sal930

If you shop at Carulla (I'm sure it works at Exito too), for ever COP 20,000 you spend, you get a LM sticker. Once you get 20 stickers, you can redeem 5,000 of your Carulla/Exito points and for COP 170,000, you get 7,000 LM. The kicker is that they aren't really checking how much you spent. When you ask for the LM stickers, they just grab the roll and hand you a bunch... easily 20 at a time. If you get a cashier who actually counts, well you gotta go food shopping anyway!

For a trip from MDE (> SAL) > IAD, its 13,000 Lifemiles, so all in all, it works out to be about USD 225 for a one-way ticket... not bad.

Thoughts?

JohnnyColombia

Welcome to FT fellow Carulla fan

I didn't think this deal was very good when I saw it. Working on the premise that Carulla points are not worth anything anyway.

170,000 COP is 90 USD

cpm = 12.8

The better deal is to wait until the once or twice a year when both Carulla and LM toss in a 25% bonus. So you get 750 miles for 14,900 COP

14,900 COP is 7.97 USD

cpm = 10.6

The first deal with the stickers is good if you have fewer Carulla points because the second deal requires 5000 Carulla points for each 500 (actually 750) LifeMiles.

You can shave a bit more off at the moment (from either way of purchasing) if you also have the Davivienda Diner's Club card. Until the end of July all purchases have triple Davipuntos. Once you have 15,000 Davipuntos you can swap them for LifeMiles

KenInEscazu

I keep thinking that I am going to take the time to get a Carulla card, but I've been complacent to date. I'm still just traveling, as my move has been delayed over and over. Very frustrating. Long story.

Does Colombia have the equivalent of a credit bureau? I think that you are the one who told me to start by getting a Falabella account, and I plan to do so as soon as I arrive for good, but is that just for a reference, or is there something more nationally organized than that?

Why do I care? I want miles, of course!

JohnnyColombia

www.midatacredito.com

Have you got a cédula yet? No cédula => No credit => No credit history => No Carulla card => Nada de nada

By the way, best thing about a Carulla card is "Viernes de los alcohólicos" when they have buy 3 pay for 2 or even BOGOFF on wines.

sal930

Thanks Johnny.

First, regarding Carulla, I'm not sure what city you are in (I'm in MDE), but the other supermarkets are crap. Exito is disgusting, Euro has zero selection and so on. Euro is good for fruits and Consumo can be alright at times... but that the end of the day, Carulla isn't really more expensive (actually cheaper on certain things + if you take advantage of discount days good to go) and the selection is a million times better.

Back on topic.

I didn't know they offered that 25% bump on the standard LM offering... do you by any chance remember when the last one was? I'll definitely be on the lookout...

In general, did you see the recent e-mail how they are bumping up redemption rates? I feel like they have been winning so many awards, they are finally realizing its time to increase (or devalue) miles for purchases...

I've always had a decent experience with Avianca, so I take advantage of these miles for regular trips back to the states. Do you normally go for the bigger trips?

JohnnyColombia

Sorry I don't know when the last one was. I remember buying them because they will only do them in 500 mile increments so I had to do 10 of them.

You can check on the LM page for where you can pick up points and it says the Carulla deal in the offers section. Maybe they have changed tack and this deal with the stickers is the new offer.

I didn't see any recent email about redemption rates. I will go and have a look for it. Nope don't have it

So far with my LMs I have only been on long-haul trips in J from the USA

And I am in BOG

KenInEscazu

Thanks for that, Johnny! I'm going to arrive with a visa for one year as an independent foreign worker. I actually own a small Colombian SAS, but that was the way it worked out best for me in terms of financial requirements. Whether or not that gets me a cedula? I haven't a clue. I'm more concerned about credit for my company.

Bancolombia told me that I could get a new car loan in the company name after having the account open for two years. I'm not sure that I'll want it even if they offer it, but I would love to get company cards that earn miles.

I'm going back to Medellin next weekend on Copa. AV's schedule included an overnight in Bogotá on the return with less than 8 hours to get to a hotel, check in, wind down, sleep, get up, shower and get back to the airport. No. Thank. You.