Last May, Lifemiles launched a mileage subscription and credit cards.
I noted that they used to be a go-to for domestic redemptions, but United started blocking a majority of their domestic saver award space from partner airline programs like Lifemiles. That situation hasn’t changed.
But worse off, I noted that I didn’t trust Lifemiles. They added onerous expiration dates for their miles and have made no-notice devaluations.
Less than 2 months later, they devalued their miles, but they left short-haul awards alone. They also dropped the price of Newark to London in business class to just 45K miles.
But now Lifemiles has devalued their miles for the 2nd time in half a year, and it’s a real doozy.
For now, you can book Star Alliance awards with Air Canada, but a devaluation is coming there too.
This is why I always say not to keep miles with an airline. Instead, keep your points with banks that allow you to transfer on demand, only when it makes sense for a redemption.
- Sample short-haul routes under 500 miles in distance were 6.5K miles each way in coach. These now cost 10K miles each way, a 54% increase:
- Chicago-Kansas City
- Cleveland-Chicago
- Houston-New Orleans
- Newark-Cleveland
- Newark-Boston
- Newark-Columbus
- Newark-Detroit
- Newark-Pittsburgh
- Newark-Washington/IAD
- Los Angeles-Las Vegas
- Los Angeles-Phoenix
- Los Angeles-San Francisco
- Washington/IAD-Charlotte
- Sample short-haul routes 500-799 miles in distance were 7.5K miles each way in coach. These now cost 15K miles each way, a 100% increase:
- Newark-Atlanta
- Newark-Charlotte
- Newark-Cincinnati
- LaGuardia/Newark-Chicago
- Los Angeles-Jackson Hole
- San Francisco-Seattle
- Washington/IAD-Orlando
- Short haul flights to Canada remain 10K miles in coach:
- LaGuardia/Newark-Toronto
- LaGuardia/Newark-Montreal
- Sample medium-haul routes 800-1,199 miles in distance were 10K miles each way in coach. These now cost 15K miles each way, a 50% increase:
- Chicago-Bozeman
- Chicago-Denver
- Cleveland-Orlando
- Chicago-Fort Lauderdale
- Los Angeles-Colorado Springs
- Los Angeles-Denver
- Los Angeles-Seattle
- Newark-Fort Lauderdale
- Newark-Kansas City
- Newark-Orlando
- Newark-New Orleans
- Washington/IAD-Fort Lauderdale
- Other sample domestic award changes in coach:
- Chicago-El Paso: Was 12.5K, now 15K.
- Chicago-Salt Lake City: Was 12.5K, now 15K.
- LaGuardia/Newark-Houston: Was 12.5K, now 15K.
- Newark-Vancouver: Was 12.5K, now 15K.
- Newark-Los Angeles: Was 13.5K, now 15K.
- Los Angeles-Honolulu: Remains 15K.
- Newark-Honolulu: Was 15K last August, 22.5K previously, now 25K.
- International award changes:
- Newark-Sao Paulo on United: Was 30K coach, 50K business. Now 45K coach, 100K business.
- Newark-Cancun on United: Was 14K coach, 30K business. Now 15K coach, 30K business.
- Newark-Panama on United: Was 17.5K coach, 30K business. Now 15K coach, 30K business.
- Newark-London on United: Was 22.5K coach, 45K business. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Dublin on United: Was 20K coach, 60K business last August and 37K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Edinburgh on United: Was 20K coach, 60K business last August and 37K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Iceland on United: Was 20K coach, 60K business last August and 37K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Washington DC-London on United: Was 20K coach, 60K business last August and 37K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Venice on United: Was 30K coach, 63K business last August and 35K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Paris on United: Was 30K coach, 63K business last August and 35K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Athens on United: Was 30K coach, 63K business last August and 39K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Chicago-London on United: Was 30K coach, 63K business last August and 39K coach, 70K business last week. Now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Newark-Frankfurt on Lufthansa: Was 30K coach, 63K business, 87K first last August and 37K coach, 70K business, 130K first last week. Now 35K coach, 69K business, 120K first.
- Chicago-Munich on Lufthansa: Was 30K coach, 63K business, 87K first last August and 37K coach, 70K business, 136K first last week. Now 37K coach, 69K business, 120K first.
- Chicago-Tokyo on ANA: Was 90K first last August, 120K last week, and now 144K first.
- Honolulu-Tokyo on ANA: Was 66K first, now 136K first.
- Los Angeles-Tokyo on United: Was 35K coach last August and 47K coach last week. Now 55K coach.
- San Francisco-Singapore on United: Was 39K coach, 78K business. Now 47K coach, 90K business.
- Newark-Johannesburg on United: Was 40K coach, 78K business. Now 55K coach, 90K business.
- Washington DC-Accra on United: Was 40K coach, 78K business, now 40K coach, 80K business.
- Los Angeles-Sydney on United: Was 40K coach, 80K business. Now 55K coach, 100K business.
- San Francisco-Auckland on United: Was 40K coach, 80K business. Now 55K coach, 100K business.
- San Francisco-Papeete on United: Was 40K coach, 80K business, now 45K coach, 85K business.
Overall, these are some pretty brutal changes and cements Lifemiles position as an untrustworthy program. What do you make of the changes?
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16 Comments On "A Brutal Lifemiles Devaluation; Comparing The Damage On Dozens Of Star Alliance Routes"
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Had lifemiles in the past-Didnt like the whole experience. Hard to book; Hard to cancel-No customer service-Hard PAss
$25 booking fee was a bit ridiculous for online bookings too.
Is air Canada charging dynamic pricing on partners?
For example, I saw them charging a specific amount I think it was 70k for jfk to tlv with a very long stopover on lot polish but the exact same routh on the same date just with a short stop they charged wayyy more then 70k Any explanation for that?
Yes – Dynamic is now the rule, not the exception. Welcome to the new world of awards. Too easy to accrue, and too many pts/miles chasing too few seats.
“Newark-Panama on United: Was 17.5K coach, 30K business. Now 15K coach, 30K business.”
Typo or they actually went down the price on this one?
That one went down.
When did this happen?
Was booking something late last night/early this morning and I think I saw the higher price at one point but was ultimately able to book at the old rate.
It’s going dynamic-ish. Non-stops are where the big devaluations are, many connecting itineraries still pricing lower.
Price increases have become dizzying. It’s getting hard to keep track of bright spots. I’m relying on award search engines so much more these days. Dan can you do a more updated review of award search engines? I would love to see a review of pointsyeah.com and where it fall shorts.
I haven’t been able to even find an award using Lifemiles in over one month.
Regret holding on for the past five-plus years and renewing them ahead of expiration
How did it affect their own metal?
Miles are devaluating at more than double the rate of inflation. Cash back seems like the only sensible path at this point.
BDE Lifemiles, was fun while it lasted
What’s the next best besides for Alaska?
Or better yet what’s the Alaska version of Star Alliance?
I just realized that my miles from Lifemiles got expired on Feb 1st. Is there something to do to reinstate them? I had no idea that it has an expiration date.
Just transfer 1000 points from anywhere where you have points
Newark-Melbourne 60k
La Guardia-Melbourne 40k.
Any clue why?