One Mile At A Time thinks boycotting frequent flyer programs like Lifemiles is silly. Is he correct or is he missing the point?
Boycotting Frequent Flyer Programs: Why It Can Make Sense
Earlier this week, after its second major devaluation in a short period, I wrote I would be personally boycotting Lifemiles, the loyalty program of Avianca. That means, at least for the time being, I’m not buying any more Lifemiles and also will refrain from writing about the program, including coverage of frequent promotions on purchased miles.
Ben thinks that is silly, arguing, “Besides, if we’re going to start boycotting certain programs, please do tell me which programs we’re not boycotting, which haven’t seen devaluations in some form or another.”
Ah yes, a logical fallacy called a strawman.
No one is talking about boycotting all programs which devalue, which would encompass every program over time. As I argued, devaluations are natural and expected in the evolution of any frequent program.
Speaking only for myself, I was talking about one program in particular that is unique in both its size and scope.
Hot Take: Not All Devaluations Are Equal
If my business is to fly airplanes and I have the global network to back that up, then a boycott becomes much more difficult. I’m not calling for a boycott of United Airlines MileagePlus or Delta Air Lines SkyMiles even though both have recklessly devalued without notice, representing a slap in the face of its members. It’s just a non-starter.
But Avicana LifeMiles is different: it’s a loyalty program that has functionally served as a clearinghouse for cheap Star Alliance award tickets and functioned independently from Avianca, a carrier that has struggled to find its identity, offers an inconsistent and poor product onboard, and yet is easy to avoid for Lifemiles’s primary customer base in North America.
And I don’t view these Lifemiles devaluations as business as usual…I view the recent double-devaluation from a company which exists to sell points and offer cheap redemptions differently. The draw (and the only draw) of the program is cheap redemptions.
What A Boycott Can Meaningfully Accomplish
A boycott need not be emotionally driven…it is a calculated and pragmatic move meant to encourage a certain outcome. The scope and duration are important, but less so than what it seeks to achieve: policy change. The objective to punish is secondary to the objective to halt or reverse bad behavior.
Why would it be inherently less serious to say I am boycotting United MileagePlus versus boycotting Avianca Lifemiles? For straters, I live in a United hub and am a MillionMiler in the program, representing decades of loyalty. Plus, I fly United a whole lot…something I cannot say about Avianca.
Lifetimes is not a massive frequent flyer program like SkyMiles or MileagePlus. It’s a boutique program whose business model is geared toward monetizing points. That’s a huge difference and it’s a reason why a boycott against LifeMiles could work.
If instead of mocking a boycott, someone like One Mile At A Time would encourage others to boycott, his voice would magnify far more than mine in making Avianca think twice before its next unannounced LifeMiles devaluation.
Because programs do listen. We saw even large carriers like Delta walk back some of its most punitive lounge access restrictions after pushback or British Airways re-add a segment-based earning method for elite status after great outcry.
But some folks seem content just to bend over and take it. Not me; I don’t think we should accept two massive devaluations coupled with increased blocking just because “that’s what programs do.”
How great would it be if we all said, you went a step too far Lifemiles? We’re not going to reward you with any coverage at all, even if there are still sweetspots, if you’re going to treat customers that way.
Here’s a parallel. If President Trump’s tariff threats have the effect of 1.) stemming the flow of illegal drugs and migrants and 2.) reducing trade barriers against US goods, then I’ll give the man some credit…that’s what his supporters tell me he is attempting to do.
And if that is the case, like the boycott I am proposing, the issue is not the boycott at all, but changing the behavior of the bad actor.
My voice alone won’t change anything, but if others travel bloggers all got behind holding Lifemiles accountable for its unethical practices, it would listen…because it depends on those same folks to push its product.
The sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine never fully worked because there were too many countries–China, Israel, Turkey, and India to name a few–who would not go along.
A boycott from Live And Let’s Fly and my readers is similarly not going to accomplish much…but it does not have to be that way.
Still Find Lifemiles Useful?
Ben points to redemption rates between Sydney (SYD) and Tokyo (HND) to argue that there is still great value to be found in redeeming points via Lifemiles. Let me add that there are still good rates between Canada and Europe…
And it is true that even the worst frequent flyer programs have relative sweet spots and these particular redemption pairs are objectively and comparatively a good deal.
So would I begrudge any reader for using Lifemiles?
No, of course not. You do what works for you.
