[Actionable] Fly Business Class to anywhere in Europe for 45,000 and more.

Purchasing miles and points strategically during sales or special offers can yield excellent deals, particularly for premium cabins like Business and First Class.

Actionable: This post is actionable, signifying it is time-sensitive and worthwhile to look at. I will write posts /emails about such deals, offers, or information, separate from the regular monthly newsletter.

Purchasing miles and points strategically during sales or special offers can yield excellent deals, particularly for premium cabins like Business and First Class. This opportunity allows you to fly to any location in Europe for ₹45,000 in business class, or to North America for ₹90000. Continue reading for more information.

Edit 29th Sept ‘24: Lifemiles is now offering a targeted bonus of 150% to 200% on buying miles. You need to log in to your account to see the bonus you are targeted for. A 200% bonus is an excellent deal, the last time we saw this was during <the period that shall not be named>.

Edit 22nd July ‘24: Lifemiles is now offering up to a 160% bonus on buying miles.

LifeMiles, one of my favorite and most used Star Alliance loyalty programs, is currently having a sale until the 12th of March. They are offering up to a 165% bonus when you buy miles. The bonus depends on the amount you purchase.

• Buy 2,000-15,000 miles, get a 130% bonus

• Buy 16,000-30,000 miles, get a 150% bonus

• Buy 31,000-200,000 miles, get a 165% bonus

There is some degree of targeting involved, so you might see a slightly different offer, such as a 170% bonus. If you don't yet have a LifeMiles account, you can qualify for the offer simply by creating one.

You can purchase a total of 200,000 LifeMiles per transaction. This purchase will earn you a bonus of 330,000, giving you a grand total of 530,000 LifeMiles for US$ 6600 (~ ₹5,46,823), which equates to approximately ₹0.96 INR per point. Be aware that the transaction will be processed in USD, so please consider any foreign exchange charges that your card may apply.

The most beneficial cards for this transaction include the Axis Reserve due to its 2X bonus on foreign exchange transactions, or the Citi Prestige Axis Olympus and the HDFC Infinia/Diners Club Black, provided the Global Value Program is activated.

Sweet Spots on the LifeMiles Program

Here are some frequently traveled routes and the points you can use on them:

India - Europe

Economy: 25000
Business: 45000
First: 60000

India - North America

Economy: 47000
Business: 90000
First: 120000

India - South East Asia

Economy: 24000
Business: 48000

India - Middle East

Economy: 30,000
Business: 55,000

India - Japan

Economy: 30,000
Business: 48000

India - Australia/NZ

Economy: 35,000
Business: 57,000

All requirements are for one-way travel for a single passenger. For round-trip travel, simply double the points mentioned above.

It's clear that sticking to long-haul and ultra-long-haul routes is advantageous, as this is where the sweet spot lies. Lifemiles has some peculiar calculations. For instance, a business class flight from Delhi to London costs 45,000 miles, while a flight from Delhi to Dubai costs 55,000 miles.

Mixed Cabin Bookings

LifeMiles enables mixed cabin bookings and adjusts the miles requirements accordingly. For example, for a route like London - Delhi - Kolkata, which typically requires 45,000 miles in Business Class, you could choose to fly the Delhi - Kolkata leg in Economy Class. Doing so would allow you to book the flight for 41,560 miles.

Taxes and Fees

The taxes and fees on Lifemiles tend to be low, generally falling below $50 per passenger for most routes. However, on high-tax routes, such as those originating from London or other European cities, they may be slightly higher but remain among some of the lowest available.

There is also a $25 fee per ticket booked that is charged.

Cancellation & Changes

Lifemiles charges anywhere between $100 - $200 for changes and cancellations depending on the route. One quirk is that you can cancel tickets up to 48 hours before departure or up to a year after the date of travel. So if your flight was on the 16th of March, you can cancel it until 14th of March or until 14th of March the following year, if you did not fly. Cancellation and changes can be done by calling the Avianca/Lifemiles customer care phone number.

Expiry

LifeMiles expire within a period of one year. However, you can easily keep them active by purchasing as little as $10 worth of LifeMiles at any time, which extends the validity of your miles for another year.

Transfer Partner

LifeMiles is also a transfer partner with HDFC at a 2:1 ratio. This could be an opportunity to purchase some points to supplement what you already have, and use them for your next bookings.

Careful about hoarding

Exercise caution when buying Lifemiles without a specific plan. The program has a history of implementing devaluations without prior notice. Thus, it's not advisable to accumulate points on Lifemiles without any intended use.

Should you buy or not?

Evaluate this in two ways. The first, and easier one, is to check the cost of a ticket to a specific destination. For example, if you plan to travel to Frankfurt, check the cost of a ticket in the cabin class you usually choose. Suppose a one-way Lufthansa Economy ticket from BOM to FRA costs 35K, which you're willing to pay. Then, check the cost of the same route in Lifemiles. In this case, BOM to FRA requires 25,000 miles in Economy and 45,000 miles in Business. If the miles cost less, it's a good idea to buy the miles, or even upgrade to Business.

Before purchasing, ensure there is availability on Lifemiles by searching on the Lifemiles website.

The second method applies if you don't have definite travel plans. Consider your most frequently flown routes and compare the average rates. For instance, if you fly London - India (Delhi/Mumbai) about 5-6 times a year and a suppose typical business fare on this route varies from ₹70,000 - ₹1,00,000, check the mileage requirement. If it's cheaper than what you'd usually pay, go ahead and purchase the miles.

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