Act now: Simple business class bookings at great savings rates with this Avianca LifeMiles sale

news7g10/19/2022

2 5 minutes read

At TPG we are big fans Miles of lifeColombian airline bonus type Avianca.

Avianca is a member of Star Alliance, so you can use LifeMiles to book Star Alliance itineraries even if you’ve never stepped foot on an Avianca plane. Better yet, LifeMiles sometimes requires fewer miles to book Star Alliance rewards than United MileagePlus and other popular programs.

Avianca is running a promotion where you can buy LifeMiles with up to 145% bonus through October 25th using this promotion from a mile at a time. That effectively reduces the purchase rate to 1.35 cents per mile. Additionally, if you book a redemption flight before November 13 (even if the flight is after this date), you will receive a 5% discount on one redemption.

If you are interested in flying long-haul business class at a premium economy class price, here are some great Star Alliance itineraries that you can book with solid savings thanks to the promotion Current LifeMiles.

This means you can use the sale to efficiently buy business class tickets at premium economy class fares on select routes.

Should I buy LifeMiles?

Before we dive into some of the Star Alliance journeys, I’d like to make a few disclaimers.

In addition to the limited Star Alliance award space, LifeMiles may increase the number of miles required to book a certain flight at any time without notice. In other words, while 63,000 miles could get you across the Atlantic right now, there’s no guarantee that the reward rate will stay the same for flights booked later. In fact, just last month, LifeMiles increases prize pool for Asia without notice. For this reason, I do not recommend purchasing miles unless you have a specific intention to redeem them and intend to book them immediately.

Also, for all of the examples below, I’m assuming you’re buying at least 51,000 LifeMiles, the minimum to unlock the 145% bonus. You also need to register on this Landing page to get the full 145% bonus.

Note that LifeMiles will expire 12 months after your account has been inactive. You can keep your miles from expiring by accumulating miles, even if you only transfer 1,000 points from a credit card. Remember that your miles will expire if you have more than 12 months without earning LifeMiles.

Is this a good deal?

In theory, buying LifeMiles for 1.35 cents each is a solid deal.

This price is significantly lower than Valuation of TPG 1.7 cents per LifeMile. However, the value you will get from your LifeMiles depends on how you redeem them. Usually, you’ll get the best value on last-minute domestic flights and business-class international itineraries.

Remember, when you buy LifeMiles during this promotion, you will also get 5% back on your first redemption before November 13, 2022. For example, if you redeem 100,000 LifeMiles, 5,000 will be sent back on your account within 15 days of return. It might be worth it to buy a small amount of LifeMiles through this promotion just to get 5% back if you have a big bonus coming up soon.

Redeem sample LifeMiles thưởng

Now, let’s look at a few examples using the mileage purchase rate of 1.35 cents.

From Denver to Munich: US$875 in United Polaris . business class

United Boeing 787-9 Polaris business class. KYLE OLSEN / THE BAD POINTS

About a year ago, Lufthansa began operating daily flights between Denver and Munich. United quickly followed suit with a flight of its own. Now with two jets operating daily on the less popular Europe route, the award space is fairly wide open on this route.

Last summer, I won an award-winning business class seat traveling from Denver to Munich on Lufthansa. Overall, I’m pleased with the service and catering on board, although you’ll likely find yourself in a dated Lufthansa business class cabin in a 2-2-2 configuration. If you fly on United, you’ll likely be on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in the current 1-2-1 Polaris configuration.

For a purchase of 1.35 cents per mile, 63,000 LifeMiles and $25.30 in taxes and fees for a one-way award ticket on United or Lufthansa will cost you about $875. In other words, you will almost certainly get a big reward.

Newark to Lyon, France: Under $800 for Air Canada Signature business class

Air Canada’s signature business class on the Airbus A330. KYLE OLSEN / THE BAD POINTS

Another solid use of LifeMiles is booking a one-way flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport (LYS) via Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL).

The United Express flight from EWR to YUL is in economy class, but since you’re connecting to a business class flight, you’ll have access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge in Montreal.

The best part? Air Canada’s Airbus A330s have been reconfigured with the latest Signature class, so you’ll have a comfortable flight.

Chicago to Vienna: Under $900 for Austrian business class

Austrian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER Business Class. JT GENTER / THE WRONG POINTS

Although it operates a fleet of only nine long-haul aircraft, Austrian Airlines has a solid enterprise-grade product. When I flew with Austrian Airlines in 2017, a designated “chef” was on board and prepared a variety of Viennese delicacies. Business class passengers can choose what they want from the meal basket as it crosses the aisle.

Desserts include Sacher cake (Austrian chocolate cake), apple pie and freshly made Viennese latte. Yum!

Austrian Airlines flies to O’Hare International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Dulles International Airport (IAD) and arrives at the airport. Los Angeles International (LAX) flights are seasonal.

Los Angeles to Taipei, Taiwan: Under $1,100 for EVA Royal Laurel Business Class

EVA Business Class Lobster Dinner. ETHAN STEINBERG / DANGER POINTS

If boiled lobster and butternut squash with pumpkin ravioli, 2006 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame champagne (retails for about $160) and Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kits catch your eye, EVA’s Business class is for you.

As you might expect, award space is scarce. However, if you do find a seat, the LifeMiles promotion is your ticket to the $1,100 flight to Singapore.

Washington to Geneva: Under $900 in United Polaris . business class

United Business Class on a Boeing 767-300ER. ZACH HONIG / THE WRONG POINTS

United fly”high-J 767“Between Washington and Geneva. The 1-1-1 configuration is ideal for solo travelers but not the best choice for families or those traveling with companions.

However, with 46 seats in business class, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find an awarding space. Also, a real highlight of the Polaris experience is access to Polaris Lounge at IADrecently joined the lineup of Polaris . Lounge.

Need more LifeMiles?

When you buy LifeMiles, I recommend paying for them with a card like Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. That way, you’ll earn 2 Capital One mile for every dollar you spend.

As you might have guessed, that Capital One mile is transferable to LifeMiles at a ratio of 1:1, along with Rewards for American Express members and Citi Thank You Rewards.