Avianca LifeMiles back up and running, amazing deals available again
Sunday evening we reported that Avianca LifeMiles was experiencing a complete system outage. There was no way to make, modify or view reservations or even check account balances online or over the phone.
TPG readers wrote in saying that they were experiencing similar issues for several days. Avianca LifeMiles customer service agents did not have an idea of when the website would be live again. With little information why and no end in sight, things were not looking good for fans of this undervalued program.
Fortunately, the technical issue has now been resolved and Avianca LifeMiles is back up and fully operational.
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If you’re unfamiliar with the program, it’s worth getting to know. LifeMiles is a great way of scoring Star Alliance awards for cheap. Some hidden gems in the program include transcontinental lie-flat United business-class flights for 25,000 miles, one-way to Europe in Lufthansa business class for 63,000 miles and one-way to Europe in Lufthansa first class for 87,000 miles. Even better, the program doesn't charge any close-in ticketing fees or fuel surcharges.
Aside from reasonable redemption rates, it offers somewhat regular promotions — both for buying miles and booking awards. Other ways to pick up LifeMiles include Avianca’s “Club LifeMiles” monthly subscription plan and transferring them from one of four major transferable currencies:
- American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio, instant transfer time)
- Capital One (2:1.5 ratio, instant transfer time)
- Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1 ratio, instant transfer time)
- Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus for transferring 60,000 points, under 24-hour transfer time)
Further reading: Everything you need to know about Avianca LifeMiles
