AviancaTaca has just changed their LifeMiles award chart effective immediately without giving any prior notice to program members.
The change is not huge, but will obviously have an effect on some routes that go up by maximum of 50,000 more miles required for a return trip in first class.
Award Chart Changes
The number of miles required for economy round trips goes up by 5,000 to 10,000, business from 5,000 to 20,000 miles, and first class from 5,000 to 50,000 miles.
Note that this change won’t affect all routes.
The Europe to Central Asia goes up 5,000 miles in economy, but business return drops by 15,000 miles and first class by 25,000 miles. That is the only reduction of miles required for an award trip.
Award Chart December 2012
Award Chart May 2013
Some available at old levels at LifeMiles.com?
Seems that Avianca hasn’t loaded all the new rates yet to their online redemption tool. For some reason, the North Asia to South Asia tickets at 25,000 in business for one-way award that should be 30,00 per the new chart, but the economy already reflects the change.
Conclusion
This change is not huge, but I don’t like programs that don’t give any prior notice to their members.
LifeMiles just had a campaign for selling miles in April and they must have been sure at the time about these coming changes two weeks down the road.
I was loyal previously due to award chard. No more!
Great, no more free loaders!
I think that it still has value, but I don’t like changes that are done unannounced.