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 29, 2014, 5:37 am
#106
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CDG
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 1,611
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.
May 29, 2014, 8:25 am
#107
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: AT
Programs: *G at A3,TK;M&M,LM; IHG RA, AB Plat.
Posts: 105
May 29, 2014, 9:04 am
#108
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
The more I look at boomerangs, the more I think the travel time restriction hypothesis may be correct (unless, of course, the Amadeus schedules idea is correct)
For example:
- C1-C1 via C1.5 with a total travel time of 12h25m
- C2.5-C2.5 via C2 with a total travel time of 17h40m
- C3N-C3S via C2 with a total travel time of 30h15m
- C4-C1 via C2 with a total travel time of 25h20m
However, there are options for C1-C1 via C2 with a total travel time of less than 24 hours, I see some options for under 21 hours in schedules so maybe the max travel time from Cx to Cx is set to 20 hours?
For example:
- C1-C1 via C1.5 with a total travel time of 12h25m
- C2.5-C2.5 via C2 with a total travel time of 17h40m
- C3N-C3S via C2 with a total travel time of 30h15m
- C4-C1 via C2 with a total travel time of 25h20m
However, there are options for C1-C1 via C2 with a total travel time of less than 24 hours, I see some options for under 21 hours in schedules so maybe the max travel time from Cx to Cx is set to 20 hours?
May 29, 2014, 10:16 am
#111
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: Ronin - churn and burn
Posts: 701
May 29, 2014, 10:29 am
#112
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
Have you guys even seen the miles costs on the exact same flights to differ based on the preferred carrier selection (star alliance vs smart search) :
and have smart search with avianca results never charged the booking fee or is that new as well?
and have smart search with avianca results never charged the booking fee or is that new as well?
May 29, 2014, 10:34 am
#114
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
You must have somehow forced the fee on AV by choosing a Star Alliance search for the flights.
May 29, 2014, 10:35 am
#115
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MUC
Programs: *A Gold, OW Emerald; IHG S, SPG P, HH D, HGP D, Accor P, Carlson G
Posts: 215
May 29, 2014, 10:38 am
#117
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: M&M
Posts: 997
Because LH asked/filed some other stuff with them?
Germantraveller is perfectly right about the source of the change. Only a few people knew (or bothered to check) that the c1-c1 boomerangs for the whole LH group actually pulled up availability on m&m but they correctly priced them as 2 one-ways. None of the tatl versions pull up anymore on LH so it's most definitely not a change in how LM handles these itins.
There were reports of LH agents taking notes of the weird itineraries people were flying in F and J, some more capable agents actually noticed these were connecting in FRA. It doesn't take much from that point for some to start escalating and LH cracking down on it. Voila.
As much as I agree with the Jeff bashing (for he was not only stupid but incredibly selfish too) this happening the same time as the DoT complaint is probably only a coincidence. (unless LM asked for the changes themselves, but I'd think they're way too incompetent to make this move)
Germantraveller is perfectly right about the source of the change. Only a few people knew (or bothered to check) that the c1-c1 boomerangs for the whole LH group actually pulled up availability on m&m but they correctly priced them as 2 one-ways. None of the tatl versions pull up anymore on LH so it's most definitely not a change in how LM handles these itins.
There were reports of LH agents taking notes of the weird itineraries people were flying in F and J, some more capable agents actually noticed these were connecting in FRA. It doesn't take much from that point for some to start escalating and LH cracking down on it. Voila.
As much as I agree with the Jeff bashing (for he was not only stupid but incredibly selfish too) this happening the same time as the DoT complaint is probably only a coincidence. (unless LM asked for the changes themselves, but I'd think they're way too incompetent to make this move)
May 29, 2014, 11:03 am
#118
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BTS
Posts: 611
The booking fee should never be applied on Avianca flights. So it is the first one that is irregular, not the second one. The fee for Star Alliance flights was introduced just after the first round of 2x1 sales.
You must have somehow forced the fee on AV by choosing a Star Alliance search for the flights.
You must have somehow forced the fee on AV by choosing a Star Alliance search for the flights.
May 29, 2014, 11:12 am
#119
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
Smart search let's Avianca search Avianca rewards at Avianca prices. There are plenty of examples where AV charges more for rewards than they would on Star Alliance partners. A couple of weeks ago I was finding JFK LHR via BOG. Whilst this is not only an awful routing, it also had AV pricing on it so was also about 5000 per person each way more even for limited seat inventory.
Maybe you found a nice loophole where AV prices are sufficiently greater than the *A prices then there may well be instances where it is worthwhile swallowing the $25pp fee.
Maybe you found a nice loophole where AV prices are sufficiently greater than the *A prices then there may well be instances where it is worthwhile swallowing the $25pp fee.