 286
Amadeus is only a serviceprovider. All the data is provided from the airlines and it is a mix of data and rules.
Last edited by Prospero; May 29, 2014 at 2:18 am Reason: remove personalisation
May 29, 2014, 4:15 am
#103
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Melbourne/Bangkok
Programs: A3*G, QF PLATINUM, BA GOLD, VA GOLD, HH DIAMOND
Posts: 2,245
May 29, 2014, 5:17 am
#105
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
With a little manipulation, I pulled up a 52 hour itinerary ~18000 miles at very attractive price from Australia to Europe. Christchurch and Auckland worked too.
Several availabilities actually seem to have improved. Indian Ocean and Coral Sea.
Tested several Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere ( the three "Straight North" ) and most of them were good.
Several availabilities actually seem to have improved. Indian Ocean and Coral Sea.
Tested several Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere ( the three "Straight North" ) and most of them were good.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; May 29, 2014 at 5:28 am