But I cannot in good conscience advise you to do so because I’m not convinced Avianca would not pull the rug out from under you if you bought the miles this afternoon in hopes of redeeming as soon as the miles hit. Over and over Lifemiles has shown it cannot be trusted and the frequency and degree in which it sells miles, basically that is its business model, makes it unique.
CONCLUSION
I’m not buying the argument that boycotts of frequent flyer programs are silly. When boycotts are seen as unemotional tools to influence behavior, they can work. There’s no boycott for the sake of a boycott. I’m fairly confident that if enough travel writers had come out on the attack for the latest Lifemiles devaluation, we may have seen at least a partial rollback.
Instead, we see acceptance…a vote of confidence for a program and a greenlight for further unannounced devaluations.
So caveat emptor…no one has ever argued otherwise. Miles are always a depreciating asset, not a nest egg. I’ve also argued that for years.
But for a program that so aggressively sells miles and points and offers so little else, I simply cannot reward the latest devaluation by encouraging business as usual.
What Ben didn’t share in his post is how often he has been sponsored by Lifemiles or about his historic lucrative commission arrangement with Lifemiles on points sold via OMAAT. Follow the money. He’s a bootlicking shill and laughing all the way to the bank every time a sucker buys these points.
That’s quite a charge considering Ben made clear he has no financial relationship with Lifemiles.
I’ve never known Ben to be anything but honest, so I have to strongly question what you’re alleging.
Ben and I may disagree on this issue, but it’s in good fun and in the spirit of respect.
Going back many years now, OMAAT had links that got readers better pricing when buying LifeMiles. I think the mentions have all been scrubbed from OMAAT, but other blogs have examples. Ie. Instead of a 130% bonus, the OMAAT link would get you 140%. I don’t know if OMAAT ever benefited from such an arrangement, or if it was solely just done as a reader benefit.
https://milelion.com/2016/12/13/lifemiles-140-bonus-is-back-plus-a-special-offer-on-redemption/
Do you and Ben agree, at a minimum, that Sky Scholar needs to get voted off the island?
LOL. I won’t speak for Ben, but I find it very annoying.
Thank you. The whole AI using the first person is really creepy unless we’re talking about Skynet.
I find the strawman argument to be a frequent tool of creepy homosexual Ben Schlappig, It’s one of several reasons I stopped reading his blog. That and he’s a big crybaby about the comments and I’m not interested in his boy toy or their rent-a-uterus kid.
I’m with Matthew on this one. For this issue, Ben is an idiot. Sorry, Ben. On the other hand, idiots make great politicians!
“But I cannot in good conscience advise you to do so because I’m not convinced Avianca would not pull the rug out from under you if you bought the miles this afternoon in hopes of redeeming as soon as the miles hit. Over and over Lifemiles has shown it cannot be trusted and the frequency and degree in which it sells miles, basically that is its business model, makes it unique.”
But what makes the risk with Lifemiles any greater than any other FF program? All of the other FF programs that are generally pushed as top-tier program for points junkies – Aeroplan, Mileage Plan, Flying Blue, etc. – have all done no-notice devaluations at one point or another. The bottom line is, I don’t trust any of them any more than I do Lifemiles not to push through a sudden devaluation between when I buy/transfer miles and the miles hit – and I’d argue that you shouldn’t, either.
The risk is that unlike United, where you get a host of benefits for being loyal, there are no benefits at all beyond the award redemptions.
Yes, of course, try not to stock up miles in any program. But multiple steep devaluations and then maliciously blocking space is not the way to win any trust.
@ Matthew — My problem with LifeMiles is that it is a flat out scam.
Hence my boycott.
Devaluations are not always scams, but the sort of devaluations this program does strike me as nothing less than a scam.
So United increasing prices 100% v lifemiles increasing 10-20 (or zero) is fine because they have an airline?
Do you use mileage plus miles for flights much Matthew? I haven’t seen any opportunities to use them in a year. You are more flush with airline miles than me but I can’t stomach wasting them. Eg 200k miles from Asia to the USA in biz. At 2c a mile. Vs lifemiles at 90k and 1.3c
It’s like Trader Joe’s doubling its prices and Aldi adding 20% and you boycott Aldi because they’re “shonky” and don’t have name brands.
I’m just speaking to my position. As someone who constantly buys and uses lifemiles to fly biz and first!!
