Former President George W. Bush said it best (and I’m quoting loosely here): “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice [or in this case, three times], you can’t get fooled again.”
That’s why Avianca LifeMiles’ most recent devaluation – its third in just a year and change – hardly comes as a surprise. We’re not exactly sure when these changes went into effect, but we recently started seeing higher award rates on many (but not all) popular routes and airlines worldwide.
This comes on the heels of two rapid increases just 12 months or so ago – the second of which was rolled back slightly – and makes putting up with the airlines’ shoddy customer service and wonky website a harder sell. For years, points and miles aficionados have put up with both for one reason: Low mileage redemption rates, which made it the best way to book flights on any Star Alliance airline – particularly business and first class.
But now, we’re not so sure it’s worth the hassle.
In typical LifeMiles fashion, this isn’t a cut-and-dry, across-the-board increase. Travelers hoping to redeem LifeMiles to fly United Airlines to Europe, Africa, and even Asia are in for some higher rates. Meanwhile, many other transatlantic business class redemptions jumped from as low as 55,000 miles each way up to 70,000 miles (or so).
Change and confusion are constants with LifeMiles, so this could continue to unfold. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re currently seeing:
- After increasing one-way United Airlines redemptions to Europe to 40,000 miles in economy and 80,000 miles in business class last year, Avianca has now hiked prices by an additional 15% to 21%, charging 48,400 miles in economy and a whopping 92,400 miles in business class. Ouch!
- Longer United flights like the one from Newark (EWR) to Cape Town (CPT) went up from 55,000 miles each way in economy to 66,550.
- Economy flights to Europe on other Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa have also increased from the previous rate of 40,000 miles each way to 48,400 miles each way, though you may still see some redemptions for less.
- Business class flights to Europe on other Star Alliance partners like SWISS, Austrian, and TAP Air Portugal jumped from as low as 55,000 miles to as high as 81,290 miles each way.
- Yet on other routes, it’s largely business as usual, with LOT Polish business class flights from New York (JFK) to Warsaw (WAW) still going for 69,000 miles in business class each way. Meanwhile, LOT flights from nearby Toronto (YYZ) to Warsaw only cost 30,000 miles in economy and 63,000 in business class each way.
- Plus, LifeMiles is pricing awards differently depending on how you search! Did we mention how quirky LifeMiles is?
We’re still sifting through examples to see just how far this devaluation goes, and it may continue to change. But there’s no doubt this one hurts and makes LifeMiles borderline irrelevant.
Despite its many pitfalls, travelers have turned to LifeMiles because it offers an unparalleled mix of affordable award rates, without the hefty fees and surcharges that plague other programs. Plus, they’ve gotten easier to earn over the years: LifeMiles is now an Amex transfer partner, Capital One transfer partner, Citi transfer partner, and most recently a Wells Fargo transfer partner.
That means a stash of points from cards like the *amex gold* or the *venture x* could get you all the miles you need. And a steady stream of transfer bonuses from the banks to Avianca has further enhanced the value.
Now, many of the best redemptions will cost you far more points (again). But Avianca isn’t alone: Nearly every mileage program on the planet has devalued awards over the years. More recently, we’ve seen programs like Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic hike taxes and fees to some egregious levels – likely as a result of rising fuel costs – which is a whole different kind of devaluation.
Read more: Sick of Your Points & Miles Losing Value? Blame the Banks
Just a few days (maybe weeks?) ago, this United Polaris flight from Washington D.C.-Dulles (IAD) to Brussels (BRU) would have cost 80,000 in business class. Today, it’ll cost you 92,400 miles. Even back in economy, the price went up, now requiring 48,400 miles – a substantial increase from the old 40,000-mile rate.
But it’s not just United flights where you’ll find this increase. This one-way business class flight from Newark (EWR) to Lisbon (LIS) is pricing out at the same 92,400-mile mark.
Or take a look at this Austrian Airlines business class award ticket from Washington D.C.-Dulles (IAD) to Vienna (VIE) for 80,810 miles each way – up from the old 69,000-mile price point.
And even mixed-carrier itineraries requiring a connection price out at the new 48,400-mile mark in economy, like this flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt on United, with a connection to Munich (MUC) on Lufthansa.
Longer United flights like this one from Newark (EWR) to Cape Town (CPT) went from 55,000 miles each way in economy to 66,550 miles with these changes.
You’ll find that same price on United’s flights to Tokyo, too. Take a look at this one-way economy class award from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) to Tokyo (HND) for 66,550 miles for proof – that’s an increase from just 55,000 miles previously.
So far, we aren’t seeing the pain across the Pacific extended to other carriers, such as ANA or EVA … but things seem to be updating by the hour, so give it time.
But if you can count on one thing with LifeMiles, it’s quirky loopholes and one-off deals to book select routes for less than advertised. That hasn’t changed.
For example, you can still book LOT Polish business class from New York City (JFK) to Warsaw (WAW) for just 69,000 miles each way.
And it’s even cheaper for our neighbors to the north: Canada. Flights between Toronto (YYZ) and Warsaw are still going for 30,000 miles in economy or 63,000 miles in business class – the same price you’d pay two years (or more) ago.
And then there’s one of our longtime favorite loopholes: Business class flights from New York to Zurich (ZRH) on SWISS. These flights used to inexplicably cost 27,500 miles each way in economy or 55,000 miles in business class.
The price has now gone up to 33,280 in economy and 63,530 in business class, each way. That stinks, but it’s still the cheapest way to use LifeMiles to get from the U.S. to Europe in business class.
In yet another development that can only be chalked up to, “Well, it is LifeMiles after all,” some awards may price differently depending on how you search.
For example, if you’re looking for Asiana awards and you start by doing a “Smart Search” on the LifeMiles homepage, and then select Asiana from the available airlines listed at the top, you’ll see a 48,400-mile price for the one-way award.
However, if you start by doing a “Star Alliance” search, you may instead see LifeMiles charging 64,900 miles for the exact same dates.
These searches were done back-to-back on the same browser. You truly can’t make this kind of stuff up!
Finally, one fixture of redeeming LifeMiles remains in place: You can still shave a few thousand miles off the final price with a mixed-cabin award, like booking one segment in business class and the second in economy. So while a nonstop business class ticket from San Francisco (SFO) to Warsaw will now cost you 92,400 miles, tacking on a connection in Frankfurt (FRA) in economy drops the price to 91,490 miles.
Not exactly a worthwhile savings, but there are probably other examples out there where it could make sense.
This is probably just the tip of the iceberg – there are likely more routes and carriers out there with higher prices – but if there’s one thing consistent about LifeMiles, it’s the carrier’s inconsistency. This could all change again tomorrow.
For years, it’s been worth putting up with the pain of dealing with LifeMiles for some absurdly good deals. But after many of these increases, the juice may no longer be worth the squeeze – redeeming points through Air Canada Aeroplan for these same flights sure seems like a much better way to go.
Bottom Line
Avianca LifeMiles has quietly rolled out another devaluation – its third in just over a year – raising award prices on many popular routes, especially on United and other Star Alliance partners.
While some sweet(ish) spots remain, the program’s inconsistent pricing and rising costs are eroding the value that once made it worth the hassle. For many travelers, LifeMiles may no longer justify the frustration.
