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If you have LifeMiles (or Amex, Capital One, or Citi points), the return of the award sale is a great time to use them. For a limited time, LifeMiles members save up to 40% off award flights on select Star Alliance partner award flights between the United States and Japan.
That drops award rates as low as 28,00 LifeMiles — or even less if you transfer Membership Rewards points to LifeMiles with a 15% transfer bonus. To take advantage of this LifeMiles award sale, members must book by December 9, 2022.
Page Contents
LifeMiles Award Sale Discounted Routes
Unlike similar LifeMiles promotions in the past, there are quite a few routes included in this promo — including domestic U.S. routes and flights to different Japanese airports. This includes a few popular routes between the United States and Japan. A full list of the routes included in this LifeMiles promotion can be found here. You'll find selected routes with discounted pricing below:
Routes to Tokyo
San Francisco (SFO) <-> Tokyo (NRT)
- Economy: 28,000 LifeMiles (30% off) — although this pricing isn't currently being reflected on nonstop routes
- Business: 59,500 LifeMiles (30% off)
San Francisco (SFO) <-> Tokyo (HND)
- Economy: 28,200 LifeMiles (40% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
Los Angeles (LAX) <-> Tokyo (NRT)Â
- Economy: 38,000 LifeMiles (5% off)
- Business: 59,500 LifeMiles (30% off)
Los Angeles (LAX) <-> Tokyo (HND)Â
- Economy: 28,200 LifeMiles (40% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
Chicago (ORD) <-> Tokyo (NRT)Â
- Economy: 44,700 LifeMiles (5% off)
- Business: 81,000 LifeMiles (10% off)
Chicago (ORD) <-> Tokyo (HND)
- Economy: 32,900 LifeMiles (30% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
New York (JFK) <-> Tokyo (HND)Â
- Economy: 36,000 LifeMiles (20% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
Newark (EWR) <-> Tokyo (NRT)Â
- Economy: 37,600 LifeMiles (20% off)
- Business: 72,000 LifeMiles (20% off)
Washington Dulles (IAD) <-> Tokyo (HND)Â
- Economy: 37,600 LifeMiles (20% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
Raleigh-Durham (RDU) <-> Tokyo (HND)Â
- Economy: 37,600 LifeMiles (20% off)
- Business: 81,000 LifeMiles (10% off)
Houston (IAH) <-> Tokyo (NRT)Â
- Economy: 37,600 LifeMiles (20% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
Phoenix (PHX) <-> Tokyo (HND)Â
- Economy: 42,300 LifeMiles (10% off)
- Business: 81,000 LifeMiles (10% off)
Routes to other Japanese destinations
San Francisco (SFO) <-> Osaka (KIX)Â
- Economy: 32,900 LifeMiles (30% off)
- Business: 63,000 LifeMiles (30% off)
Denver (DEN) <-> Sapporo (CTS)Â
- Economy: 37,600 LifeMiles (20% off)
- Business: 72,000 LifeMiles (20% off)
Tampa (TPA) <-> Sapporo (CTS)Â
- Economy: 42,300 LifeMiles (10% off)
- Business: 81,000 LifeMiles (10% off)
As part of this LifeMiles award sale, members can redeem miles for travel in top business cabins. This includes ANA’s new business class product, The Room, on board the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER.

The only limitation is that awards must be booked by the end of the day on December 9. For additional information and the terms and conditions of this LifeMiles award sale, check the promotion page here.
Purchase LifeMiles
If you need a few additional miles, Avianca is not currently running a promotion when buying miles. The regular price when purchasing LifeMiles is 3.3¢ each. Just make sure to have a plan for your LifeMiles and confirm availability before buying miles.
LifeMiles Transfer Partners
Many bank rewards programs feature LifeMiles as a transfer partner. These programs include:
- American Express Membership Rewards Points — 1:1 transfer ratio (transfers process immediately) — plus a 15% transfer bonus ends December 7
- Citi ThankYou Points — 1:1 transfer ratio (transfers process immediately)
- Capital One Miles — 1:1 transfer ratio (transfers process immediately)
- Marriott Bonvoy Points — 3:1 transfer ratio (transfers typically around a day to process)
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
The Bottom Line
You can combine this LifeMiles Star Alliance award sale with the 15% American Express transfer bonus to redeem for Star Alliance flights to Japan for as few as 25k points in economy or 52k points in business class.
These are fantastic ways to score incredible awards in business or first class at a reasonable price. While you need to book by December 9, you don't need to travel by a certain date, allowing you to book flights as far out as next year.
Do you plan on taking advantage of any of the ongoing LifeMiles promotions?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Ive been poking around on the LifeMiles site and cannot find any Business Class to Tokyo in March.
What is the best way to find availability?
I’d recommend searching through United. Specifically, search through this URL: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/flight-search/book-a-flight Expand the calendar to 30 days and then limit the results to nonstop.