Gene,
I do not know that scam is the correct term. Lifemiles has certainly taken mileage programs to an extreme – practically being a consolidator and not a program which is designed to provide benefits for flying the airline. But what is a bit refreshing is that Lifemiles confirms that this is true for pretty much every FF program.
I’ve never found Lifemiles to be worth bothering with. The idea of actually PAYING real money for Lifemiles – or, frankly, for ANY airline miles/points – is laughable. Only a complete idiot would spend real money buying points/miles, and anyone who suggests that buying points with money is a reasonable way of traveling cheaply is absolutely a boot-licking shill – I mean, we are talking Donald Trump Talking Fish Monument-level boot-licking here.
But the problem with being a boot-licking shill is that you’ve been licking boots so long you have completely bought into your own BS and now believe the nonsense you’ve been spewing. Typical blogger dishonesty and self-delusion.
So the howls of outrage over Avianca Lifemiles are only coming from those shills and the suckers who follow them.
You know what a “boycott” of Lifemiles is going to do to them? They’re going to laugh out loud at it. Yes, coffee-spewing, laugh-out-loud. Because the last thing they want is miles and points “gamers” to be “loyal” to them.
Points and miles gamers are an annoyance to them, and they would love you all to “boycott” them forever. So go ahead, make their day, “boycott them”, and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out – they’ll love it.
Lolllll. These websites are for points gamers mate. I fly premium by buying points all the time. It’s effectively 80% off. And all airlines like this business because they can sell premium cabins through the back door without advertising prices that would kill their corporate business.
I used to fly a lot for work. $7-8k return to London from Chicago on the company dime. Then on leisure I’d pay $1500 return on the same United flight with lifemiles. That’s why you have to be flexible and book close in. Because no true business traveler is going to accept those conditions.
There’s nothing shonky or nefarious about it. It’s just business mate.
Devaluations are like any business raising prices. Kmart doesn’t say “in three months deck chairs are going up 100%” aka United.
I’m still a big fan of lifemiles and I respect your arguments Matthew, especially about boycotting so as to bring change.
But I disagree that lifemiles should be treated differently based on it not being a real airline. I couldn’t care less about Alaska or Avianca and the services they provide. I’ve barely flown either of them.
But I take lifemiles exactly as you portrayed them. A somewhat innovative business that makes money from selling points and providing business class flights for cheap. Obviously the star alliance airlines are happy most of the time to have them fill this void.
Devaluations suck but every business has the right to raise their prices. You can boycott them or not use them (case in point I’ve given up on mileage plus because they doubled their redemptions – I was mad but did not feel like United did something unethical. It’s a business).
If people don’t want to use lifemiles that’s their choice. I’ve got enough in stock right now but won’t be buying in this sale. But right now I see some seats for four people on ANA to Tokyo from Sydney for 45 or 36k points. Why would I not use those?
The pure business risk is that they double redemption rates at some point and my points become worthless.
I was really lucky as I splashed 110k mileage plus points for my daughter and wife to fly ANA on business from Sydney to Chicago literally a week before United raised the cost to like 200k!!! The fact United is in a hub makes no difference to my loyalty to their ff program. I’d still fly United. But prob using lifemiles!!
Some parts of lifemiles suck but I agree with Ben that it’s almost unethical not to cover them because the program is so useful. I’ve prob made 20x business class redemptions in the last two years using them. $1200 return to Japan in biz!! Singapore to Chicago for 700$. Bangkok to Frankfurt 1000$ and so on.
In regards to the added miles that Ben used to get readers, he always said he did not get paid and I believe him. I assume the extra clicks and readership from such promotions is where he gets paid and I’m fine with rhat.
Matthew, I’m sorry you bought LifeMiles that are worth less. But that’s the game we play. I can’t think of an airline that hasn’t done shady things in the past 20 years. Your argument would much more sense if you also boycotted UA, DL and several other programs, which have behaved worse than LifeMiles. I left United a couple of years ago after being a longtime 1K as there were other programs with a bigger bang for my buck. But I didn’t completely stop flying them or using MileagePlus strategically. I would do the same for LifeMiles – use them when it’s suitable. Earn and burn.
Agree
Mileage plus far more reprehensible. But hey they can do what they like.
Objectively, Ben is the biggest credit card pitch man on the internet. May be he is providing a valuable service. May be he is a reprehensible shill. You make the call. But he is what is and we should not be surprised (or particularly care) that he sees things through the lens of a vacuous corporate marketing guy. Those points offers that you bought paid for his condo.