So, last week Lifemiles raised some of it’s award prices which you can read about here. It seems like they’ve now increased the price for cash and miles.
Originally the cash and miles price was 1.275 cents per mile when you moved the slider all the way to 60%.
Now the engine is offering to let you purchase miles at 15,000 miles for $236.40.
Cash and Miles
This means the price of a mile is now 1.576 cents, which is a percentage change (devaluation) of over 23%.
It actually ends up cheaper now, when max out purchasing the miles during cash and miles. The sweet spot is no buying now buying 48% of the miles, which makes the cash and miles at 1.5 cents. Sot that means the devaluation is still around 20%.
Cash and Miles at 1.5cpm
So with any award now, you want to be buying 48% of your miles for the best price, instead of 60% previously.
I find this extremely disheartening as they just devalued last week! This just reaffirms how I feel lifemiles are on a very slippery slope. What are they going to do next? Add fuel surcharges?
i’m soooo glad i burnt through most of my 2×1 stash and now only have 35K
maybe they’ve finally realized they’re too good a value, and people have been abusing their promos
I have a bit more than you and I really need to start spending! I just need to find a way and ticket LH F which will eat away the majority of my miles. 🙂
This is death by a thousand cuts.
No way they will get close to a Freddie award next year.
Abusing the trust of their members with these multiple moves.
I’m actually not what the voter composition of the freddies is, as I would assume the impact to the Central American members who actually use miles “properly” 😛 is minimal. But definitely a very bitter taste to FTers.
Very unethical after their promo.
You pretty much need to be ready to pull the trigger right away if purchasing.
This is BS! They have burnt any goodwill with their members. They could have provided some advance notice in the very least. I am so tempted to call my credit card company and commence a charge back!
Oh… Thanks for staying on top of this! Much appreciated 🙂
ridiculous! i am also tempted to ask for chargeback!
@Jeff Don’t give them any ideas (RE Fuel Surcharge)
@Allure I paid on amex, let me know how the chargeback goes, im considering it too.
Comment on their facebook site – these weekly enhancements need to stop.
Their FB page is being BLASTED with many angry posts! Mine included! I suggest everyone make their voices heard! They are sending direct messages don’t know what they communicating I’ll keep you posted! They should be addressing this in public as it effects everyone!
This is the direct message I got from them:
Hi XXX, Don, it’s very important for us to improve our services, please tell us what happened in detail and send us your LifeMiles number.
Regards!
They are obviously playing stupid.
Yep, will be interesting to see what they message about.
That happens when you have many bloggers bragging about the flaws in the system. Sorry but you were taken and are mad about. Live with it you morons!
I don’t really think bloggers have been mentioning flaws…
Still pissed about the shopping experience I had last year with LifeMiles. These folks are off my list for sure.
I’d like to avoid them but right now they are the only program with no YQ one ways.
After replying to their message I got the following response:
Hi XXX, thanks for sending us your information. we have assigned your question to the area in charge, you will receive soon our official answer.
CK, Jason has got a good point, which you have nicely sidestepped. It is bloggers like you and Lucky (by blasting the great redemption rates available on LifeMiles on your blogs) who alerted the LifeMiles management to realize that may be they were too lenient with their redemptions to start with. I agree that to change the redemption rates or increase the cash component without any advance notice and so soon after a 1:1 bonus promotion is real bad form, but do you not think you guys have a part to play in this sad saga?
Therefore the US Airways 100% Buy/Transfer Miles promotion for business class to North Asia must be not a lenient redemption, because it seems like they haven’t devalued that three times in six months. When did I ever blast the great redemption rates available on LifeMiles? Lifemiles doesn’t even read my blog…
They don’t read your blog or Lucky’s… they don’t read FT…Do you think so? I wouldn’t be so sure….trust me!
They might read Lucky’s, or FT. They certainly don’t read me – I’m 98% sure about that!
WOW so everyone is now blaming the bloggers? Even IF LifeMiles reads the blogs or forums it does not excuse them from the way they have handled this. The decent thing to do would have been to announce the changes before not creep them overnight and then deny you made changes which is what they are doing now.