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
Nov 18, 2014, 2:24 pm
#1336
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Manaus, AM, Brasil
Programs: Smiles Gold, Amigo Gold, BW Diamond. Exp. MP Silver, HH Gold, IHG Plat., Choice Plat., Le Club Plat.
Posts: 29
You don't think, anybody will send you any trick, if you just posted tricks uncoded in this forum? Even a blind person could reproduce the trick with your posted information. There are many bloggers here that are just waiting to put such deals on their blogs until the deal is dead! And maybe AV/Lifemiles is also scanning this thread... If so: ¡hola colegas de AV/LM! 
I´ve read this thread from the beginning, and noticed that coding was used mostly for hide city/airport names.
Anyway, i have edited my message.
Sorry.
Nov 18, 2014, 4:40 pm
#1337
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Flying Blue Plat, Executive Club Gold, Miles & Bonus Gold, Alaska Mileage Plan, Aeroplan, LifeMiles
Posts: 93
You're asking for trouble. I wouldn't do that with my family, furthermore with an infant.
I'm planning a trip to C2 with wife and kid next year, and found an interesting boomerang flying TP J, C4S-C2-C2-C4N.
The problem is that I'll have to call TP to add an infant to this reservation, and I'm afraid that questions would be asked, since the route is very unusual.
Has anyone did this before? Any problems on the fone or at the check-in counter? Should I ask to short check baggage?
Thanks.
The problem is that I'll have to call TP to add an infant to this reservation, and I'm afraid that questions would be asked, since the route is very unusual.
Has anyone did this before? Any problems on the fone or at the check-in counter? Should I ask to short check baggage?
Thanks.
Nov 19, 2014, 4:49 am
#1338
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SXE
Programs: QF LTG, VA Gold, BA Gold, HH, SFSC
Posts: 502
Which as I've said before is a huge overstatement of the scope of this spreadsheet! The spreadsheet was actually set up to share details mainly of Virgin Australia status runs. At some point a LifeMiles tab was added and it contains only very rudimentary details of some miscoded cities, really nothing about creative routings (boomerangs) and is very rarely updated. There is more info posted openly in this thread than appears in the spreadsheet!
It is not the resource that it used to be.
Nov 19, 2014, 6:22 am
#1339
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
Especially Canadians and Australians are privileged under current structure being able to reach or leave their respective homelands from or to far away continents.
Us New Yorkers are not doing too badly either.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Nov 19, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Nov 19, 2014, 11:25 am
#1341
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 163
I booked my infant via SAW route with his own seat. DO you think that is a risk. Booking his own J seat was cheaper than paying 10% on United.
Nov 19, 2014, 5:54 pm
#1342
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Manaus, AM, Brasil
Programs: Smiles Gold, Amigo Gold, BW Diamond. Exp. MP Silver, HH Gold, IHG Plat., Choice Plat., Le Club Plat.
Posts: 29
Analyzing the routing more accurately, I realized that it's doable (like an user advised me by PM, sharing his own experience with an infant) , and one should not have problems, even to check luggage, since the flight arives at one airport, and the next departs from another in the same city, flying a different carrier.
Nov 19, 2014, 10:21 pm
#1343
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 163
Yes, that's a good idea. I've checked the price on the airline site, and the difference would be very small. So, really makes sense to issue his own ticket.
Analyzing the routing more accurately, I realized that it's doable (like an user advised me by PM, sharing his own experience with an infant) , and one should not have problems, even to check luggage, since the flight arives at one airport, and the next departs from another in the same city, flying a different carrier.
Analyzing the routing more accurately, I realized that it's doable (like an user advised me by PM, sharing his own experience with an infant) , and one should not have problems, even to check luggage, since the flight arives at one airport, and the next departs from another in the same city, flying a different carrier.
Nov 20, 2014, 2:59 am
#1344
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
I have done one in the past that had a 5hr layover with a infant. It wasn't a big boomerang so worked fine. In fact I have a couple more similar ones booked and don't see any issues. I wouldn't do the one that you are suggesting.
Nov 21, 2014, 11:25 am
#1347
Join Date: May 2001
Location: TYO
Posts: 1,496
Nov 21, 2014, 6:47 pm
#1349
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
Oh no.
You sent informational PM to someone who has been member for 3+years but who uses who his first posting to ask for a free handout ?
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWR80
You sent informational PM to someone who has been member for 3+years but who uses who his first posting to ask for a free handout ?
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWR80
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Nov 21, 2014 at 6:53 pm
Nov 21, 2014, 7:25 pm
#1350
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 33
Oh no.
You sent informational PM to someone who has been member for 3+years but who uses who his first posting to ask for a free handout ?
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWR80
You sent informational PM to someone who has been member for 3+years but who uses who his first posting to ask for a free handout ?
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWR80