A few weeks ago I wrote about booking a last minute ticket from Cleveland to Newark in a post about United’s awesome new WiFi day pass.
The last minute ticket would have cost some $792 for someone paying cash:
But here at DansDeals we don’t pay cash for airfare, we play the mileage game.
Delta wanted a whopping 70,000 miles+$11.20 round-trip.
United wanted 30,000 miles+$11.20 round-trip, an excellent value of 2.62 cents per mile:
But checking the airline’s site isn’t the end game for a mileage ticket, you also need to check partner airline sites as I wrote about here.
- With Turkish Airlines the total would have been 15K miles+$11 round-trip to fly on United.
- With Avianca Lifemiles the total would have been 13K+$21 miles round-trip to fly on United.
- With Air Canada the total would have been 12K+$43 miles round-trip to fly on United.
I also could have used 15K BA Avios to fly on American, but I have absolutely horrendous luck flying on American with cancellations and delays and try to utilize other options when available. Indeed, just a week later they cancelled our return flight from Miami, when all other airlines operated normally. We switched to United the next day, which was a very good idea as we were on time, while our friends on the American flight the next day spent over 6 miserable hours sitting on the tarmac.
I transferred over 13K AMEX points instantly to Avianca Lifemiles, which is marginally better than Air Canada’s 12K miles due to their extra $22 in fees.
However neither Lifemiles.com or United.com allows you to change your mileage number from Lifemiles to United. You need to have your United mileage number in a reservation to take advantage of benefits offered by United cards and élite statis.
But what you can do is go to Avianca.com and click on manage my booking, and enter the Lifemiles confirmation number.
It gives a message that you can’t make changes on Avianca.com, but you can still click on the edit button:
You can then click on the box asking if you are a Lifemiles member, or partner airline member:
Just scroll on down to MileagePlus and you’ll be able to enter your United mileage number:
At that point I went back to United.com, where it recognized my Global Services status and processed my complimentary upgrade in both directions.
Not bad for 13K miles round-trip!
How about free bags using the United card? Any way to get that?
Same method. Use a United card to pay for the tax and switch to your United mileage number.
As someone who does NJ-ORD frequently, I was under the impression that travel must be paid for with the card for benefits. That’s been a major dealbreaker for us as American doesn’t require that. Has something changed?
You can pay for the taxes on a United award flight to get card benefits.
This applies to partner redemptions?
For partner airlines, sure. Just in case, bring the ticket receipt showing you paid on the United card and a checkin agent can waive baggage fees if it doesn’t work automatically.
For bank point redemptions, no, as they don’t actually book with your card number.
does not always work smoothy I once used Turkish miles to book united metal but could not for some reason add my united FFN. Had to ask for baggage waiver fee at the check in counter
Of course, if you don’t add your mileage number it won’t work.
Did you try adding it on other Star Alliance sites?
like what sites are you referring to? I tried United and Turkish without success
Try Avianca or other sites.
I use Finnair for Avios tickets.
??
I can manage a reservation I made using TK points on United metal on Avianca’s site?
also I DID manage to call and get a United rep to do it but still did not show free luggage! had to request it at check in counter
Did it show your United mileage number in the reservation on United.com?
Just because a phone rep says they changed it, doesn’t mean they did…
yes it did but still did not show free luggage benefit maybe because at time of purchase it was not entered; only later
Awesome, never knew this. Thanks!
I recently had the lifemiles vs Air Canada question. I figured the Air Canada customer service was worth the few dollars. When I had to cancel the flight I was very happy with that decision!
True, if I was booking in advance that would be a consideration.
Given that it was last minute and I knew I was going, that’s wasn’t a factor.
I was also last minute. But when flight got delayed 3 hours due to plane trouble and I was missing scheduled meeting…
This is true, though in most cases the operating airline will take care of things with alternate flights.
But if you’re on a deadline and it will be a trip in vain, going with Air Canada over Lifemiles is a good move.
How is this method when trying to book United First Class??? I only fly F/C or stay home. as you know.
Sam that is a good question, I hope dan can give us a tip on how to fly United F/C fpr less points
United Plan B. Written about it several times.
An easier option is to book yourself as a new traveler and don’t enter any frequent flier info and then once the ticket is booked you can add your info on united. Been doing this for awhile and always works.
meaning you are able to enter your united FFN after booking with partner air miles?
Yes as long as you don’t have your lifemiles number in there
You value $10 more then 1k points? Life miles was only $10 cheaper then AC but you paid 1k more
Your math is off, read that again.
I’ve had mixed success with being eligible for upgrades on award flights. If you have a United card with an annual fee, is it supposed to be automatic, even on partner awards?
Yes, if you pay with a United card and you switch to your United mileage number
Ok, that’s AMAZING
🙂
Is there anyway to use miles and still earn PQF and PQP’s?
You can also copy the LM confirmation number and pull it up on United.com or the United app and add the United Mileage number there. Much Easier.
That had my Lifemiles number in it and couldn’t be changed.
With my Air Canada booking I was able to do it on United.
Try booking yourself as a new passenger so your lifemiles number won’t populate and then you can add your united MP number once you pull up the info on United.
You can book a lifemiles ticket with a new flyer and put in your name and birthday . Then when you get confirmation number, go to United and put mileage plus number. Make sure to pay for fees of lifemiles ticket with United card
Is there a Dinner served on FIRST CLASS AA LAX TO NYC?
Kosher option?
I dont see on reservation any meal options or if there is .
2. does FIRST CLASS A give entry to AA club? (departure and Arrival)?
Thank you
Dan?
If you book a united flight on Expedia etc with the united explorer card do you still get free luggage? Or it’s only on there site?
You do.
Interesting post. A few questions please;
1. Which tickets are easiest to cancel/schedule change for miles on United flights? When booked via air Canada it sounds like?
About to book for my parents multi city for Pesach but they want to be able to cancel if not feeling up to it week before etc.
2. Side question – if I have united silver and they don’t and I book with my united miles rather than theirs, do they get economy plus 24 hour before upgrade and bags if I don’t fly?
3. How would you do multi city? Visiting family in two cities both ends of holiday.
Flying lax-stl-ewr-lax.
Looks like inited makes sense for stl-ewr-lax for non stops. (Most likely spirit or American one way for first leg lax-stl for nonstop).
Thanks for thoughts/ideas!
I recently booked a Turkish Airways flight using Lifemiles but I can’t find the Turkish confirmation code anywhere only the Avianca code. Any idea how to get it?
I just flew this week using lifemiles. During booking it allowed me to remove my lifemiles number. After booking I went to United app and added my mileage plus number. All the elite benefits showed up
I thought that a reward ticket isn’t eligible for upgrade?
It is if you have and use a United card with an annual fee.
For the taxes?
Yes.
“But here at DansDeals we don’t pay cash for airfare, we play the mileage game”
How do you continuously maintain Global Services status if you don’t pay cash for airfare?
Anything you can do to reactivate LifeMiles that expired February 1st besides paying $10 per 1000 miles?
Do the no fee united cards also get free luggage if used on the ticket?
Did I miss something? When did you become a GS with United? I would have thought that would be a stretch given the past spend requirements.