Citi ThankYou added Avianca LifeMiles as transfer partner
#17
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: HPN
Programs: not anymore! I'm FREE!
Posts: 3,459
But now the LifeMiles website won't let me book the ticket I want, saying I don't have enough miles (even though I do).
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Avianca Lifemiles expiration changing (for the worse)!
Effective April 15, redeeming will no longer defer (reset) Avianca Lifemiles expiration, only earning (including transfer from Citi TYP) will.
Also effective April 15, those without Avianca status and without an Avianca credit card will have their expiration cut in half from 24 months to just 12 months.
So, combining these two, you may want to plan to periodically (twice a year?) transfer a bit of your TYP points to Avianca, rather than transferring everything at once a letting it sit (if you don't have an immediate redemption).
Also effective April 15, those without Avianca status and without an Avianca credit card will have their expiration cut in half from 24 months to just 12 months.
So, combining these two, you may want to plan to periodically (twice a year?) transfer a bit of your TYP points to Avianca, rather than transferring everything at once a letting it sit (if you don't have an immediate redemption).
#19
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
#20
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: HPN
Programs: not anymore! I'm FREE!
Posts: 3,459
In fact, once I figured out what was causing the website error, I managed to book the ticket I wanted, using points entirely transferred from Citi.
(This is not to say that dealing with LifeMiles' glitchy website and unimpowered, disinterested phone agents is in any way a pleasure. Making these bookings requires persistence, patience, tolerance and an iron will.)
#21
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: *A
Posts: 1,390
Initiated a transfer this morning. Received the LifeMiles email that I had new miles before receiving the Citi email confirming the transfer. Redeemed the miles online painlessly. Only thing that caught me out was the $25 pp award fee.
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Honestly unless you have travel plan in the immediate future i would not "park" the TYPs there - this is an airline constantly sells their miles with 40 to 100% bonus all year long. Just shortly after their last promotion of selling miles, and the TYP adding it as a transfer partner, Avianca making only earning would count to keep the miles alive. And if you are not their elites nor own their credit card, your expiration is only 12 months.
While Aeroplan also only has 12 months life, it is easier to extend the life - Each $3 spent at Esso in Canada would earn 1 Aeroplan mile. Some kind souls in the Air Canada forum would even be willing to do that as one time help should you really need it. Else AMEX transfer would suffice though at 1K a pop. As far as Star Alliance goes, booking Aeroplan probably is still easier to deal with than booking Avianca.
While Aeroplan also only has 12 months life, it is easier to extend the life - Each $3 spent at Esso in Canada would earn 1 Aeroplan mile. Some kind souls in the Air Canada forum would even be willing to do that as one time help should you really need it. Else AMEX transfer would suffice though at 1K a pop. As far as Star Alliance goes, booking Aeroplan probably is still easier to deal with than booking Avianca.
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Honestly unless you have travel plan in the immediate future i would not "park" the TYPs there - this is an airline constantly sells their miles with 40 to 100% bonus all year long. Just shortly after their last promotion of selling miles, and the TYP adding it as a transfer partner, Avianca making only earning would count to keep the miles alive. And if you are not their elites nor own their credit card, your expiration is only 12 months.
While Aeroplan also only has 12 months life, it is easier to extend the life - Each $3 spent at Esso in Canada would earn 1 Aeroplan mile. Some kind souls in the Air Canada forum would even be willing to do that as one time help should you really need it. Else AMEX transfer would suffice though at 1K a pop. As far as Star Alliance goes, booking Aeroplan probably is still easier to deal with than booking Avianca.
While Aeroplan also only has 12 months life, it is easier to extend the life - Each $3 spent at Esso in Canada would earn 1 Aeroplan mile. Some kind souls in the Air Canada forum would even be willing to do that as one time help should you really need it. Else AMEX transfer would suffice though at 1K a pop. As far as Star Alliance goes, booking Aeroplan probably is still easier to deal with than booking Avianca.
So Aeroplan IMHO does not make sense for "parking" unless you're absolutely sure you'll use up the miles before Aeroplan and AirCanada part ways in a couple years (June 2020).
And so in light of that, is Avianca really worse? Yes, you have to figure out how to earn Avianca once a year. But at least you can keep doing that for years. To me, that's still better than Aeroplan which its assisted suicide plans.
Hopefully once Air Canada debuts its new miles program, that will become the perfect "parking" place. But that doesn't help people who need to "park" now.
#24
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
I found this thread because I got the error from Citi when transferring. I tried the entire transaction again, and it went through instantly.
I booked a $300 r/t ticket in Peru for 9,000 points + $8, and it was pretty painless.
Unless there are surprises for me in store when I check in at the airport, etc. then it was a very useful and easy use of Citi points. Just wanted to share that data point as I worried when I saw all the negative comments!
Hope it's helpful
I booked a $300 r/t ticket in Peru for 9,000 points + $8, and it was pretty painless.
Unless there are surprises for me in store when I check in at the airport, etc. then it was a very useful and easy use of Citi points. Just wanted to share that data point as I worried when I saw all the negative comments!
Hope it's helpful
#26
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 16
Does anyone know which LifeMiles account number is the "Old" vs the "New".. One number begins with "1" and the other begins with "5". Both numbers are in your LM profile. Am speculating whether the table on Avianca side that links the old and new accounts together may be causing the delay in Citi transfers posting.
#27
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Posts: 9
This just happened to me yesterday, error from Citi website, but points deducted from Citi account and received confirmation emails from Citi. No points in my LifeMiles account. Called both Citi and LifeMiles and both told me to call the other...ugh. Hoping that something pops into LifeMiles account before the end of their Partner sale for Asia flights, ending 9/18. Waiting with bated breath.
#28
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Posts: 9
To close the loop on my issue. I spent a couple of hours making calls to LifeMiles support and Citi ThankYou support. The friendliness and help from LifeMiles was surprising and unexpected based on stories of heard about their call center. Although the overall experience was frustrating, they were great. I called them five times and never experienced a wait time, english speakers were clear and polite and eventually they told me "Citi has not sent the miles to your account." With that, I called Citi back up for the fourth time and spoke to a very competent agent who essentially redeposited my Citi points, tried the transaction again and they posted IMMEDIATELY.
#29
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 629
To close the loop on my issue. I spent a couple of hours making calls to LifeMiles support and Citi ThankYou support. The friendliness and help from LifeMiles was surprising and unexpected based on stories of heard about their call center. Although the overall experience was frustrating, they were great. I called them five times and never experienced a wait time, english speakers were clear and polite and eventually they told me "Citi has not sent the miles to your account." With that, I called Citi back up for the fourth time and spoke to a very competent agent who essentially redeposited my Citi points, tried the transaction again and they posted IMMEDIATELY.
Now I know I wasn’t losing my mind when my TY points did not transfer instantly on September 9. Just got off the phone with ThankYou customer service and they told me they can’t cancel the transfer and redeposit my points until the 15th day, and no one at ThankYou knows what the cause is for the delays. Really? No one knows what’s going on since at least September 9?