Isn’t this a scam? There is zero availability on any of these routes.
We found and screenshotted availability in the post above!
Just figured out why an award ticket I was looking at using lifemiles increased. Doh.
Just logged into my account and there’s a 2 for 1 deal right now to buy Lifemiles. That’s a 100% bonus… I think that beats the best historical promo which was 155%, right?
Offer only good until Oct 25th, 2022.
LifeMiles buy miles banners are so confusing. This promotion is actually for up to 145% bonus if you register through OMAAT’s link found here: https://onemileatatime.com/deals/buy-avianca-lifemiles/ That’s 1.35 cents per mile vs. 1.2 being the best-ever rate. Still an excellent deal if you need to top off your account.
Definitely Lifemiles is one of the most underrated loyalty programs, excellent promotion
que buena promocion, sobretodo por la opcion de compra para el año proximo. ! Desearia que sigan existiendo estas promos luego que termine la pandemia.
Great opportunity here to fly business/first class on the STAR Alliance if you have the patience to put up with the LifeMiles website and their lackluster (at best) customer service…even so LifeMiles is often the easiest program to get outstanding deals to fly overseas in the front of the plane in first or biz class.
In this round of offers there are a lot of flights in US and Canada and as always nothing in Europe.
If you’re booking for a close departure date Avianca Lifemiles can be bargain.
But if booking far out, it is more likely than not the airline your flying will have a schedule change
They will contact Avianca which will do nothing and airline your flying will cancel your PNR.
By time you are informed Business Awards may not be available.
Avianca Customer service is worse than pathetic.
Expect hours on hold and disconnects.
Their credit card payment system in completely unreliable involving a 3rd party sending you link “later”.
Even when you are forced cancel and rebook with another program because Avianca screwed up, they will charge you point redeposit fee and tell you that the taxes and fees you paid will be refunded months in the future.
Fortunately, they are too inept to retaliate by freezing your account when you file your credit card dispute
In short – The Avianca’s motto should be “Where the inept report to the unethical”
Thank you for the honest account! I think you scared me off.. this is one for the pros I think..
I’m hoping Asia opens to us soon so I can take advantage of this deal.
Wow, now this is a real sale since lifemiles can often be bought also on sale. A nice double dip if you need to fly one of these routes.
Yeah, great promo!! I wish will have time to take advantage of it.
Star Alliance always offers good and flexible opportunities
San Francisco – Tokyo for 29K is definetely a bargain. I am considering moving my Marriot Bonvoy miles to Lifemiles to achive this. Is this reccomended?
Que buen valor tiene acumular millas
Does anyone know why does Avianca not show flights with some *A airlines at all, even though there is a reward seat availability on those flights? Is there a way to trigger those?
Ugh. LifeMiles website definitely ebbs and flows between being useful and not. It seems as soon as I learn how to make it work, it changes. I’ve recently found that selecting the specific airline you’re trying to book in the search entry can be more successful. But, it’s definitely hit-and-miss.
Wow, really like the promo! Looking forward to travel again and try it 🙂
At least on the ANA side, 120000 for business class is ridiculously expensive…in terms of miles. Booking directly with ANA, Business can always be found from about 72000-87000 depending on the season. Can also book Business for about 90000 through Virgin and ANA First for 105000.
True, but lifemiles can be bought for a lot less than ANA or Virgin miles.
Not the best promo
I still with the search functions for the website were better/faster…
The discounts included in this promo are on the weaker side.
Lifemiles used to offer bigger discount rates on awards…hopefully they will return.
Agreed that there have been better LifeMiles promotions in the past. However, this is still better than full price!
If only international travel is allowed now. Each country have their own protocol in place because of the pandemic making it hard to make plans ahead of time.
Every day I dream of the flights coming back and can take advantage of opportunities like this.
I would love to try the new ANA first class ASAP 🙂
Any sweet spots for awards to Australia and New Zealand?
This is my first time hearing about lifemiles but it sounds great!
What is people’s experience with LifeMiles like? I’ve heard of it before but I haven’t read anything about the process and rewards before.
That’s a nice offer, especially considering fairly generous cancellation terms. May have to consider this one. Thanks!
Definitely Time to take advantage of promotions, hopefully Japan will open soon!
I wish there were flights to Greece. i have never used life miles yet, but this looks very tempting!
This is a good promotion. 20% off is worthwhile. I travel Air Canada so star alliance is what I usually use.
I was not as concerned about Life Miles until last week. The Government being challenged on the legality of the anticipated and announced loan to the airline, is worrisome.
It sure is worrisome for the survival of Avianca. For what it’s worth, LifeMiles is a separate legal entity. However, as we’ve seen with Air Berlin’s TopBonus mileage program and Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege, it isn’t good for the mileage program long-term when the airline goes under.
It’s a difficult time for travel . This offers are really super and helps a lot for those who have a trip on mine, like me